Texas Bishop at Root of National Prayer Movement to End Abortion

The Marian Blue Wave has its roots in an invitation by Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, for all Catholics to “refocus on the beautiful gift of the Rosary, and the call to prayer that the Blessed Virgin Mary has given us so many times.” The American Life League celebrates the second anniversary of its Marian Blue Wave on October 7, 2021, recognizing Strickland as instrumental in its origin.

The Marian Blue Wave is a call to Catholics across America to pray a weekly Rosary with the specific intentions of ending all types of abortions and shutting down every Planned Parenthood facility in the United States. Under the leadership of Katie Brown, Director of the Marian Blue Wave, the initiative has gathered nearly five thousand participants in all 50 states and 31 different countries over its two-year existence and continues growing daily.

“With this Marian Blue Wave, we certainly pray for the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death,” added Strickland. “And we pray for healing in the world and the Church at this time.”

The Marian Blue Wave promotes dedicated weekly prayer focused specifically on ending abortion. Strickland was instrumental in helping to bring about the program in 2019. In January of 2019, Bishop Strickland wrote, “we need a Marian Blue Wave to end abortion”. This quote from Strickland sparked a prayer revolution, and with his help, American Life League launched the Marian Blue Wave program later that year.

Now, to celebrate their second anniversary, the program is publishing Pray the Rosary to Defeat Evil: A Marian Blue Wave Prayer Companion. The 98-page booklet, produced by the American Life League, features prayers and reflections to guide and encourage adherents of the Marian Blue Wave initiative.

Brown explained that in addition to the overarching aim of ending abortion throughout the nation, the specific goals of the program are to:

• Shut down every Planned Parenthood facility in the United States (Planned Parenthood operates the largest abortion chain in America).
• Shut down all other abortion facilities in the United States.
• Change the hearts of Catholics who advocate for or promote abortion in any way.

“With the grace of God and the intercession of His blessed mother, we pray the Rosary for an end to all types of abortion, for the closure of all Planned Parenthood and abortion facilities, and for the protection of our Lord in the Eucharist” stated Brown. “We need this because we have been fighting abortion politically for over 40 years, and nothing has changed. The Marian Blue Wave focuses on the true evil behind abortion, and rallies people together to fight that evil with our most powerful weapon: the Rosary.”

Brown believes that dedicated prayer will “refocus the fight against abortion from politics, to putting our faith back in God to end the deep-rooted evil of abortion.”

Learn more about the Marian Blue Wave, join the movement, and find resources for participation at marianbluewave.com.

About American Life League

The American Life League has been part of the pro-life abortion debate from its inception. Since 1979, the American Life League has committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death with a pro-life integrity that stands up for every innocent human being whose life is threatened by a “culture of death.” For more information visit all.org.