by Steven Ertelt,
LifeNews.com Editor
For the fourteenth summer in a row, a group of dedicated young adults are literally taking thepro-life message to cities and towns across the country. The participants in the annual Crossroads walk are heading across the United States, Canada and Ireland in a record five organized events.
The North American walks started in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver on May 23 and they end together on August 12.
The American walks conclude in Washington at the U.S. Capitol and the Canadian walk finished in Ottawa at the Canadian parliament building.
From the Pacific coast to the Atlantic, these simultaneous walks for life will cover over 13,000 miles, pass through 38 states, 4 provinces and thousands of towns and cities.
College student Nicole Hendershot is one of the walkers — inspired when a previous group traveled through her hometown of Billings, Montana.
“I’m very passionate about pro-life, and it just sounded like something that was right up my alley,” Hendershot told the Rapid City, South Dakota newspaper as her group arrived in town recently. “Just to be a peaceful witness to the dignity and sanctity of all human life from conception.”
The walkers wear T-shirts with a very visible “Pro-Life” message on the front so motorists can see then. When they arrive in most towns, the walkers distribute pro-life literature to local residents.
Erin Bertrand, a 20-year-old Benedictine College student told the Journal her group is getting significant support from most communities.
“It’s been really great to realize that this half of the country so far is pro-life,” Bertrand said. “It’s the support, it’s stuff like that keeps us going.”
Jim Nolan, president of Crossroads, says the group began following a call from the pope to do more to advance the pro-life message.
“Crossroads was started in response to the late John Paul II’s call to the youth of America at the World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado to ‘build a Culture of Life,'” he said. “He challenged the youth of America and the world to ‘Be not afraid.'”
This summer, Crossroads is featuring it’s first ever pro-life walk across Ireland. Walkers are on the road now and are expected to finish by the end of the month.
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