News

By John Jalsevac

August 12, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The five volunteers in the 2nd Annual Canadian Crossroads walk say that their bodies are handling the strain of the long days on the asphalt much better this week than last. By the end of last week, Crossroads Canada walk leader Tim Semlar told LifeSiteNews today, the five volunteers were sore and glad to stop walking for a few day. “Last week was pretty grueling,” he said. “We were really hurting by the end.”

The walkers interrupted their trek from Toronto to Ottawa around Belleville Ontario last Friday night, and then drove ahead into Ottawa for the weekend, where they spoke to numerous parishes about pro-life issues.

“We had a lot of people coming up after Mass and saying that they’re very proud of us, that ‘we need more people like you,’” recounts Semlar about the weekend. “We got a lot of people who were very encouraged by us, which is I think the best thing that can happen when we get into these parishes, that it encourages these strong pro-life people to keep up, to keep fighting.”

At 5:30 Monday morning they left Ottawa, returned to the same spot where they stopped walking on Friday, and resumed their grueling schedule.

At around 8:00 this evening Semlar said the group got onto Hwy 7, at the junction of Hwy 37, about 20 miles past Tweed Ontario. They will now remain on Hwy 7 until they reach their final destination of Ottawa this Saturday.

Tomorrow, said Semlar, the group expects to be joined by three other volunteers, at which point they will start a day and a night shift of walkers, ensuring that someone is on the road 24 hours a day until they reach Ottawa.

See https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08080712.html for more information about this year’s Canadian Crossroads walk.

Supporters are strongly encouraged to attend a concluding pro-life Mass to be said at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ottawa on August 15th at 7 pm. After the Mass there will be a reception featuring Debbie Fisher from Silent No More Awareness, and Tim Semlar, the leader of this year’s walk.

To find out more about Crossroads, visit https://www.crossroadswalk.com/

Profile of a Crossroads Walker

Name: Tim Semlar – leader of this year’s Canadian Crossroads walk

Age: 30

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Education: Franciscan University of Steubenville 2nd year – Junior, Communication Arts 

Past experience with Crossroads: Led last year’s Northern U.S. walk from Seattle to DC – 3200 miles.

Why did you decide to join Crossroads?:  “It was the kind of witness that I was really excited about doing. It was a radical thing to do. I knew that a lot of people would see us, and I knew that that kind of prayer and sacrifice is what’s needed for this issue. I knew when I went to college that I wanted to do missionary work, to spend my summers that way.”

What do you consider one of the best things about Crossroads?:“It fosters community within ourselves. It teaches us how to live with each other and how to be – the phrase I like from JPII ‘variety in unity.’ It teaches us to honor each other’s individuality and uniqueness, while also being of one mind. Living together with the 12 people like we did taught us that.”

Interesting facts: Tim has four younger siblings. He also told LifeSiteNews.com that at the age of 25 he experienced a profound personal conversion, and began for the first time to live the Catholic faith into which he was baptized. He says he learned most of what he knows about his faith from the television station EWTN, which explains his interest in communication technology.

“To me,” he says, “pro-life encompasses being Catholic.  This is about bringing the civilization of love and evangelizing the world.”

Plans for the future:“At first I wanted to work for EWTN, but now I either want to work in secular media or work for a internet company, working on a website – kind of more like a Catholic Answers website. Building online community, that’s what I would like to do.”