Catholic Pro-Life Committee Chronicles

EXPOSED: Undercover Video Shows Kentucky Abortion Center Failing to Report Child Sex Abuse

2010-04-23T14:53:00.010-05:00

Lila Rose and her peeps over at Live Action just keep the film coming. This time they expose an abortion center in Louisville, Kentucky failing to report child sex abuse between a pregnant 14-year-old girl (undercover student Lila Rose) and a 31-year-old man.

Live Action has previously released videos of statutory rape cover-up at Planned Parenthood abortion clinics in Bloomington, IN, Indianapolis, IN, Memphis, TN, Birmingham, AL, Los Angeles, CA, Tucson, AZ, Phoenix, AZ, and Milwaukee, WI.

Prompted by a Live Action video, the Alabama Health Department placed the Birmingham clinic on probation after conducting its own investigation which found 9 legal violations.

Rose urges officials in Kentucky to follow suit: “State authorities need to investigate this Louisville abortion clinic and hold them accountable to the law,” Rose insists. “Until they do, young girls will be put at risk of continued sexual abuse.”

Jill Stanek has some good background info on this facility on her pro-life blog http://www.jillstanek.com/new-revelations-in-latest-live.html.

EXPOSED: American Idol 'Gives Back' - to groups that support abortion

2010-04-21T09:51:00.014-05:00

Hold those dialing fingers, America! This morning from Examiner.com:

Life Decisions International has taken the lead in making everyone aware that the TV Program called "American Idol" is (and apparently has in the past) aligning itself with pro-abortion groups. They have reported a little know fact that among the groups benefiting this year's "Idol Gives Back" fund-raising campaign are Save the Children and the United Nations Foundation. "Idol Gives Back," which airs tonight, will feature several celebrities who will urge Americans to make a donation.

Save the Children has a working relationship with what it calls "prominent international organizations." Several of these groups are actively pro-abortion, including Better World Fund, Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Population Action International, and the U.S. Committee for UNICEF.

Several divisions of the United Nations have donated funds to Planned Parenthood and the body has wholeheartedly embraced its abortion and population control agenda.

"It is laudable that the people involved with 'American Idol' want to help the poor," said LDI President Douglas R. Scott, Jr. "But it is tragic that they would choose to do so through groups like the Save the Children and the United Nations Foundation. These groups have far too much deadly baggage."

Of course, what many people do not know, because "American Idol" has not chosen to mention it, is that Simon Cowell is the chief executive officer of International Save the Children. This is surely why Save the Children was selected as a recipient charity.

Scott urges that "If you believe the plight of preborn children is as important as the plight of the poor, do not participate in 'Idol Gives Back,'" Scott urged. "We are caring people who want to do our part to help those less fortunate, but we will do so through organizations that do not view the killing of human beings as a 'solution' to poverty and other adult-created problems."

It is worth noting that "American Idol" recently supported a fund-raising campaign by Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles.

(Source: Jake Jones at Examiner.com)

Contraceptives: A one-sided issue on Wikipedia (and not the side that’s showing the truth)

2010-04-16T10:27:00.027-05:00

I was doing contraceptive research yesterday for our updated education page on the CPLC website, and being a product of my generation, I found myself on Wikipedia “the free encyclopedia.” I was really only on there for kicks. I didn’t think I’d find anything of real use, until I saw this (emphasis mine):

"TOTAL ABSTINENCE
Abstinence as a long term method is not 100% effective in preventing pregnancy: not everyone who intends to be abstinent refrains from all sexual activity,[29] and in many populations there is a significant risk of pregnancy from nonconsensual sex.[30] As a public health measure, it is estimated that the protection provided by abstinence may be similar to that of condoms.[31] Some authorities recommend that those using abstinence as a primary method have backup method(s) available (such as condoms or emergency contraceptive pills).[32]"

Let’s review. Assume “nonconsensual sex” = rape or incest. Are we to believe that according to this entry, abstinence is not 100 percent effective to prevent pregnancy because of the .005 percent chance that you’ll get raped or be a victim of incest?

Are we also to believe that “as a public health measure” you run just as much chance getting pregnant as an abstinent person by rape or incest than as a sexually active person using a condom?

And that “some authorities” suggest that abstinent people stock up on condoms and emergency birth control pills just in case?

This entry should have been filed under “Are you kidding me?”

It’s clear from this analysis of the practice of abstinence and the first two paragraphs of history of birth control that sing high praises of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger that the person who wrote and cited in this entry is pro-contraceptive.

What they’re not telling you
It’s what I didn’t find that agonized me. There are ZERO mentions of the documented harmful side effects and deaths caused by contraceptive use.

Regardless of the source, it’s irresponsible of Wikipedia to allow the entry creator to promote so many forms of “birth control” without promoting the statistics of how many condoms fail to prevent the spread of HIV in the US and all over the world, the harmful side effects, and even deaths as a result of using these methods.

Contraceptive truth
“Contraceptives” is the general term used since 1891 to describe “the deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation by any of various drugs, techniques, or devices.” “Birth control” is a term used in today’s society. The problem is that these methods don’t “control” birth. They exist to potentially facilitate the death of an unborn child.

But that doesn’t sell as well in a glossy magazine ad.

It was the third entry that came up after I typed in Birth control in the Google search engine. Planned Parenthood was the first entry. Not much of a diverse amount of information there. Just a warning. Be weary of information when you read things like “reproductive rights,” “family planning,” or “equal preventive access.”

We’re in the process of updating our Contraceptives page to look a bit more like our new Abortion page, but until then, here are some good sources for real information about contraceptives.

http://www.prolife.com/BIRTHCNT.html
http://www.ncbcenter.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=310
http://womens-sexual-health.suite101.com/article.cfm/death_lawsuits_and_the_pill
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/clo/clo_03condomresource1.html
http://www.morningafterpill.org/

I’m also working on trying to edit the actual Birth Control Wikipedia page, but I’m having trouble with the program. For those of you who are more technically inclined than me, please feel free to give the editing button on Wikipedia at try. Let me know how it goes.

Photo: Wednesday Funny Break

2010-04-14T13:55:00.006-05:00

“If I stare long enough, the bottle will come to me.”

Feel free to share your own funny comment.

An epidemic: Misplaced trashcan concern from the media

2010-04-14T12:13:00.000-05:00

One of today’s major headlines read: “Discarded Palin contract sparks investigation.”

Some California college students found Sarah Palin’s supposed speaking contract in a trash bin after “getting a tip” that people would be shredding documents on that day. They found “Watergate”-like information about her flight preferences from Alaska, which surprise, surprise, doesn’t actually tell the whole story.

Forget how you feel about the former Vice Presidential nominee. It pains me to think that this “breaking news” about what some celebrity/political figure’s secret trashcan finding was the scandal mainstream media was working on into the wee hours of the morning.

If they are truly concerned about what kind of secret scandalous things lie beneath dumpster lids, why doesn’t today’s headline read “Discarded baby arms, legs and heads spark investigation?”

Shame on the major media outlets for their blatant lack of perspective on what constitutes trashcan outrage.

Abortion as a visual debate?

Even this rare October 2009 article from The New York Times about the use of graphic images of babies found in dumpsters to show the reality of abortion is written for the “Photography, Video and Visual Journalism” section not for hard news. The Times should be applauded for showing the images, but this article falls short by not following through to the bigger picture.

In “Behind the Scenes: Picturing Fetal Remains” by Damien Cave, there is no call to arms, no clamoring for more investigations in other cities in other trash bins in parts of the county. There is no interview with a medical board or country health authority for acknowledgement of violations.

The author isn’t even questioning the fact that bloody baby arms and legs are being unceremoniously thrown into back alley dumpsters like fast food wrappers from someone’s lunch. The author is looking at the visual appeal or lack thereof of the use of these images. There are no follow up articles, no pick ups in other media outlets.

Just skimming through the 304 comments associated with the article, shows how hostile the audience is to the idea of using the images of the aborted torn apart babies. This is the environment we find ourselves in, and it is left to ordinary citizens—you and me—to take to the blogosphere and Youtube (warning: graphic images) to expose these harsh realities. We can’t help that the media is buying their own manure about what deems investigation, but we can make our voices heard by sending emails, making phone calls and talking face to face to the stations and newsrooms telling them about the “breaking news” that is allowed to continue every day all over our country.

Thank you to those out there who do continue these conversations online, in your homes and, most importantly, in your prayers.

We’re back!

2010-04-14T12:08:00.005-05:00

Thanks to everyone who made the 17th Annual Bishop’s Dinner a success! It was a great night of fellowship and inspiration from Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and Chair of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson.

We’ll be adding photos and more about the event later. For now, here’s a CPLC video that was shown to the more than 2,300 attendees Saturday night during the dinner at the Hilton Anatole Dallas.

Abortion and Healthcare: What’s the real issue?

2010-03-15T15:29:00.007-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC, March 12, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Democrats explaining their stubbornness to maintain the abortion funding in the Senate health care bill have admitted that a primary motivation for doing so lies in encouraging more abortions, lest more children born put a strain on government funds, said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) as reported by National Review Online.

"If you pass the Stupak amendment, more children will be born, and therefore it will cost us millions more. That’s one of the arguments I’ve been hearing [from Democrat leaders],” Stupak said in a phone interview published Friday. “Money is their hang-up. Is this how we now value life in America? If money is the issue — come on, we can find room in the budget. This is life we’re talking about.”

Read whole article

Photo: Friday funny break

2010-03-12T13:27:00.006-06:00

Joseph didn’t mind what the other babies said behind closed playpens. He could see the silver lining in his situation. He heard the stories and hoped they were true as he thought:

“Hey, Tooth Fairy! You better be ready ‘cause Christmas is comin’ early this year for little Joe!”

Hey, there, you...Thanks

2010-03-12T11:32:00.007-06:00

We’re in full-on Bishop’s 17th Annual Catholic Pro-Life Dinner mode here at the CPLC office. It’s pretty much all Bishop’s Dinner-all-the-time until the Saturday, April 10 dinner fundraiser is over. So, if the blog postings seem a bit scant in the next six weeks, you know why.

We’re doing more Facebook posting at our Catholic Pro-Life Committee Facebook Fan page. (Thank you to our 632 fans.)

You can get your fix of the latest news on abortion, the pro-life movement and the Catholic Church at these awesome sites.

news sites
http://www.lifenews.com/
http://www.lifesitenews.com/
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/

blogs
http://www.jillstanek.com/
http://www.catholicvoteaction.org/americanpapist/index.php
http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/

pro-life advocacy organizations
http://liveaction.org/
http://www.all.org/
http://www.nrlc

Just wanted to take this time to say thanks for making this journey with us, and keep praying for healing for our country and the upholding of the dignity of life. Have a joyfully sorrowful fourth Friday of Lent!

Breaking: Man who shot pro-life activist sentenced to life in prison

2010-03-12T10:20:00.005-06:00

Harlan Drake, the 33-year-old Michigan man who shot and killed pro-life activist James Pouillon and businessman Mike Fuoss, was sentenced to life in prison without parole yesterday.

Drake’s defense team pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for the double murders committed Sept. 11, 2009 in the small Michigan town of Owosso, but that defense was thrown out. Drake testified that he didn’t like Pouillon’s graphic aborted babies signs displayed in front of his nieces’ school, and he didn’t want them to have to look at the signs anymore.

Let’s continue to pray for Drake, his conversion and healing for all those involved in this sad case.

Horror: Six aborted babies found by river in Napal

2010-03-05T11:30:00.002-06:00

At least six human fetuses were found near the banks of Bishumati River in Kuleshwor, Kathmandu, in January, leading authorities to suspect of foul play by private hospitals involved in illegal abortion. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the country's largest metropolitan city.

The fetuses were found wrapped in a polythene bag near the banks of the river. Eyewitnesses said that the fetuses could be anywhere from four to five months.

Police suspect private hospitals and clinics involved in illegal abortion to have disposed off the fetuses and said that they have started an investigation into the case.

Abortion has been legalized in Nepal, which is located in south Asia and borders China and India, a few years ago. But some private clinics in the country have been found to offer cheap abortion related services without following proper guidelines, putting at risk the life of the patients.

source: Nepal News

Hope in the darkness: 151 babies saved in 15 days

2010-03-03T15:47:00.013-06:00

In 15 days, 151 lives have already been sparred from the death of abortion! God works in so many amazing ways. If you don’t already get the updates from David Bereit, I recommend you sign up for the latest life-saving stories from across America on the 40 Days for Life national blog.

Here are some of the holy spirit-inspired highlights.

“A young woman walked up to the 40 Days for Life vigil outside an abortion center in Austin, Texas recently. She signed up to join the others in prayer ... and then immediately sat down on the sidewalk and started to cry.

One of the volunteers stopped praying for a moment to approach the young woman, whom she had never met before, and asked her if she needed a hug. This volunteer assumed that the thought of what was going on inside the abortion facility had simply overcome this woman and brought her to tears.

But that wasn't the case. To her surprise, she found out this young woman was crying for another reason.

‘I'm pregnant right now and don't want to be,’ she said. ‘I've already had four abortions.’”
Read more

“Two volunteers stood in the rain and prayed at a 40 Days for Life vigil last week as a young man drove up, got out of his car with the engine still running, and walked over to talk to them

‘I just wanted to thank you for being here,’ he said.
‘I know you know what kind of a place this is,’ he said, pointing towards the abortion facility. ‘Can I tell you a story about it?’

The prayer volunteers nodded yes, and the young man began to pour out his heart.

He said a couple of weeks ago, his wife was not at home and he had no idea where she was -- until he got a phone call from the hospital. ‘My wife had been admitted because she was having seizures,’ he said.

At the hospital, he found out his wife was pregnant. It would be a struggle with two young children already, he said, but they'd work it out.

As he spent more time at the hospital, it began to dawn on this young man that no one was telling him the whole truth. He realized something was seriously amiss when his wife told him she'd left her car at an abortion facility. He thinks she went there for a chemical abortion -- the abortion pill. She began to have seizures and was taken to the hospital.

His wife insisted she was still pregnant, but he simply didn't know for sure.

‘I haven't stopped crying in over two weeks,’ he said. ‘What kind of place is this that would do this to a married woman without telling her husband, the father of the baby?’"
Read more

Prayer and perseverance work. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

‘My mind was racing, my heart was beating so fast. Then all of a sudden it was over. In a blink of an eye. I just saw the baby just literally, crumble

2010-02-10T11:04:00.003-06:00

Abby Johnson is one of our speakers for this year’s Bishop’s Annual Catholic Pro-life Dinner on April 10. Get your tickets for the dinner at Catholic Pro-Life Committee’s Bishop's Dinner page!

The volume is really low on this, so you’ll need to turn your speakers up all the way. It’s worth the effort to hear Abby’s testimony.

This is what Abby Johnson saw in the sonogram when she realized the “tissue” inside the mother’s belly was really a small living human. The background music is unfortunate or fortunate, depending on how you feel about 80’s pop phenomenon Boy George, but the images themselves really got to me.

CPLC sidewalk counselor story: A day at Routh street abortion center

2010-02-10T10:48:00.003-06:00

From the front lines of Dallas’ Routh street abortion center, brought to you by one of our faithful sidewalk counselors, Rebecca Thompson.

"Routh Street.
It looked as if the abortion clinic was not going to be open today, like last week. The puddles in the alley were left frozen from yesterday's rain. There were so few cars (a handful of staff) in the parking lot and one client, who left. Kenneth (found out later) was stuck in traffic on I-35 (4 down to 1 lane). I guess the ice. Joanne's telephone was out. So, I waited in the White Rose office for phone calls, prayed the rosary and listened while Debbi counseled encouraged an abortion minded woman who called. (She thought she was calling an abortion center.) White Rose helped 3,000 women last year. Three thousand. Debbi said much of their work is on the phone. So she must say what she says, and ask what she asks... a lot.

The center smelled mmm spicy... clean. The mom on the phone would have to drive from Tyler (about 2 or 2 1/2 hours away). Debbi offered bribery: gas reimbursement. (That's service!) Seems like the woman agreed to make the appointment. Before the day got really started, Debbi took Holy Water and dabbed all the door knobs with it, making the sign of the cross. The water was from Lourdes. It felt oily to me. That was the scent I had smelled earlier. Well, maybe Our Lady of Lourdes was hanging out at White Rose today. I think she was.

Outside again, Kenneth had arrived. Routh Street was up and operating at full force. ugh. A woman stopped her car outside the entrance. She was alone and had an appointment. Free sonogram pregnancy test services other options were offered (I didn't mention the possibility of gas money), and couldn't understand why she was determined to keep her Routh appointment. She promised she would come to White Rose when finished with the appointment. I believed she would; but she was warned that fear buttons would be pushed. They were. She emerged some hours later looking slightly despondent. Worried. Quiet. I walked with her up the stairs to the White Rose waiting room trying to engage her in conversation. Not so successful. She wasn't sure from the Routh pregnancy test if she was having a girl or a boy.

Debbi was soon to be available. So we sat there in the waiting room... waiting. She was fighting back tears. A box of tissues in hand, she went with Debbi.

Back on the street, lots of cars... in and out. The alley still had frozen spots. Seems like everyone shows up all at one time at this abortion clinic. It's hard to keep track of everyone. Prayer support arrived. Two women regularly drive from Waxahachie once a month (Thank you Holy Almighty God for these two women) to pray for a few hours. That pilgrimage (from the South) is the same interstate that Kenneth drives (from the North), each about a 40-50 minute drive. (They all pay their own gas.) And there were a couple of other turn-aways... couples leaving smiling... not aborting.

Kenneth and I stuck around about an hour or so longer than usual. We were about to call it a day... out of White Rose Clinic came the beautiful (now smiling) mother. No tears. No despondency. Glowing. She is 20 1/2 weeks pregnant... a baby girl!! She has another child too, a man who wants to marry her and be the father for both children. (Thank you Holy Almighty God!) She is happy hopeful... expectant and looking forward to all the graces God is bringing into her life. We were giving receiving hugs, congratulations, thanks and laughter. And I sort of think (for just a split second as typing this) that I could smell very so lightly that spicy clean scent. Thank you Our Lady of Lourdes for your intercessions and for your Motherly Love for all of God's children."

In his own words: Tim Tebow on ‘Celebrating Family, Celebrating Life’

2010-02-05T15:51:00.004-06:00

Via LifeNews.com
Mobile, AL (LifeNews.com) -- College football superstar Tim Tebow defended a Super Bowl commercial Focus on the Family has filmed that is generating national attention. Tebow confirmed the commercial will focus on pro-life values and tell the story of how his mother decided against an abortion.

After the Senior Bowl practice on Wednesday, Tebow admitted he was surprised at the growing attention the Super Bowl commercial is receiving.

“I definitely didn't think it would have this much hype,” Tebow said, according to an Orlando Sentinel report. “It’s something I believe in and I'll stand up for.”

Tebow would not give any spoilers about the content of the ad -- which Focus on the Family has confirmed will run with the message "Celebrating Family, Celebrating Life" -- but confirmed it would share his mother's story.

“I don't think it’s anything that’s negative or anything like that,” Tebow said, according to the newspaper. “It’s a good time and place. There are a lot of people watching. It’s a great opportunity to show something very happy and a special story and my mom fighting for me. There are a lot of great things in that.”

Heartache: Focus on the Family finds unexpected defenders as ‘pro-choice’ advocates turn on their own

2010-02-05T15:29:00.020-06:00

Focus on the Family is finding unexpected defenders after getting behind a $2 million pro-life ad featuring college football super star Tim Tebow and his mom, Pam.

NOW (National Organization for Women), NARAL Pro-Choice America and a handful of other supposed “women’s rights” groups have been waging a war against CBS, Focus on the Family and the Tebow family for what they think is an abhorrence on society—a woman talking about how she chose to have a baby when the doctors told her she should get an abortion. That offensive baby was, of course, Heisman winner Tim Tebow.

“Pro-choice” advocates are turning on their own as they disagree with their extreme members who view abortion as the only noble “choice.”

"Tebow's Super Bowl ad isn't intolerant; its critics are"
The Washington Post
By Sally Jenkins

“I'm pro-choice, and Tebow clearly is not. But based on what I've heard in the past week, I'll take his side against the group-think, elitism and condescension of the ‘National Organization of Fewer and Fewer Women All The Time’…

…Pam Tebow and her son feel good enough about that choice to want to tell people about it. Only, NOW says they shouldn't be allowed to. Apparently NOW feels this commercial is an inappropriate message for America to see for 30 seconds, but women in bikinis selling beer is the right one. I would like to meet the genius at NOW who made that decision. On second thought, no, I wouldn't….”
Read the whole article from The Washington Post.

Chuck Plunkett at the Denver Post writes a compelling column about his experience with his own mother making a choice very similar to Pam Tebow.

"Nothing wrong with Tebow TV ad"
The Denver Post
By Chuck Plunkett

“I'm an agnostic who supports a woman's right to choose and not given to feeling protective of Focus on the Family. But in this case, I think the Christian ministry is being bullied…”

Read the whole article from The Denver Post.

Even on Facebook, a fan is questioning PP’s method over on the Planned Parenthood of North Texas Facebook Fan Page.

“I hate 'em all too - Tebow, FotF, CBS, the whole lot of 'em - but I don't think we should advocate that they pull ads just because we don't like them. Yes, I know they're hypocrites for not airing the Disciples of Christ ad, but it's still their choice. All sides trying to bully everyone into showing only what they like or agree with isn't working. It doesn’t accomplish anything but more self-censoring and stupid regulations and rules. It’s their decision. Fine. Air it. I just won’t watch it, or CBS. I’ll try to avoid buying crap from their sponsors, and so on.” . It doesn't accomplish anything but more self-censoring and stupid regulations and rules. It's their decision. Fine. Air it. I just won't watch it, or CBS. I'll try to avoid buying crap from their sponsors, and so on.
January 26 at 1:13pm
--Jennifer G.

In response to this post:

Planned Parenthood of North Texas Here's a link to sign a petition to tell CBS to pull the anti-choice ad from the super bowl.It doesn't accomplish anything but more self-censoring and stupid regulations and rules. It's their decision. Fine. Air it. I just won't watch it, or CBS. I'll try to avoid buying crap from their sponsors, and so on.

Demand CBS Pull Anti-Choice Superbowl Ad - The Petition Site
www.thepetitionsite.com
7,800+ petition signatures: Demand that CBS pull the anti-choice Superbowl ad produced by Focus on the Family.
January 26 at 12:37pm · View Feedback (4) Hide Feedback (4) · Share

All of this conversation before anyone even sees the acutal ad. Wow. Can't wait to see what happens next week. Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday!

Video Highlights: Tim Tebow, Focus on the Family and Super Bowl XLIV

2010-02-05T12:40:00.014-06:00

By now, the buzz around the 30-second pro-life Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad featuring Heisman winner Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, has spread well beyond the pro-life community. New stories and interviews are popping up online every day. Here are some of the video highlights.

The old guard takes offense
Remember: this is an ad that no one, including Gloria Allred has even seen, yet.

There are so many things I could say about this. Pretty much every word that comes out of Gloria Allred’s mouth is a distortion of truth, irrelevant to the conversation or a flat out lie. I’m glad Megyn Kelly calls her out during this interview.

I know that Allred is a high-profile lawyer currently representing one of Tiger Woods’ mistresses, but what gives her the right to tell people in a free market society what they must or must not run in their ad that they bought with their $2 million? It would be different if the content was sexually explicit (inappropriate for children) or vulgar in some obvious demeaning way, but this is Focus on the Family. That’s just not what they do.

This is the United States of America, Gloria baby. Free speech is what we’re all about. You’re allowed to promote your rhetoric without so much as a shred of actual evidence to back any of it up, and nobody has silenced you in 30 years. So, why are you in such a tizzy about one woman telling her story?

The ad is only 30 seconds long. If you don’t want to watch it, take a bathroom break. Go get some nachos. Don’t try to pressure a network station to pull the ad so that everyone else who wants to watch won’t get the opportunity.

Planned Parenthood’s response

Hot Air had some good commentary about a lack of willing high-profile sports figures to take up Planned Parenthood’s cause, so you can read there if you’re interested.

This ad is so vague that if you didn’t know it was from the world’s largest abortion provider, it could pass for a “The More You Know: spend more special time with your daughter” public service announcement.

Since Planned Parenthood is notorious for leaving facts out of their public statements, I’m going to give Sean James and Al Joyner the benefit of the doubt and assume they don’t really know what they’re throwing their weight behind. I would hate to think that these two super star dads would support their daughters killing their potential grandchildren, not to mention increasing their chances at developing aggressive breast cancer, pumping themselves full of harmful contraceptive hormones and potentially dying at the hand of a legal abortionist.

“We celebrate family by supporting our mothers, by supporting our daughters, by trusting women.” By killing their offspring and your future family members? Yeah Joyner, that sounds like a real celebration to me—in crazy logic world.

I thought we celebrate families by protecting the people we love and celebrating life in times of crisis. But hey, that’s just me. Apparently it’s different over at the James and Joyner households.

How it all got started
Focus on the Family lays out the back story on the Tebow ad and talks about the fire storm of reaction as the ad takes on a life of its own. At 15:30 minutes, the video is kind of long, but if you have the time, it shows how God takes control of a situation if you have a little faith in a big vision.

Watch this on a larger screen here.

Video: Houston protest of largest Planned Parenthood on MLK Jr. Day

2010-01-26T15:29:00.007-06:00

Here’s some mostly fair coverage from Houston’s local KTRK-TV ABC affiliate. One of the people the reporter interviews is a woman conceived by rape. She says Planned Parenthood is after people like her, and she’s not going to sit on the sidelines.

That’s pretty powerful stuff. It looks like there was a great turn out, too.

If you couldn’t bi-locate to Houston, that’s okay. Pray for the conversion of the workers of this constructions site, the abortionists who do the unfortunate deed and the Planned Parenthood employees, especially the woman interviewed here, Rachelle Tafolla. Hey, it worked for Abby Johnson, right?

San Francisco March for Life activists take courage in liberal district

2010-01-26T12:08:00.009-06:00

San Francisco claims some of the most liberal politics and politicians in the country and is the site of some of the most heinous irreverent acts against Christians in general and the Catholic Church, specifically.

Yet on January 23, here were tens of thousands of people marching in the rain, marching through fire, willing to stand up and say “I support life.”

That’s courage.

San Francisco's March for Life coincides with Marches for Life all over the country this month, including Dallas (Jan. 16); Austin (Jan. 23); Hawaii (Jan. 22); Tulsa, Oklahoma (Jan. 22); and Washington, D.C. (Jan. 22).

The organizers did a great job with the San Francisco March for Life website. Their coverage is truly inspiring.

Check out Live Action's flickr photos from the event, too.

Live from the March: Pro-choice student laments that killing babies not ‘a very hip issue’ with peers

2010-01-26T11:26:00.010-06:00

This is an interesting column from one of the mainstream media. Robert McCartney of The Washington Post covered the March. He admits to being pro-Roe but also gives fair coverage to the thousands of pro-life activists that went to March for Life in Washington, D.C. last week.

The whole column is worth a read, but here’s a good chunk about who is gaining momentum and who is having trouble getting more than 100 people to show up.

“…I was especially struck by the large number of young [pro-life] people among the tens of thousands at the march. It suggests that the battle over abortion will endure for a long time to come…

Activists who support abortion rights [pro-aborts] conceded that there's less energy among young people on their side of the debate.

‘Unfortunately, I feel my generation is a little complacent,’ said Amanda Pelletier, 20, co-director of the abortion rights group at American University. ‘It just doesn't seem to be a very hip issue.’"

Yeah, sorry to break it to you, Amanda, but killing babies is so last season. This article from Lifenews.com confirms the observation that more young people (below the age of 30) are pro-life than pro-abortion.

The tides are a turnin’ my friends. We know we’re on the right side. Keep on keeping on!

Exit question: Have you prayed for the conversion of an abortion supporter today?

Lunch Break: Join us TODAY noon - 1 p.m. in north Dallas

2010-01-22T10:29:00.008-06:00

The final day of the 40 Days for Life-Dallas Winter Vigil outside Southwestern late-term abortuary is TODAY, Friday, January 22, the 37th anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision which made the killing of unborn children by abortion legal in America.

Please, if at all possible, join us on your lunch hour TODAY from noon-1 p.m. on the somber anniversary of Roe v. Wade, to close this intensive 40 Days Vigil of Prayer outside this place of such unspeakable sorrow.

Monsignor Mark Seitz, pastor of St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, will lead the Closing Prayer Service outside Southwestern late-term abortuary, 8616 Greenville Avenue at Royal Lane (NE corner).

Our Prayer Ministry put this together:

We beg God's mercy on us and our country that the innocent blood of some 50 million unborn babies has been shed in our land these last 37 years, and continues today.

We beg God's mercy on us and our state that the innocent blood of some 80,000 unborn babies is shed each year in Texas, and continues today.

We beg God's mercy on us and our city that the innocent blood of some 11,000 unborn babies is shed each year in Dallas, and continues today.

We beg God's mercy on us and our city that the innocent blood of unborn babies up to 6 months old has been shed at Southwestern late-term abortuary since October 29, and continues today.

We give praise to God for the thousands of lives that have been spared through the conversion of hearts open to hearing His message of life and love, and we beg God to hear our cries to Him that hardened hearts will be converted and the killing of our precious and innocent unborn brothers and sisters will come to an end, especially in our city.

For more information, please contact Joanne Underwood, 469-767-5785, 40days@prolifedallas.org, or visit www.prolifedallas.org/40days. God bless you.

Take part in the Virtual D.C. March for Life TODAY!

2010-01-22T10:12:00.003-06:00

Not everyone can make a trip out to our nation’s capital, so American’s United for Life is brining Washington, D.C. to you from the comfort of your very own computer.

Click below watch the virtual March for Life starting at 10 a.m.
http://www.virtualmarchforlife.com/

Tweet for Life using the Twitter hashtag #march4life in your tweet.

United: Dallas Youth For Life join hundreds of thousands at D.C. March for Life

2010-01-22T09:53:00.010-06:00

A large group of Youth for Life youth left yesterday to join hundreds of thousands of pro-life supporters at the 2010 National March for Life in Washington, D.C. We’ll have a full report when they get back.

Keep Youth for Life Director Jacquelyn Smith and all the chaperones and youth in your prayers that they have a safe return and be ready to spread the message of life that they receive.

Here’s a little bit about the March for those of you who are relatively new (which includes me) to the pro-life movement.

“Specifically, the event is a condemnation of the 1973 Supreme Court decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton that, together, ushered in an era of abortion on demand that has resulted in more than 50 million abortions and tens of millions of women injured physically and emotionally.
This year, for the first time ever, organizers of the March for Life also plan a White House protest.

They will hold a two-hour rally the night before the March for Life at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, in an attempt to show strong opposition to the pro-abortion record of President Barack Obama.

Although the March for Life is an ecumenical event, the Catholic Church and Catholic pro-life groups will be sponsoring a variety of events.”

Read the entire article at http://www.lifenews.com/nat5866.html.

Watch Media Coverage of 2010 Dallas March for Life

2010-01-20T11:41:00.011-06:00

Here’s some local and national coverage of Saturday’s events. They’re mostly focused on the Dallas March for Life and rally.

The Dallas Morning News
Anti-abortion activists rally in downtown Dallas; crowd appears to fall short of 10,000 goal
Saturday, January 16, 2010

National Catholic Register
Pro-Life Movement Marches On
Sunday, Jan 10, 2010

Lifesitenews.com
Pro-Life March in Dallas Attracts Thousands
Monday, January 18, 2010

The secular media still calls us “anti-abortion” instead of pro-life or pro-woman. Instead of focusing on the fact that we had 6,000 - 7,000 people there, The Dallas Morning News focused on the fact that we didn’t reach the 10,000 Bishop Farrell had challenged, and that he challenged again in his rally speech for next year. I’ve never seen any event in Dallas or anywhere else where “pro-choice” people drew anywhere near those numbers.

Here’s the transcript of the video.
http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-roe-v-wade-anniversary-story,0,67058.story

6,000 – 7,000 take a stand at 2010 Dallas March for Life

2010-01-18T16:01:00.012-06:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to Saturday’s Roe Memorial, Mass, Rally and Dallas March for Life! We’ll have photos and video soon! Here’s a little recap until then.

The weather was cold and wet for most of last week. Even as the first Rosary prayers arrived at Routh street abortion center at 8 a.m. Saturday, they walked through the faint drizzle of a gray morning. Eventually, there would be about 500 people descending from shuttle busses onto the 4300 block of North Central Expressway in Dallas. The crowd was mixed with children bundled in warm layers, fathers clutching the hands of their youngest, high school students on a weekend outing with their class, all keeping a steady pace and watching out for the muddy puddles along the sidewalks.

This was the first year the Catholic Pro-Life Committee held the Rosary part of the Roe Memorial at the Routh street abortuary. For more than 10 years, the Fairmount abortion center near Guadalupe Cathedral in uptown had been the site of the Rosary, but that was before it closed its doors in late 2009 to move to the Southwestern late-term abortuary in north Dallas.

Something else was different this year, 2010. We have the most abortion-minded President ever making a year’s worth of terrible decisions that have only served to further the agenda of Planned Parenthood and other anti-life organizations. On Saturday, with the abortion-funded Healthcare bill looming in the political background, the mood was more urgent. The effort felt more real, the need for change more dire.

The March for Life from Guadalupe Cathedral to the Earle Cabell Courthouse reflected the sentiments of the Rosary earlier that day, except instead of 500 peaceful activists, there were 6,000 – 7,000 walking in the sunshine that had come out to warm the way to the Rally.

People tired of sitting on the abortion sidelines packed the parking lot across from the courthouse where cheers and claps echoed through downtown Dallas. These were ordinary people who made a decision to pack up their kids, their friends, their family members and take an extraordinary stand for something so basic, yet so threatened—life.

Mass. Senator says: devout Catholics ‘Probably shouldn't work in the Emergency Room’

2010-01-15T15:55:00.004-06:00

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley was asked about conscience protection for Catholics working in the medical field. Here is what Coakley, who is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat, had to say.

This statement clearly violates the medical conscience clause that protects citizens from having to perform medical “services” (such as abortion, vasectomies, distributing birth control, ect.) due to religious or conscience reasons without being afraid of being punished or discriminated against.

For someone who is in charge of enforcing the laws for the state of Massachusetts, Coakley is not doing a very good job of protecting those she is supposed to be fighting for.

Coakley would probably not see anything wrong with this, either.

Hey pro-life protesters! Did you know the TEA is getting paid for you?

2010-01-15T14:38:00.009-06:00

It’s called “Pledge-A-Protester” from the Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund. It works by anti-life donors committing to donate a specific amount of money for each protester (you, me and 5,000 of our closest friends) who shows up to tomorrow’s Dallas March for Life. I’m guessing they’re not counting everyone at the Roe Memorial Rosary, Mass and Rally, unless they’re sneaking people into Guadalupe Cathedral for a head count.

They actually have a great photo of one of our 2009 events praying in front of Fairmount abortion center, which closed its doors this fall to do more killings over at the new Southwestern late-term abortuary in north Dallas.

There’s also an eerily happy photo of the “clinic support” from Fairmount. They “help” the women who come for abortions by blocking them from any of our “mean tactics” (i.e. getting access to abortion education literature or speaking to a sidewalk counselor about options other than killing their own child.) The caption reads “TEA Fund thanks you for supporting reproductive justice.”

That’s so sad on so many levels. According to their website, the TEA is “dedicated to helping women with a demonstrated need to pay for their abortions,” as if throwing money at a women in crisis is going to help her on any lasting level.

The TEA doesn’t care about the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual after effects of the woman in crisis. They only want to throw a band-aid of money on the woman’s “problem” of a pregnancy. They don’t care or offer help for the woman before she gets to this desperate point. And they certainly aren’t with the woman after she leaves the doors and sidewalks of those abortion centers.

There might be some sincere people at this organization who truly care for the “many women in North Texas who would choose abortion,” but if they exist, they need to seriously take a look at the execution of their intentions.

LIGHTBULB: NYC writer asks ‘Why Won’t the Mainstream Media Cover Planned Parenthood Honestly?’

2010-01-15T10:27:00.005-06:00

by Alicia Colon

James O’Keefe may have come to everyone’s attention when he and Hannah Giles posed as a pimp and a prostitute and videotaped the ACORN workers but his other venture into investigative journalism has been largely ignored by the MSM. His target was Planned Parenthood and we know that abortion and the reproduction rights of women are sacred cows to the majority of journalists. I wonder how many taxpayers know that their dollars are funding black genocide and supporting statutory rape.

That sounds awfully harsh, doesn’t it and yet how can one explain what goes on behind the closed doors of a PP clinic? I guess that’s what O’Keefe wanted to learn when he teamed up with Lila Rose, the editor of a UCLA pro-life publication The Advocate and videotaped undercover operatives at PP clinics pretending to be underage teens with adult boyfriends.

Ms. Rose also had an actor (some reports say it was O’Keefe) place a call pretending to be a potential donor who specifically only wanted his money to go for the abortion of black babies. Was the Planned Parenthood worker shocked? Not at all and said, “whatever.”

An excerpt from the transcript of the call: (read the whole article)

Houston site of new abortion ‘supercenter’; take a trip to protest!

2010-01-14T11:53:00.015-06:00

Everything is bigger in Texas. Unfortunately for Houston, that includes the construction of the largest abortion center in the western hemisphere.

Located at 4600 Gulf Freeway, they’re calling the new abortuary Flagship Health Center. Don’t let the name fool you. There is nothing healthy about a center that specializes in ripping out unborn babies from their mothers’ wombs.

The Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas website enthuses “WE’RE MOVING SOON!”

“We are moving to our new home soon! And we look forward to serving the thousands of women and men in our area who are without health insurance and need affordable health care. At our new building we’ll have: more room to serve our clients more efficiently, increased accessibility, visibility and security.”

What a difference space makes!”

Yes, what a difference six stories and 6.1 acres of space makes, space paid in part by tax-payer dollars (money from you and me). According to the PP website, one of the new additions is an ambulatory surgical center, which is code for “late-term abortion center.”

And they’re excited about this.

They’re excited about deaths of unborn children, mothers increasing their chances for terminal breast cancer and depression, and the fracturing of relationships (70-90 percent of couples break up after the abortion).

That’s so sad.

photo source: Planned Parenthood of Houston
and Southeast Texas Facebook page
*Help Us Defend Women’s Health*

You can do something about it!
1. pray, pray pray

2. David Bereit, National Director of 40 Days for Life, has joined with others to protest during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

From his 1/13/10 email:
“On January 17-18, over the Martin Luther King, Jr.
holiday, you are invited to join thousands of pro-lifers who will come out to protest this Planned Parenthood abortion "super center."

TheCall in Crisis starts at 6 PM on January 17 with four hours of fasting and prayer at Grace Community Church in Houston.

On the morning of January 18, a silent march will begin at the Catholic Charismatic Center and end at the building site of the new Planned Parenthood Abortion Facility, a 78,000 square foot building, which will include an entire surgical floor equipped to provide late-term abortions.

Following the march, Engle will hold a nationwide press conference and prayer rally. He is expected to be joined at the rally by:

* TONY PERKINS, president of the Family Research
Council

* SAMUEL RODRIGUEZ, president of the National Hispanic
Christian Leadership Conference

* BISHOP HARRY JACKSON, senior pastor of Hope
Christian Church

* RICHARD LAND, president of the Ethics and Religious
Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist
Convention

* STAR PARKER, president of the Coalition for Urban
Renewal and Education

* ABBY JOHNSON, the former director of the Planned
Parenthood in Bryan, TX, who experienced a profound
conversion and resigned the abortion industry during
this fall's 40 Days for Life

* And some other BIG surprises!

SUNDAY, JANUARY, 17
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Grace Community Church
South Campus
14505 Gulf Freeway
Houston, TX 77034

MONDAY, JANUARY 18TH, 2010
9:00 AM
Catholic Charismatic Center
1949 Cullen Blvd.
Houston, TX 77023

Parking is limited. Please use carpools.

Coming into town for the event? Hotel Information:
Hyatt Regency Houston
For special rates and the room block please call
402-595-6464 or 888-421-1442.

For videos and more information about this important pro-life event, visit: http://www.thecall.com/crisis

If there's any way you can participate in this important event, know that the entire nation will be watching what happens in Houston this weekend.

For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

Confirmed: Federal study links breast cancer to abortion and the Pill

2010-01-12T16:13:00.012-06:00

As early as 1957, studies have proven the link between breast cancer and abortion, so this is not news for us. The news is that the National Cancer Institute finally admitted that the latest April 2009 study is correct that lists abortion and contraceptives (i.e. birth control pills) as causes of an aggressive form of breast cancer.

There are a lot of articles out there about this, some more confusing or vague than others, but I found this one from the National Catholic Register that puts this study in simple terms.

You can find a summary of the study here. There are a lot of scientific words in there, so here’s a little breakdown.

The big bad: triple-negative breast cancer

The affect: more aggressive than other types of breast cancer and more likely to recur

The name: gets its name from not having the three more easily treatable “receptors” known to fuel most breast cancers – estrogen, progesterone and human growth epidermal

The triple-negative mystery: In the study, Jessica Dolle says “little is known about the cause of triple-negative breast cancer, a breast cancer subtype associated with high mortality and inadequate therapeutic options.”

What they found: The only cause they found for this mysterious cancer was a link in birth control pills and abortions.

Abortion: safe, legal, rare. Really?
Sure it’s legal, but safe and rare? I’m no doctor, but my guess would be if it’s listed as a known cancer-causer, it’s probably not all that safe. With about 42 million abortions done worldwide every year, it’s not rare, either.

Hear no evil, see no evil...

Planned Parenthood and other organizations that are supposed to support "women's health" are silent so far on the study, which is unusual for them. The major media outlets are also not giving this "breaking news" much play. I guess salt, sugar and butter are the only cancer culprits they care to expose for their evils.

Bring a friend or 10!: Dallas March for Life this Saturday, Jan. 16

2010-01-11T10:07:00.025-06:00

5,000 people took to the streets last year to March for Life in Dallas. This year, Dallas Bishop Kevin Farrell has challenged to “double the crowd.” This means 10,000 potential supporters peacefully mourning the 37th memorial of the U.S. Supreme Court’s tragic Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in America and taken the lives of 50 million unborn children.

With the closing of Fairmount abortion center, the Rosary has been moved to the Routh Street abortion center at 4321 N Central Expy in Dallas.

The schedule:

7:30 a.m.
Cathedral Shrine of Guadalupe, 2215 Ross Ave at Pearl St.

Hundreds of people of all ages boarding busses to travel to Routh Street abortion center

8-8:45 a.m.
Rosary will be prayed in front of Routh Street abortion center, 4321 N. Central Expressway

10 a.m.
The bishops of Dallas and Ft. Worth will preside at Roe Memorial Mass, including a Rose Procession in packed Cathedral with overflow tent outside. Roses are brought to the altar one by one by a person who was born every year since 1973 representing all the years abortion has been legal in the United States, and in memory of their millions of peers killed by abortion each year.

Noon
Dallas March for Life heads toward Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse
Marchers witness to life, bringing banners and their own babies for a prayer service and wreath-laying ceremony at the Federal Courthouse

12:35 p.m.
Rally at Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse
Thousands gather to listen to speakers at site where Roe v. Wade was first filed in 1970
Afterward, March for Life continues back to the Cathedral

See video and photos from the 2009 Dallas March for Life.

Uniting around the country

Dallas’ March for Life coincides with Marches for Life all over the country this month, including Austin (Jan. 23); Hawaii (Jan. 22); San Francisco (Jan. 23); Tulsa, Oklahoma (Jan. 22); and Washington, D.C. (Jan. 22).

Visit our Roe Memorial March homepage for more info!

S. Korean M.D.: ‘We sold our soul for money… Abortion was an easy way to make money.’

2010-01-07T14:42:00.003-06:00

“In a country where abortion is both widespread and, with few exceptions, against the law, Dr. Choi and Dr. Shim are hoping to force South Korea’s first serious public discussion of the ethics of the procedure. In November, they and dozens of other obstetricians held a news conference to ask “forgiveness” for having performed illegal abortions.

Gynob’s morality-based campaign is unusual for South Korea, where abortion carries little of the emotional or religious significance that it does in many Western countries.”

Read the whole New York Times article, “South Korea Confronts Open Secret of Abortion”

‘Catholic Without a Clue’: Nancy Pelosi does it again

2009-12-31T11:34:00.016-06:00

Even after being corrected by Catholic bishops and Pope Benedict XVI himself, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi—a self-proclaimed “practicing Catholic,” hard-core abortion supporter, and one of the one most powerful people in government—has once again distorted Catholic teaching to the masses. This time, the offense landed in the pages of Newsweek magazine.

For the last few months, Pelosi has made it clear that her priority is to push tax payer-funded abortion coverage in the healthcare bill, meaning she wants you and me to pay for abortions that we are morally opposed to. She failed to do that in the House version of the bill when the Stupak amendment stripped abortion coverage from the bill. Now that the bill has passed in the Senate WITH the abortion funding, it will go to conference committee, where the two bills will be poked and prodded until they come up with some kind of compromise of what the final bill will look like. Pelosi is standing firm to her stance that tax payer-funded abortion coverage should stay in the final bill.

That doesn’t sound very Catholic to me, but here’s what Pelosi had to say when Newsweek asked about the controversy:

“I have some concerns about the church's position respecting a woman's right to choose. I have some concerns about the church's position on gay rights. I am a practicing Catholic, although they're probably not too happy about that. But it is my faith. I practically mourn this difference of opinion because I feel what I was raised to believe is consistent with what I profess, and that is that we are all endowed with a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions. And that women should have that opportunity to exercise their free will.”

It doesn’t get any better when she’s asked about her obligations as a “practicing Catholic” vs. public official.

“When I speak to my archbishop in San Francisco and his role is to try to change my mind on the subject, well then he is exercising his pastoral duty to me as one of his flock. When they call me on the phone here to talk about, or come to see me about an issue, that's a different story. Then they are advocates, and I am a public official, and I have a different responsibility.”

Elizabeth Lev hits it right on the money when she writes in her column “Nancy Pelosi, Catholic Without A Clue”:

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seems to be planning a second career as a theologian. Unfortunately, she never gets one Catholic fact right…

…Had Pelosi chosen to do a minimum of research before speaking, she might have consulted the users' manual for the Catholic Church, the Catechism, which some American bishop or other must have sent her as a stocking-stuffer this year. There our aspiring theologian would have found a different definition. Freedom, according to the Catholic Church, (CCC article 3) is the person's ability to choose between good and evil. He can choose to do something good or something evil but he cannot choose to make evil good. To take responsibility for one's actions is to recognize that one has chosen evil and to accept the consequences both in this world and the next.

The position of the Catholic Church is that abortion, the taking of an innocent human life, is intrinsically evil.

…With an F in theology and an incomplete in history, Pelosi's Catholic GPA seems to be at an all-time low.”

True freedom

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, the Catholic Church's largest pro-life ministry, commented today on Pelosi's statement that because God gives humans free will, women should be able to exercise free will with regard to abortion.
"I would think someone in Speaker Pelosi's position would realize that women do not get abortions because of freedom of choice; they get them precisely because they feel they have no freedom and no choice. Moreover, I doubt the Speaker would argue that because God grants us free will that the government should allow us to choose whether to pay taxes.

It's time to listen to the voices of those who have had abortions, like the women in the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. The pro-life movement is not about taking away their freedom. It's about taking away their despair."

‘The Greatest Pro-Life Story Ever Told’

2009-12-31T10:09:00.005-06:00

Merry belated Christmas! It’s almost a week ago that we celebrated Christmas, hopefully with friends and family, or at least people that we like a little bit. Since we’re still in the Christmas liturgical season, which ends Epiphany Sunday, Jan. 3, I wanted to take a moment and remember the greatest pro-life story ever told.

Consider Mary, an unmarried teenager who found herself pregnant in a time when a scandal like that would earn her a death by stoning. Amid pressure from her family and community, she has faith, keeps the baby, and the rest is our grateful and joyful history.

If you want more pro-life Christmas reflection, here’s an excerpt from the Lifenews.com article “Do You See What I See? Christmas Reminds Pro-Life People Unborn Have Value.”

“…Jesus healed out of a deep well of empathy and compassion. He restored many whose bodies, hearts, and souls were weighed down with terrible physical and emotional burdens. But he was also teaching us a timeless lesson: unless we are willing to open our eyes, we, too, will be blind to the hurting around us.

While it is not my intention to idealize pro-lifers, it would be false modesty to ignore that they demonstrate a tremendous capacity to truly ‘see’ what others either cannot, or choose not, to see. It is no accident that pro-lifers defend unborn babies. Love and concern for the downtrodden, the dispossessed, and the marginalized is what gives their lives a rich unity of purpose.

The great hope of the pro-life movement is that despite our nation's descents into inhumanity and indifference, the self-image of Americans is deservedly of a good people, blessed in a unique way. And it is because Americans are fundamentally decent people that the significance of the debate over partial-birth abortion cannot be exaggerated…”

CPLC Blog nominated for award

2009-12-29T16:09:00.005-06:00

The Catholic Pro-life Committee’s blog, Chronicles of the CPLC (the blog you’re reading right now), was nominated for the 2009 Pro-Life Blog Awards this past month. That’s really cool considering American Life League (ALL) sponsored the competition.

We didn’t win, but we were pretty excited about being nominated in the Pro-Life Instigator Award for Activism and Pro-Life Unity Award categories.

Thanks for taking the time to read along! Happy blogging.

Warm Fuzzies: Merry Christmas from the ACLU of Texas

2009-12-29T15:10:00.013-06:00

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is known more for keeping “Christ” out of Christmas in the courtrooms and in the press than sending warm holiday fuzzies via Facebook. But that’s exactly what ACLU of Texas Executive Director Terri Burke tried to do with this video. We’re all allowed to share in the Christmas spirit, right?

Let’s take a look at some of the more contradictory, err…interesting clips from the 3:08 greeting. (Sorry, you have to be logged into Facebook to see the video.)

Terri Burke:

“That might seem a little odd, even ironic, that the executive director of the ACLU of Texas is wishing you a Merry Christmas. That’s maybe because there seem to be a lot of mis-statements, a lot of myths about what we believe here at the ACLU about Christmas…

“…We’re looking forward to a new year where we hope Santa would have granted us our holiday wishes. First and foremost, we hope that all Americans will be able to practice their religion and worship as they please. We hope for a Texas where all Texans have educational opportunities, and most of all, we hope for a nation that adheres to and respects the most basic and fundamental of American values.”

1. Hmm, what exactly are those basic, fundamental values? The right to life? Um, no.

Not exactly, considering the ACLU of Texas put their support behind a bill that would make it easier to justify killing an infant during the spring 2009 state session. The bill (HB 3318) never got out of the House Committee, no thanks to the ACLU.

Session documents show that an ACLU Texas representative registered the organization as “For” the bill on April 14, 2009. Those who signed in as “Against” the bill were Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Texans for Family Values PAC, Parent Guidance Center and the Free Market Foundation.

2. Terri Burke is right about one thing. It IS odd that the ACLU is sending out this message about being able to worship as you please. Elsewhere in the country, the ACLU fought to ban a cross displayed on a water tower in Pennsylvania (a town tradition) but protected cross-burning in Virginia.

We could go on, but it doesn’t take much to show that they’re on the naughty list this year.

Video: Dallas 40 Days Fall Kick Off

2009-12-29T15:02:00.006-06:00

More than 3,300 people in the Dallas area came out during the fall 2009 40 Days for Life prayer and vigil campaign in front of Robinson’s abortion center on Record Crossing Rd! Here’s a look back to how it started, as we gear up for our special winter 40 Days in front of Southwestern late-term abortion center on Greenville Ave. from now until January 22, 2010.

Find out “5 Things You Can Do” for the Dallas Winter 40 Days for Life.

A little School House Rock refresher health-care-bill style

2009-12-02T15:04:00.015-06:00

While the health care bill is being debated in the Senate right now, I thought this would be a good time to recap where in the process the bill is, and if it passes the Senate, where it still has to go.

Regardless of whether the bill passes or not, the goal is to do all we can to make sure funding for abortion, euthanasia and “family planning” (i.e. condoms and other contraceptives) is not part of anything that we call a “health care plan.”

Last major vote: The House passed the health care bill on November 7. This happened late Saturday night as it was beginning to look like it wouldn’t happen at all. The mood changed when the House approved an amendment from pro-life Rep. Bart Stupak that stripped abortion funding from the bill. This was what some pro-life Representatives were holding out for before voting yes on the bill.

Final Vote: 240 to 194

So, is that it?
No. Let’s remember our School House Rock days of how that little bill goes to Capitol Hill.

1. There are two voting decision-making groups in Washington – the House and the Senate.

2. When a bill is introduced, each group gets a copy of the bill.

3. Within the House and Senate, members can change the original bill as much as they want.

4. The two groups can make similar changes in their bill if they choose, but they don’t have to.

5. All the changes stay within the group that they were made (i.e. changes made in the House bill don’t get change in the Senate and vice versa).

6. In the end, everyone votes on whether the bill will pass from their group or not.

7. If the bill passes one group with all the changes, that does not necessarily mean it will get a vote of pass from the other group. (Purple star: This is where we are right now with the health care bill. The House has passed the health care bill, but the Senate is still working on their copy of it. ) CLICK ON THE CHART TO MAKE IT LARGER

8. IF BOTH groups vote to pass the bill they have changed up, then the two groups (the House and Senate) have to go into something called “conference committee,” to find some kind of joining of their different versions of the original bill.

9. Their end result is called a “conference report.” It goes to both the House and Senate for a final vote, and you can’t change the bill anymore at this point.

10. If it passes both groups in this stage, it eventually makes its way over to the president’s desk for a signature.

There are a lot of charts out there on the web, but you know, they were just really complicated. I made this really simple one earlier today. I don't know about you, but I just understand things better when I can see a picture. Click on it, and it will get bigger.

I hope this chart shows you that you still have time to educate yourself about the bill and contact your representative about how you feel they should vote.

Dallas Winter 40 Days for Life starts Dec. 12!

2009-12-01T11:44:00.032-06:00

Building on the momentum of the just-finished 40 Days-Dallas vigil at Robinson's abortion center on Record Crossing Rd, and in light of the opening of the new Southwestern late-term abortion center, we have decided not to wait until next spring or fall to hold the next 40 Days for Life-Dallas Prayer Vigil.

Here's the plan
What: Winter 40 Days for Life-Dallas
When: Sat., December 12, 2009 – Fri., January 22, 2010
Where: Southwestern late-term abortion center
Address: 8616 Greenville Ave. (off Royal Ln in north Dallas)

What’s New?
This will be a modified vigil -- instead of 24 or 12 hours per day, we're asking for 4 hours of intense prayer from 8 a.m.- Noon (can adjust on Christmas Day).

We need churches and groups to sign up to adopt these 4-hour prayer vigil days. The minimum needed is two people praying per hour. We pray that God will hear our prayers that there will be at least 8 people of faith per day who are willing to come out and pray at the vigil site at Royal Ln and Greenville Ave during these 40 Days.

Praying in the cold pays off
The first Dallas winter campaign was in 2004 in front of Aaron’s late-term abortion center. The Winter 40 Days Vigil was extremely sacrificial - it was cold and took place over the holiday season. But God honored our sacrifice, and not only did Aaron's late term abortion center close in the summer of 2008, bringing the number of abortion centers in Dallas from six to five, but as you drive eastbound on LBJ Freeway between Preston and Hillcrest, you will see that the former facility where so many babies lost their lives has been leveled to the ground, without even a trace.

Visit http://www.prolifedallas.org/pages/40_Days_Sign_Up to sign up for the 40 Days Winter Campaign. You can also contact Campaign Director Milissa Kukla at 40days@prolifedallas.org.

Video: Channel 8 covers Fairmount abortion Memorial

2009-12-01T10:28:00.015-06:00

Channel 8 covered our November 7 Memorial Prayer service to remember all the lives that were taken at Fairmount abortion center. Fairmount was the first abortion center in Texas to open its doors legally after the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973.

The man behind Fairmount
Abortionist Dr. Curtis Boyd, who said “By providing abortion services, we are in fact helping to make the world a better place,” was in charge of the Fairmount center and has since moved the facility to a new building at 8616 Greenville Ave in north Dallas to perform late-term abortions. A 22-year-old woman died in Boyd’s care in 1991. He has since admitted to Channel 8 that he has performed 300,000 abortions by his own hand since 1973.

Click here to check out our Facebook CPLC Fan page to see more photos from the memorial. Also, watch all news coverage of the Southwestern late-term abortion center and the CPLC on our new video page.

Good News: More local babies saved from abortion!

2009-11-30T14:56:00.011-06:00

Fresh from the front lines of Dallas abortion center sidewalks, here are the latest stories of our sidewalk counselors helping abortion-minded women see the light in choosing life for them and their child. The names of the mothers and family members have been changed for their protection.

This is why we’re in this business - for life; one life, one choice at a time. Please keep these mothers, their babies, friends, family and sidewalk counselors in your prayers as we keep fighting the good fight on the front lines.

If you think this is something you’re interested in, email cplc@prolifedallas.org with your name and how you want to help.

Sent in by sidewalk counselor Lauren Muzyka
Mon., Nov. 23, 2009

Another incredible thing to add to the list -- I just got a call today from a girl that Geri and I counseled last week at the late-term abortion facility, and she called to say that she decided to keep her baby! Praise God, another life! So, how wonderful -- God is working through difficult circumstances at that facility (how frustrating it can be to counsel there, at times!) -- and He is showing us that good fruit will continue to come and come from the prayer and counseling presence out there!! I pointed her to BirthChoice, and she will be going there within the next week!

Today, we also witnessed a turnaway at Robinson's -- I was out there with Geri today, and I was getting ready to leave when we realized a woman pulled in who only spoke Spanish. We got her to Birthchoice, and she was chatting with a Spanish-speaking prayer volunteer, and began to cry. We were able to get her in to talk to Estelle, and I was able to translate until we got someone (more) fluent in there!

It was another beautiful story of a woman who wanted to keep her baby (this, her third), but the dad was going to have none of it! She left BirthChoice with 2 Spanish speaking-friends, one of which who said she would pick her up each Sunday for Mass. So, truly, a victory for a whole young family!

CPLC Terminology

BirthChoice: the new Catholic-based crisis pregnancy center located directly across the street from Robinson’s abortion center on Record Crossing Road in Dallas where women can get help and counseling.
White Rose: The White Rose Women’s Center crisis pregnancy center across the street from the Routh St. abortion center where pregnant women can get help and counseling.

Sidewalk Counselor: a CPLC worker or volunteer who is trained to counsel women about options other than abortion; and the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual damages abortion causes.
turnaway: a women who was originally going to get an abortion, but has decided to choose life for her baby instead

Sent in by sidewalk counselor Rebecca Thompson
Wed., Nov. 25, 2009

Kenneth Scott & I were on the sidewalk and a woman drove in to the parking lot. She came over and was there for "a sonogram", but was encouraged to go to Birth Choice instead. On the walk over, she was distraught... lots of stuff on her plate. Dee (first time to counsel at Birth Choice) talked with her, loaded her down with stuff, contacts, (including Dr. B.) and directions to W.Rose for the sonogram. Mary Burner waited for Katalina at White Rose.... which took awhile. No one was sure if Katalina had abandoned considering abortion. But she saw the sonogram. Sonogram shows she is about 14.5 weeks. She is scheduled to come back in 3 weeks. I saw Katalina as she was coming out of W. Rose. She was so happy and said, "I've done everything, listened to everyone, watched the videos. I am hoping this is a girl." She was crying "happy tears" and so grateful... so very grateful.

Sent in by sidewalk counselor Rebecca Thompson
Fri., Nov. 27, 2009

There has been a save each day at Robinson's this week (except for when closed Thanksgiving Day)!!

Today a woman and her sister went into the clinic. One sister Dolores came out and was encouraged to go back in and bring her pregnant sister Carol over to Birth Choice... if only to find out what her options are for assistance and services for free. Dolores did that, i.e. went back in and talked to her pregnant sister about going over to Birth Choice!

They both came out after a relatively short time. Lauren Muzyka walked with them over to Birth Choice.

Carol is excited about this new baby and her sister was just glowing! She saved this little niece or nephew's life!

All SWC's and Prayer Support rejoiced... as (did and is) the Heavenly Witness.
We give thanks to Almighty Holy God!

Update: Channel 8 interviews CPLC staff, exposes horrors of new N. Dallas late-term abortion facility

2009-11-06T09:27:00.041-06:00

WFAA Channel 8 saw our e-alert about the new late-term abortion facility and interviewed CPLC Executive Director Karen Garnett and CPLC sidewalk counselor Jackie Lee for this story that aired Tuesday night. Dr. Curtis Boyd admits he’s performed 300,000 abortions since opening the first abortion center in Texas in 1973.

Clinic expands, provides only late-term abortions in N. Texas

Click the image to watch footage. Read the article here.

Channel 8 surprisingly ran another story on Wednesday night about the opening. Even the newscasters were shocked when Boyd admitted “Am I killing? Yes, I am.”

Abortion doctor: 'Am I killing? Yes, I am'

Click the image to watch footage. Read the article here.

Words from our Executive Director Karen Garnett:

Since the original story ran, we were able to confirm that one more mother turned away from the facility yesterday. We praise God that THREE babies and mothers were spared the tragedy of abortion yesterday!

Note that in the live news story, Jason said that two pregnancies (we had said "babies' lives") had been "saved" yesterday. Thank you, Jason -- we are definitely trying to save as many babies from death and help as many mothers as possible! The online version of the story was edited on wfaa.com to "preventing two abortions." CPLC sidewalk counselors seek to dialogue with women approaching for abortions, but do not take any actions to "prevent" (block, keep) them from entering an abortion facility.

Please consider sending an e-mail to Jason Whitely at jwhitely@wfaa.com to thank him for reporting the story, including the staggering number of children killed in Curtis Boyd's practice, and for mentioning the 4:30 p.m. Memorial Prayer Service at Fairmount this Saturday.

It is our sincere prayer that consciences will be awakened as the truth is revealed, and more people than ever before will pray and work harder than ever before to bring an end to this grievous crime against humanity, the daily mass killing of unborn children in the American abortion holocaust.

Support A Catholic Speaker Month: Monica Ashour

2009-11-05T14:48:00.006-06:00

Matt Warner over at Fallible Blogma had this great idea to start Support A Catholic Speaker Month to raise awareness about the many Catholic Speakers out there and to support them. Support a Catholic Speaker Month was actually in October, but better late than never, right? Hopefully next year, we’ll actually make this post in the right month!

The Catholic Pro-Life Committee is glad to highlight local Theology of the Body speaker Monica Ashour. Monica is the executive director and co-founder of Theology of the Body Evangelization Team (TOBET).

I had the pleasure of roaming the halls of the State Capitol with Monica earlier this spring when we went to advocate for pro-life and family bills during the Texas Legislature.

At one point while we were speaking with a pro-abortion aide, he asked about the morals of In Vetro Fertilization (IVF). I knew a good bit about the bills we were advocating for and a fair amount about abortion in general, but I was at a loss to defend any position on IVF.

Monica didn’t miss a beat. She was in there so quick with facts and enough concrete information to satisfy the aide we were trying to persuade/educate.

In addition to the greater Dallas-area, Monica has traveled across the country spreading the word about Pope John Paul II’s message.

Check out the TOBET website for lots more info on talks, dates, speakers and lesson layouts.

Read Monica’s bio.

I’ll leave you with this short video I found by Google-ing her name. She’s out there. Take advantage of her!

Breaking News: Late-term abortion facility opening in North Dallas; Prayers needed!

2009-10-28T16:16:00.033-05:00

The Southwestern late-term abortion center will be the new late-term abortion clinic in town when it soon opens its doors for killing unborn babies up to 24 weeks old. Aaron’s abortion clinic, which closed its doors in August 2008, was the last late-term abortion clinic in Dallas.

Click here to see pictures of the new late-term abortion clinic

“While we were aware that plans were in the works for a possible new facility affiliated with Fairmount after Aaron’s' closure, we have been praying that this would not be an additional facility,” said Karen Garnett, Executive Director of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee.

“We are calling on people of faith from all over Dallas and the surrounding suburbs to join with us in a renewed, massive prayer and public witness effort against this grave evil in our community. We also ask all people of faith to pray for the conversion of heart of abortionist Dr. Curtis Boyd, his wife Glenna Halvorson-Boyd, Ph.D., and all the clinic staff at the Southwestern abortion center on Greenville Avenue, as well as the abortionists and clinic workers at the other four abortion facilities in Dallas.”

Click here to READ the rest of CPLC Executive Director Karen Garnett's official Statement

Grateful to God no more children will die at 2921 Fairmount

Fairmount abortion center, near Uptown Dallas, silently closed its doors this week to combine with the new facility located on the Northeast corner of Royal Lane and Greenville Avenue. Fairmont has been the site of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee Roe Memorial Rosary for more than a decade. Fairmount was the first abortion facility in Dallas and the state of Texas. We are grateful to God that no more children will die at 2921 Fairmount St. in Dallas.

Join us for a service in memory of each of the thousands of babies who were killed in that building over the last 36 years, and in prayer for the healing of all the mothers and fathers who lost their children there.

What: Closing Memorial Prayer Service at Fairmount

Where: Fairmount abortion center
2921 Fairmount St.
Dallas, TX
Date: Saturday, November 7
Time: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

What can I do?
Building on the momentum of the current 40 Days for Life-Dallas Campaign, where 2,000 people of faith have come out to pray outside of Robinson's abortion center on Record Crossing, the CPLC is calling for a massive prayer and public witness effort, particularly at this new late-term abortion facility, to bring about an end to the killing of innocent unborn children at the 5 abortion centers in Dallas.

Here is a listing of the Catholic Churches closest to this new abortion center (there are a number of nearby churches of other denominations as well):

St. Patrick – 3.78 miles
St. Paul, Richardson – 4.79 miles
Christ the King – 4.97 miles (the abortion facility is in the boundaries of Christ the King Parish)
St. Rita – 5.34 miles
St. Thomas Aquinas – 5.53 miles

(This is what the 24 week-old babies look like in womb when they are about to be killed legally at the late-term abortion clinic.)

If you belong to one of these churches, share this information with your pastor and your fellow parishioners and make time to go pray in front of the new facility.

Remember, God has already won the war. It’s our duty to fight these spiritual battles as they come. Keep hoping, keep praying and keep watching out for news and action opportunities as events develop.

A Sidewalk Counselor's Story: 'Both definitely looked a little peaceful when they decided to wait'

2009-10-28T09:25:00.002-05:00

Dear friends,

I was out at Robinson's this morning..... spoke with a couple for 45 minutes. They did turn away. Praise God. Please pray for Maria & Ruben. She is 5 weeks along.Very tense story/situation....very anguished looks on both of them. Both definitely looked a little peaceful when they decided to wait. They did not get out of their car.

Unfortunately Birthchoice across the street was not open but even with that they did not go into Robinson's. Need lots of prayers, she does have White Rose information also. At the end she called her mom while in the car telling her she needed to speak with her (as she has told no one else about the baby).

Please pray that her mom has the 'heart of a mother' when Maria speaks with her, that she want God's best for her daughter and grandchild, and that Maria keep her resolve no matter who around her is against this baby.

St. Michael be with this family,

God's Peace

- A CPLC Sidewalk Counselor

A Sidewalk Counselor's Prayer: 'The tears really flowed'

2009-10-28T09:20:00.003-05:00

Please pray for turnaway at Routh street abortion clinic last week. She appears very poor and has a boyfriend who is not helpful; she also has a 15 mo. old child. The tears really flowed. I was able to get her into the White Rose parking lot and, God be thanked, Geri (White Rose counselor) had just arrived minutes earlier. I took her upstairs and turned her over to Geri who put her through their entire counseling procedure. I was still in the alley when she left a couple hours later.

She stopped her car and when I asked her said she planned to have her baby.

She said she would call me--I hope she does--I would like to have a baby shower for her. :) Please pray that she stays strong in her resolve to have her child and that God will bless her with abundant graces to be a good daughter of God and a good mother.

- A CPLC Sidewalk Counselor

Dallas '40 Days' gets national attention

2009-10-26T15:50:00.004-05:00

Check it out! Our efforts with the Dallas 40 Days for Life campaign made it on today's Lifesitenews.com headlines!

Click here to read the article.

Warning: Hormonal contraceptives linked to Swiss woman's Death; blood clots in lungs of Austin woman

2009-10-19T10:19:00.013-05:00

October 14, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Swiss government is linking a woman's death to the popular birth control product Yaz made by Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

The woman died of a pulmonary embolism in June, just 10 months after starting the hormonal contraceptive.

The government agency, Swissmedic has launched an investigation into the death. The agency stated on its website that "thromboembolic complications are rare but well-known complications associated" with hormonal contraceptives. Between January 1, 2005, and April 15, 2009, stated Swissmedic, there were a total of 691 reports of suspected adverse reactions linked to contraceptives in Sweden, of which 49 were venous thromboembolism. The agency also related 9 deaths from pulmonary embolism associated with the contraceptives since 1990.

Last month American Life League (ALL), which has a program highlighting the risks involved in hormonal contraceptives, reported that Patti Kelly, 28, of Austin, Texas was diagnosed in August with multiple blood clots in both lungs. Her doctor told her that if she hadn't come into the emergency room when she did, she "could have died instantly." Her doctor attributed the blood clots to her use of hormonal contraceptives.

While the feminist establishment is busy playing a twisted game of 'See No Evil' for the sake of their birth control agenda, women are dying," said Marie Hahnenberg, ALL's director of The Pill Kills project. "How long are they going to hide the dangerous side effects of birth control? How many more women have to die?"

Other side effects of hormonal contraceptives include increased risk of cancer, bone loss and cerebral hemorrhage.

"The big pharmaceutical companies, feminists and the pro-abortion lobby are busy convincing us that birth control allows us to have perfectly planned life," Hahnenberg said. "But the truth is birth control is dangerous and sometimes deadly and women deserve the truth - now."

Fruits of our labor: 18 Planned Parenthoods close their doors this year

2009-10-15T10:44:00.023-05:00

Reports from the American Life League (ALL) and 40 Days for Life say that the Planned Parenthood in Kalispell, Montana will be closing its doors on November 20. Kalispell is the largest city and commercial center of Northwest Montana and the site of Kalispell's 40 Days for Life vigil this past spring 2009.

Planned Parenthood and its supporters in politics and the media would like us to think that we’re outnumbered, out funded, and that we should just accept that reality and give up.

Planned Parenthood is wrong. We’re here. We’re not going anywhere. And, with God’s help, we ARE making a difference.

According to ALL:

“PP cites a decline in patients as the reason for the closure. The Kalispell facility committed abortions on preborn babies of up to 21.6 weeks.

PP officials in Kirksville, Missouri, also cited declining patient numbers, in addition to lack of contributions, as reasons for the recent closure of PP’s Kirksville facility.

This closure follows on the heels of the closure or announced pending closure of 17 other PP facilities this year: PP of El Paso, Texas, seven facilities; PP of Indiana, five facilities; Rhode Island, one facility; Virginia, one facility; Washington, one facility; and Wisconsin, one facility.”

David Bereit, 40 Days for Life National Director writes on his blog:

“[Stacy James, a Montana Planned Parenthood executive] said nothing at all, however, about the 40 days of prayer, fasting and constant vigil in front of the Kalispell facility this spring.

Karen, the local 40 Days for Life coordinator in Kalispell, had no doubt as to why the clinic is shutting its doors forever. 'Our heartfelt pleas to God for an end to abortion here in Kalispell are being answered,' she said. 'Let us rejoice in our mighty God who has looked down upon His with such great favor.'

The Kalispell team is currently holding a 40 Days for Life campaign outside another local abortion facility, but the first thing they did upon hearing the news about the closure was to return to the soon- to-be-closing Planned Parenthood facility to thank the Lord for this amazing victory.”

If you’re not already subscribed to ALL’s STOPP e-update, it’s great for keeping up with all the life issues relating to Planned Parenthood. Click here to subscribe.

Click here and choose “Send me updates” to subscribe to the 40 Days for Life daily newsfeed.

More censorship: Policeman confiscates Illinois pro-lifer's Christ image

2009-10-13T12:58:00.007-05:00

By Kathleen Gilbert

ROCKFORD, Illinois, October 12, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Another bizarre happening at the Northern Illinois Women's Center in Rockford, Illinois was reported last week, with one area pro-lifer saying that a policeman confiscated his large sign portraying an image of Jesus - though the same officer declined to remove an obscene image of Christ perched in the abortion facility's window.

The Northern Illinois Women's Center is notorious as the site of routine abuses against the community of pro-lifers who keep vigil there and for the grotesque and often blasphemous displays in the windows of the building.

Veteran Rockford pro-life witness Kevin Rilott told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) last week that the latest incident occurred Wednesday morning as he stood on public property in front of the abortion mill with a large image of Christ. According to Rilott, the confrontation began when the abortuary's security officer ordered Rilott to move.

"I have stood here for over ten years, so I kept praying," said Rilott.

Rilott says the security officer then came out and spoke with a police officer, who approached Rilott to tell him to hold the Christ sign that was propped up about two feet away. When Rilott declined, he says the police officer ordered him to turn off his video camera before calling a supervisor. The supervisor arrived within minutes to confiscate the Christ image, saying the sign was "unattended."

Rilott notes that one week earlier, when asked by pro-lifers to enforce removal of an obscene image of Christ in the abortion center's window under Rockford's ordinance against "offensive use of property," the same supervisor denied that the image was offensive.

"All of the violations, threats, vandalism, intimidation, and attacks of the abortion facility in the past few years and we are not aware of one time the abortion facility has been held accountable," said Rilott. "But in Rockford a simple picture of Jesus gets arrested and thrown in the back of a squad car."

"In Rockford they arrest a picture of Jesus because it symbolizes truth and life. It's interesting that the picture of Jesus giving a double fisted f*** you sign is still proudly displayed in the clinic window," he added.

"We have gone from the blasphemous to the ridiculous," said pro-lifer Donna Modica. "It seems the only signs and pictures protected by free speech are the ones mocking God."

Read the rest of the story at LifeSiteNews.com

Not cool: Pennsylvania School Targets Student With "Abortion is Not Health Care" T-Shirt

2009-10-13T12:46:00.008-05:00

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor

Scranton, PA (LifeNews.com) -- Officials at a Pennsylvania school targeted a middle school student who came to class wearing a pro-life t-shirt with the message, "Abortion is Not Health Care." Officials at Crossroads Middle School in Lewisberry ordered the student to remove the shirt on the day of President Obama’s public address to students.

School officials deemed the shirt “inappropriate,” saying it might insult somebody -- even though the school routinely allows students to wear other shirts with other potentially offensive messages.

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit in federal court last week against the West Shore School District for prohibiting the student from wearing the shirt.

"Pro-life students shouldn't be censored for their views,” ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman told LifeNews.com on Monday.

“It’s clearly unconstitutional for school officials to prohibit a student’s message on the grounds that someone might not like it. The school routinely allows students to wear a wide variety of messages on their shirts without any concerns, but this student has been singled out even though his shirt caused no disruption and is clearly within the bounds of constitutionally guaranteed free speech," he said.

The student wore his shirt to express his religious viewpoint on abortion and did so without incident until his fifth period teacher sent him to the principal’s office to see whether the shirt was “appropriate.”

There he was ordered to remove his shirt on the grounds that it might insult somebody. He was sent to the nurse’s office, where he turned his shirt inside out because he had no other shirt to wear.

Read the rest of the story at Lifenews.com

Alison Morales at the Liberty Institute luncheon

2009-10-08T11:41:00.009-05:00

The CPLC's GEMS Director, Alison Morales, spoke at the Liberty Institute (Formerly the Free Market Foundation) luncheon about her testimony and the importance of the Choose Life License Plate.

Alison Morales, GEMS Coordinator for the CPLC

Alison was a visible, public face in the effort to pass the Choose Life legislation in the last Legislative Session. Although the bill had the support of most of the Legislature and would have passed had a vote actually been taken, the Legislature, as usual, got bogged down in petty politics which prevented many votes on many things, the Choose Life bill being one of them.

Alison and her mother, Nancy at the luncheon

Alison spoke at the Texas Rally for Life in January and also spoke at a press conference hosted by Governor Rick Perry promoting the Choose Life license plate.

More than 550 people attended the Liberty Institute Luncheon

Watch the press conference and hear Alison's testimony here.

Video: New York encounters hecklers at 40 Days prayer site

2009-10-06T11:25:00.004-05:00

The 40 Days for Life campaign has seen a lot of good outcomes here in Dallas and across the country, where mothers are deciding to turn around instead of getting abortions, saving the life of their child; and clinic workers are realizing they’re in the wrong profession and quitting their abortion procedure jobs.

But where there are miracles, there is also confrontation. The Sisters of Life and their prayer partners get heckled in this video from New York.

“40 Days has got to go, hey, hey, ho, ho.” It’s a catchy slogan. Too bad it’s being used to attack some really scary looking sisters (note the sarcasm) and lay people trying to bring some light to that neighborhood. I wonder what they would chant if they knew the real damage that an abortion clinic does to a community. “Hey, hey, ho ho, don’t want abortion out here no more. Hey, hey, ho, ho…”

Side Note: Dallas-native Rebecca Lowery is the girl with the glasses not wearing a habit. She was trained by our own Youth For Life program. Way to represent, Rebecca!

Pope Gives Props to Alabama Nun for Work in Communications

2009-10-06T09:08:00.017-05:00

Twenty eight years ago, Mother Angelica relied on unflinching truth rather than actual communication experience to start a radio station that became a TV station that became the largest religious media network in the world. That doesn’t happen unless the Holy Spirit is on your side.

If the eye patch doesn’t already give it away, this woman is tough. The first time you hear her speak, her honesty, vulnerability and complete willingness to bring you the truth as it is, no holds bars, is what set her apart from the beginning of her ministry. She has made amazing contributions to the pro-life movement. And she’s funny, too.

I give credit to my post-college Catholic education to EWTN radio, which I listen to on 910 AM KATH radio here in Dallas.

Here's the article from LifeSiteNews.com:

Pope Awards Highest Honor to EWTN Founder Mother Angelica and Chairman
EWTN has consistently given high priority to uncompromising support for Catholic moral principles and the pro-life movement.

IRONDALE, AL, October 5, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI has awarded EWTN foundress, Mother Mary Angelica, and Deacon Bill Steltemeier, Chairman of EWTN's Board of Governors, the Cross of Honor for distinguished service to the Church. The medal, officially known as "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" (literally "For the Church and the Pope"), is the highest honor that the Pope can bestow upon laity and religious.

The acknowledgement of Mother Angelica's work by the Pope is highly significant in light of high profile criticism that the EWTN foundress has sustained over her unwavering fidelity to the faith. Mother Angelica had to endure crushing criticism and even attempts to take over her station by various left-leaning Catholic bishops in the United States.

As Catholic League President Bill Donohue wrote in a 2005 review of Raymond Arroyo’s nationally best-selling book on Mother Angelica, some bishops actively fought EWTN at its inception. “Indeed, the bishops tried to outdo her by launching their own effort, the Catholic Telecommunications Network of America (CTNA). It was clear from the beginning that Mother Angelica was seen as a threat: EWTN had a traditional orientation and CTNA took a modernist stance. EWTN won. CTNA collapsed.”

Donohue added: “Mother Angelica did not take kindly to those clerics who questioned her authority to showcase some bishops, but not others. ‘I happen to own the network,’ she instructed. When told that this would not be forever, she let loose: ‘I'll blow the damn thing up before you get your hands on it.’”

Read the whole story at LifeSiteNews.com

14 Year Old British Girl Dies after HPV Vaccination

2009-10-01T09:51:00.003-05:00

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

COVENTRY, UK, September 29, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Natalie Morton, a 14-year-old girl who attended the Blue Coat Church of England School in Coventry, died today, hours after being given Cervarix - the controversial cervical cancer vaccine manufactured for the UK market by Glaxo SmithKline.

Natalie was injected with the vaccine as part of the UK National Health Service's (NHS) immunization program directed at teenage girls with the purpose of protecting them against strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a sexually transmitted disease.

The NHS started the HPV vaccination program in April last year and has recorded 2,137 reports of adverse effects following the injection.

The National Vaccine Information Centre (NVC), a private vaccine-safety group based in the US, reported that from 2006 as many as 11,900 girls and young women had reported adverse events after receiving the Gardasil vaccine, which is manufactured by Merck Pharmaceutical for use in the US and Canada.

These adverse events included such mild reactions as pain, fever, nausea, dizziness and itching, to serious effects such as Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures. The number of deaths associated with the Gardasil vaccine by the NVC is between 32 and 45 in the US alone.

Read the whole story at LifeSiteNews.com

I Chose Life Part IV: La Toyia's Story

2009-09-29T15:09:00.001-05:00

La Toyia was involved with prostitution when she got pregnant. She almost died delivering her baby. She knew the risks involved. Find out why she chose life.

Woman implanted with Wrong Embroyo Carries Baby to Term

2009-09-24T15:44:00.006-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

See what the Church says about In Vitro Fertilizatino (IVF) on our new Catholic Pro-Life Committee IVF Issues page.

Must see TV: New Jersey Congressman says ObamaCare "the abortion industry bail out bill of 2009"

2009-09-22T13:53:00.004-05:00

Washington Quickie: White House Still Refusing to Endorse Abortion-Excluding Language in Health Care Bill

2009-09-22T09:26:00.005-05:00

By Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 18, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Despite the Obama administration's repeated dismissal of the controversy over abortion funding in the health care reform bill, a confrontation between White House officials and Americans United for Life (AUL) Thursday revealed what pro-life leaders have been warning all along: that the White House is unlikely to put its money where its mouth is and support language in the bill that would explicitly prevent taxpayer funds from going to abortion and abortion providers.

Read the rest of the story at LifeNews.com

The Evolution of Fr. John Jenkins on the subject of life

2009-09-21T15:01:00.024-05:00

We watched as Fr. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, vigorously defended his decision to allow pro-abortion President Barack Obama to speak at the commencement ceremony in May. In the months between the announcement and the actual day, many of us prayed that by some miracle, Fr. Jenkins would reconsider at the last moment and choose life and faith over popularity and mainstream prestige.

It didn’t happen.

Four months later, those who had the courage to stand and pray in peaceful protest at Notre Dame are still being persecuted today.

The story has been playing out in the headlines:

88 Pro-Lifers Arrested at Notre Dame Still Facing Jail Time: Thomas More Lawyer Again Asks Fr. Jenkins for Leniency
Friday September 4, 2009

Jenkins’ Response:
Notre Dame President Says Protesters’ Fate Out of His Hands
Posted 9/18/09 at 7:02 AM

(Jenkins, left, with Obama at Notre Dame)

And then things got kind of weird:
Notre Dame President to Join March for Life, Form Pro-Life Task Force on Abortion
September 17, 2009

Now, at least one Catholic leader has called Jenkins out for trying to straddle the pro-life fence:
Pro-Life Catholics Express Skepticism About Notre Dame President's Overtures
September 18, 2009

“The Cardinal Newman Society president Patrick J. Reilly issued the following statement today in response to an
announcement of new pro-life initiatives at the University of Notre Dame…

These are welcome steps in the right direction—the sort of activities
that Catholics should expect from any Catholic college or university—but there are serious steps that Notre Dame should take immediately to atone for
its shocking betrayal of the U.S. bishops and the Catholic Church last
spring…”

I'm sure there will be more to come.

Right now, the about face looks like Jenkins trying to save face more than a real concern for protecting the dignity of life. Apparently, the prestige of the fighting Irish is a more important cause than the fight to uphold Church teaching and those trying to protect it.

They did not return the whole time I was there

2009-09-17T15:03:00.001-05:00

From a CPLC sidewalk counselor:

Mom and daughter sat in their car for a while when they arrived. I went up to the car and showed them the information. Mom got out and talked with me at length while daughter sat in the car and cried.

She was a twenty something year old african american female. Mom stated that she did not want daughter to have the abortion, and I gave literature to her which she gave to her daughter. Daughter refused to talk to me but was very emotional and mom got back in the car and gave her the information and after talking for a while they left.

I gave her my number but have not heard from them. They did not return the whole time I was there. (3 hours)

Video: I Chose Life Part III: Amanda’s Story

2009-09-11T11:48:00.007-05:00

I Chose Life Part III: Amanda’s Story

Amanda was in an abusive relationship back home in Arkansas. A domestic violence shelter told Amanda they would help her and her unborn child out by giving her a bus ticket to any shelter that would take her in. After calling nine states, Amanda finally found a shelter that would accept her in Texas—the Missionaries of Charity in Dallas.

That’s when she found her way to GEMS.

GEMS (Gabriel Education Ministry and Support) is a part of the Project Gabriel ministry. The Catholic Pro-Life Committee has nine ministries that strive to protect the lives of the unborn and care for their family members. “I Chose Life” is a 5-part video series capturing the stories of five young women who had the courage to come out of difficult situations to bring their children into the world. Their “yes” could have easily been “no.” Find out why they chose life.

Next Time:
La Toyia was a prostitute when she got pregnant. She almost died delivering her baby. She knew the risks involved. Find out why she chose life.

BREAKING NEWS: Pro-Life Activist Shot and Killed in Michigan

2009-09-11T09:37:00.008-05:00

OWOSSO, Michigan, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A pro-life activist was shot multiple times and killed this morning in front of Owosso High School in Michigan, according to local police cited in the Flint Journal newspaper.

Locals say that the victim, James Pouillon of Owosso, was well-known in the area for his pro-life activities. Local columnist Doug Powers wrote on his blog that Pouillon, known as “the abortion sign guy," was known for standing on street corners holding up signs with pictures of aborted children.

A second individual was shot and killed in a different area of the city shortly afterward, and the two shootings are believed to be related, according to Shiawassee County sheriff George Braidwood. Police confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody at the suspect's home shortly after the 7:30 a.m. shooting.

A black car was parked near the scene of the shooting, where a portable oxygen tank lay in a front yard next to a large sign with the word "Life" and an image of a baby.

In the wake of the tragedy, Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life told LifeSiteNews.com that he hoped to see "a strong expression of indignation from the pro-abortion community, just like there was a strong expression of indignation form the pro-life community at the killing of Dr. Tiller."

Secondly, Fr. Pavone called for "a renewal of unity within the pro-life community, coming to one another's assistance supporting one another, and by no means allowing fear or intimidation to have any role in our lives, but rather to move forward in peaceful organized ways to stand against this evil of abortion."

Developing...

--Kathleen Gilbert, Lifesitenews.com

Face Off: Planned Parenthood vs. the USCCB

2009-09-02T15:23:00.030-05:00

This is something that played out in the media last month, but it’s still receiving a lot of attention and definitely worth posting.

First, there was this:
The Gloves are Off: Planned Parenthood President Slams U.S. Bishops on Abortion, Healthcare

...which came from Cecile Richards’ letter to the Huffington Post where she says a lot of things that don’t add up, including this:

“Seems that, if the U.S. Conference had its way, the national health care system would make American women second-class citizens and deny them access to benefits they currently have.

The danger, of course, is not simply that the bishops are pushing to erode decades of legal access to contraception and abortion in America.

Their hard-line opposition to women's rights also endangers millions of women around the globe -- where women also need universal health care access. The effort to criminalize access to safe abortion endangers most women in the developing world -- the very women that you would think the bishops would be concerned about.”

And then, thank God, there was this from the USCCB back to Richards:
In face of Planned Parenthood attack, USCCB official insists abortion is not health care

Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the USSCB’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, brought back some sanity and factual data to the conversation.

“I think what Planned Parenthood is saying is that millions of people must continue to go without basic health care unless they can get their wish list of making everyone pay for abortions. I think that the charge of being ‘single issue’ falls squarely back on Planned Parenthood’s side, because this is not the kind of health care that most Americans want to purchase or have to pay for.”

Doerflinger reminded Richards that the taking of human life, at any stage, is not health care at all, and most Americans don’t want to pay for abortions. He goes on to respond to Richards’ other accusations.

“Our major arguments on this have not been about contraception. She likes to change the subject...

The Catholic Church has done more to fight AIDS in Africa than Planned Parenthood has. Planned Parenthood doesn’t want people to know that hormonal contraception has actually been associated with an increased risk of contracting AIDS. It has nothing to do with preventing AIDS, something to do with making it worse…

She keeps talking about how we’re trying to diminish a right. A mandate is not consistent with a personal choice. If what she’s talking about is people’s personal ability to choose whether or not to buy abortion coverage, we’re not going to oppose legislation that allows that.

We’re talking about the government mandating that people purchase abortion coverage against their will. Why would she be against that if she favors ‘choice’?"

Part 2 of 5-part video series "I Chose Life"

2009-08-28T11:35:00.008-05:00

I Chose Life: Part II—Maria’s Story

Caught in an abusive relationship, Maria is brought to her knees after a tragic accident leaves her and her four children with no support. At that point, Maria finds out she’s pregnant with her fifth child. With no where else to turn, she makes a phone call that changes her life.

GEMS (Gabriel Education Ministry and Support) is a part of the Project Gabriel ministry. The Catholic Pro-Life Committee has nine ministries that strive to protect the lives of the unborn and care for their family members. “I Chose Life” is a 5-part video series capturing the stories of five young women who had the courage to come out of difficult situations to bring their children into the world. Their “yes” could have easily been “no.” Find out why they chose life.

NEXT TIME ….
Arkansas was home for Amanda. After leaving her violent boyfriend, Amanda is told by a battered women’s shelter that they will give her a bus ticket to any where in the country that will take her and her unborn baby in. She ended up in Texas with GEMS. This is her story.

Part I of 5-part video series "I Chose Life"

2009-08-19T14:40:00.014-05:00

I Chose Life: Part I--Devon’s Story

Devon has just been put out of her mom’s house and was staying at her best friend’s home when she found out she was pregnant. She had no high school education, no job, no way of supporting herself or her unborn child. Desperate, she turned to the Catholic Pro-Life Committee’s Project Gabriel ministry, not realizing that decision would change her future and her son, Hayden’s.

NEXT WEEK...
Caught in an abusive relationship, Maria is brought to her knees after a violent tragedy leaves her and her four children with no support. At that point, Maria finds out she’s pregnant with her fifth child. What does she do?

Top Pro-life leaders join forces on Healthcare bill reform video

2009-08-19T13:41:00.002-05:00

For more, visit www.stoptheabortionmandate.com

A message from Catholic Radio 910AM

2009-08-19T09:59:00.007-05:00

KATH 'Building the House of God' Radiothon

Update August 19th, 2009

Wednesday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

Greetings!
Today is Day 2 of the 'Building the House of God' Radiothon on KATH 910 AM on the Guadalupe Radio Network.

Yesterday we received 140 calls for $48,530 in donations. This is about 30 fewer calls then we had on the first day of the Spring Radiothon back in March.

We hope today will exceed yesterday's numbers. If you have not done so already, please call to make your pledge today by calling 800-476-3311 between 8 a.m.-7p.m.

If you pledged yesterday, Thanks! Please keep the Radiothon in your prayers today and also please forward this email to your friends and family members and ask them to make their pledge today.

Thanks for your support in leading souls to Christ through Catholic Radio in North Texas. I hope you have a great and holy day today.

God bless you and your family,

Dave Palmer,
General Manager

Side Note --
Dave Palmer and the rest of the folks over at KATH Radio are HUGE supporters of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee in continuously helping us get out the message of the Gospel of Life. 910 AM really is one of the only places the Catholic Church has a voice on the airwaves, and we need to support them in their mission as they do in ours. Every little bit helps!

Breaking down the Healthcare Bill the pro-life way

2009-08-14T14:57:00.020-05:00

Feel overwhelmed by all the information swirling around H.R. 3200 (a.k.a, the big honkin’ freak of a healthcare bill we’ve all been talking about)? Here is some basic info to help you sort out the junk from the real thing.

The Gist: The CPLC, other pro-life groups and the majority of good sensed Americans are opposed to this bill for a number of reasons. Our Main Focus at the CPLC is that it has been confirmed by certain lawmakers and the Associated Press that abortion funding IS indeed included in the bill.

Why so much confusion?
There are a lot of mixed messages out there coming from the media, local politicians and President Obama himself.

How do we know for sure that abortion is included in the bill?
The Family Research Council put together this handy dandy little run down of the H.R. 3200/abortion truth. It’s called 6 Proofs It’s in There… There are specific statements with the name of the person who said them on what date and in what context.

One thing I learned from this document that really surprised me is that seven individual senators and representatives tried to include amendments that would prohibit abortion coverage in the bill during the month of July, and all seven times, each person was shot down by the bill’s sponsors. This tells me that the people who are pushing this bill do not really care about making progress at passing legitimate healthcare reform as much as they do about pushing a pro-abortion/pro-death piece of legislation off on the American people.

Read 6 Proofs It’s in There…for yourself and decide what you think. If you find value in it, forward it to your friends and family or print it off and show them the piece of this debate that they might be missing.

What’s going on right now?
Congress is on a short break during the month of August and will return to Washington, D.C. after Labor Day. NOW is the time to contact them via email, phone calls, faxes, face to face, whatever, just let them know how you feel. Regardless if they’ve forgotten or not during their time in Washington, they DO still answer to their constituents (you and me), so don’t feel pressured to be silent about something that is important to you.

Questions are the answers
The FRC also published 20 Questions to Ask Your Legislator About Health Care Overhaul, a two-page document that can help you draw some sensible answers out of a very complex situation. Questions 6, 9 and 16 are specifically about abortion in the bill.

Question 9 is particularly interesting:
"Do you know that the bill before Congress gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services uber-authority over everyone’s health insurance and every single plan detail, and that the bill grants her such authority and other authority over all aspects of health care more than 200 times in the bill?"

That’s a scary piece of truth there, considering that the Sec. of Health and Human Services is pro-abortion/pro-death former Kansas governor, Kathleen Sebelius. Sebelius, who is publicly and financially linked with Planned Parenthood and former late-term abortionist George Tiller, would have control of “every single plan detail.”

What ever happened to being pro-choice (ie. options)? I guess certain members of the debate think they’re looking out for our best interest by giving us the choice to pay for other people’s abortions that we’re principally opposed to or pay for other people’s abortions that we’re principally opposed to. Wow, that’s real big of them.

Helpful links

If you know your zip code, you can find out who your U.S. representatives and senators are and the physical address of their local offices near you. Use the phone number to call and make an appointment.
www.congress.org
www.votesmart.org
www.americanfamilyassociation.org

You DO have a choice, and you CAN make a difference.

Pro-Life Headlines -- Friday, Aug. 14, 2009

2009-08-14T10:09:00.027-05:00

Lots of good stuff today on LifeNews.com’s Daily Headlines. If you're truly interested in what’s going on in the pro-life world from day to day, subscribe to their free daily or weekly feed.

CDC Figures Show Teen Abortions Lower in States Accepting Abstinence Funds

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new report relying on data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) finds the states that accepted abstinence education funding saw greater reductions in teen abortions compared to states that didn't. The information provides another argument in favor of funding abstinence education programs. Full story at LifeNews.com

Wayne State University Settles With Pro-Life Student Group Over Discrimination

Detroit, MI (LifeNews.com) -- Officials at Wayne State University in Michigan have settled a lawsuit filed by the campus pro-life student group which said the university discriminated against it. Last year, WSU Students for Life said university officials refused to allow the organization the same access to student fees and facilities as other student groups. The pro-life students contacted the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a pro-life group that filed a lawsuit against the school and its student fee policy.

Joseph Martins, an ADL staff attorney, informed LifeNews.com today that it reached a favorable settlement on behalf of WSU Students for Life. Wayne State has agreed to change its unconstitutional student fee and facilities use policies and pay back previously denied student fee funds. Full story at LifeNews.com

UN Data Shows Pro-Abortion Laws Lead to More Maternal Deaths for Women

New York, NY (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- The world's largest abortion provider, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), has recently acknowledged an alarming "surge" in maternal deaths in South Africa, challenging the pro-abortion mantra that liberal abortion laws decrease maternal mortality. Maternal deaths increased by twenty percent in the period 2005-2007 in South Africa, a country that since 1996 has had one of the most permissive abortion laws on the African continent.

While deaths attributable to HIV/AIDS account for the biggest portion of maternal deaths in South Africa, IPPF acknowledges that a portion of deaths are "due to complications of abortion" in a country where the procedure is legal and widely available.

The nation with the lowest African maternal mortality rate is Mauritius, according to a 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) report. Mauritius' laws are among the continent's most protective of the unborn. Full story at LifeNews.com

Kansas Court Scraps Charges Against Women on Free Speech Rights on Abortion

Overland Park, KS (LifeNews.com) -- A Kansas court has thrown out charges against a woman who wants to assert her free speech rights to help women outside the Planned Parenthood abortion business in Overland Park.

In March, Overland Park filed criminal charges against Kansas City Catholic Diocese employee Carrie Kafka. City officials sued her saying she violated a city ordinance by allegedly obstructing traffic entering and leaving the abortion center's parking lot even though video evidence proves she never obstructed traffic. The pro-life legal group Alliance Defense Fund handled Kafka's case and attorney Daniel Blomberg appeared in court to defend her. Full story at LifeNews.com

Baby arrives for Núñez family!

2009-08-13T09:36:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Sendy Núñez, CPLC Gabriel Angel Coordinator,
and her husband Hugo on the safe delivery of their first child, Johann Matthias!

We're so proud to have Sendy with us since last year when she came from the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia!

Catholic hospitals, abortion and the hijack of healthcare reform

2009-08-11T11:29:00.014-05:00

Catholic hospital administrators and staff have had to make tough decisions as the line between professionalism and faith gets blurred.

Amid controversy that the new state plan of Massachusetts included abortion procedures, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston, declined the awarded contract, which was set to fund a network of Catholic hospitals. (Read the whole story)

Cathy Cenzon-DeCarlo, a Catholic nurse at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, was forced to perform an abortion, even though she was supposedly protected under the Conscience Clause. With the help of the Alliance Defense Fund, she is now suing the hospital for violating her rights. (Read the whole story)

I think more stories like these will start appearing as ordinary people have to make extraordinary decisions.

‘Hijacking’ of legitimate reform

Fr. Frank Pavone, President of Priests for Life, shows how abortion is very much a part of the healthcare bill, whether the language of the bill spells is out or not, and why we need to oppose it.

Fr. Frank: “Abortion isn’t healthcare. What disease does abortion cure? There’s no proven medical benefit from the procedure, and yet, it’s the most common surgery in America right now. “

“Let’s not [let the abortion lobbyists] hijack this very legitimate effort at healthcare reform.”

Sounds good, Mr. Representative. Except it’s a total farce.

Rep. Tim Ryan (D –Ohio) makes reducing abortions sound real easy-- just throw government-funded condoms and birth control pills at these women, and the abortions in these widely impoverished areas will go down! That’s the greatest idea ever! I must have missed that part of the Gospel where Jesus is preaching to the crowds and the apostles and he says, “Here are the poor. I give them to you. Now, give them condoms and pills pumped with harmful hormones, and the kingdom of Heaven will be yours!”

That’s not the answer. Contraceptives do not help women in any instance, they only harm. There’s a fabulous new documentary out called Maafa 21 that gives you all the facts and figures of this. Please, please, please check it out for yourself because I could not begin to go into all the eye opening details that are exposed.

A final note on Rep. Ryan—

Democrats of Life for America has recently cut ties with Ryan because of his newfound pro-abortion stance. His support of this bill, which would include tax-payer funded abortions, is the latest example of the path he has chosen.

Want to get involved?

Use this message Texas Alliance for Life wrote to talk to your Representative today, so that you won’t have to start paying for someone else’s abortion!

Congressman: Would Rather Save My Soul Than Back Pro-Abortion Health Care

2009-08-06T15:38:00.009-05:00

It’s encouraging to see a politician with a moral compass. Let’s hope Anh Cao is the first of many.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Congressman Anh Cao is the first member of the House of Representatives from Vietnam. Cao is a Catholic who strongly favors helping Americans struggling with health care, but he has a high calling that, he says, prevents him from supporting the pro-abortion government-run bill.

HR 3200, the main health care legislation in the House, faces strong opposition from pro-life groups because of its pro-abortion components…

“I know that voting against the health care bill will probably be the death of my political career,” Cao said. "But have to live with myself, and I always reflect on the phrase of the New Testament, ‘How does it profit a man's life to gain the world but to lose his soul.’”

Read the whole article at LifeNews.com

If you know your address, you can find who your Congressman is for your area. Send them an email or call them to let them know what you think about the Federal government trying to make you and me pay for abortions.

Congratulations to our newest MEV Milissa Kukla

2009-08-04T12:26:00.015-05:00

CPLC Prayer Director makes final promises as a Missionary of the Gospel of Life

Last Saturday, July 25th, at the conclusion of his talk on "Debunking the Myths" at Pro-Life Boot Camp, Fr. Frank Pavone conducted a special ceremony for all those in attendance. The Prayer Director and Communications Assistant of the CPLC, Milissa Kukla, made her final promises as a lay associate of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life (M.E.V.) in the presence of Fr. Pavone!

This lay association, founded by Fr. Pavone, was started to assist those who feel called to defend the unborn and to work with the Church in carrying out that mission. The lay ministry is based on the spirituality of Priests For Life and Fr. Pavone and the other priests on staff at PFL travel the country to train these lay associates to do pro-life work.

Below are the promises that Milissa made in the presence of Fr. Pavone and the People of Life.

The formula of promises for the lay associates shall be as follows:

"I, Milissa Kukla, in the presence of God the Father, the Creator of all Life,
Jesus Christ the Son, the Resurrection and the Life, and the Holy Spirit, Lord
and Giver of Life, in the presence of Father Frank Pavone and of this gathering of the People of Life, do joyfully promise, for the rest of my life, to live as
a Lay Missionary of the Gospel of Life. I promise to defend my brothers and
sisters whose right to life is under direct attack, and to be, especially for the unborn, the voice they do not have. I promise to pursue union with God in
all things, and holiness of life which will foster my love for the weakest among us. I further promise to engage in pro-life work, according to the spirituality and virtues of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, and to collaborate with their work to the best of my ability and within the context of my own vocation. I am confident that the Victory of Life has already been won through the Cross and Resurrection of Christ, and as the Church proclaims, celebrates, and serves the Gospel of Life, Christ will transform the Culture of Death into the Culture of Life."

We want to congratulate Milissa and give thanks to God for this latest infusion of grace into the pro-life movement!

If you would like to send a message of congratulations to Milissa, contact her at:

mkukla@prolifedallas.org

Find out more about the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life by clicking here.

Pro-Life profile: Rev. Walter Hoye

2009-07-31T14:29:00.029-05:00

Rev. Walter Hoye has been arrested in California for counseling women, praying and holding signs in front of an abortion clinic—all things we do here at the CPCL through our Convert-to-Life ministry. These are also First Amendments freedoms we enjoy and will be taking advantage of when the 40 Days for Life campaign kicks off in September here in Dallas and across the country.

Celebrate Life Magazine has a great 3-page spread on him, The Persecution of Rev. Walter Hoye, in their July-August 2009 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here if you want to read the whole thing. Here are some excerpts.

Rev. Walter B. Hoye II is a pro-life Baptist pastor in Berkeley, California, who feels a special calling to reach out to his fellow African-Americans to end the genocide-by-abortion taking place in their communities. In 2006, he began going weekly to Family Planning Specialists, an Oakland abortion business. There he would stand outside, offering pro-life literature and attempting to converse with abortion-minded women by asking, “May I talk with you about alternatives to the clinic?” His demeanor was unfailingly friendly and low-key.

Hoye’s presence enraged clinic management, who them enlisted the help of Oakland City Council members to enact, on December 18, 2007, a “Mother, may I?” bubble zone ordinance applicable within a 100-foot radius of any Oakland abortion business.

What does “bubble-zone” ordinance mean?

This law makes it a crime to approach within eight feet of any person seeking to enter the abortion facility in order to:
· offer literature
· display a sign
· engage in oral protest, education or counseling without that person’s consent

Watch Rev. Hoye’s supporters stick up for him during the March trial.

Inside the jail, Hoye fasted, led Bible studies and won six men to Christ. Outside, numerous people began praying and sidewalk counseling, for the first time, at Family Planning Specialists. The April 8 Contra Costa Times reported.

I love this. Even in jail, this man is not a victim sitting cursing his accusers. He’s still spreading a message of love and hope in a place with bars and despair.

[Hoye] went free Tuesday with a wider, louder network of anti-abortion supporters than before he went to trial…Now…his backers said the city’s year-old “bubble law” …has backfired. “They would have been in a better position if they would have left him alone. They picked on one man on one street, one day a week trying to reach one woman at a time with one sign for one hour,” said Dion Evans, pastor of Alameda’s Chosen Vessels Christian Church. “Now a mobilization has come together because they’ve created an unjust law. People like myself who havebeen cheerleading are not on the sidelines anyone. We’re now in the game.”

My favorite quote is the last bolded one. Evans is so right. There was a time for “cheerleading,” but now it’s time for those of us who know better to get in the game.

CPLC on the radio today!

2009-07-13T11:21:00.004-05:00

Listen to Andrew Smith, CPLC Communications Director, talk with KATH radio host Dave Palmer today at Noon about this Saturday’s CPLC Catholic Action Training (CAT)!

Click here to listen to 910 AM “Radio for your soul” live!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-02T15:58:00.004-05:00

Give thanks for God’s care over our nation, and pray for the freedom of life this weekend and for those who defend it overseas and here at home!

God bless the USA.

You’re invited a CPLC movie screening!

2009-07-02T15:51:00.006-05:00

“Maafa 21: Black Genocide in the 21st Century” is a ground-breaking new documentary exposing the history of abortion and Planned Parenthood’s role in killing off the African-American community one baby at a time.

The CPLC invites you to a special screening on:

Tuesday, July 7
7:00 p.m.
St. Rita’s Catholic Church
Sweeney Lounge
12521 Inwood Rd
Dallas, Texas

The movie runs 2 hrs. and 17 mins. Space is extremely limited, so call 972-267-5433(LIFE) to RSVP or get info on holding a screening at your parish.

Watch the trailer:

Visit the Maafa 21 website for more information about the movie.

Breaking laws: Alabama Planned Parenthood caught in the act

2009-06-30T11:54:00.009-05:00

Undercover UCLA student Lila Rose caught Planned Parenthood in Alabama breaking statutory rape reporting laws. After finding out that a Tennessee Planned Parenthood was breaking similar laws, the state pulled funding earlier this month.

Keep up the good work, Lila and the rest of the Live Action team!

Pro-Life News Quickies June 25, 2009

2009-06-25T11:57:00.030-05:00

Pope to meet with Obama July 10 during evening audience

Rome, Italy -- Pope Benedict XVI will meet with President Obama while he is in Italy for the G8 summit, a meeting of the world’s wealthiest nations.

Good News: Tennessee Ends Planned Parenthood Funding
State Legislature, Tennessee -- After being exposed by undercover college student Lila Rose for ignoring statutory rape laws in Memphis, state votes to cut $1.1 million in funding.

Catholic Answers sues IRS, alleging ‘intimidation’ on political issues
El Cajon, California -- The apologetics organization Catholic Answers has filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service claiming the federal tax collection agency has “intimidated” churches and non-profit groups into silence on politically controversial moral issues like abortion.

Women's Group Challenges Komen for the Cure to Debate Abortion, Breast Cancer
Washington, D.C. -- A women's group that educates the public on the link between induced abortion and breast cancer is challenging Komen for the Cure to a public debate. Komen has upset pro-life advocates for ignoring the abortion-breast cancer link and giving grants to Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion business.

Scary: Indian woman forced to undergo five abortions by husband and in-laws sues
Ahmedabad, India -- The woman filed a police complaint on Sunday accusing her husband and in-laws of mental and physical torture.

PETA gets it right, but oh, so wrong

2009-06-18T16:08:00.008-05:00

We got a call this morning from Jody, who wanted to let us know that she was outraged by PETA’s statement chastising President Obama for killing a fly during an interview with CNBC yesterday.

Here’s the deal. Alisa Mullins wrote this on the official PETA blog this morning about the fly swatting “He (Obama) isn't the Buddha, he's a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act.”

Translated: Even though he was being taped for national television indoors, Obama should have been humanitarian enough to stop what he was doing, think about the compassion he should have for the life of this fly and all who would be affected by its death, and find a more life-friendly way of dealing with this precious, fragile creature, aka the fly.

That’s all well and good, but if you’re going to scold the President of the United States for not having compassion and a life-friendly attitude toward something, shouldn’t it be for something like, say, I don’t know, a human life or more specifically, the life of an unborn child?

This is where PETA gets it wrong time and time again. Don’t get me wrong. I love animals. I’ve taken in my share of strays (cats, raccoons, opossums), but a line has to be drawn between the life of an animal and the life of a human being. PETA obviously doesn’t get that. I’d like to see them get behind the cause of the most popular mammal on the planet – the human race!

This is what Jody called to tell us. She said she rang up PETA before contacting us to give them a piece of her mind, too. Good point, Jody. Well put.

Oh, the horror.

Another Chuck Norris joke! Oh, wait, it’s for real.

2009-06-16T15:59:00.006-05:00

In a column published on WorldNetDaily.com, tough guy actor Chuck Norris goes through a whole list of reasons “Why Obama scares me, too”, including President Obama’s lack of urgency and understanding for protecting the unborn.

"You [Obama] scare me because you claim to be a fighter for minorities and constitutional promises of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, yet what greater minority can be defended than those in the womb, against whom you have already enacted more pro-abortion-related laws than anyone since Roe v. Wade?"

I have to say this surprised me at first, but way to go Chuck! I guess the column is a warm up before “Law” and “Order” get involved. Ha.

(If you got the joke, thanks for laughing.)

Click here to read the whole column on WorldNetDaily.com

Pro-Life Blogger named “Worst Person in the World” by Pro-Abort Media Figure

2009-06-12T15:59:00.008-05:00

Pro-life blogger Jill Stanek was named “Worst Person in the World” by MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann on June 4. Stanek will be one of our guest speakers at our 2009 Pro-Life Boot Camp in late July.

“…I proudly accept my award. Thank you for the badge of honor, Keith!” Stanek wrote on her blog.

“My award comes for supposedly making the supposedly last 2 late-term abortionists in the free world sitting ducks for Tiller copycat killers by posting their addresses and photos of their mills. Never mind that I didn't actually post the addresses of LeRoy Carhart and Warren Hern (see posts here and here), had I done so it would have been akin to posting the address of President Obama and being accused of making him a target for nutcases.

Libs, get a brain. These guys both advertise on the web. They want people to know where they operate, pardon the pun.

Tomorrow Keith had best make Google the 'Worst Search Engine in the World!' for posting a map and directions to Carhart's Abortion & Contraception Clinic of Nebraska and Hern's Boulder Abortion Clinic....

Furthermore, Carhart and Hern have enjoyed more positive press in the past 4 days than they've had over the course of their sick and sorry careers, gleefully taking every call from every news organization. Suddenly they're brain-sucking heroes. They love it.”

The world needs more “worst” people to stand up for the dignity of life, even if the mainstream media labels you and your readers as wackos. Keep up the good work, Jill.

CPLC husband and wife welcome baby girl!

2009-06-10T09:29:00.006-05:00

Jacquelyn Smith, Catholic Pro-Life Committee (CPLC) Youth for Life Director, and her husband Andrew Smith, CPLC Communications Director, welcomed baby Felicity into the world! Felicity was born at 6 p.m. yesterday, weighing 8.9 lbs—the same as 2-year-old big sister Cecilia.

Thank God for small miracles that happen every day. Hey Smith family, way to keep the pro-life movement alive in your home!

George Tiller USCCB Statement

2009-06-03T15:31:00.006-05:00

The Catholic Pro-Life Committee may or may not put out an official statement about the shooting death of late-term abortionist George Tiller. Until then, we refer to and fully support the statement put out by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on June 1.

WASHINGTON—Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, expressed profound regret upon learning of the shooting death of abortion doctor George Tiller.

"Our bishops' conference and all its members have repeatedly and publicly denounced all forms of violence in our society, including abortion as well as the misguided resort to violence by anyone opposed to abortion," Cardinal Rigali said. "Such killing is the opposite of everything we stand for, and everything we want our culture to stand for: respect for the life of each and every human being from its beginning to its natural end. We pray for Dr. Tiller and his family."

Here’s a great clip from Fr. Frank Pavone from Priests for Life talking about the “Biggest danger" of George Tiller's murder.

New Polls Show Pro-Lifers are NOT minority

2009-05-21T15:14:00.009-05:00

Mainstream media and the Obama Administration would like to make us think we’re the only ones with these views, but according to Pew, Gallup, Fox News and Rasmussen Reports, it turns out we’re the majority.

What Americas say from the latest Rasmussen Report

Abortion is morally wrong most of the time.
58% of Americans agree
25% of Americans disagree

Abortion is morally wrong most of the time.
64% of women agree
51% of men agree

It’s too easy to get an abortion in America.
52% agree
13% say it’s too hard
21% just right

The new Rasmussen poll also asked Americans about the recent decision by the Obama administration to allow 17-year-old girls to purchase the morning after pill without consulting with a doctor or getting parental permission.

66% say 17 year-olds should be required to consult a physician before taking the pill
27% say no

What this might mean:
“New Poll May Reveal 'Obama Effect' on Americans' Abortion Views Says Fr. Pavone”

Read more about…

The Rasmussen Report
“Fourth Poll This Month Shows U.S. Public Opinion Trending Pro-Life on Abortion”

Gallup Poll
“More Americans ‘Pro-Life’ Than ‘Pro-Choice’ for First Time”

Pew Research
“New Pew Poll Shows Support for Legal Abortion Drops to Lowest Level in 15 Years”

Fox News Poll
“Poll: Majority of Americans Are Pro-Life for the First Time”

Notre Dame – The Aftermath: More footage from students’ Alternative Commencement

2009-05-21T11:18:00.007-05:00

Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D’Arcy speaks at Alternative Commencement Sunday while President Obama’s speaks inside the auditorium.

Click for Bishop D'Arcy's address and other footage from NDresponse.com

Funding for Adult Stem Cells Reaches Close Vote in Texas -- Call your Rep. to support!

2009-05-21T10:35:00.014-05:00

Yesterday, the Texas Senate passed SB 73 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Lewisville) to create an Adult Stem Cell Research Consortium in Texas. The bill will advance and commercialize adult stem cell research and treatments already being performed at more than 30 locations in Texas, helping to create high-paying jobs and attract top researchers to the state.

With less than two weeks before the State Legislature session ends, the bill still has to be approved by the Texas House of Representatives in order to become a law.

"This bill puts patients first," says Joe Pojman, Ph.D., the executive director of Texas Alliance for Life. "We commend Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst, Senator Nelson, and the Texas Senate. They are moving the state beyond the ethical and practical problems of using embryonic stem cells into the promising world of adult stem cell treatments that have already saved thousands of lives."

(see previous blog entry on difference between embryonic and adult stem cells and the Church’s position)

"Because adult stem cells treatments are highly effective and do not harm the donor, we strongly support the state's continued investment in this promising medical technology. No treatments are available using embryonic stem cells," Pojman adds.

Texas Alliance for Life has produced a series of four videos in support of SB 73 that feature Texans successfully treated in Texas using adult stem cells. Their conditions include sickle cell anemia, heart disease, cancer, and debilitating joint injury.

UT Swimmer Competing in Record Time After Injury Thanks to Adult Stem Cells

Leukemia-Free for Ten Years Thanks to Adult Stem Cells!

Heart attack victim healed by Adult stem cells

Adult stem cells cure Dallas boy of sickle cell anemia

Do something!
Call your Texas State Representative and tell them that you want them to support SB 73. Don’t know your Rep? Use your zip code to look them up at http://www3.capwiz.com/afanet/dbq/officials/ .

Sample phone or email message:
My name is ________. I live at ________. I am a constituent, and I want Representative _________ to support SB 73.

Taking two minutes to make a phone call could help save the lives of hundreds of Texans!

Notre Dame - The Aftermath: Breaking down the controversy

2009-05-19T12:15:00.006-05:00

You have to give President Barack Obama credit for one thing. The man knows how to put on a show. That’s exactly what he did during his speech at the Notre Dame commencement Sunday.

My reaction to watching the footage of the most pro-abortion president our nation has ever had stand up at a Catholic institution, address a packed Catholic audience, and receive thunderous applause and a standing ovation, was, I’m sure, a lot like every faithful Catholic’s reaction. It was enough to make my stomach turn.

Why this is important:
A. Despite his good looks and good PR, most of President Obama’s ideology on life and family issues is in direct contrast to Catholic Church teaching.

B. Notre Dame is supposedly “the premier Catholic university of America.”

The Wrong Message: If the premier Catholic university of America is letting a pro-abortion president have the podium and giving him an honorary degree, this looks like the Catholic Church is saying “It’s okay. Our values on life are really not that important. You’re right. We should move along with the times and embrace what the culture is telling us about accepting abortion. We’ve been so foolish to hold on to our antiquated teachings. Thank you President Obama for coming and opening our eyes to the whole truth.”

It produces columns like this Editorial: Obama deftly calms culture war passions that get it completely wrong.

What the media doesn’t get:
The Catholic Church is NOT a popularity contest. Pope Benedict is not going to change the teachings of the Catholic Church just because people call him names and say they hate him. Jesus was hated, Jesus was persecuted. He told us that the Church and those who stand by her will also be persecuted. Most of the apostles were martyrs for sticking by Christ’s teachings. And 2,000 years later, as faithful Catholics and disciples, we are also called to continue to stand by those teachings, no matter what mainstream society says.

Protection for the dignity of life from conception to natural death is and will always be the teaching of the Church. People who stand up for these rights are not “radicals,” they’re faithful.

Why “fair-minded words” aren't working:
A president with a mind truly on uniting not dividing would not have taken this invitation to Notre Dame. President Obama ignored the protests of over 350,000 American citizens to not come to Notre Dame. He also ignored the almost 70 Catholic bishops who voiced their opposition. He even met with Chicago Cardinal Francis George for a 30-minute sit down, at the end of which Cardinal George said Obama was on the “wrong side of history,” and “not as hopeful now as I was when he was first elected” at finding common ground.

A similar situation went down when Pope Benedict XVI met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in February this year after Pelosi, a self-proclaimed “Catholic” gave incorrect public statements about the teachings of the Catholic Church and abortion.

We should never give up hope on conversion and working to build positive conversations with our opponents, but it seems like it just goes in one ear and out the other with the Obama Administration.

Why this is just the beginning:
If a pro-abortion president can garner a standing ovation from a speech at a Catholic university’s graduation, there’s no telling where this could go.

What we do know is this is definitely a game-changer.

Notre Dame – The Aftermath: Looking at those who said ‘No’

2009-05-19T10:24:00.010-05:00

As President Obama was descending from Air Force One, Norma McCorvy, the original “Roe” from Roe vs. Wade spoke out against Obama’s presence at the formally premier Catholic university of America.

Catholic talk radio host Laura Ingraham brings to light President Obama’s fierce pro-abortion record and talks about what it means to be a real Catholic on this issue.

Sue Syr, a Dallas/Fort Worth sidewalk counselor and mother, is interviewed by FOX News on Sunday before the President speaks at graduation commencement.

Notre Dame – The Aftermath: The ‘Alternative’ to dissention

2009-05-18T15:24:00.007-05:00

Here’s what you missed this weekend in case you couldn’t go to South Bend, Indiana for the peaceful protests against President Barack Obama speaking at Notre Dame University.

Notre Dame University seniors who decided not to attend their commencement ceremony in protest of the university's decision to grant President Barack Obama an honorary law degree instead held a meditation in the university's grotto to coincide with the official commencement.

ND Response, the student-led coalition who planed the meditation, said Notre Dame should not be honoring a political figure who supports abortion and stem cell research. Watch the video.

The meditation was led by Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, as part of a two-day rally officially sanctioned by the university.

Read Fr. Frank Pavone’s “My Day at Notre Dame”

Fort Wayne-South Bend bishop Rev. John D'Arcy, led a candlelight prayer vigil for graduating seniors and their families to pray for an end to abortion and embryo research.

And at least one Catholic priest was arrested.

Report of Spanish Marriage Congress

2009-05-14T12:14:00.009-05:00

From the CPLC Director of Spanish Ministry, Aurora Tinajero.

I wanted to give you a report regarding this weekend's Marriage Congress that was co-sponsored by Spanish Ministry and Nuestra Señora del Pilar Parish. It was a historic event that covered the essential elements to truly transform the culture of death to a culture of life and to promote and defend the family as God intended it to be. There were couples from many different parishes in attendance.

Father Wilmer Daza and I, along with a team of volunteers from both his parish and Spanish Ministry, planned this event not really knowing what the response would be in light of the fact that within the Spanish-speaking community, there are two extremes, those who hold on to the traditional style of marriage and family, and those who have adopted living together and contracepting as a way of life. Our invitation was aimed at the latter, since they were the ones who needed to hear our message. We understood that we were taking a risk because they are also the ones who don't want to hear it.

We registered the limit of 100 couples, but by the afternoon session, we had couples show up who had been invited by the morning couples to come to hear what was being presented. We decided to not turn anyone away. So our morning session was full and our afternoon session was even fuller.

Couples stood in the back and in the aisles taking in every word that was shared by the speakers. I was the MC of the event and the speakers were Father Wilmer (our 2006 Pro-life Pastor of the Year), Martha Garza (an NFP-only OB-GYN from San Antonio and nationally known speaker), and Adolfo Castaneda (who is the "Defend Life" radio show host on EWTN Global Radio and studied the Theology of the Body at the Angelicum in Rome).

Adolfo covered two very important topics to set the tone of the event, "The Mystery of the Creation of Man and Woman," and, "The Spousal Nature of the Human Body."

Father Wilmer covered "Marriage: A Sacrament or a Free Union," and Martha covered, "The Physical and Spiritual Effects of Contraception" and "NFP - The Effective and Prudent Methods." She explained the risks of each artificial method with a powerful powerpoint presentation and she gave a basic understanding of how each of the NFP methods work. It was an extraordinary presentation. The couples asked that we please waive the breaks and instead just continue with the presentations - they didn't want the speakers to stop!

During the lunch break, we videotaped different couples talking about their relationships and we were truly impressed with their openness and transparency.The last hour before our closing Mass, we had a panel discussion and one of the questions was whether or not they wanted to continue having these types of events and how often, once or twice a year. They yelled "three or more!" Dr. Martha and Adolfo said it was one of their favorite congresses (Martha said it made her want to move to Dallas!) and Father Wilmer was very moved by the end hearing the couples express their gratitude for the congress.

This event showed me that through these types of formational teachings, we can help eliminate many of the evils that are threatening life and family in these difficult times. It was very, very hard work but I want to thank Edith and Sam, Laura, Omar and his parents, and the rest of SM volunteers, for faithfully serving in so many ways. You guys truly saved the day! I think we all agree it was more than worth being so tired you can't take another step to see what God can do when we obey Him!

We plan to take the event to other parishes - Father Eduardo from the Cathedral already asked to host the next one.

Awesome: Fr. Pavone tells Notre Dame grads: "Don't Show up!"

2009-05-14T12:02:00.005-05:00

"Hundreds of thousands of Catholics, hundreds of priests, and dozens of bishops have called upon Notre Dame to end this scandal by withdrawing its invitation to President Obama. The result of that demand is not in our control. But one final response to this scandal is fully in the control of each graduating senior: don’t show up."

" . . . the fact that many don't have a problem with Barack Obama sitting in a place of honor at a Catholic Commencement is simply a corollary of the underlying problem that so many don't have a problem with Barack Obama sitting in the White House."

Read the whole thing here.

'Repeating the big lie often enough convinces the public' says former abortionist

2009-05-13T10:24:00.005-05:00

Hillary Clinton May Have Misled Congress on Brazil Botched Abortion Claims

Read the full story from Lifenews.com

In a statement sent to LifeNews.com, Smith said he wasn't surprised that Clinton may have exaggerated what she saw.

“This is part of a longstanding problem of abortion advocates making unverifiable and/or bogus statements about abortion data and then using the information to try and craft bad policy," he said. "Pro-abortion activists have a long history of making these type of unsubstantiated claims. That’s how they drive policy—with gross exaggeration of numbers, hyperbole and junk science."

Smith says he is reminded of the comments of Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a former abortion practitioner and director of NARAL, who is now pro-life.

While Nathanson "told the media that 10,000 women were dying from illegal abortions in the U.S. every year, he later admitted this was all lies. Nathanson said the actual figure of women dying from illegal abortions was around 200-250 annually."

Nathanson was quoted as saying: “Repeating the big lie often enough convinces the public."

Video: Fr. Corapi speaks out against Obama at Notre Dame

2009-05-08T11:35:00.010-05:00

Fr. Corapi, a powerful speaker known for his radical conversion, posted this video to Youtube yesterday.

In addition to thanking those who signed the petition against Obama coming to Notre Dame, Fr. Corapi thanks the almost 70 Bishops who have already taken a stand, commending them for their leadership and giving Catholics hope. Here's some of what he said.

“No president in history has been so damaging for the cause for respect for life as this one [President Barack Obama], and it’s only just begun…This man, the University of Notre Dame invites in to receive an honorary doctorate degree and deliver the commencement address?

Whether intended or not, this sends a terrible message to the Catholic world and to the world at large. A picture is worth a thousand words. Which thousand words will be articulated to an already morally relativistic culture by the picture of Mr. Obama receiving such honors from a Catholic university? Metaphorically and morally, it’s like shooting yourself in the foot.

So, Notre Dame limps on.

Many of you did what you could to prevent this travesty from actually happening. I want to sincerely thank the more than 350,000 that signed the petition of protest making a singular public statement against Notre Dame’s obvious lack of good judgment that not only dilutes the university’s Catholic credibility and identity but undermines the authentically Catholic identity and credibility of the Church in this county. ..

If indeed we choose prestige over principle and popularity over morality, then we become part of the problem not part of the solution…

Pray for the university of Notre Dame, pray for our Bishops for in the end, the burden will rest on their shoulders to decide if Catholic universities like Notre Dame are Catholic or not.

Fight the good fight… Truth will triumph over lies.”

Amen Father. Preach on.

40 Days for Life: 433 lives saved and counting

2009-05-08T10:15:00.011-05:00

One of my first experiences with the pro-life movement was holding a pro-life sign on a sidewalk near HWY 635 and Macarthur Blvd. with about 15 other people as part of the Dallas 40 Days for Life “Life Chain.” Standing there on a Sunday afternoon in 2007, I felt so strong in unity with the people doing the same thing as me in small towns and big cities all over the country in solidarity for life.

A couple of people shouted rude comments at us as they drove by, but for the most part, people honked approvingly, gave thumbs up and some even stopped to ask what we were doing and how they could be involved.

I was just holding a sign for an hour, but for the first time in a while, I felt like I was actually doing something instead of just wishing I could do something.

It was my favorite ministry work that I did that year. I couldn’t wait to do it again in 2008. So, I did. And this time, there were about 30 of us, and we took up both sides of the street. And more people shouted rudely, and more people gave thumbs up and asked how they could get involved. The positive reaction was something only the Holy Spirit could inspire.

40 Days for Life started here in Texas at Texas A&M in 2004 and had its first national campaign in 2007. David Bereit, 40 Days for Life National Director, put this video out after their spring 2009 campaign ended recently. It takes a couple of seconds to start up, but stay with it. It's a great reminder of how a lot of change can come from just a little bit of effort from all of us.

Visit the 40 Days for Life website to see how you can get involved.

New video: Heart attack victim healed by Adult stem cells

2009-05-06T09:46:00.005-05:00

The Texas Alliance for Life has been doing yoeman's work raising awareness about the cures that adult stem cells have been effecting and the need for more research in Texas. Bills have been introduced in the Texas Legislature that would create an adult stem cell research consortium, making Texas the leader in the nation on this issue.

Below is the second in a series of videos that highlight the miraculous work that these stem cells have done, in this case a Austin business owner and his complete recovery from a heart attack.

More information is available here.

"Many people are not aware that there are two types of stem cells -- adult and embryonic.

Research and treatments using adult stem cells do not harm the donors. Furthermore, adult stem cells have already been used to successfully treat and often cure more than 70 diseases, including heart disease, cancer, sickle cell anemia, diabetes, and many more.

We oppose research using embryonic stem cells because these can only be obtained by destroying human embryos -- innocent human beings at the very earliest stages of life. Some supporters of embryonic stem cell research also advocate for the creation of human embryos for research through cloning. Embryonic stem cell research has demonstrated no cures whatsoever after years of expensive research, draining sparse funding dollars away from the far more promising adult stem cell research.

We urge the Texas Legislature to PUT PATIENTS FIRST by funding adult, not embryonic, stem cell research.

SB 73/HB 2379 will create a Texas Adult Stem Cell Research Consortium that will put patients first by attracting top researchers to the state and helping to commercialize successful adult stem cell treatments. Adult stem cells have already successfully treated more than 70 diseases."

‘100 Days of Death’ for Obama Administration

2009-05-01T16:20:00.018-05:00

My friend Matt Warner has some good truth to share on his blog, Fallible Blogma, today. Here are some exerts. Click here to read the whole article.

“Obama has been a busy guy over his first 100 days of his presidency. And he’s definitely had a lot of tough challenges thrown on his plate. Amazingly, on top of being able to spend the most money in the history of the world during one of our worst economies, he hasn’t forgotten at all about his promises to the abortion industry…

…The abortion industry gave Obama 15 demands when he got elected. His administration has already accomplished or is already progressing on 10 out of these 15.” Read the List

Here are a couple demands I find most disturbing.

Demand: Choose pro-abortion Federal appointees
Achieved: Nominated Kathleen Sebelius, Janet Napolitano, David Ogden, Elena Kagan, Ellen Moran, Dawn Johnsen, and more

Why this is scary: Before their appointments to these positions, they were fighting hard to make sure the abortion (Sebelius, Napolitano, Kagan, Moran, Johnsen) and pornography industries (Ogden) stayed strong and same-sex “marriage” became legalized. Now, these people are head of our country’s health care system and national security, and they speak for the President in the courts and in the media.

At least one of them (see previous blog post on DHS Report and Napolitano) is already putting out the word that those who support life and our country should be looked at as possible terrorist threats.

Demand: Reverse the pro-life Mexico City Policy, which said that if the U.S. gave money to non-governmental organizations in other countries, they had to agree not to use the money for abortions as a method of family planning
Achieved: Obama signed an Executive Order on January 23, 2009 reversing the policy

Why this is scary: Only three days after he is sworn in as President, Obama makes this one of his first orders. That’s how serious the man is about giving OUR tax dollars to other countries to make sure they have enough money to kill their children.

Remember these are only two of 15 pro-abortion measures he’s taken.

If after only his first three and a half months in office, President Obama thinks this is the best way to go about “working together to find our common ground,” then things are definitely going to get a lot worse before they get better. And better happens when more people start waking up, looking at the truth of the situation and getting involved.

Until then, more ‘enchanted’ press conferences and not getting a straight answer to questions that affect the American people.

Obama skirts questions on Notre Dame, FOCA at 100 Days press conference

2009-04-30T16:34:00.010-05:00

Colleen Raezler from NewsBusters.org talked about this on her blog today. I think it solidifies the message to the pro-life community that Obama has no intention of slowing down his pro-abortion agenda.

CNN Reporter Ed Henry asked this question to President Barack Obama at last night’s press conference:

Henry: Mr. President. In a couple of weeks, you're going to be giving the commencement at Notre Dame. And, as you know, this has caused a lot of controversy among Catholics who are opposed to your position on abortion.

As a candidate, you vowed that one of the very things you wanted to do was sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which, as you know, would eliminate federal, state and local restrictions on abortion. And at one point in the campaign when asked about abortion and life, you said that it was above - quote, above my pay grade.

Now that you've been president for 100 days, obviously, your pay grade is a little higher than when you were a senator.

Do you still hope that Congress quickly sends you the Freedom of Choice Act so you can sign it?

Watch this, and see if you can pick out a straight answer to Henry’s question.