Tag: 40 Days for Life

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Babies are being saved by pro-life efforts

News from 40 Days for Life National revealed that less than a week into the vigil, which started on September 25, already 26 babies were known to be saved by the witness of pro-life volunteers.

In Madison, 40 Days for Life volunteers have seen many turn-aways (young women or couples who have left Planned Parenthood without going through with their appointment and have either gone across the street to the Women’s Care Center or just left the area).

This happened after volunteers were seen praying and peacefully witnessing for life and telling about the support and free services available at the Women’s Care Center near Planned Parenthood.

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Vigil for Life, Madison For the Catholic Herald

National 40 Days for Life team visits Madison

40 days for life
Steve Karlen, North American campaign director for 40 Days for Life, speaks in Madison on October 29. (Contributed photo)

MADISON — On Monday, Oct. 29, the Madison 40 Days for Life campaign was blessed to hear from 40 Days for Life National Leaders: Shawn Carney, president; Matt Britton, general counsel; and Steve Karlen, campaign director.

Sue Thayer, former manager of a Planned Parenthood in Iowa, was also on hand to share her story with the 75 pro-life people assembled for the event.

When the group arrived, they were met by counter protesters from the newly formed group who call themselves Madison Abortion Defense. As the 40 Days for Life national leaders and Thayer made their way to their speaking location, they had to walk through the crowd of counter protesters who yelled, “Go home” at them.

On the other side of the counter protesters, the local 40 Days for Life leaders met the four and welcomed them to their vigil location, “We’re happy that you are here.”

Counter protesters make noise

Steve Karlen started the evening with prayer and began to speak. It was at his first words after prayer that the counter protesters made their way to the speaker’s location and stood behind the stage (a rented pickup) chanting things like, “Abortion is healthcare, abortion is a right”, “Free abortion on demand. Can we do it? Yes, we can”, and “Whose clinic? Our clinic”.

They were very loud! Kar-len was not deterred as he continued speaking and said that the noisy opposition was there because they are very worried. He talked of how the presence of 40 Days for Life at abortion facilities saves lives.

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Jeanne Breunig

Bishop Morlino has set a great example for us to continue pro-life work

To the editor:

More than 20 years ago, my new friend at our parish would take time to explain the Catholic Church’s teachings on pro-life to me. That led to meeting the pro-life prayer warriors outside the Madison Abortion Clinic across from St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison.

We were rejecting the politically correct mantra that promiscuity, contraception, and abortion are good for us. We were praying and witnessing for God’s plan for marriage and family.

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Fr. Donald Lange

Be a part of the pro-life cause to end abortion

In his visit to the United States, Pope Francis especially praised two Catholics. They were Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day.

In 1925, Dorothy Day became pregnant. Because of a previous abortion, her pregnancy seemed a miracle. Now she had to make the toughest decision she ever made. If she gave birth, Forster Batterham, the child’s father, would leave her. He would stay with her if she aborted their baby.

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Chris Lee

Eric Scheidler to speak at 40 Days for Life kick-off event

MADISON — Vigil for Life-Madison’s 2017 40 Days for Life Kick-off event will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25, at Holy Name Heights (a.k.a. Bishop O’Connor Center).

Guest speaker will be Eric Scheidler, the executive director of the Pro-Life Action League. The league was founded in 1980 by his father, veteran pro-life leader Joe Scheidler, to fight abortion through non-violent direct action. Eric is the oldest of the seven Scheidler children.

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Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

40 Days for Life concludes life-saving vigil in Madison

Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison leads people in prayer at the 40 Days for Life closing vigil on Sunday, Nov. 2. For the eighth straight year, the vigil was held outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Madison’s east side. Reportedly, two babies were saved during this year’s vigil in Madison with 528 lives saved across the country. (Catholic Herald photo/Joe Ptak)

MADISON — Bishop Robert C. Morlino was on hand to celebrate efforts to respect life as prayer warriors came out to help conclude this year’s 40 Days for Life vigil.

40 Days for Life is an internationally-coordinated 40-day peaceful pro-life campaign to end abortion.

Locally, the Madison vigil — in its eighth straight year — ran from September 24 to November 2 and consisted of prayer and fasting, peaceful vigil, and community outreach.

For 24 hours a day, volunteers prayed outside the Planned Parenthood clinic on Madison’s east side for an end to abortion.

About 50 people gathered at that site for the closing celebration on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Bishop Morlino thanked the pro-life community in Madison for its “perseverance” in praying and working toward an end to abortion.

The bishop also spoke about how everyone must continue to bring the truth on marriage to life.

Special recognition

After the closing prayer vigil, some of the group went to St. Albert Church in Sun Prairie for food and fellowship.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Showing compassion: It pays off in Wisconsin as numbers of abortions continue to drop

Respect life baby poster

It’s happened again. The number of abortions in Wisconsin has dropped for the fifth straight year. Nine of the last 10 years have seen a decline in abortions in our state, making Wisconsin one of the most pro-life states in the nation, according to some commentators.

The state Department of Health Services reported that 6,462 abortions were performed last year, down from 6,927 the previous year and about 2,000 less than the 8,500 Wisconsin had in 2009.

Continued abortion decline

“Today is a fantastic news day for Wisconsin women and children,” said Heather Weininger, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life, when the report was released.

“Our steep abortion decline continues with the release of 2013 abortion numbers which reveal there were 465 fewer abortions in 2013 than in 2012. This represents a 6.7 percent decrease in one year.”

Weininger added, “We are extremely grateful for each and every woman who gives life to her child and each unborn child saved from the violence of abortion. Wisconsin Right to Life will vigorously continue its multi-faceted programs which work to fuel the decline.”

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