Pro-Life Action League

. . . because action speaks louder than words.

League history, NOW v. Scheidler, Action News, Joe Scheidler, League staff

Q & A on abortion, the unborn child, where we stand on the issues and more

Helping abortion-bound women choose life for their babies

Unmasking the truth about abortion in the public square

Our youth outreach, raising up a new generation of pro-life leaders

Abortion industry converts tell the inside story

News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League

News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League

Home Hotline Blog Archives

Hotline Posts Tagged ‘Sidewalk Counseling’

Is There a Breakthrough in the Bubble Zone Fiasco?

Posted by Ann Scheidler (August 29, 2010 at 10:00 am)
Walter Hoye with Ann and Joe Scheidler

Walter Hoye (right) with Ann and Joe Scheidler in Hawaii last year

In Oakland, California, Pastor Walter Hoye started praying at an abortion clinic when two elderly women asked him to join them because most of the clinic’s clients were African-American.

A quiet, devout man, Hoye began to counsel the women coming to that clinic. And he saved babies. So, in short order, the City of Oakland passed a bubble zone ordinance to try to keep Pastor Hoye and the two older women from reaching out to women and offering them a real choice.

Pastor Hoye Fights Bubble Arrest—and Wins

Pastor Hoye was arrested under the ordinance, in spite of the fact that he actually abided by the stipulation not to reach into the 8-foot floating bubble around the abortion clinic clients. He refused to pay a fine and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. [Continue reading ...]

Tags: , , , , , , . Posted in Free Speech, Law and Politics, Pro-Life Activism, Sidewalk Counseling, The Culture War | 16 Comments »

Authentic Reform at the Chicago CCHD

Posted by John Jansen (August 11, 2010 at 4:40 pm)

chicagocchd1Tremendous outcry has arisen in the past year after it was learned that the national office of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has been funding abortion, contraception, same-sex “marriage,” and legalized prostitution.

It’s painfully obvious that the CCHD is in need of reform, and in Chicago, its local Archdiocesan office has taken that responsibility very seriously.

Chicago CCHD Director “on the Offensive for Reform”

Given the revelations about the CCHD’s history of supporting dubious organizations, it certainly has had its share of critics — as well it should. And to his great credit, Rey Flores, the new director of the Chicago CCHD office, has taken an irenic approach in reaching out to the most outspoken ones and asked them to suggest groups that they believe are deserving of grants from the Campaign.

A recent LifeSiteNews article spoke very favorably about the changes being made in the Chicago CCHD office under Flores’ leadership and noted that the reforms he is instituting locally would serve as a great example for the CCHD to follow nationwide. [Continue reading ...]

Tags: , , , , . Posted in League News, Sidewalk Counseling, The Church, The Culture War | 1 Comment »

Chapter 56: Keep the Abortionist Out of Your Community

Posted by Dan Gura (April 1, 2010 at 11:59 am)

Pro-lifers pray in front of Goyal's new location. [Photos by Dan Gura]

Pro-lifers pray in front of Goyal's new location. [Photos by Dan Gura]

In Chapter 56 of Joe Scheidler’s landmark book, CLOSED: 99 Ways to Stop Abortion, pro-life activists are admonished, “If you learn that an abortion clinic is coming to your community, you are obliged to try to keep it out.”

Abortionist Goyal Moving into Arlington Heights

Since 1996 abortionist Vinod Goyal—owner and operator of seven abortion clinics in Northern Illinois—has sought permission to move Dimensions Medical Center abortion clinic from Des Plaines into a medical office building in Arlington Heights. [Continue reading ...]

Tags: , , , . Posted in Abortion, Clinic Witness, Contraception, Face the Truth, Pro-Life Activism, Pro-Life Events | 1 Comment »

Atlanta Clinic: A Microcosm of the Abortion Battle

Posted by Ann Scheidler (March 29, 2010 at 12:58 pm)
Ann Scheidler outside Atlanta's Feminist Women's Health Center abortion facility

Ann Scheidler outside Atlanta’s Feminist Women’s Health Center abortion facility [Photo by Kateri Howard]

This past weekend I was invited by Kateri Howard, organizer of Atlanta, Georgia’s 40 Days for Life Campaign, to conduct a sidewalk counseling seminar in Atlanta. 30 people attended the Friday evening seminar at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish hall.

On Saturday morning I joined a few of the 40 Days prayer warriors at the Feminist Women’s Health Center on Cliff Valley Road. The abortion clinic presents many of the obstacles that sidewalk counselors confront across the country. The building is set far back from the road. There is an aggressive security guard on duty. There are three driveways into the clinic parking lot. [Continue reading ...]

Tags: , , , , . Posted in Abortion, Clinic Witness, League News, Sidewalk Counseling | 0 Comments »

“Neither Do I Condemn You”

Posted by John Jansen (March 26, 2010 at 1:45 pm)

rachelThis past Sunday at Mass, Catholics heard the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11).

One thing I find amazing about this Gospel passage is that it almost didn’t make it into the Bible. In fact, before the canon of Scripture was finalized in the late 4th century, some versions of John’s Gospel didn’t include this story.

St. Augustine tells us (cf. De coniugiis adulterinis, 2, 6) that many early Christians were afraid of keeping this story in John’s Gospel since it showed Jesus as being so merciful that they thought it might lead people to think that the reality of sin wasn’t as serious as the Church made it out to be.

[Continue reading ...]

Tags: , , , . Posted in Abortion Aftermath, Clinic Witness, Face the Truth, Sidewalk Counseling | 6 Comments »

Pro-Life Sign Disappears

Posted by Corrina Gura (March 9, 2010 at 9:31 am)

signdisappears1Not many weeks ago I wrote about the new sign which had been placed on the newsstand outside the Planned Parenthood clinic at 1200 N. LaSalle in Chicago. It was an advertisement paid for by a pregnancy center, Aid For Women, offering help to pregnant women.

Newsstand Mysteriously Disappears

The next Saturday, the newsstand was gone.

This stand has been there for years and, as far as anyone knows, was never even used. But the moment a pro-life ad goes on it—with a contract to stay up until May—the city tears it down.

As Chicago Tribune columnist Dennis Byrne wrote, “The Constitution protects political and commercial speech of all sorts. JCDecaux signs have advertised booze and featured a bikini-clad woman, but a tasteful sign that offends political correctness may not have made the cut.” [Continue reading ...]

Tags: , , . Posted in Clinic Witness, Planned Parenthood, Sidewalk Counseling | 1 Comment »

What’s The Best Sidewalk Counseling Literature?

Posted by Corrina Gura (February 25, 2010 at 10:57 am)

Annie Casselman and Steve Tracey sidewalk counsel at a clinic in North Carolina. [Photo by Ann Scheidler]

Annie Casselman and Steve Tracey sidewalk counsel at a clinic in North Carolina. [Photo by Ann Scheidler]

A new sidewalk counselor recently asked me for advice on which pamphlets are best to use while counseling at the clinics. Since this is such a vital part of the Pro-Life Action League’s mission, I wanted to share with everyone the material our counselors use and learn from you what you use.

Particularly since this list is not (and could never be) exhaustive, I hope you will jump in and share your thoughts about which pamphlets you prefer to use when counseling so we can learn from each other.

Pregnancy Resource Center Pamphlets

First of all, you definitely need a pamphlet directing a woman to the nearest Pregnancy Resource Center. The PRC nearest the clinic may be willing to supply you with these pamphlets, though this can often be too expensive for them to provide.

[Continue reading ...]

Tags: . Posted in Clinic Witness, Resources, Sidewalk Counseling | 1 Comment »

One Week, Two Ambulances

Posted by Corrina Gura (February 19, 2010 at 2:52 pm)

An ambulance drives away from Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL on Saturday, Februrary 13, 2010. [Photos by Ginny Nelson]

An ambulance drives away from Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL on Saturday, Februrary 13, 2010. [Photo by Ginny Nelson]

This week our office received two sad, but not overly surprising, phone calls.

The first was from Ginny, a Prayer Warrior and Sidewalk Counselor at Planned Parenthood in Aurora. She called to report that an ambulance had driven into the parking lot on Saturday, February 13 around 11:30 a.m. Four medics went in to the clinic for a time, but they ended up coming out without a patient.

Then, on today’s voice mail, we received word that a pro-life friend, Anthony, spotted an ambulance from Superior Ambulance company leaving Family Planning Associates, Albany Medical-Surgical Center on Thursday, February 18, around 6:30 p.m. Since Albany does its abortions in the morning, it appears they kept this woman for many hours before finally deciding to call for medical help. [Continue reading ...]

Tags: , , , , . Posted in Abortion, Abortion Aftermath, Clinic Witness, Planned Parenthood, Sidewalk Counseling | 0 Comments »

Now It’s a TEN Foot Bubble?

Posted by Corrina Gura (February 17, 2010 at 1:40 pm)

Ten Foot Bubble?

As Sidewalk Counselors and Prayer Warriors gathered on Saturday, February 13, 2010 to pray outside of Planned Parenthood at 1200 N. LaSalle in Chicago, they were subjected to yet another interpretation of the Bubble Zone law.

Making It Up As She Goes Along

This weekend saw the return of Officer Hagen. This is the officer who, on January 9, inaccurately told us we could not picket within 150 feet of the clinic or stand within 8 feet of the door but, upon reading the ordinance, magnanimously granted us permission to pray.

[Continue reading ...]

Tags: , , , . Posted in Clinic Witness, Planned Parenthood, Pro-Life Activism, Sidewalk Counseling, Videos | 13 Comments »