Joan and Chris Bell are reunited just minutes after her release from federal prison Jan. 23. Photos provided by Chris Bell.
CV NEWS FEED // In the days following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the pro-life community eagerly awaited his pardon of nearly two dozen peaceful protesters of abortion clinics — or “killing centers” as Joan Andrews Bell, one of the activists, refers to them.
The hours ticked by as Trump signed a flurry of executive orders and other pardons. Some pro-life groups called on the President to make good on his campaign promise to free the 23 pro-life prisoners. Then, on Jan. 23, just three days after his inauguration and on the eve of the National March for Life, he signed the pardons.
“They should not have been prosecuted,” Trump said several times, shaking his head as he prepared to make the order official. “Many of them are elderly,” he added. “This is a great honor to sign.”
Trump pardons 23 pro-life activists targeted by Biden DOJ under FACE Act
Andrews Bell, 76, is a lifelong Catholic, pro-life advocate, and a major figure in the rescue movement. It was a moment of great joy to be pardoned, especially in time to attend the March for Life. She spent 16 months apart from her husband, children, and grandchildren after being jailed for peacefully protesting at Washington SurgiClinic, a late-term abortion clinic, in August 2023. The clinic operator, abortionist Dr. Cesare Santangelo, has been accused of infanticide. She and six other pro-life activists were immediately incarcerated and later sentenced to federal prison.
Sometimes called a “white martyr,” Andrews Bell has participated in many rescues throughout her adult life, seeking to save children from abortion. Her activism has landed her in jail hundreds of times, according to her husband, Christopher Bell. Bell told CatholicVote in a recent interview that his wife had been arrested 200 times by the time he met her in the late 1980s.
Their Jan. 23 reunion was the hoped- and prayed-for outcome. A mother of seven adult children, Andrews Bell missed the birth of her eighth grandchild, whom she met for the first time shortly after her release.
Bell said the children having become young adults didn’t make the time apart any easier on them.
“They all want their mother,” he explained, noting that only one of his daughters was allowed to come with him to visit while she was in federal prison, until her final month there.
Thanks to the pardon, Andrews Bell is now able to be there for the birth of her ninth grandchild and help her daughter through the end of a difficult pregnancy.
The separation, though extremely challenging, was something Bell said he knew was a possibility before the two married — from day one, in fact.
Joan Andrews and Chris Bell first met at a Delaware prison in 1988 and married in 1991. Joan said she liked Chris right away.
“I am 10 years older, so I thought nothing would come of it,” she recalled in an interview with CatholicVote.
Bell was a Eucharistic minister at the prison and had met Andrews’ sister, Susan Brindle, at a talk he gave after opening his first Good Counsel home, a shelter in New Jersey for pregnant mothers experiencing homelessness.
Brindle told him that Andrews was in the Delaware jail after participating in a rescue at an abortion clinic. It was early spring, and he went to the prison during a visit with other inmates and their guests.
“We eventually met when Susan introduced me to Joan while she was in prison in Delaware. I was able to visit her and bring her Holy Communion,” Bell said.
“He put the Eucharist in a corporal which made it possible for him to bring Our Lord in because the pyx would not have gone through the metal detector there,” Andrews Bell recalled, “and they probably would not have allowed him to do it.”
When he got there, he said, “I have Our Lord.”
“Should I give [Him] to you now?” Andrews Bell remembers her future husband asking.
“No,” she responded. “The guard might think you’re giving me drugs or something. Wait until everybody leaves. When everyone stands up to leave and say goodbye, I’ll just kneel and will be hidden from the guards, and I can receive, and it worked perfectly.”
It didn’t work in federal prison though. For the seven months she spent there, Andrews Bell had no access to the sacraments. The prison chaplain had retired after 10 years ministering at the prison, so she made spiritual communions, prayed the Rosary with inmates, and said the Mass prayers from a missalette.
There were big differences in the overall case, too.
This time, she and nine others were charged with the FACE Act, a first for Andrews Bell, despite the law being decades old. A federal charge of Conspiracy Against Rights was added, allowing for an additional 10 years in prison.
9 pro-life rescuers each face up to 11 years in prison
“The Biden-Harris Department of Justice very creatively used an antebellum law that was to protect the newly freed African-American slaves from not owning property or voting they used this law that was passed in the late 1860s to allow newly freed slaves to exercise their federal rights,” her husband said, “and this is a real stretch, they took this Conspiracy Against Rights and they applied it to abortion.”
He further pointed out that Roe v. Wade had already been overturned, so there was no constitutional right to abortion at the time of the protest.
During the proceedings, the defendants were not allowed to use the word “abortion” or talk about why they were there, according to the couple. Andrews Bell confirmed that despite accusations of being violent, she and other peaceful protesters were the ones who suffered injuries at the scene. Andrews Bell said she felt like she was living in Nazi Germany during those days when she faced the trial and possibly more than a decade in prison.
“The burden wasn’t being in jail, you know, the burden always is the heart,” she said. “You feel you want to be with your family, your loved ones, and you want to be out there with the children [at risk of being aborted].”
It’s a sacrifice she said she’s willing to make to save the children’s lives. Andrews Bell recently spoke with CatholicVote in more detail about her pardon, a watershed moment in the pro-life movement, and her mission from God to protect the unborn.
CatholicVote: How did you feel when you learned that President Trump had pardoned you?
Andrews Bell: It was incredible. I respect Trump, and I know that he backstepped a little bit [on the life issue], but I think he’s still God’s man. I think he’s going to do the right thing. Remember King David backstepped. Didn’t Abraham, too, when he didn’t trust God that he’d be a father of the nation?
Some doubted that Trump could win the election with just God’s help, but I still believe in him, and I’m so glad people voted for him. I didn’t think because of the climate of the times he probably would pardon us. I knew he was going to pardon the J6ers, I was pretty sure of that. I wasn’t sure about us, but I knew it was in God’s hands, so I wasn’t feeling terrible about it. I would love to have been home with nine grandchildren – my youngest is due in a couple weeks – but I felt peace about it because I believe whenever you try to do God’s will, He has your back and I’ll be in jail as long as He wants me to be there. And when he doesn’t want me there anymore, I’ll be out. So I really didn’t fret about it or anything really. I was at great peace, but I was surprised it happened so quickly. I thought that he’d do it maybe in a year.
We had two different groups praying the Rosary, one at 1:30 in the afternoon and one at 7 every night, and then we had another group that would pray the Mass prayers from the missalette. The former priest, who had been there for over 10 years, retired a couple years ago. During the 7 p.m. Rosary, I was in the upper tier of the unit and someone came running in and said, “Miss Joan’s husband is on FOX News! She’s been pardoned!” They always called me Miss Joan because of my age. So I left the cell and went downstairs to see my husband on the news and he was talking, and I got to see his big beard! I didn’t think I’d be out that very night. I know they moved the J6ers that quickly, but I didn’t expect it for the pro-lifers. A couple hours later, when I was still trying to finish up a few things since I knew I’d be getting out at some point, one of the correction officers came and said, “Pack up, you’ll be leaving before midnight tonight.
CV: What first inspired you to get involved in rescuing?
Andrews Bell: From the earliest days, I was 24 years old when abortion was pseudo-legalized and I felt like we had become Nazi Germany. When I was 5 years old, my mother was watching the film. Hitler’s Children, and I needed to know what’s going on. She said, “his government, it was a Christian country. This is a Christian country, Germany, and they turned against God and they started wanting to kill God’s people, the Jewish people. Many people ignored it and didn’t try to do God’s will and try to protect God’s people and others viciously went after God’s people, but some had the courage to help.”
From then on, I read everything I could, even as a pre-teen, about Nazi Germany and was involved in the Civil Rights movement in the South in Tennessee, but when abortion was legalized, I still wasn’t prepared for how our nation would do these horrible things, that we would legalize child murder. I really felt that we had become Nazi Germany. I remember thinking that I was going to spend the rest of my life in jail. I thought, I won’t give my name and would try to disarm the murder weapon. I knew about nonviolent demonstrations, but I didn’t know at the time how that might help babies. There was a gloom that came over me. I tried to do that in 1973 and couldn’t get into the building.
But even before then, the Church stepped up and started doing a lot of work to protect life, to educate the public, to demonstrate what was going on, but it still shocked me that there wasn’t this instantaneous response of every Catholic and every Christian taking to the streets and just stopping the killing just surrounding these places. But, to me, if they’re gonna kill their children in the neighborhood in which I live, within my community, you have to do it over my body. Now you can beat me up, drag me away, throw me in prison, but you have to get rid of me first if you’re going to kill their children where I live. I thought we’d have a big response like that. But I’ve met many good people. There are hundreds of thousands at the March for Life.
CV: After being arrested and imprisoned for participating in rescues over the years, what made this situation different?
Andrews Bell: The difference was just this being a federal case and the FACE Act charge. The FACE Act was brought into place because so many babies were being rescued. I talked to somebody years ago who had been part of the abortion industry before switching, but during that time when there were a lot of rescues going on in the ’80s and ’90s with Operation Rescue and all, she said the powers that be in the pro-abortion movement the abortion industry were with and they said it’s over. Abortion is legal. But it evaporated. It’s disappearing. Abortions aren’t taking place. The industry was being destroyed all because all these people were stepping forward and defending the innocent and the just. They were rescuing little children. I always say we debate issues, we rescue people. Abortion isn’t an issue; it’s about the life and death of a child and a brutal killing without even giving their children anesthetic, so it’s a horrific thing we bring judgment on our country and on the whole world. Rescue is very important and always needs to be. Not everyone is always able to do it. One of the big things in the pro-life movement is we should not criticize one another and support everyone we can. We have to be unified.
The Face Act came about to stop rescue in the early 90s and I don’t think it worked for that reason, because they made it a bigger offense with the conspiracy charge where we were facing 10-12 years in jail. I think the timing just happened to be those who were rescuing, they were at a crossroads. There was something going on that made it impossible to rescue. As the movement got big some of the principles were ignored, not on purpose I don’t think, but I think they didn’t understand. It undermined rescue as a movement and I don’t think it was that they didn’t want to pay the penalty and quit rescuing. I think people began to lose trust in leadership. All good people, all doing their best, but there was a disconnect going on. Very few people rescued after that.
Trial Begins for Three More Pro-Life Protestors Accused of Violating FACE Act
CV: What is the significance of being charged with the FACE Act?
Andrews Bell: FACE being a federal charge was a direct attack on the success of the rescue movement back in the ’80s and ’90s. Whenever this crime of child killing that’s going on is such a judgment on one’s nation, so it’s always heavy, and it was heartbreaking. When you see a government going after those who love God, those who love the innocent children, the suspicion that they’re breaking all kinds of laws… Before, when we rescued, sometimes police were brutal. They broke people’s arms and legs and two officers once attacked me. I passed out and I thought they were going to kill me, but I woke up in a cell in Texas.
But there was not this concerted effort with the courts, with the DOJ, with the FBI’s concerted effort to try to stop nonviolent peaceful citizens from rescuing children and viciously going after them and say we were violent when we weren’t. They made up lies in court too. I did nothing violent. They say, OK we won’t put that as far as part of your plea and then but then it was there again when his lawyer had it removed it from the federal public defender, who I think was probably working with the government with the prosecution. There was just this concerted effort to break the law themselves to crush God’s people’s response to child killing.
CV: In this most recent instance, some reports have said the violence was perpetrated by the clinic staff, using a mop handle. Is that right?
Andrews Bell: Absolutely and Jeannie [Last name] said we’re senior citizens and this is a felony to be attacking us. It triggered Paulette’s fibromyalgia that she had gotten 30 years before when a policeman had stomped on her head. So we were attacked, and we were totally nonviolent. We didn’t touch anyone, but it’s been twisted. When you think of over 300 crisis pregnancy centers pregnancy help centers these people who volunteer so much of their time and millions of dollars and foods to help moms who choose to have their baby, and these places are being fire-bombed and all and then the DOJ saying they didn’t have any evidence when our people turned over the tapes of cars license plates, even photographs, and they’re pretending it was too dark to see when my evidence was given over to them. It felt like we were living in Nazi Germany.
CV: What do you hope people learn from your pro-life witness?
Andrews Bell: Anybody can do anything God wants them to do. When I was young and still to this day, I have a lot of people talk for me. My husband and sister would talk for me because I am just so uncomfortable doing that. I have no talent for that. I hope people know that God would never ask you to do anything that you can’t do because when he asks you to do something, He gives you the grace to do it, and He’ll put everything in your path and people around you and give you a way to do it. Just trust God. I have a strong devotion to Divine Mercy.
CV: What was the hardest thing about being in prison?
Andrews Bell: The hardest thing was to not be at the killing center because being there, where the children are dying, allows them to know they were loved. They physically will know it. These children know when they’re loved. They will feel that human love while they are on this earth. This is very important. That’s why we visit people in hospitals and our senior living communities. Even if we can’t rescue that child and if we can’t prevent that abortion, they’re saying, I love you. Feel free to go to Jesus. I know absolutely they can feel our love over there. Even if someone can’t counsel, just be there to pray. So when I couldn’t go out there when I was in jail, I would ask for others to go “be me” there and pray.
CV: Do you sense a spiritual heaviness when you’re at the clinics?
Andrews Bell: These are very awesome times. I think these are the times that were spoken of in Revelation, that the Blessed Mother in Quito, Ecuador, over 400 years ago said were coming in the Church — a great crisis in the Church when many of those consecrated to her Son would forsake their vows and leave. Others would stay in the priesthood and religious life and try to destroy the Church from within. She said it would begin towards the beginning of the 20th century or the end of the 19th century but pick up especially right after the middle of the 20th century.
We have seen it get worse and worse, and now we’re living in what’s called post-Christian times … These are incredible times and it is mandatory for those of us who love Jesus to stand up and accept the grace He’s given us to stand firm and to be His voice, be His presence and just trust Him and not worry because He has our back. Martyrdom? Well, what a great gift. Or, He’s going to lead us to where we can do what He wants us to do and perhaps protect us and our families who live in the new era — the Eucharist reign of Christ. These are awesome times, so if ever we had a time to stand up for Christ, this is the time. Every time throughout history is “the time.” But now, so many forces are gathered against Christ.
CV: What is next for you in the pro-life movement?
Andrews Bell: With nine grandchildren, I’ll be doing a lot of babysitting. I’ll also be involved at the abortion mill and will bring the babies there because it’s very effective to have babies there with signs we will adopt your baby. Just being there loving and smiling at them as they go in. We will adopt your baby or help you keep your baby. I’ll always be involved with rescue because God lays it on my heart when it’s time to do it. I should do it always and be obedient to God. I told my husband. He’s always known. He’s never asked me not to rescue. We took three years to get married after we met each other, and he knew it would always be on my heart at any time, and at any time I could do that. He’s a great husband, and he knew it could be happening again if God wills it. I’m really enjoying my time with my family and hoping to be with them for a long time.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.