DREXEL HILL, Pennsylvania (LifeSiteNews) — Catholic pro-life advocate Mark Houck, during a talk at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, encouraged pro-lifers to keep witnessing to the unborn despite the persecution he faced three years ago.
During the roughly hour-long talk, Houck, a devout Catholic husband and father of seven, who was infamously arrested at gunpoint while his young children watched during a dawn raid by Biden’s FBI back in 2022 for supposedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act before ultimately being acquitted, highlighted how he had to live through the Stations of the Cross and surrender to God’s will from the time of the raid through his trial, for which he gained an abundance of graces.
The famed pro-life sidewalk counselor told LifeSiteNews that despite his horrifying experience, for which he and his family continue to suffer PTSD, pro-lifers should not be afraid to speak out for the unborn because, even if they are persecuted, there are so many blessings to be gained for themselves and the unborn.
Biden’s DOJ charged Houck with two felonies for allegedly violating the FACE Act when he pushed abortuary “escort,” Bruce Love, 73, during sidewalk altercations on two separate occasions in 2021. However, Houck had stated that he pushed Love simply to protect his then-12-year-old son, whom Love had been verbally harassing using vulgar language.
“I can honestly tell you (my persecution from the government) is the greatest thing that (has) ever happened to me. If I (were) told by God, ‘You don’t have to do this, or you can do this, I would say, ‘Let it happen,’” Houck told LifeSite.
“Was it painful? Yes, but when you have the support of your wife, when you have the sacramental life of the Church to sustain you, it’s just amazing how much you can gain through just suffering,” he added.
Surrendering to God’s will
Houck explained that during his unjust arrest, being cuffed and shackled on his waist and feet and being held for hours at an FBI building in Philadelphia, he felt that he was transported to Calvary with Christ.
“I was transported right to Golgotha, the place of the skull, to Calvary, the foot of the cross… I’m transported, and I’m with Jesus, when you suffer, you’re that much closer to the cross,” he said. “I was transported in this unitive way… where my will and God’s will were one… and I knew I was under God’s will at this point and I had peace, I had joy, I had forgiveness, I had love in my heart.”
Houck noted that while sitting in a holding cell for about six hours, during the bureau’s attempt to “break him,” he spent the entire time praying the whole Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and several other prayers unceasingly.
“So, I take all those practices… and I’m walking with Jesus and Mary, I’m really entering into the community of saints,” he said.
Houck highlighted receiving an outpouring of support from fellow Catholics and pro-lifers, with some comparing him to Saint Joan of Arc. He also had the privilege of having his home visited by Cardinal Gerhard Müller. Overwhelmed, the pro-life activist and his family offered many prayers of gratitude.
READ: Mark Houck, pro-lifer raided by FBI, thanks Cardinal Müller for his support
Trial as the crucifixion
In the months leading up to his trial, Houck also had to deal with constant accusations from the devil about his unworthiness for this overwhelming support he had been receiving from the faithful and was reminded of his past sins, leading him into a dark place.
“(The devil) started accusing me. And I said, ‘I know that he’s doing it,’ But I started listening to him because I know I’m not Joan of Arc… so when he came with that message, I agreed with him,” he recalled. “And for two weeks, it was complete darkness. And I couldn’t even share it for 30 days with my wife… I felt terrible.”
At that point, Houck went to his spiritual director and told him, “I can’t do this, I can’t carry this cross anymore.”
The priest told him about several great saints, such as St. Catherine of Siena, who were often brutally tempted by the devil but persevered in their faith, convincing him that he could also persist in carrying his cross.
Then Houck explained that just weeks before his trial, the prosecution had offered him a “sweetheart” plea deal in which he would plead guilty to the charges, but walk away without going to prison, being fined, or spending time on probation, a deal his attorneys strongly advised him to take. However, his wife told him he could not take that deal because he was innocent and reminded him of the terrible precedent the deal would set for other pro-lifers.
READ: Mark Houck reveals he refused plea deal with FBI ahead of trial
“She said, ‘We have to trust that justice will prevail. Even if it doesn’t, we just trust that… God will bring good out of it,’” Houck recalled.
So, Houck went to trial in January 2023, knowing that 99 percent of federal cases result in convictions, but did so prayerfully, even spending time before the Blessed Sacrament the night before the trial began.
He likened his trial to his “crucifixion” because the prosecution was trying to “expose” him for the public to see. When it was time for Houck to take the stand, he was asked several “gotcha” questions by the prosecutor about the 2021 incident, such as if he calls abortion murder or if he believes we’re in a spiritual war, but he persevered.
Houck recalled how the jury began deliberating on Friday, January 27, which happened to be the anniversary of when he met his wife, and he had already accepted that he would be found guilty, but trusted that God would keep his family safe.
Trusting in the Lord, regardless of the verdict
“I trust the Lord. No matter what happens, He’s going to take care of my wife, He’s going to take care of my children. I know I’m going to prison, there’s no way I’m getting out of here,” he said. “I’m resting in the arms of Jesus and Mary… and I’m just resting, I have a (sense of) relief now, ‘No matter what happens I gave it up to the Lord.’”
After the jury did not reach a verdict on Friday, Houck had to “wait in the tomb” through the weekend before the jury finally reached a verdict. After being found not guilty of the first charge, the pro-life activist read Scripture, taking particular notice of Psalm 57, which says in part, “Under the shadow of God’s wings you will be protected.”
“My fears, my worries, my anxieties, were gone… instantly just by reading the Word of God,” he said. “The second verdict’s coming through, ‘We the jury find Mark Houck, not guilty on count two.’ I couldn’t believe it… (I was) vindicated,” he said.
After finally being free to go and no longer under constant surveillance, Houck has resumed his sidewalk counseling. While he noted he and his family are still working through the trauma, they continue to put their trust in Christ, Who provided them with an abundance of graces as he carried his cross.
“If (a pro-life activist) asked me, ‘What if I get Mark Houcked?’ I’d say ‘You should only be so lucky,’” he told LifeSiteNews.
Stephen Dunham, who regularly sidewalk counsels with Houck, told LifeSite that despite everything he went through, Houck doesn’t get angry when approached by abortionists and seems to constantly be at peace.
“He is really steady and calm, and even when people are nasty to the people who go there to pray, he never seems to get upset,” he said. “I really think he’s not upset or bothered by the nastiness we often encounter.”
