The Family Room (The Quest)
Mark Houck, pro-life activist arrested by the FBI
Nothing can prepare you when the FBI descends on your home in a predawn raid, terrifying your wife and seven young children. A civil complaint against him was dismissed days earlier, so Mark Houck couldn’t comprehend the ruckus coming from his front porch. Surely this was a mistake.
Mark was active in the pro-life community for decades, standing peacefully outside a local abortion clinic while offering women a better choice. It was important that his children learn firsthand how they could serve God through this ministry, so when his oldest turned 12, he joined his dad on the sidewalk every week. October 2021 changed everything. Mark’s son had been going to the clinic for several months when a seasoned Planned Parenthood volunteer approached the boy, whispering ugly comments in his ear. Mark repeatedly requested he back away, but he wouldn’t. What ensued over the next two years was Mark’s personal invitation to martyrdom when he refused to plea bargain. His rosary became his anchor as he walked to Calvary, unanimously acquitted of all charges in 2023.
Mark received his undergraduate degree in Human Resources Management and his Master’s in Education from Holy Family University in Pennsylvania, where he also excelled in football, achieving All American status. In 2004 he began a men’s ministry whose goal was to help men grow in virtue and leadership. In its tenth year, The Kings Men continues to help shape Catholic men to be better husbands, fathers and leaders. Mark and his wife, Ryan, home school their children, and Mark recently campaigned for State Representative in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
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