CatholicVote President Brian Burch with Mark and Ryan-Marie Houck
CV NEWS FEED // Pro-life activist and Catholic father Mark Houck received an award from CatholicVote for courageously standing for life when the federal government was weaponized against him.
“CatholicVote is honored to recognize Mark Houck for his heroic actions in defense of the sanctity of life,” said CatholicVote’s President Brian Burch. “While attacks on American Catholics continue to increase, Mark’s fortitude in the face of intense persecution is an incredible witness for all of us.”
Houck was arrested at gunpoint by FBI agents in September 2022 in front of his wife and seven children. Houck was accused by the Biden Justice Department of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act when Houck shoved a Planned Parenthood clinic escort who was harassing his son in 2021. Houck was found not guilty in February 2023.
Houck recounted his experience on a recent episode of CatholicVote’s LOOPcast, detailing the harrowing FBI raid on his home, his preparation for the trial, and his 14-year-old son’s stunning testimony.
Burch presented the award to Houck at an event following the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.
“It was an honor to finally meet Mark Houck face-to-face,” said CatholicVote Vice President of Programming Josh Mercer. “We were seated at the same table at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, and as we prayed for persecuted Christians across the world it wasn’t lost on me that Mark could very well be in prison right now because of the outlandish actions of our own federal government.”
