This past Saturday at the March for Life Chicago, Sister Alicia Torres of the Franciscans of the Eucharist offered a beautiful tribute to Pro-Life Action League founder Joe Scheidler, who passed away almost one year ago.
Sister Alicia told of how, as a college student at Loyola University Chicago, she and a friend had signed up for an early morning time slot during a 40 Days for Life prayer campaign outside Planned Parenthood’s Near North abortion facility in Chicago. The two of them were there praying alone — until Joe and Ann Scheidler joined them.
She went on to say:
The next January I remember being with Joe right before SpeakOut Illinois. I was with John-Paul Deddens, I was with Lila Rose…it was a quiet evening before everyone gathered the following day. And Joe had us at his feet, these young people who were becoming pro-life leaders.
He said to us, “No activism can mean anything without prayer. The future of the pro-life movement depends on the way that we become men and women of prayer who stand for life. And today I am here to remind all of us that the quality of our activism is contingent upon the quality of our relationships with one another and with Jesus Christ. And if we stand with Christ, we will stand for life. Amen!
Watch Sister Alicia’s talk:
After you watch Sister Alicia’s comments, we would love to hear if you were ever inspired by Joe Scheidler, too! If anything Joe Scheidler did, or said, or wrote — or just his reputation — inspired your own pro-life mission, let us know here.
