Rev. Patrick Mahoney who was arrested for witnessing outside the Obama White House, is the keynote speaker at the youth conference.

At the Youth Banquet during the National March for Life, young people will have the opportunity to listen to keynote speaker Rev. Patrick Mahoney, a prominent member of the American pro-life movement. Rev. Mahoney is the president of the Christian Defense Coalition, a national ministry challenging Christians to live out their faith in the public square. Rev. Mahoney is an ordained minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, as well as a Christian political and social activist, formerly serving as spokesman for Operation Rescue

Rev. Mahoney drew attention to the plight of the poor in very creative ways. In New England, he slept in a newspaper dumpster to raise awareness about the homeless. He established and ran soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency shelters. He created medical centres for needy populations and helped to develop a program to transport medical supplies to war-torn Central America in the 1970s and 1980s. In Ireland, he was the first American to walk the road for peace from Dublin to Belfast and he assisted Northern Irish farmers in rebuilding border roads.

Rev. Mahoney has been equally active in the Christian and pro-life causes. In 1992, he co-founded the National Community Church and founded the Alliance for Revival and Reformation, which spreads the message of repentance, Biblical revival, and cultural reformation. He was an organizer and leader in rallies and vigils in support of Chief Justice Roy Moore’s decision to display the Ten Commandments in public in Montgomery, Alabama.

He was also a leader in the effort to keep Terry Schiavo alive in Pinellas Park, Florida and Washington, D.C. In 2009, he was arrested for praying in front of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Washington, D.C. He was one of the pro-life leaders in America that supported London, Ont.’s Baby Joseph’s family in finding medical care for the child.

Perhaps his biggest splash was earlier this year when, on Feb. 16, Rev. Mahoney was one of the six people arrested for holding a peaceful prayer vigil in front of the White House against Obama’s birth control mandate. They were charged with “disobeying a lawful order,” since protesters in general are not allowed to remain stationary in front of the White House.

Rev. Mahoney is also a popular commentator on cultural issues, being featured in Newsweek, the New York Times and the Washington Post, and appearing on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Larry King, CBS, NBC, 60 Minutes, BBC, Fox News, Hannity, and the O’Reilly Factor.

Alissa Golob, coordinator of Campaign Life Coalition Youth, told The Interim that Rev. Mahoney was chosen as keynote speaker because he is “amazing,” “dynamic,” “gets the whole crowd on their feet,” and will definitely provide some “inspirational words” for young pro-lifers.