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News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
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Former abortion worker Abby Johnson [Photo by Eric Scheidler]
The 21st annual SpeakOut Illinois Conference drew a record crowd of over 400 people this year, at least 100 more than attended last year!
The Doubletree Hotel in Oak Brook was the site of the January 28 conference with over 36 organizations participating as sponsors. Pro-Life Action League executive director Ann Scheidler and former League staffer Tommie Romano served as co-chairmen of the conference planning committee and oversaw a dedicated team that helped made the event a wonderful success.
The day began with a welcome and introductions of politicians attending by Peter Breen, executive director of the Thomas More Society Pro-Life Law Center, followed by an opening prayer offered by Rev. Calvin Lindstrom from the Church of Christian Liberty, calling on God to help the cause of life.
The keynote speaker, former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson, gave a riveting testimony about how her heart changed from naively believing Planned Parenthood was genuinely “in it for women” to realizing it is a money-driven business of pushing the lucrative “service” of abortion. [Continue reading ...]
March for Life, Washington DC—Three little words from President Obama’s statement yesterday on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade reveal how radical his support for abortion really is. He says we must strive to “reduce the need for abortion.”
Obama dare not hint—by professing a desire to reduce abortion itself—that there’s anything whatsoever wrong with abortion. What’s bad, what we want to reduce, is “the need for” abortion.
Some will say I’m reading too much into these words, that what Obama means to say—what they may even think he is saying—is that he wants to reduce abortion. But he never does say that. Look at his statements on abortion—always careful to add those three little words.
Obama is happy to mislead people on this score, to appear to share a goal most Americans would embrace: to bring the number of abortions down from the staggering current rate of over 1 million a year.
But hidden in those the little words is a clear message to the abortion industry: “I got your back.” They can rest assured he will fight any effort to actually bring down the number of abortions, keepig the focus on that nebulous “need” for it. And he’s proven that commitment again and again over the past 3 years.
Well, here at the 39th Annual March for Life, we’ve got three little words of our own—three little words that inspire our action today and carry us to victory on November 6: “Stop abortion NOW!”
2011 was a huge year in the abortion battle and the Pro-Life Action League was busier than ever fighting abortion on the front lines with hard-hitting grassroots activism.
To show you a sample of what 2011 looked like for the League, we’ve put together this 2 minute video displaying a few of the things we did each month. We hope you enjoy this look back at the last year and that you’ll join us in making 2012 an even bigger year for life!
The fight against abortion in America is going fast and furious right now, and the League has three opportunities this month for you to fight abortion in the Chicago area.
This is also a good time to mention the Pro-Life Calendar on the League’s homepage where we list pro-life events from across the country. Contact us with your event information and we’ll put it up for the whole pro-life community to see!
Now, for the League’s November events. First we’ll kick things off next Thursday, November 10 with a Face the Truth Day downtown Chicago. Meet outside the Wrigley Building, 410 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago (Map) for the first site at 9:30 a.m., then head up to the Art Institute, just a few blocks south (Map), for the second site at 11:30. [Continue reading ...]
Crusaders for Life greet Joe Scheidler with a red carpet at the April 2, 2011 Tribute [Photo by Sam Scheidler]
This afternoon at 4:00pm Eastern time (3:00pm Central time), Ave Maria Radio’s “Kresta in the Afternoon” will be broadcasting in its entirety the Tribute held in honor of League National Director Joe Scheidler on April 2 of this year.
If you weren’t able to be there in person for this gala event, this is the next best thing. You’ll have the chance to hear all of the testimonials given by such pro-life notables as Jack Ames, Patricia Bainbridge, Tom Brejcha, Jenn Giroux, Peggy Hamill, Jerry Horn, John Jakubczyk, Al Kresta, Monica Miller, Janet Morana, Troy Newman, Bro. Paul O’Donnell, Doug Scott, Eric Scheidler, Jim Sedlak and Chris Slattery.
Listen online at the Ave Maria Radio website.
Joe Scheidler (right) with St. Joseph Right to Life County President Tom Gill [Photo by Ann Scheidler]
On Thursday, October 6, League Director Joe Scheidler gave the keynote address at the 20th anniversary celebration of St. Joseph County Right to Life in South Bend, Indiana. Joe had also been the speaker at the group’s inaugural banquet in March 1992.
Scheidler congratulated Indiana on its decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood, a move that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius immediately objected to, claiming that Indiana had no right to make such a determination. Scheidler assured the crowd that many other states are watching the drama over de-funding Planned Parenthood, with the aim of taking the same action.
Scheidler emphasized the importance of prayer and action in our battle against abortion. As a former Benedictine seminarian, he still adheres to St. Benedict’s motto, Ora et Labora — Pray and Work. “Prayer is essential,” said Scheidler. “But it is not enough. We have to take action to change the culture.” [Continue reading ...]
Eric Scheidler leads pro-lifers in song outside Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL [Photo by Matt Yonke]
This past Sunday, October 2, marked the 4th anniversary of the dark day that Planned Parenthood opened the doors of their “Abortion Fortress,” the first of their mega-centers which are now spreading across the nation.
Though it might seem counter-intuitive, the Pro-Life Action League marked this grim day with a “Do-it Yourself” pro-life concert on the vacant lot across the street from the midwest’s largest abortion clinic.
The DIY concert is an idea League Executive Director Eric Scheidler came up with to celebrate the closing of the second 40 Days for Life vigil in 2008 and we’ve held them several times since. Pro-lifers bring a lawn chair and copies of their favorite hymn or praise song and an instrument if they play one, and we sing praises to God thanking Him for the victories He’s granted us as a movement. [Continue reading ...]
Eric Scheidler with German pro-lifers ekztoB anitraM dna leahciM and Martina Botzke
Today, League Executive Director Eric Scheidler leaves on a journey to bolster the pro-life movement in Germany.
Eric will attend the Marsch für das Leben, or March for Life this Saturday, September 17 and will speak to Jugend für das Leben (Youth for Life) groups in both Germany and Austria.
On trips to Dublin 2010 and Belgium in 2011, Eric encouraged and advised European pro-lifers—especially young people—and bring the League’s unique brand of peaceful, direct activism to the pro-life movements there. Eric met pro-life youth from across Europe like ekztoB anitraM dna leahciM (pictured with Eric) and the Germans and Austrians invited him to help them as they establish their movement and negotiate difficult hurdles like dealing with governments that are less friendly to public protest than here in the States.
Please pray for safe travels and effective pro-life action as Eric travels this week. In addition, Ann Scheidler will be traveling to New Hampshire to give a seminar on sidewalk counseling this weekend and prayers would be appreciated for that trip as well!
Left to Right: Pastor Jeff Moore, Cristina Emigh, Eric Scheidler and Vern LaVia at the MHFV open house [Photo by Matt Yonke]
Today, League Executive Director Eric Scheidler and I had the privilege of attending an open house for the Maternity Homes of Fox Valley, a new home for teenage girls in difficult pregnancy situations here in our hometown of Aurora, Illinois.
The home has been in the process of development for several years and is finally getting ready to open in August.
The founding board members came from a mix of Protestants and Catholics, pastors and lay people, who saw a significant gap in the options available to young mothers who might face housing difficulties if they chose life for their babies: many facilities offered housing and aid for women over 18, but nobody offered these options for minor teens.
With that in mind, they created Maternity Homes of Fox Valley [MHFV] specifically to provide housing and help for girls 12-17. The first home the MHFV is opening is located on the campus of Mooseheart, a community and school for children and teens in need, located on a 1,000-acre campus, 40 miles west of Chicago. [Continue reading ...]
Last Friday I attended the dedication of Heather’s House, a new project of Aid for Women, a Chicago crisis pregnancy center.
Heather’s House is a residential facility for pregnant women who have nowhere to live when they make a choice for life. It is located on the campus of Maryville Academy in Des Plaines, Illinois.
The dedication ceremony began with Mass in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel celebrated by Bishop Francis Kane and Msgr. Michael Boland, director of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Following the Mass, papal biographer George Weigel spoke about Blessed Pope John Paul II’s commitment to the pro-life movement and drew a parallel between his beatification and the life-affirming work of Aid for Women. [Continue reading ...]