By Diane Haag
With five states down and six to go, some young adults are stopping in Shreveport during their cross-country walk.
The group is the southern piece of Crossroads, a Catholic organization that sends teams from the West Coast to Washington, D.C., to show their support of the anti-abortion movement.
“At World Youth Day in 1993, Pope John Paul II’s homily was telling the youth to take the word of God to the streets,” director Brendan Flannery said. “That was really taken to heart. That’s why we do the walk.”
About 22 walkers are expected to stop in Shreveport for the weekend. Of the group, a core of six started in Los Angeles and will make the entire walk, while others will join as they can.
Here, they have connected with local churches and the organization VITA, which promotes a number of pro-life issues. Saturday, the walkers will join VITA to pray the rosary at Hope Medical Group for Women. They will speak at a couple of local churches and drive to Alexandria for another presentation.
“What a good witness to all the young people and a sacrifice for the summer,” said Janice Gonzalez, VITA coordinator. “The world tells them they could be doing a lot of other things and they’re not.”
Along the way, the group relies mostly on the generosity of people in churches they meet to provide housing and meals.
In August, they will arrive in Washington, D.C., in time for a national rally.
Flannery said he hopes their commitment has an impact on the people the group meets.
“For us, it shows you care so much about your stance. We’re not just going to say we believe it but do something and witness along the way.”