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News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
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Dr. Anthony Levatino speaks to medical personnel at Resurrection Hospital [Photo by Corrina Gura]
One July morning when Pro-Life Action League staffers Corrina Gura and Urszula Mihai were praying and sidewalk counseling outside Albany abortion clinic on Chicago’s northwest side, a young woman approached them. She had been to Albany the day before and had initiated a three-day late-term abortion procedure involving the insertion of laminaria to expand the cervix before a dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion.
But then she had a change of heart. She wanted to stop the abortion. She called several hospitals and no one would help her. She was returning to Albany because it seemed she had no other choice.
Providentially, Corrina and Urszula were there to help. They went with her to the nearby Women’s Center where a counselor recommended they go straight to Chicago’s Resurrection Hospital. [Continue reading ...]
In case you missed it the first time around, MSNBC will be replaying their “documentary” of the death of Dr. George Tiller on Wednesday, November 24. (It’s also available on YouTube in several parts.)
To be honest, I missed the original airing of it and couldn’t understand why they’re showing this documentary now–it’s not an anniversary of anything, why show it in November?
I then found out that Rachel Maddow, documentary’s co-creator and narrator, was pleased the documentary “happened” to be debuting right before the elections, because she wanted pro-life candidates defeated. (It doesn’t seem to have helped her candidates much, does it?)
According to Maddow, “Harassment, intimidation, and violence shouldn’t be confused with the noble tradition of American protest — they’re crimes, and they should be investigated and prosecuted as such.”
November 18, 2009—On its first day that in force, Chicago’s “Bubble Zone” ordinance is misread by police, who insist that League Director Ann Scheidler must stay 50 feet away from the entrance to Albany Medical-Surgical Center on Chicago’s northwest side. In fact, the ordinance stipulates only that within 50 feet of the entrance, one needs permission to approach closer than 8 feet of another person. This is the first of what would become innumerable misunderstandings of the Bubble Zone.
League receives Chicago CCHD grant [Photo by Matt Yonke]
For the past two weeks there has been a swirl of blog posts and articles focusing on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, once again raising the controversy about who CCHD funds or does not fund, and who supports or opposes the process and the grantees.
The Pro-Life Action League was invited by then Chicago CCHD director Rey Flores to apply for a grant for 2010. The League was, of course, happy to seek funding for its sidewalk counseling initiatives, and we were eager to cooperate with the local effort to restore the original mission of CCHD—to attack the root causes of poverty by funding charitable efforts that carry out Catholic Church’s teaching on social justice.
Rey Flores was recently fired from his position at Chicago CCHD. We don’t claim to know why this happened, [Continue reading ...]
Police cars outside Albany Medical Surgical Center abortion facility in Chicago
Perhaps the pro-life victories on election day have frustrated the abortion clinic folks, or maybe it was just on their calendar to call the police on us today. In any event, that’s what they did.
I was standing in the alley behind the Albany abortion mill in Chicago this morning in the same spot I always occupy, near the clinic parking lot entrance. The clinic administrator had arrived in her enormous SUV and made her usual comment about not blocking the entrance.
At that point I was alone, and, although I like to think I’m pretty competent, I really don’t think I could single-handedly block an entire alley or parking lot entrance—certainly not both at once!
Shortly after her arrival, my colleague Andrew arrived. Now there were two of us—still not a big enough contingent to form a blockade. We gave literature about abortion alternatives to several groups of clinic clients, all of whom came successfully through the alley, stopped and accepted our literature, then drove on in to the parking lot.
About an hour into our vigil at the clinic a Chicago Police SUV pulled into the alley. [Continue reading ...]
October 7, 2009—More than 100 pro-lifers gather in front of the Chicago City Hall for a press conference and protest over the proposed Chicago Bubble Zone Law, with signs reading “Protect free speech” and “No bubble zone.” Despite the protest and appeals from the Archdiocese of Chicago, the City Council passes the Bubble Zone 28-13.
Pro-lifers stand witness in the vacant lot across from Planned Parenthood Aurora
Late yesterday morning, while I was out at Planned Parenthood’s “Abortion Fortress” in Aurora, Illinois, a young woman came out of the building and walked across the street to tell Margo, a pro-life sidewalk counselor, that she had decided not to go through with her abortion.
I was praying a Rosary along the road behind the building, so I wasn’t there when this conversation took place, but Margo reported that the woman was “extremely happy” and “excited” about the decision to keep her baby. Margo gave her information on the nearby Waterleaf Women’s Center for any help she might need.
In the evening, I told my wife April—who had also done a prayer stint at Planned Parenthood yesterday—about the saved baby, and we got to talking about what it is that inspires a woman who decided against abortion to come over and tell us pro-lifers.
September 29, 2009—The League receives a tip from the media that a “bubble zone” ordinance, restricting freedom of speech outside health facilities—read: abortion clinics—will be debated in the Chicago City Council Human Relations Committee the next day. Several pro-life activists are called with this last minute notice and prepare to testify against the proposed ordinance early the next morning.
Andy Stephenson and Katherine Sloane with their graphic abortion picture [Photo by Andrew Hasson, Daily Mail Online]
Two British pro-lifers were arrested this month for the use of graphic abortion photos in sidewalk counseling activities outside a British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) clinic in Brighton.
Andy Stephenson and Katherine Sloane were holding a 7′ x 5′ picture of an aborted baby outside the clinic when police asked them to take the picture down because the clinic staff had called the police to complain that patients coming for appointments were being “traumatized” by the picture.
Stephenson and Sloane complied, but immediately put up a different large graphic abortion photo. They were ordered by police to take that sign down too, and when they failed to comply, were arrested and held overnight on charges of “causing harassment, alarm or distress.” [Continue reading ...]
Margie Breen (left) of the Archdiocese of Chicago Respect Life Office welcomes vigil participants. Singles for Family and Life (right) prepare to lead the next hymn.
As it has been the last several years, Chicago’s 40 Days for Life kick-off vigil outside the Albany Medical/Surgical Center on the city’s Northwest Side was a wonderful beginning to the next 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.
Singles for Family and Life led the group in many contemporary hymns in a prayer service designed by Lou Coson. The service included a few old favorites, such as the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”—proclaiming the ultimate victory of Christ over death.
Fr. Stephen Lesniewski, an active sidewalk counselor who has saved many babies over the years, led the group of about 100 people.