The Red Rose Rescues: Saving Lives, One Baby at a Time

Pray the rescue rosary!

I'm a rescuer. I was arrested a few dozen times from the mid 1970s through the 1990s. At one "mothers rescue," several of us went into an Alexandria abortion mill with our little babies strapped to our bodies in carriers and slings. Our children witnessed to everyone in a powerful way the reality of the little ones we were there to save. It was the one rescue where we weren't arrested. 

Rescuers are a little like Marines: once a rescuer, always a rescuer. A rescuer's heart cradles the little ones in danger of abortion...and their moms...and all the others involved in the holocaust including the hired hit men and women. Rescuers don't want anyone to be destroyed, either physically or spiritually. We pray for conversion of hearts!

The rescue movement has changed over the years. In the '70s the action was small groups going into the facilities and blocking the doors. I was involved in a number of those and spent time in the Alexandria and Arlington jails as a result. 

Operation Rescue in the '80s saw hundreds arrested at organized events all over the country. When the dark side struck back with the FACE Act that made blocking "clinic" entrances a felony, few could risk it and rescues disappeared, but prayer and sidewalk counseling continued to save babies. 

Then, a few years ago the red rose movement began inspired by Mary Wagner in Canada and spearheaded by Monica Miller and several others in the United States including Fr. Stephen Imbarrato. Those who engage in a red rose rescue don't block anyone; they simply give red roses to the moms in the waiting room and information about all the help available. Red rose rescues are putting fear, if not of the Lord, of his apostles back into the culture of death. Praise God!

Rescues are only one form of baby saving, and rescuers are usually active in other ways as well. We work in pregnancy help centers and sidewalk counsel. We offer shelter to moms in crisis. We speak for the babies; we write for the babies. Above all we pray for the babies...and their parents...and the abortionists.

I had a friend who used to make "rescue rosaries" for me. I got the idea from a woman in jail during the Spring of Life in Buffalo in 1992 where I spent 24 days in the Erie County jail with about 100 other women. The charge against us? Blocking traffic. We were political prisoners. 

Who spends 24 days in jail for "blocking traffic?" The local bail bondsmen wouldn't provide bail for out-of-towners. Not realizing we were in for a long stay, I waited...and waited...waited. I kept telling my husband when I could get to a phone, "They can't keep us much longer; this is costing them a fortune!" We were finally released on day 24 sentenced to time served. I just made it back in time for my daughter's graduation from UVA two days later, but I missed the entire spring, viewing it only from the rooftop of the jail, our only time outside.

But in many ways that jail experience was a blessing and one of those blessings was the woman from Cincinnati who described the rescue rosary to me, a decade for each group involved in an abortion mill rescue event. 

The first decade is blue, Mary's color, for the mothers whose hearts we are trying to touch. The second is yellow to signify the golden treasure of the little ones in the womb. The third is red, a martyr's color, for the rescuers willing to suffer to stop the killing. The fourth is dark blue for the police who enable the killing by "following orders" and removing the last line of defense for the babies. Finally, the last decade is black for those committing the atrocity. We pray for their conversion, for the great champions of life they could become like Bernard Nathanson.

Everyone can be a rescuer. As they say about missionaries, some give by going and some go by giving. If you can't personally go out to the abortion mills, you can be there with your prayers, being a channel of grace of God for those who need it most. Pray the rescue rosary! 

You know you're winning when the "dark side" puts out an article like this, clearly negative and biased, but showing exactly how successful the red rose rescues are. And Fr. Imbarrato witnesses to that as well in the memo below. Please pray for all those involved in the red rose rescues physically and please become a spiritual missionary to the babies by praying the rescue rosary.

A Memo from Fr. Imbarrato

Fr. Stephen Imbarrato illustrates that the Red Rose Rescues save lives even when they aren't in progress! Join the movement! If you can't be there physically, be there spiritually. St. Therese of Lisieux, patroness of missionaries, pray for us!

Hello everyone. 

Be assured of my prayers daily. 

We pray publicly on my FB LIVE everyday for Red Rose Rescues and for Mary Wagner. 

I want to relate something to you all that I think is significant. It happened somewhat in October when I did stops at 15 abortion mills in Florida in 3 days but it is more evident now in the Florida trip I am doing ON THE ROAD FOR LIFE! 

I just did almost 10 events in 2 days in Miami and Hollywood areas which included 5 abortion facilities. TODAY I get a phone call from the ORLANDO police asking me about my 2 pray vigils there this Friday and Saturday. 

Also TODAY we went to an abortion mill that is always opened on Wednesday according to locals and it was CLOSED and there were several police waiting for us. 

I BELIEVE this is what i will call the RED ROSE RESCUE EFFECT! It surely isn’t priestly me doing this. It is Red Rose Rescue priest having this effect. 

When I was in Ireland the liberal media called me and asked me if I was planing to do any activism in Ireland while I was there. They said they knew what I do!!!

What is the meaning of this? In my mind? Red Rose Rescues have already directly saved countless babies from abortion. Praise Jesus. But there is also a Red Rose Rescue “effect!” that affects the abortion industry in general and abortionists specifically where we go. This has to be bad for the abortion business and good for our babies. I believe we are rescuing babies even when we are not even directly taking direct action. This is the abundance of God’s grace and blessings. 

Just thought I would share.