Even after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, January holds a special place in the hearts of pro-lifers as we continue to pray and rally against the evils of abortion in our country. For decades, women of all backgrounds have been a powerful force in the pro-life movement, and it is the duty of younger generations to respond to the call.
One such woman who has entered into the fray is Katie Brown, director of American Life League’s Marian Blue Wave program. While political activism will be an important part of eradicating abortion from our nation, Katie shares why prayer is the most important battle tool, especially in the form of the Rosary.
Radiant: You are in your 20s and yet are already the director of a national program. Can you share with us more about the Marian Blue Wave and how it was inspired?
Katie Brown: The Marian Blue Wave is a program of the American Life League (ALL). We ask Catholics to commit to praying one Rosary a week for the specific intention of ending all types of abortion and for the closure of all abortion and Planned Parenthood facilities.
It was inspired by a tweet from former Bishop (Joseph) Strickland when he tweeted out “We need a Marian Blue Wave to end abortion.” He said this in response to New York City lighting the Empire State Building pink in 2019 to mark the legalization of abortion up to birth for any reason. We at ALL saw that phrase and knew it had potential, so we created the Marian Blue Wave program, relying on the intercession of our Blessed Mother to end abortion.
For so long, people have looked to politics to end abortion, but what we so often forget is that abortion is not a political issue. Abortion is murder, making it a spiritual battle. And our best tactic against a spiritual battle is our most powerful spiritual weapon — the Rosary.
Radiant: How have you noticed the Rosary impacting your own personal prayer?
Katie: When I was a kid, my dad used to pray a Rosary with my siblings and I every day on the way to school. I remember being so annoyed by this; I would have rather listened to the radio. But now I can look back and see that my dad laid a foundation for me, so that when the Holy Spirit started to work on me, I knew where to start.
When I was asked to help lead the Marian Blue Wave, I thought it was disingenuous to lead a Rosary program without having a dedication to the Rosary. In 2019 I was deeply devoted to my faith, but just like being a kid in the car with my dad, I found the Rosary monotonous and boring. I still didn’t understand the meaning of the Rosary or the power behind it.
When we were still in the planning stages of launching the Marian Blue Wave, it just so happened to be the start of Lent. So that year for Lent, I prayed a daily Rosary, and asked God and the Blessed Mother to help me grow a devotion.
That’s exactly what happened. Between praying the Rosary everyday and realizing the power behind the meditative prayer, God worked on me. I can’t go a day without praying a Rosary now. And guess where I often say it? In the car. (Thanks, Dad.)
Radiant: How has your faith inspired you to help others fight against a culture that sometimes seems to be against promoting life?
Katie: Faith really leads what we do not just at American Life League, but for the entire pro-life movement. To be able to stand against the current of our modern culture takes a lot of guts, and even though we do this everyday, it can still be overwhelming at times. That’s why faith and reliance on God is so important for what we do. One of my mentors used to say to me, ‘We do what we can, and God will do the rest.’ We have to have the mindset that it’s not our job to change the world; that’s God’s job. Our job is to do all that we can to help women who need us, and to educate society on the dignity and sanctity of all human life. God will take it from there.
Radiant: How have you witnessed Catholic women being persecuted for their beliefs?
Katie: My grandmother, Judie Brown, founded the American Life League in 1979. She founded ALL as the first grassroots Catholic pro-life organization. At the time, she was the only pro-life leader speaking out against birth control. Birth control and the contraceptive mentality we see today are what lead to abortion. When sex has no meaning, human dignity doesn’t either.
My grandmother spoke out about this and was persecuted by so many, including some Catholics. But this didn’t shake her, and she didn’t stop. Her faith, like many other strong Catholic women, is her driving force. That makes us unshakable.
Radiant: Is there anything you would like to say to young Catholic women to encourage them to fight for the dignity of human life, especially when it sometimes seems so hard in our culture today?
Katie: I think this battle is especially personal for us women. They are after us, our sisters, our friends, our daughters, and all the women in our lives. We have to stand against the culture of death not just for our own good, but for theirs as well.
It can seem overwhelming at times, and I get asked a lot where to even start. But what it really comes down to is just loving everyone around us. Sometimes that means having tough love, like not supporting someone’s decision to have an abortion. More often than not, though, it means just offering a support system to the women in our lives. Most abortions happen because the mother does not feel supported. We can easily change, but there is power in numbers. Women need to come together to protect and support each other — born and preborn.
