The John-Henry Westen Show - America's Largest Pro-Life Event

00:00:00.000 There's been more loss of life in America in one year of abortion, on average since 1973,

00:00:07.280 about a million lives per year, than all lives lost in all conflicts, all wars,

00:00:13.780 all combat lives lost to America.

00:00:22.980 What if I told you that the biggest spanning pro-life event in the world

00:00:29.000 is not the U.S. March for Life?

00:00:31.500 Many people would think that because there's so many people involved,

00:00:35.000 but it's another U.S. group, another U.S. pro-life group,

00:00:38.840 doing a massive, massive event, a running event.

00:00:44.320 They're called Life Runners, and they are doing incredible work,

00:00:48.240 and they're the ones getting bishops to pound the pavement,

00:00:51.820 not just walking, running for life.

00:00:54.680 Stay tuned to this episode of The John Henry Weston Show with Dr. Pat Castle.

00:00:59.000 Mighty nations stumble.

00:01:02.660 World war threatens.

00:01:04.440 There's destruction on the battlefield and also in the womb.

00:01:08.440 And all this is happening because man has forgotten God.

00:01:11.280 Pope Pius XI said,

00:01:12.600 Men must look for the peace of Christ in the kingdom of Christ.

00:01:18.500 And he urged that the faithful give public honor to Christ the King

00:01:21.680 so that individuals and states would submit once more to the rule of their Savior.

00:01:26.420 And that is why LifeSite News is raising up the image of Christ the King

00:01:31.020 across the United States.

00:01:32.940 Our billboards have already proclaimed the rule of our divine Savior

00:01:36.660 to tens of thousands of Americans,

00:01:38.780 and you can help us reach millions more.

00:01:42.400 Only when Christ the King reigns over our hearts and our minds

00:01:45.640 will there be peace among nations and peace in our homes.

00:01:48.740 Please pledge your support today for these billboards

00:01:52.460 at lifefunder.com slash Christ is King.

00:01:57.720 Pat, so good to be with you.

00:01:59.600 Likewise.

00:02:00.680 God morning, God afternoon, God evening,

00:02:03.800 wherever people are at on their circling the planet.

00:02:06.800 Amen to that.

00:02:07.900 And let's begin as we always do with the sign of the cross.

00:02:10.780 In the name of the Father,

00:02:12.480 and of the Son,

00:02:13.920 and of the Holy Ghost.

00:02:15.840 Amen.

00:02:17.440 Pat, it's really good to talk to you

00:02:18.840 because you are doing incredible work.

00:02:21.000 There is actually something coming up that's really big

00:02:22.940 that I want to get to in a second,

00:02:23.980 but actually just so that people have a taste of Life Runners,

00:02:27.780 this pro-life group,

00:02:29.840 what I love about you and about the group

00:02:32.480 is that it is not shy about your faith,

00:02:36.960 about your Catholic faith.

00:02:38.120 If you would, let's go through your creed,

00:02:40.360 the Life Runners Creed.

00:02:41.960 Let's pray it, in fact.

00:02:42.880 Well, we begin with that sign of the cross.

00:02:45.180 In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

00:02:46.960 Amen.

00:02:47.200 And as we sign ourself,

00:02:50.000 we mark ourself in our Lord.

00:02:53.300 And so as we pray this creed, John Henry,

00:02:55.580 may people just reflect on it as a prayer

00:02:58.200 that we enter into the power of the Holy Spirit

00:03:00.840 and covered in that blue mantle of Mary

00:03:04.120 through the power and the blood of the Lamb and Jesus

00:03:07.000 that we live in.

00:03:07.920 And let's just really enter in a kind of a renewal

00:03:11.340 of our baptism with these words of who we are,

00:03:14.320 our identity.

00:03:15.100 As we pray as Life Runners,

00:03:17.040 and maybe some future Life Runners,

00:03:18.980 we believe in the dignity of all human life

00:03:21.420 from conception to natural death.

00:03:24.160 We run as a prayer to defend children in the womb

00:03:27.040 so they may be born and united with our Christian community.

00:03:30.820 We run to build endurance for the race is long

00:03:34.400 and we must keep our eyes fixed on you, Lord.

00:03:37.620 We run for awareness so our culture will view

00:03:40.800 all human life as a reflection of your glory, Lord.

00:03:44.320 We run for charity to provide support

00:03:47.680 for mothers and fathers tempted to abort their child

00:03:50.800 and healing support for post-abortion women,

00:03:54.820 men, and families.

00:03:56.500 We run to end abortion for Christ died so all may live.

00:04:02.480 Guard us all, born and unborn, with your peace, Lord.

00:04:05.800 For in you, life is victorious.

00:04:08.240 We pray and run in your name, Jesus Christ, amen.

00:04:12.200 Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

00:04:15.320 Saint Padre Pio, pray for us.

00:04:18.580 In the name of the Father, and the Son,

00:04:20.140 and the Holy Spirit, amen.

00:04:22.120 And maybe the best news, amen, John Henry,

00:04:24.480 another amen from everybody is running is optional

00:04:28.000 for Life Runners.

00:04:29.020 That probably is getting even bigger amen from everybody.

00:04:32.160 Excellent, excellent.

00:04:33.420 So tell us the big news first, because what is going on?

00:04:36.800 What is the big Across America Relay?

00:04:41.120 Yeah, what's going on?

00:04:42.160 Well, the largest spanning pro-life event in the world

00:04:45.380 is the Life Runners Across America Relay.

00:04:49.820 And it's the largest spanning because it's coast to coast

00:04:53.200 and border to border, over 5,000 miles of people

00:04:57.460 wearing their witness with a shirt or jacket

00:05:00.480 that says, remember the unborn,

00:05:03.060 to just pierce the culture of death.

00:05:05.620 And it's interesting that it's broken up

00:05:08.300 into little 5K segments that people can walk or run,

00:05:12.520 and they can walk or run them on the course

00:05:15.580 or in their own neighborhood, wherever they're at on the globe.

00:05:19.220 So we have people all around the world participating.

00:05:22.220 And the course, people can go to liferunners.org

00:05:24.900 slash across, A-C-R-O-S-S,

00:05:28.740 and they can register to complete one or more

00:05:32.460 of these 5K segments between September 7th and October 19th.

00:05:37.420 And the map, if they go to the website,

00:05:39.700 here's the map, and you can see the Holy Spirit dove

00:05:43.660 in the center and these little stars at the kickoff points.

00:05:47.100 And the kickoff points are interesting.

00:05:50.060 New York City, San Francisco, Fargo, North Dakota,

00:05:53.920 Austin, Texas, and we can talk about

00:05:56.300 why each of those points is interesting.

00:05:59.240 And then they move for 43 days, John Henry,

00:06:02.880 culminating in Roe Park in Overland Park, Kansas.

00:06:07.580 No association to Roe v. Wade,

00:06:10.260 but they, I think, coincidence, I think not,

00:06:13.120 that we celebrate the conclusion

00:06:15.980 of this largest spanning pro-life event

00:06:18.440 in Roe Park on October the 19th.

00:06:21.540 And the Benedictine College students

00:06:24.440 are going to be the ones that finish it

00:06:26.180 because they're in range of Overland Park.

00:06:28.000 They're about 45 minutes from Overland Park,

00:06:30.040 which is fantastic.

00:06:31.640 And next year, the Across America Relay

00:06:34.140 is going to actually finish on their campus

00:06:36.980 on homecoming weekend.

00:06:38.120 So praise God for this pro-life faith and action

00:06:42.860 that matters.

00:06:44.140 It matters.

00:06:44.740 We know that messaging matters.

00:06:47.000 These images matter.

00:06:48.740 Encouraging people matters to get them thinking,

00:06:53.220 to bring that thinking to their heart and their soul

00:06:55.780 and realize their true identities,

00:06:59.140 our identities in Christ for life and life eternal.

00:07:03.720 Indeed.

00:07:04.040 The message is so beautiful

00:07:05.300 because it's a huge sign that you wear,

00:07:07.980 remember the unborn.

00:07:09.040 And it's also about the faith.

00:07:10.600 But I still remember, I'll never forget,

00:07:13.040 being with you when we were actually visiting

00:07:15.600 a church, totally providentially.

00:07:19.080 And I'm with Pat Castle, the runner's guy.

00:07:21.880 And literally out comes this men's group,

00:07:25.000 having just let out from a chapel.

00:07:26.200 Oh, yeah.

00:07:26.540 They recognize me from wherever.

00:07:28.260 We're talking to them and they say,

00:07:30.000 oh, yeah, we're here a bunch of men

00:07:31.820 and we're a group of runners.

00:07:33.840 And I looked up to Pat and I went,

00:07:36.420 softball.

00:07:37.120 This one's for you, buddy.

00:07:39.400 And so it was just amazing.

00:07:41.400 And those guys went away getting shirts

00:07:44.120 and running through,

00:07:45.360 I believe they were running in downtown Boston.

00:07:47.620 Was that right?

00:07:47.900 Through Omaha.

00:07:48.560 Through Omaha.

00:07:49.380 Omaha.

00:07:49.960 The Lord has his hand on you.

00:07:51.600 And it's very evident.

00:07:52.760 You're doing your beautiful work.

00:07:53.760 Tell us about these cities.

00:07:55.060 Why these kickoff cities?

00:07:56.500 And the message that you mentioned

00:07:58.840 for people that are watching today,

00:08:02.040 it's simple.

00:08:03.460 This is the back.

00:08:04.320 This is a little onesie.

00:08:05.680 So the teammates are ages 0.1 to 101.

00:08:09.700 That's the registered teammates.

00:08:11.000 Pretty cool that parents would register

00:08:13.360 their newborn and get them a onesie

00:08:15.740 because they want them to be a life runner

00:08:17.120 with their family.

00:08:18.660 And I love how that magnifies it

00:08:20.920 where you have families of life runners

00:08:24.020 where you can picture one person wearing a shirt.

00:08:27.900 Like this is the Across America Relay shirt.

00:08:30.500 You can see the back of that

00:08:31.620 with the Remember the Unborn

00:08:32.840 and the big cross and All in Christ,

00:08:35.400 which is our cheer.

00:08:36.980 You can picture one is pretty powerful,

00:08:39.000 but how about two or three?

00:08:41.000 Like you said, that running group.

00:08:43.100 Picture them running through Omaha

00:08:44.920 and all of them together.

00:08:47.940 It magnifies.

00:08:49.480 So I love when the body of Christ unites.

00:08:53.000 It's so powerful.

00:08:54.020 It's synergistic, greater than the sum of the parts.

00:08:58.160 And to have the Holy Spirit moving

00:09:00.060 and activating and encouraging and strengthening.

00:09:03.360 I love that visual of,

00:09:06.400 you heard me say before,

00:09:07.660 heaven's a team effort.

00:09:09.440 You know, God, as intended, built community

00:09:12.300 and with church and apostolates.

00:09:16.080 So this is yet another opportunity

00:09:18.500 to wear your witness, to team up, to be encouraged.

00:09:22.040 So these four points you alluded to,

00:09:24.720 I'll just start with first, San Francisco.

00:09:27.440 I mean, they have a heroically pro-life,

00:09:30.320 life runner archbishop.

00:09:32.020 We have 24 bishops that are also life runners,

00:09:36.540 meaning they have a shirt or a jacket, John Henry,

00:09:39.420 and they wear it.

00:09:40.440 They wear the Remember the Unborn witness.

00:09:42.820 Most of them have a black Remember the Unborn jacket,

00:09:45.820 which we reserve for the bishops and priests,

00:09:49.540 brothers, sisters, the religious.

00:09:52.100 But Archbishop Corleone,

00:09:53.700 he gave us a great statement of support,

00:09:57.680 and which I can give you a little,

00:09:59.200 hey, what does Archbishop Corleone say?

00:10:01.340 He says,

00:10:01.940 Life Runners is an outstanding witness

00:10:04.040 to the dignity of motherhood and of every person.

00:10:08.120 We run in solidarity with the unborn

00:10:10.220 and shine a bright light on the importance of the family.

00:10:14.060 God bless all those organizing and participating

00:10:16.480 in the Across America Relay for Pro-Life,

00:10:19.720 Archbishop Corleone.

00:10:21.240 And so, you know, we have him, you know,

00:10:23.880 leading by example,

00:10:26.300 that he actually wears the witness.

00:10:28.880 And so, in the past,

00:10:30.660 for those that have been involved with Life Runners,

00:10:32.620 this is our 12th annual Across America Relay,

00:10:35.740 but some people are hearing about it for the first time.

00:10:38.660 And in the beginning years,

00:10:40.360 John Henry, we kicked it off on the Golden Gate Bridge

00:10:43.420 because it's just so iconic,

00:10:45.580 you know, such a cultural icon

00:10:46.940 that here we're doing this

00:10:48.580 largest spanning pro-life event

00:10:50.340 kicking off on the Golden Gate Bridge,

00:10:51.940 and it really was a powerful backdrop

00:10:54.500 to the culture and showing this act of faith.

00:10:58.800 But this year, we moved it.

00:11:01.040 We moved it to start in front of

00:11:04.240 the San Francisco Planned Parenthood on Bush Street

00:11:07.560 on September the 7th,

00:11:09.520 and then we're going to walk an eight-foot

00:11:11.700 Remember the Unborn banner,

00:11:13.680 one mile from that Planned Parenthood

00:11:16.100 to Union Square,

00:11:17.700 which is kind of the San Francisco's Times Square.

00:11:20.880 So if you can kind of picture the scene,

00:11:23.700 all that commerce and modernism and secularism,

00:11:26.540 we're going to contrast that with a big blue

00:11:30.160 can't-miss-it-remember-the-unborn banner

00:11:32.960 on September 7th.

00:11:34.680 And then the New York City,

00:11:36.560 I'll go to the other coast.

00:11:38.220 We used to kick it off on the Brooklyn Bridge

00:11:40.720 for the same reason.

00:11:41.700 It's iconic.

00:11:42.840 It's, you know, what a spot to show that contrast

00:11:46.000 of faith to the world,

00:11:48.840 to the secular and modernism.

00:11:50.340 But we moved it last year.

00:11:53.040 We moved it to the formerly known Margaret Sanger.

00:11:56.140 They couldn't even handle having her name

00:11:58.420 on their building anymore

00:12:00.640 when the truth that you've helped,

00:12:02.360 thank you, John Henry,

00:12:03.540 the reality of the roots of Margaret Sanger

00:12:05.820 and her intentions.

00:12:07.680 So the formerly Margaret Sanger Planned Parenthood,

00:12:10.240 now just Planned Parenthood Manhattan,

00:12:12.400 we kicked it off there last year,

00:12:14.520 and we walked from the Manhattan Planned Parenthood

00:12:17.300 with an eight-foot, remember the unborn banner,

00:12:19.780 not one of them, but two of them,

00:12:22.760 with Sister Hope from the Sisters of Life

00:12:25.320 and probably 25 or 30 heroically pro-life

00:12:29.780 New York and New Jersey life runners.

00:12:32.420 And of course, as you can imagine,

00:12:34.320 like, oh, what's gonna happen?

00:12:36.020 Are we gonna get shot?

00:12:37.180 Are we gonna get run over?

00:12:38.800 But we went 4.3 miles through the city

00:12:43.600 to Times Square

00:12:45.360 and stood in front of the Father Duffy,

00:12:47.900 yep, Father Duffy statue

00:12:49.580 in the middle of Times Square.

00:12:50.800 For those that didn't know,

00:12:51.580 there was a statue of a Catholic priest

00:12:53.640 in the middle of Times Square.

00:12:55.680 And I mean, our true identity as Americans

00:12:58.460 is rooted in faith as a Christian nation.

00:13:02.100 That's our identity.

00:13:03.720 With Bible verses and Christianity

00:13:06.200 inscribed all over our founding documents

00:13:08.860 and our founding monuments and structures,

00:13:11.720 that real identity, we celebrated

00:13:14.440 that we are for life and liberty.

00:13:18.100 And it's God-given, self-evident, inalienable.

00:13:21.220 That's New York City.

00:13:22.300 And then the final two points, North and South.

00:13:24.980 North, we used to kick it off in Grand Forks, North Dakota

00:13:28.280 at St. Michael the Archangel Parish

00:13:30.780 for all these years.

00:13:32.720 And it was wonderful.

00:13:33.760 We loved the St. Michael the Archangel Parish

00:13:37.060 up on the Northern tier close to Canada.

00:13:39.900 But we moved it this year, similar reasons,

00:13:43.240 to Fargo so we could move to a battlefield place.

00:13:48.060 So we're moving from the Cathedral of St. Mary in Fargo

00:13:51.180 and we're gonna walk 1.4 miles

00:13:54.120 to Moorhead, Minnesota, Planned Parenthood.

00:13:57.520 And we're gonna, you know, with that battle banner,

00:14:00.440 that remember the unborn banner,

00:14:02.180 that we stand in truth, we fight the good fight,

00:14:04.860 that we're putting our faith in action.

00:14:06.560 We're moving through the fog and friction of this culture

00:14:10.440 that is, you know, where evil is called good

00:14:12.800 and good is called evil.

00:14:13.780 And we're just gonna light that bright light

00:14:16.440 of carrying that banner across the bridge

00:14:19.960 from North Dakota to Minnesota.

00:14:22.180 That's the North kickoff.

00:14:24.200 And Bishop Fulda gave us a nice statement.

00:14:27.300 He said, from Fargo, North Dakota,

00:14:30.480 he says, God bless the Life Runners

00:14:32.080 as they launch the Across America Relay from Fargo

00:14:34.960 with their enthusiasm and prayer.

00:14:37.580 They are building a culture of life

00:14:39.040 all across our great nation.

00:14:40.980 Thanks for your love for the unborn

00:14:42.460 and for your joyful witness.

00:14:44.340 And you know what I say to that?

00:14:45.700 You betcha, Bishop Fulda.

00:14:47.760 Finally, the South.

00:14:49.380 The South one, you're gonna love this, John Henry.

00:14:51.900 We used to be in front of the Cathedral,

00:14:55.780 San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio.

00:14:58.340 Wonderful, beautiful icon.

00:15:00.080 But it's in a quiet place of San Antonio.

00:15:03.620 And we just didn't get that bold public witness.

00:15:08.060 And so we decided to move it to the campus

00:15:10.900 of the University of Texas at Austin.

00:15:13.920 And Austin is a, the culture there is not,

00:15:18.120 even though it's in Texas,

00:15:19.200 that really strong pro-life culture of Texas,

00:15:22.820 there of course are metro spots within Texas

00:15:25.640 that are not pro-life.

00:15:27.520 At least the tone and tenor isn't.

00:15:29.480 And Austin's one of them.

00:15:30.860 It's a college town.

00:15:33.300 It's liberally slanted.

00:15:34.400 It's progressively slanted.

00:15:35.920 It's anti-God slanted.

00:15:37.900 And so we're gonna go take that message

00:15:39.480 to a college campus where, you know,

00:15:41.840 that age group, 40% of abortions

00:15:44.120 happen in that age group.

00:15:45.640 So we're gonna start at the University Catholic Center

00:15:48.240 across the street from the campus.

00:15:50.540 And then we're gonna roll that banner

00:15:53.060 across campus into the Austin, Texas mural,

00:15:57.560 a distance of about a mile and a half.

00:16:00.240 And so there's the kickoffs to inspire

00:16:03.320 and motivate and encourage everyone

00:16:05.520 to go out wherever you're at,

00:16:07.240 even in your own neighborhood,

00:16:08.980 and do a 5K walk or run

00:16:11.260 between September 7th and October 19th.

00:16:14.080 Boom.

00:16:14.840 Beautiful.

00:16:15.160 Now, you can, of course, go to liferunners.com

00:16:18.480 and get the detailed information

00:16:20.260 in case you wanna go out to these locations

00:16:22.420 and join, of course.

00:16:23.420 And if you're wondering about all of Pat's references

00:16:25.940 to going into the fight,

00:16:28.060 to marching, carrying the banner,

00:16:30.380 he's not only Dr. Pat Castle,

00:16:32.880 as I introduced him,

00:16:33.660 he's also Colonel Pat Castle.

00:16:36.620 Pat, give me a segue.

00:16:37.840 Just tell me about that a little bit.

00:16:39.580 What is this military background you have?

00:16:41.860 In 1989, I graduated from

00:16:44.520 O'Gorman Catholic High School

00:16:45.860 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,

00:16:47.460 and I discerned a life of service.

00:16:50.740 And I discerned being a priest.

00:16:53.040 I went and visited a seminary

00:16:55.780 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

00:16:57.940 I visited a seminary in Nebraska.

00:17:01.320 And I really discerned it.

00:17:03.080 And at the end of it,

00:17:04.740 when you have that conversation with God,

00:17:06.620 and of course, it's supposed to always go

00:17:08.200 with whatever you want, Lord.

00:17:09.740 Bishop coffee when it comes to vocations.

00:17:11.860 Whatever God wants.

00:17:13.440 And you know, when I discerned it,

00:17:14.860 I did not feel that call

00:17:17.720 that God was saying, this is it.

00:17:18.920 Instead, I felt this call to military service,

00:17:23.440 to serve, to protect the innocent,

00:17:25.600 to stand up for God-given rights

00:17:27.560 that we mentioned in those founding documents

00:17:29.740 a little earlier.

00:17:31.060 And I went to the United States Air Force Academy.

00:17:33.420 And I had a life of service,

00:17:36.340 25 years in uniform,

00:17:38.180 living under the core values

00:17:39.700 of the United States Air Force,

00:17:41.660 of integrity first,

00:17:44.020 service before self,

00:17:45.680 and excellence in all we do.

00:17:47.420 Those are Christ-approved core values.

00:17:51.080 And of course, we know,

00:17:52.620 because you cover it, John Henry,

00:17:54.660 that at the end of my time

00:17:57.060 in the U.S. Air Force,

00:17:58.440 and I retired in 2014,

00:18:00.160 my last job was as a medical squadron commander

00:18:02.920 in Rapid City, South Dakota.

00:18:04.540 Near the end, I saw some erosion of the UCMJ

00:18:09.000 and what the military kind of stood apart from it

00:18:13.080 to a higher standard.

00:18:14.360 And you've covered these in articles,

00:18:16.200 things that have happened with COVID and so on.

00:18:18.660 And there has been erosion into these institutions.

00:18:22.160 But I will tell you,

00:18:24.620 it's good to know that there's still,

00:18:26.760 like the Catholic Church,

00:18:28.440 that at the doctrine level,

00:18:30.040 or at the heart of what is

00:18:32.080 the United States military,

00:18:33.640 what they're founded on,

00:18:34.620 the purpose of, is good.

00:18:37.320 And so we battle that corruption

00:18:39.620 and that erosion.

00:18:41.220 But since I've left,

00:18:43.280 I remember,

00:18:43.980 I'll tell one quick little inject to your question,

00:18:46.500 and then we'll see what you have after that,

00:18:48.760 is I remember Bridget Van Meen.

00:18:50.480 She's a pregnancy help director in St. Louis.

00:18:54.620 She leads the Thrive Pregnancy Help Centers.

00:18:58.180 And she spoke to me

00:19:00.120 right after I retired from the Air Force,

00:19:02.380 and this was her advice.

00:19:04.040 She says,

00:19:04.400 Pat, I've been praying for you.

00:19:06.960 And the Lord told me to tell you

00:19:09.660 that He needs you to continue to be a colonel,

00:19:15.540 but a colonel for pro-life.

00:19:18.720 He wants you to continue to think strategically

00:19:22.100 that this is a real battle,

00:19:24.840 and lives are really being lost every day

00:19:29.200 at an order of magnitude more

00:19:32.320 than any other war on the planet now or ever.

00:19:37.600 And by the numbers,

00:19:38.660 to remind us all,

00:19:39.680 there's been more loss of life in America

00:19:42.640 in one year of abortion,

00:19:44.600 on average since 1973,

00:19:46.780 about a million lives per year,

00:19:48.880 than all lives lost in all conflicts,

00:19:52.040 all wars, all combat lives lost to America.

00:19:56.860 And that number adds up to 650,000.

00:20:00.540 So in one year,

00:20:02.020 more loss of life to abortion

00:20:03.600 than all combat casualties

00:20:05.480 in the history of our country.

00:20:06.980 So she said,

00:20:08.380 the Lord wants me to continue to think

00:20:10.460 as a colonel,

00:20:12.840 that this is a real war,

00:20:14.940 and lives are really at risk

00:20:17.420 in being won and lost every day.

00:20:20.100 Okay, so you just got back from Mexico,

00:20:23.560 because Life Runners is actually international.

00:20:27.580 You used to be local.

00:20:28.960 You went international.

00:20:30.360 What were you doing in Mexico?

00:20:31.680 Life Runners are 23,611 as of today.

00:20:38.660 I hope people that are listening

00:20:40.300 are going to liferunners.org,

00:20:42.300 hit the join button,

00:20:43.760 and become the newest Life Runner in the world.

00:20:46.300 And remember, running is optional.

00:20:47.820 You just need to be willing to put on a shirt

00:20:50.160 with the Trinity on the front.

00:20:53.640 And where's that little onesie?

00:20:55.960 So there's the Trinity on the front

00:20:57.520 with the cross, the Holy Spirit dove,

00:21:00.500 and God the Father's words in Jeremiah 1, 5,

00:21:03.880 that God knew us even before

00:21:05.500 we're in our mother's wombs.

00:21:06.820 And then the message,

00:21:08.060 remember the unborn on the back.

00:21:09.200 If you're willing to wear your witness

00:21:10.580 and heroically walk out into the world

00:21:13.420 to help impact hearts and minds

00:21:15.280 and encourage people to choose life,

00:21:17.100 welcome to the team.

00:21:18.440 So that invitation I just gave

00:21:20.860 that began with 12 people

00:21:23.160 running the Chicago Marathon in 2008,

00:21:27.120 12 October 2008,

00:21:28.960 to raise money for ultrasound,

00:21:30.620 now is a pro-life messaging ministry

00:21:33.260 around the world

00:21:34.140 with people wearing their witness,

00:21:36.380 being a beacon of light and hope

00:21:38.040 to encourage life.

00:21:39.320 And it is extended now to 47 nations,

00:21:43.200 that 23,611 teammates

00:21:46.180 in 3,541 cities around the world.

00:21:51.180 So wherever you're at,

00:21:52.720 there's a good chance

00:21:53.660 there probably actually already

00:21:55.120 is a life runner in your town.

00:21:57.160 And you will be connected

00:21:58.520 when you sign up for a chapter.

00:22:00.160 There's 313 chapters around the world.

00:22:02.940 And you just pick the chapter closest to you.

00:22:05.460 You will be connected with other people

00:22:07.980 who are truly heroically pro-life

00:22:11.380 as defined by someone

00:22:13.300 that's willing to wear their witness,

00:22:15.980 put on a four ounce t-shirt cross

00:22:18.260 and wear it out into the world.

00:22:22.400 Truth has a power of its own.

00:22:24.960 It moves hearts and saves lives.

00:22:27.480 It heals wounds and restores souls,

00:22:30.200 but only if it is heard.

00:22:32.180 That's why our enemies

00:22:34.160 are working nonstop

00:22:35.520 to suppress the truth.

00:22:36.900 That's why LifeSite News

00:22:37.980 is the most censored

00:22:39.460 life, faith, and family news source

00:22:41.240 in the world.

00:22:42.460 They are working to keep you in the dark.

00:22:45.180 They are working overtime

00:22:46.380 to make you feel alone and forgotten.

00:22:49.200 But God says,

00:22:50.720 I will never forget you.

00:22:52.300 God never leaves us

00:22:53.360 without hope of victory.

00:22:55.300 And LifeSite News

00:22:56.000 will never stop sharing the truth

00:22:57.980 that sets us free.

00:22:59.620 We will tell the truth without fear.

00:23:01.800 We will tell the truth

00:23:03.140 without compromise.

00:23:04.840 And as mainstream platforms silence us,

00:23:07.440 we will build our own.

00:23:09.440 That's why I'm pleased

00:23:10.580 to announce the launch

00:23:12.060 of the new LSN TV app,

00:23:14.440 which can bring all

00:23:15.440 LifeSite News' top video content

00:23:17.380 direct to your phone, tablet,

00:23:19.200 computer, and TV

00:23:20.180 so that you can bypass the censors

00:23:22.540 and keep fighting with us

00:23:24.420 for life, faith, family, and freedom.

00:23:26.580 Don't be alone in the darkness.

00:23:28.380 We've been cancelled.

00:23:29.660 Fight the cancellation.

00:23:30.420 Download the app.

00:23:31.900 That's a really neat

00:23:36.580 social aspect of your work.

00:23:40.700 You know, what a great thing

00:23:42.000 because so many people are lonely.

00:23:43.300 Even in a city,

00:23:45.220 even though there's so many people around,

00:23:47.280 you're alienated.

00:23:48.060 You don't know who's who

00:23:49.040 or what's what.

00:23:50.540 Oftentimes, you're intimidated

00:23:51.980 to say what you believe,

00:23:54.800 or at least you're around people

00:23:56.300 who are intimidated.

00:23:57.020 So you don't even know

00:23:58.000 that they're fellow Catholics,

00:23:59.280 that they're fellow pro-lifers

00:24:00.220 because they're sort of,

00:24:02.780 they fade into the crowd

00:24:04.000 and they don't want to say anything.

00:24:05.500 And there you are wearing your T-shirt.

00:24:06.980 They might not come up to you

00:24:08.040 and say anything.

00:24:09.160 So you're like,

00:24:09.880 ah, totally in the dark.

00:24:11.540 And yet,

00:24:12.140 if you can be plugged

00:24:13.140 into a network of people

00:24:14.640 who are willing,

00:24:16.180 you are truly blessed.

00:24:18.200 So it's a great part

00:24:19.600 of your ministry

00:24:20.620 to have that as well.

00:24:22.360 It's a side part

00:24:23.380 probably you didn't think of right away.

00:24:25.420 But I can tell you,

00:24:26.920 it's,

00:24:27.960 your soldiers are everywhere.

00:24:29.500 I was,

00:24:29.880 I just got back

00:24:30.620 from the

00:24:31.300 Indy Eucharistic Congress

00:24:32.920 and there was lots of folks,

00:24:35.200 lots of life runners

00:24:36.140 out there in their shirts

00:24:37.660 showing off their readiness

00:24:40.920 to proclaim the message of life

00:24:42.560 and the message of Christ.

00:24:43.600 And I like that,

00:24:44.600 you know,

00:24:44.740 it's interesting,

00:24:45.400 John Henry,

00:24:46.000 you know,

00:24:46.200 iron sharpens iron.

00:24:47.660 In our interviews,

00:24:48.880 I always pick up

00:24:50.560 a new insight

00:24:51.460 about the apostolate

00:24:53.380 that the Lord

00:24:54.260 has asked me to lead.

00:24:55.600 It's kind of funny

00:24:56.480 because what I thought of,

00:24:57.920 the imagery that you gave me

00:24:59.540 when you were sharing

00:25:00.360 is the shirt

00:25:01.800 really is the,

00:25:03.380 the,

00:25:04.180 the,

00:25:04.540 the Jesus fish

00:25:06.140 in the,

00:25:06.720 in the gravel

00:25:07.800 of the early church

00:25:08.860 because we know

00:25:09.700 the church has moved

00:25:10.880 in our lifetime.

00:25:11.700 You write about it every day

00:25:13.220 in LifeSite News

00:25:14.060 has moved from Christendom

00:25:15.620 to apostolic mission,

00:25:16.820 quite literally.

00:25:17.900 And the new evangelization

00:25:19.540 is here,

00:25:20.540 quite literally,

00:25:21.520 like our neighbors,

00:25:23.100 our,

00:25:23.400 our own churches.

00:25:24.720 So to think that

00:25:26.160 by putting on a shirt,

00:25:27.240 you really do help

00:25:28.820 other Christians go,

00:25:30.140 oh,

00:25:30.880 because if someone's willing

00:25:32.040 to put on this shirt

00:25:33.100 with the Trinity

00:25:34.200 on the front

00:25:35.000 and remember

00:25:35.960 the unborn on the back

00:25:37.300 at such a time as this,

00:25:38.900 they're at least

00:25:40.240 trying to follow Jesus.

00:25:42.420 You know,

00:25:43.040 they're at least

00:25:43.980 following

00:25:44.740 and trying to follow

00:25:45.660 and trying to live out

00:25:46.440 their faith.

00:25:46.840 And it's beautiful

00:25:47.500 to be able to see that

00:25:48.420 and then be strengthened

00:25:49.240 and encouraged.

00:25:49.780 But your question

00:25:50.880 about Mexico City,

00:25:52.380 so that share out

00:25:53.580 was about how life runners

00:25:55.080 are around the planet,

00:25:56.380 but Mexico City,

00:25:58.560 the life runners creed

00:26:00.080 that we prayed,

00:26:01.400 that you asked me

00:26:01.940 to pray at the beginning

00:26:02.780 of our conversation,

00:26:05.060 the,

00:26:05.720 it's on a holy card

00:26:06.760 and I'm holding it up

00:26:08.220 right now.

00:26:09.220 And for those

00:26:10.240 that are just,

00:26:10.760 you know,

00:26:10.980 listening to a podcast

00:26:11.940 versus watching,

00:26:13.300 it's an image

00:26:14.520 of Our Lady Guadalupe.

00:26:16.540 And Nellie Edwards

00:26:18.040 is the artist.

00:26:19.080 She's a life runner

00:26:19.800 from North Dakota.

00:26:21.280 And it's this beautiful image

00:26:23.160 and,

00:26:23.980 you know,

00:26:24.740 it's so apparent

00:26:25.680 in this depiction

00:26:26.860 of Our Lady Guadalupe

00:26:27.920 that she's pregnant,

00:26:29.460 as we know,

00:26:30.580 and that light of Christ

00:26:31.940 from her womb.

00:26:33.640 And so this image,

00:26:34.600 we've had it on our holy card,

00:26:36.060 John Henry,

00:26:36.520 since 2012.

00:26:38.000 Alton Plowski

00:26:38.940 from the Knights of Columbus,

00:26:40.140 he's the managing editor

00:26:41.380 for their magazine,

00:26:42.700 Columbia Magazine.

00:26:44.160 He is a life runner

00:26:45.340 and he came to our St. Louis.

00:26:46.860 We do an annual race

00:26:48.020 every year

00:26:48.740 and he came to St. Louis

00:26:50.660 for our annual race,

00:26:52.120 the St. Louis Rock and Roll.

00:26:53.520 And he saw our holy card

00:26:54.760 in 2012

00:26:55.520 and we had recently

00:26:56.680 printed them.

00:26:57.880 And he's like,

00:26:58.360 wow,

00:26:58.700 that image,

00:26:59.520 like who did that?

00:27:00.360 And we got him connected.

00:27:01.800 And then a couple months

00:27:02.880 after that,

00:27:03.600 so this was October 2012,

00:27:05.700 January of 13,

00:27:07.260 this exact picture

00:27:08.540 was on the front cover

00:27:09.640 of the Columbia Magazine

00:27:11.160 that went out

00:27:11.600 to 2.2 million homes.

00:27:13.260 But they discovered it

00:27:14.700 from the Life Runner's

00:27:15.660 holy card

00:27:16.480 that my brother,

00:27:18.020 Steve Castle,

00:27:18.680 discovered when he worked

00:27:20.120 at a parish

00:27:21.220 in Fergus Falls,

00:27:22.200 Minnesota

00:27:22.680 and saw this image

00:27:24.200 from the artist

00:27:26.040 in North Dakota,

00:27:27.000 Nellie Edwards.

00:27:28.020 So where does this have to do

00:27:29.700 with Mexico City?

00:27:30.520 As you can imagine,

00:27:31.520 I've always had in my heart

00:27:32.840 that I should go.

00:27:35.300 I should go make a pilgrimage

00:27:37.200 Our Lady Guadalupe

00:27:38.660 is on our holy card.

00:27:40.600 And people have encouraged me.

00:27:41.900 Well,

00:27:43.100 praise God,

00:27:44.500 that opportunity

00:27:45.360 finally happened

00:27:46.600 where I made a pilgrimage.

00:27:48.440 And who knew this?

00:27:50.280 That Our Lady Guadalupe,

00:27:52.400 the basilica,

00:27:54.260 the site where Mary

00:27:55.980 appeared to St. Juan Diego,

00:27:58.180 is the most visited

00:28:00.040 Catholic site

00:28:02.260 on the planet

00:28:03.280 at over 20 million a year.

00:28:05.520 Second to that

00:28:06.920 is the Vatican

00:28:07.700 at 17 million a year

00:28:09.400 and on down.

00:28:10.360 Who knew that?

00:28:11.520 I didn't know

00:28:12.300 until I was going like,

00:28:13.140 well, I'm glad

00:28:13.880 I'm getting around to this.

00:28:15.340 And it was everything

00:28:16.560 and more.

00:28:17.880 As you know,

00:28:18.260 whenever you go on pilgrimage,

00:28:20.220 the Lord

00:28:20.820 will never be outdone

00:28:22.720 in generosity.

00:28:24.040 If you make

00:28:24.560 an ounce of sacrifice,

00:28:25.780 he's going to give you

00:28:26.680 a pound of blessing.

00:28:28.900 And so went there

00:28:30.120 and to describe it

00:28:31.020 a little bit

00:28:31.420 since you teed me up,

00:28:32.540 went there

00:28:33.120 and while we're there,

00:28:34.400 everyone can chuckle

00:28:35.420 a little bit.

00:28:36.220 Well, of course,

00:28:36.860 I scheduled the pilgrimage

00:28:38.120 at the same time

00:28:39.240 as the Mexico City

00:28:40.300 half marathon.

00:28:40.940 That only makes sense

00:28:42.100 for the life runners.

00:28:43.580 And 35,000 participants,

00:28:46.800 the race is at about

00:28:47.680 7,500 feet.

00:28:49.220 Who knew that Mexico City

00:28:50.740 is actually on the foot

00:28:52.440 of a mountain range,

00:28:53.500 kind of like Colorado Springs,

00:28:54.820 Colorado or Denver.

00:28:56.500 And wow, you know,

00:28:58.860 so prepared for this race

00:29:01.600 lined up

00:29:02.460 and maybe we'll get

00:29:03.540 some images up.

00:29:04.820 We had an eight foot

00:29:06.040 translated into Spanish,

00:29:08.240 remember the unborn

00:29:09.260 at the start and finish.

00:29:11.100 So all runners

00:29:12.460 got to see the message

00:29:13.680 as they started the race

00:29:15.460 and as they finished

00:29:17.280 the race,

00:29:17.880 they got to remember

00:29:19.480 the unborn.

00:29:20.860 And so here it is translated.

00:29:22.520 And of course,

00:29:23.180 I had to trust that,

00:29:25.080 hey, that says

00:29:25.660 remember the unborn, right?

00:29:27.040 But all the Spanish speakers

00:29:28.820 out there,

00:29:29.580 they're looking at my jersey.

00:29:32.620 You're confirming right now

00:29:34.100 that yes,

00:29:34.720 that says remember the unborn.

00:29:36.460 And same in the front.

00:29:37.500 Who knew that this is

00:29:38.380 the translation for life runners?

00:29:40.600 It seems like too many words

00:29:42.420 for life runners,

00:29:43.560 John Henry,

00:29:44.480 but that's it.

00:29:45.940 I wanted to make sure

00:29:46.960 they didn't put anything else

00:29:48.100 added that I did,

00:29:49.420 but they said, nope,

00:29:50.220 that's life runners in Spanish.

00:29:51.920 So I wore that jersey

00:29:54.320 and had so many people

00:29:56.420 read it

00:29:57.620 because it was

00:29:58.080 a closely packed race

00:29:59.980 through the streets

00:30:00.620 of Mexico City

00:30:01.340 and so much great

00:30:02.580 body language,

00:30:03.680 John Henry,

00:30:04.200 you know,

00:30:04.360 just runners come up to me

00:30:05.300 and giving a thumbs up

00:30:06.740 or gracias or see

00:30:08.480 or just a smile.

00:30:09.940 So they knew

00:30:10.980 I was bearing witness

00:30:12.340 for our Lord

00:30:13.240 and his precious unborn.

00:30:15.120 They knew that it was mission

00:30:16.460 and they probably even tied.

00:30:18.420 Oh, I know not probably.

00:30:19.740 I had a runner come up to me

00:30:21.280 afterwards

00:30:21.700 and tap me on the shoulder

00:30:22.860 and said,

00:30:23.440 hey, I saw that

00:30:24.880 at the start and finish line.

00:30:26.420 In other words,

00:30:26.980 alluding to the big banner,

00:30:28.940 wanted to know

00:30:29.520 that that was connected.

00:30:31.040 And we got a few more

00:30:32.260 life runners that day

00:30:33.420 through that witness

00:30:34.620 and everyone got to do

00:30:36.840 what the message said

00:30:37.740 to remember the unborn

00:30:39.440 when the world

00:30:41.000 is working so hard

00:30:42.260 to dismember the unborn.

00:30:44.340 Even in Mexico City,

00:30:45.560 you've covered it

00:30:46.280 over the years.

00:30:46.880 We know that

00:30:47.360 there are recent country

00:30:48.700 that fell to the lie

00:30:50.220 of abortion

00:30:50.780 like Ireland did

00:30:51.840 whatever,

00:30:52.820 almost a decade ago.

00:30:53.700 And now we've got Mexico

00:30:54.780 that fell

00:30:55.740 in the last few years.

00:30:57.260 So to bear witness,

00:30:59.440 to go there courageously,

00:31:01.640 to go out there

00:31:02.220 and it was beautiful.

00:31:03.240 People always,

00:31:04.080 they want to start

00:31:04.680 with fear like,

00:31:05.320 Pat,

00:31:05.440 are you seriously

00:31:06.080 going to wear that

00:31:06.700 through Mexico City?

00:31:08.260 Yes,

00:31:08.900 in the Lord's name

00:31:09.840 and the power

00:31:10.220 of the Holy Spirit

00:31:10.760 and it was blessed

00:31:11.800 and beautiful

00:31:12.380 and praise God.

00:31:13.740 That's,

00:31:14.240 I just came back

00:31:15.220 a few days ago.

00:31:16.040 So thank you.

00:31:16.740 You can see I'm still

00:31:17.980 like Our Lady Guadalupe,

00:31:20.340 super,

00:31:21.180 super natural,

00:31:22.920 you know,

00:31:23.360 wow, you know.

00:31:24.320 Indeed.

00:31:24.820 And he uses

00:31:25.540 all of our talents,

00:31:28.020 all of our,

00:31:28.640 all of our things.

00:31:29.460 I would encourage people

00:31:30.500 to go check out

00:31:31.920 my last interview

00:31:32.800 with Pat Castle

00:31:33.800 where he describes

00:31:34.740 running,

00:31:35.260 running up the mountain

00:31:36.200 and things like that.

00:31:37.980 But you are a runner.

00:31:39.180 You are sort of

00:31:39.940 almost like a professional

00:31:40.980 runner in a way

00:31:41.740 that also does something

00:31:43.480 to make you noticed

00:31:45.020 and you're not trying

00:31:45.700 to draw attention

00:31:46.680 to yourself

00:31:47.100 but the message

00:31:47.740 that you're carrying

00:31:48.480 is the message of Christ,

00:31:50.040 the message of pro-life.

00:31:51.480 And so as you run

00:31:52.900 and aren't a shabby runner,

00:31:55.320 the runners that are

00:31:57.040 in your wake

00:31:58.100 or saying,

00:31:59.360 oh my gosh,

00:31:59.960 this guy's real.

00:32:01.060 He's just not some gringo

00:32:02.520 from the U.S.

00:32:03.680 just trying to run with us

00:32:04.880 because they're going

00:32:06.020 to notice you

00:32:06.480 even more because of that.

00:32:07.520 So he uses your talents,

00:32:09.340 our talents,

00:32:10.040 everyone's talents.

00:32:11.020 As long as they're used

00:32:12.080 for Christ,

00:32:12.960 he uses them.

00:32:14.380 And fast or slow.

00:32:15.120 You know my prayer,

00:32:16.000 John Henry,

00:32:16.560 before every run,

00:32:17.780 every run.

00:32:18.480 It's almost like

00:32:20.040 our blessing

00:32:20.580 before a meal.

00:32:22.040 So as a runner,

00:32:23.000 I say this prayer

00:32:23.940 before every run.

00:32:24.960 Here it goes.

00:32:25.960 Lord,

00:32:26.660 help me to run

00:32:27.400 as fast

00:32:28.060 or as slow

00:32:28.800 as you need me to today.

00:32:30.940 Every run,

00:32:31.800 that's my prayer.

00:32:32.960 And so I share that

00:32:34.360 because you know

00:32:35.940 as you're saying,

00:32:37.640 wow,

00:32:38.080 how about the runners

00:32:39.900 that are fleet of feet,

00:32:42.200 that are,

00:32:42.700 you know,

00:32:43.240 Boston Marathon,

00:32:44.540 Paul,

00:32:44.720 and we have those runners.

00:32:46.040 We have the American record holder

00:32:48.000 in the high school mile

00:32:49.060 and recently fell

00:32:50.220 professional

00:32:51.220 overall American mile,

00:32:52.820 now second,

00:32:53.960 Alan Webb.

00:32:54.700 You know,

00:32:54.820 he ran a 346.9 mile

00:32:57.900 in, I think,

00:32:58.960 2007.

00:32:59.740 I mean,

00:33:00.600 this is a really

00:33:01.800 fast life runner

00:33:03.560 and we have those,

00:33:05.260 we have Olympian

00:33:06.680 qualified life runners.

00:33:08.880 We have those runners,

00:33:10.120 but I also want to let

00:33:11.460 everyone get ready

00:33:12.540 to smile.

00:33:13.580 You know who the best

00:33:14.380 life runners are?

00:33:15.800 The slowest ones.

00:33:17.340 You know why?

00:33:18.500 Because you can read

00:33:19.920 their,

00:33:21.040 remember

00:33:21.620 the unborn

00:33:22.980 shirt easier

00:33:24.220 and stop

00:33:25.620 and have a conversation.

00:33:26.860 Huh?

00:33:27.260 I'm backing up

00:33:28.220 my words.

00:33:28.780 I oftentimes

00:33:29.920 will tell Alan Webb,

00:33:31.220 that American record holder,

00:33:32.760 you know,

00:33:33.060 Alan,

00:33:33.420 you might be the worst

00:33:34.540 life runner on the planet.

00:33:36.100 And then I explain,

00:33:37.120 he,

00:33:37.380 he of course,

00:33:38.060 chuckles and he bears witness.

00:33:39.560 He's a bold,

00:33:40.280 great witness.

00:33:41.080 He's kind of a Michael Jordan

00:33:42.700 of track and field

00:33:43.540 and he wears his shirt

00:33:44.800 and gives interviews

00:33:46.100 in his life runner shirt.

00:33:47.720 And what a great witness

00:33:49.420 to use,

00:33:50.100 like you said,

00:33:50.840 your talents,

00:33:52.120 whatever they are,

00:33:52.980 but even your talent

00:33:54.180 might be to keep

00:33:55.040 this chuckle going

00:33:55.960 might be that

00:33:56.940 you're a really

00:33:57.740 slow runner

00:33:58.740 or a really slow walker

00:34:00.260 and people can meditate

00:34:02.120 on remember the unborn.

00:34:04.140 Everyone be encouraged.

00:34:05.260 Whatever your age is,

00:34:06.460 life runners are age

00:34:07.240 0.1 to 101.

00:34:08.700 There's a life runner

00:34:09.520 in a wheelchair

00:34:10.160 in Sioux City,

00:34:11.220 101 years old,

00:34:12.680 that wears her shirt

00:34:13.720 and bears witness.

00:34:14.880 We have homebound people

00:34:16.880 that wear their shirt

00:34:18.340 and bear witness

00:34:19.140 to those that come

00:34:19.860 to their home

00:34:20.480 and take care of them

00:34:21.820 and visit them.

00:34:23.400 Everyone's needed,

00:34:24.380 all hands on deck.

00:34:25.460 And so I love

00:34:28.300 that you brought up

00:34:29.320 that parable of talents

00:34:30.580 and that everyone

00:34:31.440 can wear their witness,

00:34:32.700 John Henry,

00:34:33.740 and praise God

00:34:34.720 for people that are listening

00:34:35.980 and I high five you

00:34:37.900 if you're going

00:34:38.380 to liferunners.org

00:34:39.860 slash across,

00:34:41.240 registering to be

00:34:41.920 a life runner,

00:34:42.620 getting a shirt

00:34:43.920 or a jacket,

00:34:45.240 registering for a 5K leg

00:34:47.060 of the relay

00:34:47.760 September 7th,

00:34:49.500 October 19th,

00:34:50.460 and being part

00:34:51.640 of this unified

00:34:52.640 body of Christ

00:34:54.060 that it synergizes,

00:34:56.240 that it amplifies

00:34:57.440 this message

00:34:58.220 of life

00:34:59.080 across America

00:35:00.760 and bears a cross

00:35:01.920 on the course.

00:35:03.520 Before we leave

00:35:04.440 Mexico completely,

00:35:06.220 I want to get

00:35:07.380 into one more thing

00:35:08.440 because people

00:35:09.140 have got to know

00:35:09.780 you can be

00:35:10.940 a life runner

00:35:11.720 even if you were

00:35:13.600 on the other side,

00:35:14.580 even if you had

00:35:15.640 an abortion

00:35:16.080 or you were part

00:35:18.540 of the abortion movement

00:35:19.960 or you supported

00:35:21.380 an abortion politically

00:35:22.560 or you never

00:35:24.100 thought of it

00:35:24.880 or you had

00:35:25.680 your girlfriend

00:35:26.220 take a morning

00:35:27.000 after pill

00:35:27.660 or whatever,

00:35:28.580 you've been

00:35:28.880 on the other side,

00:35:29.600 you want to live

00:35:30.180 the life for Christ,

00:35:31.440 you feel guilty.

00:35:32.680 No.

00:35:33.760 God totally

00:35:35.080 can work with you.

00:35:36.020 In fact,

00:35:36.540 He will use

00:35:37.260 even your former

00:35:38.740 life of sin

00:35:39.680 to be able

00:35:41.360 to make the point

00:35:42.320 about Christ

00:35:43.200 and His redemption,

00:35:43.940 His forgiveness.

00:35:45.040 Tell us about

00:35:45.660 the stones

00:35:46.200 in the cathedral.

00:35:47.280 Oh, wow.

00:35:47.900 What a great segue.

00:35:48.780 Oh, what a great segue.

00:35:52.080 Isn't it beautiful

00:35:53.020 when we meet someone

00:35:55.840 who has been

00:35:58.960 knocked off their horse

00:36:00.480 like St. Paul

00:36:01.720 or we meet someone

00:36:03.140 who has been duped

00:36:06.060 and then recovered.

00:36:08.860 There's something

00:36:09.740 about seeing redemption

00:36:11.680 that's so inspiring.

00:36:13.840 I mean, it gives me

00:36:14.260 goosebumps right now

00:36:15.660 thinking about those stories.

00:36:17.980 I mean, I'm so grateful,

00:36:19.600 John Henry.

00:36:20.600 You know, we talked

00:36:21.180 before we got on today

00:36:22.780 in our little warm-up

00:36:23.720 lap together

00:36:24.320 and thank you for mentioning

00:36:25.320 that you had your

00:36:26.040 Life Runner shirt on

00:36:27.620 earlier today

00:36:28.920 as a warm-up

00:36:29.680 for our interview.

00:36:30.320 I'm like, there you go.

00:36:31.140 There's a warm-up.

00:36:32.680 And we talked about

00:36:34.540 like my beginnings

00:36:36.260 in the Lord,

00:36:37.060 my call.

00:36:38.460 And I don't ever

00:36:39.860 remember a day

00:36:40.660 not being able

00:36:41.560 to see or hear the Lord.

00:36:42.840 And I'm grateful for that.

00:36:43.980 But for people

00:36:45.440 that have been duped

00:36:47.520 and found their way,

00:36:49.060 you know, like the song

00:36:49.840 Amazing Grace

00:36:50.760 about that slave ship captain

00:36:53.460 and how he was duped

00:36:55.740 and he felt it,

00:36:57.280 but the Lord had mercy

00:36:59.100 and compassion

00:37:00.100 and love

00:37:00.820 and brought him back on

00:37:02.140 to his ship,

00:37:03.400 if you will.

00:37:04.240 We love these stories

00:37:05.880 because they're inspirational.

00:37:07.860 They're like, yes,

00:37:09.400 out of the grasp

00:37:10.420 of the devil

00:37:11.140 that was, you know,

00:37:12.340 we took that out

00:37:13.620 of your grass

00:37:14.180 and God, you know,

00:37:15.460 has back what is his

00:37:16.920 and that true identity.

00:37:18.400 So in that lineup,

00:37:19.880 I love when I get a story

00:37:21.960 from a Life Runner

00:37:22.880 who was duped,

00:37:25.860 who was lost

00:37:27.020 that says,

00:37:28.800 I'm joining your team

00:37:30.540 because I want to

00:37:32.660 remember my dismembered,

00:37:36.180 you know,

00:37:36.800 paraphrasing the gist

00:37:37.740 of the message,

00:37:39.300 child that was aborted

00:37:40.940 20 years ago,

00:37:42.600 seven years ago.

00:37:43.760 And I want to memorialize

00:37:46.360 my child for one

00:37:47.340 and I want to help others know

00:37:49.120 that there's no solution,

00:37:51.340 nothing good about abortion.

00:37:53.800 And that is encouraging to me

00:37:56.320 that we're reaching those people.

00:37:58.420 And then you alluded

00:37:59.460 to Mexico City.

00:38:01.240 Same.

00:38:01.840 My highlight for my,

00:38:03.560 well, my highlight was

00:38:04.700 I've stood in the same place

00:38:06.060 that that image,

00:38:07.520 that living image,

00:38:08.920 but we won't get into the tilma,

00:38:10.260 but if you have not done

00:38:12.020 a Google listeners

00:38:13.160 and viewers

00:38:13.860 on Our Lady of Guadalupe

00:38:15.680 and Juan Diego's tilma,

00:38:17.300 go do a Google

00:38:18.320 and do some reading.

00:38:19.520 As a scientist,

00:38:20.560 my PhD is in

00:38:21.760 nano analytical chemistry.

00:38:23.920 And as a scientist,

00:38:25.720 I am wowed

00:38:27.560 by what God did.

00:38:29.400 And then of course,

00:38:29.980 we know the single,

00:38:31.560 singularly,

00:38:32.220 the greatest conversion.

00:38:33.080 Oh, we're talking conversion.

00:38:34.140 I'm keeping it

00:38:34.740 on the same thread

00:38:36.000 right now, John Henry.

00:38:36.840 We know the greatest conversion

00:38:38.620 in Christianity

00:38:40.060 from a single event

00:38:41.880 was that

00:38:42.820 Our Lady of Guadalupe

00:38:43.780 apparition

00:38:44.280 and they account

00:38:45.320 for 9 million

00:38:46.580 conversions

00:38:47.760 of the Aztecs.

00:38:49.280 So now your question.

00:38:50.420 Exactly at the same time

00:38:51.380 as the Catholics left

00:38:52.720 for Protestantism in Europe.

00:38:52.940 You got it

00:38:53.660 with the Protestant Reformation.

00:38:55.160 Coincidence?

00:38:55.800 I think not.

00:38:57.000 God will never be outdone.

00:38:58.360 We are on

00:38:59.100 the winning side, everyone.

00:39:00.740 This is

00:39:01.400 the victorious side.

00:39:02.780 Believe it,

00:39:03.260 never stop believing.

00:39:04.100 It's true.

00:39:04.600 So the temples

00:39:07.440 in Mexico City,

00:39:09.920 the temples

00:39:10.360 throughout what is now

00:39:11.640 Mexico

00:39:12.140 that they use

00:39:13.520 for human sacrifice.

00:39:14.780 Why?

00:39:15.360 They sacrifice the gods

00:39:16.960 because they thought

00:39:18.340 that offering

00:39:19.560 of human sacrifice

00:39:21.220 was going to help

00:39:23.080 guarantee the sun

00:39:23.880 came up the next day.

00:39:25.440 And then we know

00:39:26.600 when the Spanish Christians

00:39:28.160 came in

00:39:29.000 and conquered

00:39:31.840 that death

00:39:32.800 in 1519.

00:39:35.160 We know that,

00:39:36.100 can you imagine

00:39:36.580 being an Aztec

00:39:37.600 when you knew

00:39:38.060 the human sacrifice?

00:39:39.600 Can you imagine

00:39:40.020 the next morning

00:39:40.620 when you're just waiting

00:39:41.440 like, oh,

00:39:42.140 the world's going to end

00:39:43.300 and the sun comes up?

00:39:45.840 And what did they realize,

00:39:47.240 John Henry?

00:39:47.560 I'm going to give

00:39:47.900 a little short reflection here.

00:39:49.400 They realized

00:39:50.500 they were duped.

00:39:52.580 Imagine John Henry

00:39:53.660 and everyone listening,

00:39:54.580 lean in with me right now.

00:39:56.140 It's the same feeling

00:39:57.800 that I'm sure

00:39:59.780 by the look on the faces

00:40:01.640 of mothers

00:40:03.160 leaving an abortion facility.

00:40:05.420 When I stand in front

00:40:06.420 of an abortion facility,

00:40:07.080 their face,

00:40:07.980 their face looks like

00:40:09.900 this didn't solve anything.

00:40:12.140 I don't feel better.

00:40:13.840 Their face looks like,

00:40:15.320 hey, I thought the,

00:40:16.740 you know,

00:40:17.040 this was going to make

00:40:17.800 everything better.

00:40:18.500 Like the sun

00:40:19.140 was going to shine again.

00:40:20.380 The look on their face,

00:40:21.700 John Henry,

00:40:22.120 I've never seen

00:40:22.900 a happy person

00:40:23.860 leave an abortion facility.

00:40:26.500 They got duped.

00:40:27.820 And so now the Aztecs

00:40:29.000 realized

00:40:29.540 they got duped.

00:40:30.240 But we have a,

00:40:31.120 we have a savior.

00:40:32.420 We have the son,

00:40:33.420 the real son,

00:40:34.760 God's son.

00:40:35.740 And how beautiful

00:40:36.720 that then the Aztecs

00:40:39.180 received the real son

00:40:41.400 from the missionaries,

00:40:43.040 from the missionary priests

00:40:45.320 and brothers

00:40:46.120 and sisters that came.

00:40:47.760 And then they started

00:40:49.600 building their

00:40:50.840 cathedrals and churches.

00:40:52.960 But instead of building

00:40:54.320 a temple like their temples,

00:40:55.860 which were temples of death,

00:40:57.200 quite literally,

00:40:57.840 they're building temples

00:40:59.840 of life.

00:41:01.800 Because we know that God

00:41:03.180 is the way,

00:41:04.760 the truth,

00:41:05.160 and the life.

00:41:05.620 God is love.

00:41:06.960 God is love.

00:41:08.740 God is life.

00:41:09.860 God is hope.

00:41:10.920 God is mercy.

00:41:12.060 God is compassion.

00:41:14.000 And these temples

00:41:15.380 radiated that reality.

00:41:17.400 And the punchline,

00:41:18.720 drum roll,

00:41:19.160 I loved how the Christian

00:41:22.820 used stones

00:41:24.620 from the death temples

00:41:27.000 and converted them

00:41:29.340 to stones of life

00:41:32.620 and built the cathedrals with them.

00:41:34.900 You dismantle your old man.

00:41:37.160 You dismantle the life of sin.

00:41:39.500 You dismantle all the efforts

00:41:42.020 that you put in

00:41:43.020 to serve Satan.

00:41:45.220 And you serve

00:41:46.800 with that effort,

00:41:47.780 with that work,

00:41:48.940 you turn it to serving Christ.

00:41:51.280 Redemption is possible.

00:41:53.440 And as we said before,

00:41:55.560 our Lord will even use

00:41:57.040 your sins

00:41:58.880 to make right.

00:42:00.580 He will use

00:42:01.380 because you can be

00:42:02.660 such a powerful witness

00:42:03.500 right now.

00:42:04.620 So,

00:42:05.440 join Life Runners.

00:42:07.380 And you might feel,

00:42:09.060 oh, I'm unworthy

00:42:09.780 to do that,

00:42:10.540 to run with all these

00:42:11.120 great people.

00:42:12.560 They are great people

00:42:13.480 and you're called

00:42:14.520 to be that great people too.

00:42:16.560 Life Runners.org.

00:42:17.920 Any closing thoughts

00:42:19.320 for us, Pat?

00:42:20.060 Yeah, two.

00:42:20.800 One, I would,

00:42:21.640 you know,

00:42:21.920 you always have that

00:42:22.680 what next?

00:42:23.240 Well, what right in front of us

00:42:24.440 is this relay

00:42:25.080 that we talk to.

00:42:26.600 Life Runners.org

00:42:27.680 slash across

00:42:28.440 A-C-R-O-S-S.

00:42:30.540 Get a shirt,

00:42:31.380 sign up for a 5K leg.

00:42:32.860 You can do it

00:42:33.300 in your own neighborhood.

00:42:34.200 You can do it

00:42:34.660 geographically separated.

00:42:36.380 Be part of this.

00:42:37.560 I mean,

00:42:37.900 hopefully you caught the,

00:42:39.240 yeah,

00:42:39.540 I want to be part of this

00:42:40.480 Body of Christ effort

00:42:41.800 to amplify

00:42:42.660 this Remember the Unborn message

00:42:45.640 to encourage the culture

00:42:47.520 of Choose Life.

00:42:48.440 I'll also mention

00:42:49.580 to those that do

00:42:50.520 this sort of thing,

00:42:51.800 any half marathoners

00:42:53.280 or marathoners out there,

00:42:54.880 we do a national race.

00:42:56.900 We do it as a missionary race.

00:42:59.760 We go as missionaries

00:43:01.260 to a big secular race

00:43:02.660 and we wear our shirts.

00:43:04.620 And this year,

00:43:05.220 it's the Portland, Oregon race.

00:43:07.780 And the date is October 5th.

00:43:10.480 You can go to

00:43:11.400 liferunners.org

00:43:12.620 2024 Portland

00:43:14.820 and see all about it.

00:43:16.740 And it's going to be fantastic.

00:43:18.600 Our national chaplain,

00:43:19.860 Bishop Paprocki,

00:43:20.760 will be running it.

00:43:21.960 His secretary,

00:43:23.500 Father Dominic Rankin,

00:43:24.920 will be running it.

00:43:26.360 I'll be there.

00:43:27.480 We'll have,

00:43:27.960 you know,

00:43:28.640 50 or 75 life runners

00:43:30.440 as a missionary team

00:43:32.340 to the culture

00:43:33.480 bearing witness and light.

00:43:34.800 You join us

00:43:35.300 in Portland, Oregon.

00:43:36.380 And finally,

00:43:37.160 I want to give some high fives.

00:43:38.660 High five to LifeSite News,

00:43:41.180 who's one of our gold sponsors

00:43:43.420 for the Across America Relay.

00:43:45.340 And we are printing our shirts,

00:43:47.440 as you know,

00:43:47.880 John Henry,

00:43:48.900 and LifeSite News

00:43:50.320 will be on the sleeve

00:43:51.640 of our shirt.

00:43:53.520 Other great teammates

00:43:54.860 joining LifeSite News

00:43:56.160 on the sleeves

00:43:57.080 of this shirt.

00:43:57.940 We've got Avera Health,

00:44:00.040 a Catholic,

00:44:00.900 one of the remaining

00:44:02.180 Catholic healthcare networks.

00:44:04.940 We know that many of them

00:44:06.040 have been compromised.

00:44:06.800 Doing abortions.

00:44:08.340 I mean,

00:44:08.540 how not Catholic is that?

00:44:10.580 But Avera Health

00:44:11.500 in the Dakotas

00:44:12.900 and surrounding area

00:44:14.020 is still Catholic.

00:44:16.240 High five to the presentation sisters.

00:44:19.400 So they're a sponsor.

00:44:20.820 Benedictine College.

00:44:22.560 What have,

00:44:22.940 you know,

00:44:23.400 there's a handful

00:44:24.260 of real Catholic schools remaining.

00:44:27.200 And thank you

00:44:28.260 to President Stephen Minnis,

00:44:30.120 who's leading

00:44:30.700 that real Catholic college.

00:44:33.020 They're one of our sponsors.

00:44:34.980 Bot Radio Network.

00:44:35.940 I mean,

00:44:36.220 Evangelical Radio Network

00:44:37.780 that sees the truth

00:44:39.340 in our Catholic Christian effort.

00:44:41.260 And they're like,

00:44:41.960 we want to be part of that.

00:44:43.080 I think it's beautiful

00:44:43.960 when we see,

00:44:44.900 you know,

00:44:45.760 them reaching across

00:44:46.960 and going,

00:44:47.440 that's good.

00:44:48.220 That's God.

00:44:48.880 We want to be part of that.

00:44:50.280 Then we've got people

00:44:51.440 like Semcast Construction Company

00:44:54.000 in Sioux Falls,

00:44:54.680 South Dakota

00:44:55.220 with Carl Carlson

00:44:56.700 that said,

00:44:57.200 I want to be part of that.

00:44:58.400 Choose Life Marketing,

00:45:00.180 DDI Media,

00:45:02.320 Diocese of Austin,

00:45:03.520 the Diocese of Fargo,

00:45:04.920 the Archdiocese of San Francisco,

00:45:06.780 EWTN,

00:45:08.360 Midwest Advertising,

00:45:09.920 Shield Sports.

00:45:11.160 How cool is it

00:45:11.980 that you got a CEO

00:45:12.940 of a sports store

00:45:15.660 big in the Midwest

00:45:16.720 that says,

00:45:17.860 yep,

00:45:18.060 my faith is alive.

00:45:19.940 And you can go ahead

00:45:20.860 and put our name

00:45:21.980 on the Across America Relay.

00:45:24.100 See,

00:45:24.660 there's plenty of hope,

00:45:26.200 plenty of light

00:45:26.960 to shine.

00:45:28.300 And we all know

00:45:28.840 all it takes

00:45:29.420 is one match

00:45:30.400 to pierce the darkness.

00:45:32.680 Straub Construction

00:45:33.760 out of Kansas City.

00:45:37.460 Their CEO,

00:45:39.120 sign us up.

00:45:40.320 Thomas More Society.

00:45:42.040 Thank God

00:45:42.900 for the Thomas More Society,

00:45:44.380 huh?

00:45:44.520 John Henry Weston.

00:45:45.840 Yep,

00:45:46.140 put our name on that.

00:45:47.060 That's what we do.

00:45:48.160 And then Veronica's Journey,

00:45:50.040 the story

00:45:50.740 of a little child

00:45:52.660 that was born

00:45:55.080 and lost.

00:45:57.080 The parents mourn

00:45:58.320 the loss of their child

00:45:59.420 and they memorialize her

00:46:01.240 in so many wonderful ways

00:46:03.640 to help mothers

00:46:04.700 not get duped

00:46:05.420 by abortion,

00:46:06.800 to appreciate.

00:46:07.780 And that's out

00:46:08.400 of San Antonio, Texas

00:46:09.540 with Chrissy

00:46:10.920 and Dr. Mitch Finney.

00:46:12.920 So these are some

00:46:13.920 just high fives

00:46:15.100 to the people

00:46:15.580 that are fueling

00:46:17.080 this effort

00:46:18.080 across America.

00:46:19.360 And John Henry,

00:46:20.620 from one life runner,

00:46:22.280 a runner life runner,

00:46:23.780 to a better life runner,

00:46:25.160 and you,

00:46:25.680 a walking life runner,

00:46:26.780 I high five you

00:46:28.320 with Mary's words.

00:46:30.020 Let's honor Mary,

00:46:31.460 Our Lady of Guadalupe,

00:46:33.180 and Our Lady

00:46:34.260 of all those beautiful,

00:46:36.140 you know,

00:46:36.500 missions and purposes

00:46:37.980 around the globe.

00:46:39.520 Our Lady,

00:46:40.520 Our Mother,

00:46:41.260 to all of us

00:46:42.080 for all things

00:46:42.840 and of all time.

00:46:44.220 We honor her

00:46:45.340 as she points us

00:46:46.940 to her son

00:46:47.720 with the final word.

00:46:49.280 And those are

00:46:50.060 her final words

00:46:51.160 in scripture.

00:46:52.640 John chapter 2,

00:46:54.400 verse 5.

00:46:54.960 And this is

00:46:55.760 the life runner's

00:46:56.720 high five verse.

00:46:58.140 And her words were,

00:46:59.680 do whatever

00:47:00.980 he tells you.

00:47:03.780 And there's a high five

00:47:05.240 to encourage

00:47:06.300 this largest

00:47:07.340 spanning pro-life

00:47:08.260 bet in the world

00:47:08.940 across the nation

00:47:11.660 of America

00:47:12.820 and around the world,

00:47:14.440 wherever you're at.

00:47:15.640 And you remember

00:47:16.900 the cheer,

00:47:17.900 John Henry,

00:47:18.600 I give an all in Christ,

00:47:20.460 you give a four pro-life.

00:47:21.500 Here we go.

00:47:22.800 Yes, indeed.

00:47:23.480 All in Christ.

00:47:24.780 For pro-life.

00:47:26.320 All in Christ.

00:47:27.860 For pro-life.

00:47:29.440 All in Christ.

00:47:32.400 For pro-life.

00:47:34.220 Amen.

00:47:35.560 Tide Castle,

00:47:36.220 my friend,

00:47:36.560 so good to be with you.

00:47:37.840 God bless you.

00:47:38.980 God bless you, brother.

00:47:40.120 And God bless all of you.

00:47:42.040 And we'll see you next time.

00:47:42.980 God bless you.

The John-Henry Westen Show - August 06, 2024

America's Largest Pro-Life Event ｜ An Epic Relay Race

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