Spring-Summer 2005 - Pro

Transcription

NON PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 5928
Chicago, IL
Spring/Summer 2005
Pro-Life Action League 6160 N. Cicero Ave. Chicago, IL 60646
Vol. XXIV, No. 2
PART TWO OF A TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE SERIES
Pro-Life Action on the March
The Expanding Mission of the Pro-Life Action League, 1988-1995
by Joe Scheidler
In January 1988, an employee of Vital-Med
pathology laboratory in suburban Chicago contacted Conrad Wojnar, director of the Womens
Centers, to alert the pro-life movement that when
the lab did pathology work on aborted babies,
their mangled bodies were placed in 50-gallon
drums and left on the loading dock.
Corporal Work of Mercy
Wojnar called on the Leagues Tim Murphy, who
mobilized a small group of pro-lifers to go to the
lab for several months to retrieve the bodies of the
aborted babies. Tim found various places to store
IN THIS DOUBLE ISSUE:
Pro-Life Pioneer Jack Willke Celebrates
80 Years!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
THE VINEYARD: HELPERS NEWS
Veteran Helpers Inspire New Sidewalk
Counselors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Father, Shepherd, TeacherBishop
Thomas J. Paprocki Leads Vigil for Life . . 4
Fr. Tom Euteneuer Offers Spiritual
Renewal at Helpers Retreat . . . . . . . . . 4
Activism Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
League Meets with Tribune Staff . . . . . . 6
League Serves as a Media Resource . . . . 7
GENERATIONS FOR LIFE NEWS
Teens are Eager for the Pro-Life Message. . . 8
Pro-Choice Student Becomes Pro-Life
Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
GFL Clubs Observe Pro-Life T-Shirt Day . . 9
Strong Teen Presence on Leagues
Face the Truth Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Project Reality Gala Dinner . . . . . . . . . 9
Visiting DeKalbs We Care CPC . . . . . . 9
Crusade for Life Visits the League . . . . 9
Youth Leadership Conference . . . . . . . . 9
League Joins Effort To Save Terri
Schiavo, Mourns Her Death . . . . . . . . . . 10
Scheidlers Cheer Black Americans for
Life Honorees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Strong Reactions Pro and Con Mark
Sixth Annual Truth Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Spring Tour Saves a Baby . . . . . . . . . . . 13
League Mourns the Death of John Paul
II, Celebrates Election of Benedict XVI. . . 14
Farewell, Elizabeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Mother Nature Rains on Pro-Aborts
Parade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
the aborted babies while arrangements were made
for a decent burial.
I asked Chicagos Cardinal Joseph Bernardin to
preside over a Mass and burial ceremony for these
babies. Bernardin, who was then head of the U. S.
Bishops Pro-Life Secretariat, agreed to preside at
the Mass and burial ceremony at Queen of Heaven
Cemetery. The Archdiocese of Chicago absorbed
the expenses of the funeral home, two white caskets and burial services. The ceremony was heavily
attended by the press. The Cardinal told the media
he was simply performing a corporal work of
mercyburying the dead.
The National Organization for Women latched
onto the burial of the aborted babies and used the
act of charity to add new charges and new defendants to its lawsuit against me, which had been
filed two years before. Vital-Med lab was sued, as
well as Randall Terry, Operation Rescue, Monica
Migliorino, Andrew Scholberg, Tim Murphy and
Conrad Wojnar. NOWs Molly Yard claimed there
Cardinal Bernardin (left) prays at the burial of aborted babies at Queen of
Heaven Cemetery with Archdiocesan Respect Life Coordinator, Fr. Roger
Coughlin (right).
Tim Murphy (left) and Jerry McCarthy retrieve aborted babies bodies from
the garbage behind the Michigan Avenue abortion clinic.
were up to a million unnamed co-conspirators
plotting to shut down the abortion industry.
Public Interest Intensifies
The media was interested in the pro-life movement in 1989. Nola Jones, founder of Victims of
Choice, visited Chicago and appeared with me on
WMBI radio. Garry Wills of Time magazine visited me at the League offices and accompanied me to
Sacramento, CA for a talk at a rescue rally. The following day I was arrested for standing on a sidewalk speaking to Wills and spent most of the day
in jail.
In a follow-up to our successful Meet the
Abortion Providers conference in 1987, the League
hosted Meet the Abortion Providers II on February
18, 1989 at the Marriott OHare. Dr. McArthur
Hill, Dr. David Brewer and Dr. Beverly McMillan
testified to their involvement in performing abortions and their awakening to the reality of what
they were doing. Each underwent a Christian conContinued on page 2
Scheidler To Make Historic Third Trip to the Supreme Court
As the last action of its 2004 term,
injunction and a judgment of
NOW
and
its
$257,780 on the pro-life defendants.
the U.S. Supreme Court granted
I thought that was the end of it,
Certiorari for the third time June 28 lawyers have a full
in NOW v. Scheidler, the federal lawsaid Scheidler. But NOW and its
bag of tricks.
suit brought by the National
lawyers have a full bag of tricks
Organization for Women under the
and friends in the Seventh Circuit.
Joe
Scheidler
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
The Seventh Circuit Court of
Organizations Act (RICO). Back to
Appeals accepted NOW attorney
the Supreme Court for a third time! declared
Fay Claytons theory that the Supreme Court may
League National Director Joe Scheidler. That in have overlooked four predicate acts and that the
itself must be some sort of precedent.
District Court should settle the matter of whether
the pro-life defendants are still guilty of RICO vioThe second round for the case ended in an 8-1
victory for Scheidler and the Pro-Life Action lations and whether the nationwide injunction is
League, as well as pro-life activists throughout the
still enforceable.
Briefing and oral arguments will be held on
country. That ruling, issued February 26, 2003,
contained clear and decisive language reversing the
November 30. Interestingly, Fay Clayton will not
be representing NOW during the oral arguments.
lower courts rulings that imposed a nationwide
2
Pro-Life Action News
Pro-Life Action on the March (1988-1995)
Continued from page 1
version as he began to doubt whether it was ethical for a doctor to perform abortions.
Nita Whitten and Kathy Sparks told of their
work in abortion clinics, encouraging women who
called to ask about what an abortion entails to
make an appointment, assuring them that the procedure was quick and easy and that it was their
right as women. Both also revealed that there were
shady financial dealings at the clinics where they
worked.
In March 1989 I began a series of college debates
with Bill Baird, who likes to take credit for the
legalization of abortion. It was Baird who brought
the 1972 contraception lawsuit, Baird v. Eisenstadt,
the precedent for the right to privacy cited in Roe v.
Wade in 1973.
Battling the Radical Feminists
In April, Tommie Romano, Penny Kleiner, Ann
and I traveled to Washington D.C. to observe and
counter the much-publicized NOW March for
Womens Rights. We joined a press conference covered by C-Span and CNN. Pro-lifers held STOP
ABORTION NOW signsthe Leagues new protest
signs hand-made in our office. These appeared in a
color photo in Time Magazines May 1 issue.
Tommie and Penny attended the NOW meetings in conjunction with the Rally. The sessions
included a how-to film on do-it-yourself abortions and training sessions in manipulating the
media to enable NOW to claim the pro-life title
and in infiltrating the churches.
The Pro-Life Action League held its ninth annual Awards Brunch at the Marriott OHare. The
guest speaker, Randall Terry, founder of Operation
Rescue, attracted the attention of local abortion
advocates. His talk was interrupted by an invasion
of the Janes, a group of women who performed
illegal abortions prior to Roe v. Wade. They waved
coat hangers and blew whistles until they were
ushered out of the banquet hall.
Continuing Legal Battles
I was named in a second RICO lawsuit filed by
the town of West Hartford, CT in June 1989.
Perhaps emboldened by NOWs outrageous and
ever-growing NOW v. Scheidler RICO suit, West
Hartford enlisted the assistance of NOWs attorneys in an attempt to apply the racketeering laws
to pro-life rescuers. I had never been to West
Hartford, CT, but was nonetheless at the center of
the new suit.
In early July 1989 the U. S. Supreme Court ruled
in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, permitting
the first restrictions on abortion since Roe v. Wade.
The ruling approved Missouris law barring public
employees from assisting in abortions and prohibiting abortions in state hospitals. The Missouri law
also required doctors to conduct viability tests on
fetuses believed to be twenty weeks or older.
Molly Yard (center), president of the National Organization for Women
when RICO charges were added to the NOW v. Scheidler lawsuit.
Education Campaigns
In the wake of the Webster decision, the League
launched a massive campaign to educate Illinois
priests and enlist their help in mobilizing Catholic
parishioners in the fight against abortion, in the
hope of placing restrictions on abortions in Illinois.
Each priest in Illinois received a letter and collection of photographs of the aborted babies retrieved
from a garbage dumpster behind a Michigan
Avenue abortion facility. We asked the priests to
preach on abortion and to encourage their congregations to demand that public officials protect
human life.
Members of the League staff joined the audience
at the Oprah Winfrey Show in July when her
guests were Judie Brown, Dr. Beverly McMillan,
Spring/Summer 2005
NOW President Molly Yard and abortion advocate
Judith Widdicombe. The Leagues Tommie
Romano was able to give an emotional testimony
that women are lied to by abortion providers.
Confronting the Abortionists
Faye Wattleton, head of the Planned Parenthood
Federation of America, visited Chicago in
September to speak to one of the groups local affiliates. The League was on hand to greet Wattleton,
carrying placards with life-sized pictures of her face
and statements of what Planned Parenthood stands
for: TEEN SEX CLINICS, TEEN PREGNANCY EPIDEMIC,
BLACK GENOCIDE, PLANNED BARRENHOOD. The
September 13 Southtown Economist featured a photo
of the demonstrators with the Wattleton placards
on the front page.
In the fall of 1989 the League learned that
Edward Allred, owner of California-based Family
Planning Associates, had purchased Chicagos
Albany abortion facility and opened another downtown, as well as referral offices in Schaumburg, IL
and across from Bogan High School on Chicagos
South Side. Tim Murphy alerted South Side pro-lifers
and the president of the bank that leased the office
space to Allred. We brought enough pressure to
bear that the bank evicted Allred. Two Chicago
aldermen introduced an ordinance to prohibit
abortion facilities and referral offices in close proximity to schools.
In response to a pro-abortion aldermans outburst about pro-lifers trying to legislate morality, I
uttered my now-famous comment: For those who
say I cant impose my morality on others, I say, just
watch me. With the Allred clinics operating in
Chicago, the League stepped up its sidewalk counseling activities.
The Leagues lawyers had deposed Molly Yard
when NOW expanded its lawsuit against me and
the League. In November we took an aggressive
stance and sued Yard and NOW for defamation of
character. (Yard and NOWs then vice-president
Patricia Ireland had called me an arsonist and a
bomber at a press conference in 1988.)
An Expanding Mission
I spent 120 days on the road in 1989, speaking
in over forty cities, spreading the Leagues
Continued on page 3
Pro-Life Pioneer Jack Willke Celebrates 80 Years!
The Life Issues Institute, founded by Dr. Jack
Willke and Bradley Mattis, hosted a gala
Celebration of Life in honor of Dr. Willkes 80th
birthday. The gathering of over five hundred at the
Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cincinnati, OH on April
5 was both a stupendous birthday party and a
dynamic fundraising event.
A veritable Whos Who in Pro-Life came together in Cincinnati to give their best wishes to a great
leader in the movement. Dr. Willke and his wife
Barbara are pioneers in the life education effort.
They introduced slides featuring the stages of fetal
development in the late 1960s, shortly after the
technology for intrauterine photography made
those photos available. The Willkes have always
believed in the value of the picture of the unborn
baby and of the aborted baby to leave an impression on the viewer and help change the culture.
I used Jack Willkes slide presentation for
years, said Joe Scheidler. Jack and I know that a
picture is worth ten thousand words.
Each table at the Celebration of Life was decorated with an entire birthday cake, which was later
cut and served. Master of Ceremonies Ken
Blackwell introduced the features of the evening
and shared recollections of his friendship with Dr.
Willke.
Publisher:
Editor:
Assistant Editor:
Contributors:
Celebrating life, from left: Ann Scheidler, Jack Willke, Joe Scheidler,
Barbara Willke, Joe Brinck and Cindy Brinck
Steve Forbes, editor of Forbes magazine and former U.S. Presidential candidate, was the keynote
speaker. As he took the podium he joked that he
appreciated the free meal he was treated to, especially in the wake of his mid-life attempted career
change. Forbes spoke of the importance of educating Americans on the value of life and urged the
guests to contribute generously to the work of Life
Issues Institute.
As a surprise to Jack and Barbara, the marching
band from Jacks high school alma mater, Roger
Bacon High School, marched into the banquet hall
playing the school fight song, then led the crowd
in a rendition of Happy Birthday.
Joseph M. Scheidler
Eric J. Scheidler
John Jansen
Annie Casselman
Dan Gura
John Jansen
Julie McCreevy
Ann Scheidler
Joseph M. Scheidler
Eric J. Scheidler
We welcome Letters to the Editor and submissions
from contributing writers. For comments, submissions or subscription information:
Pro-Life Action League
6160 N. Cicero Ave.
Chicago, IL 60646
Tel: 773-777-2900
Fax: 773-777-3061
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.prolifeaction.org
Newsline: 773-777-2525
Spring/Summer 2005
approach to pro-life activism across the U. S. and
Canada, emphasizing the Chicago Method of
Sidewalk Counseling. As the year drew to a close
the League released our blockbuster video, Meet the
Abortion Providers, a documentary on the testimonies of former abortion providers who told their
stories at the Leagues Abortion Providers conferences.
Jerry Horn, a pro-life activist from Appleton,
WI, joined the Pro-Life Action League staff in
1990. Jerry had organized Walk America for Life,
along with his colleague and pastor, Norm Stone,
and Melody Green of Last Days Ministries. The
Walk presented Baby Choice, an 18-week aborted baby, to the American people as Jerry arranged
for rallies and talks all across the country.
While in New York for a meeting with Cardinal
John OConnor, I learned that abortion proponents
were holding a Rejoice for Choice service at the
Madison Avenue Baptist Church on January 19.
Three other pro-life activists and I infiltrated the
congregation.
After listening to praise for women who had had
the moral courage to have an abortion, as the
group stood to sing O God, Our Help in Ages
Past, we pro-lifers stood up and held large photographs of aborted children. We were quickly ushered out of the church by New York City police
officers. The pastor decided not to press charges.
In March the League held its first national seminar on sidewalk counseling, featuring Andrew
Scholberg, Jeannie Hill of Denver and Frances
Shipley, who worked with Msgr. Philip Reilly of
Brooklyn to found the Helpers of Gods Precious
Infants. The Leagues Jerry Horn, who is also a
master chef, provided a gourmet lunch for the
attendees.
Dr. Jack Willke and the National Right to Life
Committee decided to hold a huge pro-life march
in Washington DC during Cherry Blossom season.
The rally featured Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Dr.
James Dobson and Rep. Henry Hyde. NRLC
picked up on the Leagues trademark STOP signs
and distributed thousands of red and white STOP
ABORTION NOW signs to marchers.
Exposing Fays Lies
The League was notified by Glen Ellyn residents
that Fay Clayton, pro-abortion attorney in the
NOW v. Scheidler lawsuit, was scheduled to speak at
a meeting of the DuPage County Chapter of
NOW on June 19 at St. Peters Evangelical
Lutheran Church. I attended the talk with forty
pro-lifers, including Jerry Horn, Andy Scholberg
and Tim and Bea Murphy.
Pro-life press conference in Paris, 1990 (from left): Michel Raoult, Ann
Scheidler and Patrick Bray
When Clayton lauded the Roe v. Wade ruling
which created the right to abortion, Horn called
out, Not for long! Clayton assumed the comment came from me and asked me to keep my
comments to myself. When I advised her that it
was Jerry Horn who had spoken, Clayton replied,
Jerry Horn. Youre next, referring to the fact that
she planned to depose Horn in the NOW case.
Clayton was challenged by Tim Murphy when
she referred to his retrieval of the aborted babies
remains as theft, and by Bea Murphy when she
claimed that unborn children are not persons. I led
chants of Life Yes, Abortion No, which prompted Clayton to pick up her briefcase and walk out of
the church.
In connection with the NOW v. Scheidler RICO
suit, NOWs attorneys released a list of 207 coconspirators, including some people neither I nor
any other pro-life activist had ever heard of. The
League published the list and encouraged those on
it to contact the NOW attorneys and ask why they
were included.
Mobilizing the Nation
On June 25, 1990 members of the League joined
representatives of several other pro-life organizations in New York to confront media censorship
and distortion, distributing packets of materials to
those attending the national convention of the
Newspaper Guild. The League used New York as
the launching point for its Truth in Media Caravan,
visiting other cities around the country to highlight the medias role in promoting abortion.
In late June 1990 the American Life League
hosted United 90, a national pro-life conference
and TV rally. The Leagues assistant director Jerry
Horn took a brief leave of absence from the League
to help coordinate Unity 90.
The League led more than 500 pro-lifers in the
annual Independence Day Parade in Des Plaines,
The Pro-Life Action League brings its 1990 Truth in Media campaign to
the Chicago Tribune headquarters on Michigan Avenue.
IL in response to the announcement that the local
NOW chapter would be marching. NOW managed to recruit only twenty-seven participants.
A legal victory was won on October 10 when
Judge Daniel Mahoney of the Second Circuit Court
of Appeals threw out the West Hartford, CT
multi-million dollar RICO lawsuit filed against me
and nineteen other pro-lifers.
French Connection
In October Ann was invited to participate in a
pro-life conference in Paris. While there she met
with Senator Bernard Seillier, the leading pro-life
member of the French Senate. She also met with
nurse and pro-life activist Francoise Robin, who
coordinated demonstrations at a hospital where
abortions were performed. Robin and pro-life doctor Brigitte Guglielmena were very interested in
the Leagues Chicago Method of sidewalk counseling and in the video, Meet the Abortion
Providers, which had been translated into French
by Patrick Bray of Tours, France.
Ann, who speaks French, made a presentation at
a press conference organized by the largest pro-life
organization in France, the Association for
Conscientious Objection to all Participation in
Abortion (AOCPA), and spoke at the national
meeting of pro-life representatives from the
provinces of France. It was clear that French prolifers are relying on the pro-life movement in the
United States to provide guidance in the international battle against abortion.
3
At the Abortion Centers
Early in 1991, Chicago pro-lifers were happy to
learn that the Park Medical Center, an abortion
facility on Chicagos North Side which had been
the site of many anti-abortion demonstrations, a
lock-and-block rescue, a car rescue and weekly
sidewalk counseling, had closed. Calls to Park Med
were forwarded to Allreds nearby Albany abortion
clinic, but at least there was one less killing center
in the city.
Rescue at Park Medical Center, Mothers Day 1989.
In February 1991 a Pro-Life Action League sidewalk counselor spoke with a young woman scheduled for an abortion at Family Planning Associates,
who had conducted a pregnancy test and reported
to the woman that she was pregnant. The sidewalk
counselor accompanied her to Aid for Women, a
pregnancy resource center, for counseling and
another pregnancy test. This test came out negative, so Aid for Women did the test again. Once
again, negative. Later that day the woman took yet
another pregnancy test at a public health clinic,
and it, too, was negative. The young woman was
grateful that she was saved by the sidewalk counselor from undergoing an abortion procedure when
she was not even pregnant. The League had been
alerted by several former abortion clinic workers
that it is routine to do abortions on non-pregnant patients and pocket their money.
More than 150 demonstrators picketed the
Albany abortion clinic on February 23 to highlight
the racist leanings of Albanys owner, Dr. Edward
Allred. Sidewalk counselors regularly distribute
copies of a San Diego Union in which Allred speaks
enthusiastically about aborting Hispanic and black
babies. They also distribute summaries of the malpractice lawsuits that have been filed against
Albany and Allred himself.
Two days prior to the large Saturday protest,
Pastor Danny Maynard of High Praises Church led
a rescue at Albany so police were on hand as soon
as the picketers arrived. Pastor Maynard brought a
busload of demonstrators from High Praises and
strolled onto the clinic parking lot to talk with
police. Although the clinic administrator was clearly unhappy to see Maynard back at her clinic, she
did not order him off the parking lot or demand
that he be arrested.
I spoke at several banquets in the Canadian
Province of Saskatchewan in mid-February and
addressed students at the University of
Saskatchewan and two high schools. During a
picket of a hospital in Saskatoon, I led the twentyfive picketers right into the hospital lobby. While
we were praying for the babies aborted there each
week, a security guard grabbed me by the collar
and tried to shove me down the stairs, an action
caught on camera and aired on local TV news.
The Leagues 11th annual Awards Brunch March
3 at Drury Lane Oakbrook honored Bishop Rene
Gracida of Corpus Christi, TX. Bishop Gracida
earned the respect of the pro-life movement when
he excommunicated an abortionist and two abortion clinic directors after warning them of the evil
of their activities.
Continued on page 6
4
Spring/Summer 2005
Father, Shepherd, Teacher
Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki
Leads Vigil for Life
by Julie McCreevy
Veteran Helpers Inspire New Sidewalk Counselors
On Saturday, March 19, 2005, Julie McCreevy
of the Chicago Helpers of Gods Precious Infants
held a sidewalk counseling seminar in the conference room at the office of the Pro-Life Action
League, which sponsors the ministry of the
Chicago Helpers. Every nook and cranny of the
conference room was packed as thirty-one dedicated pro-lifers gathered to increase their knowledge
and effectiveness as prayer warriors and sidewalk
counselors.
Julie gave instruction and step-by-step advice on
the Helpers sidewalk counseling methods. She also
invited Walter Stumpf and Cathy Mieding to make
presentations to the group.
Seminarians Act Out Typical Sidewalk Scene
Walter, along with Deacon Ed White, is a leader
of the Gospel of Life group, a contingent of
Archdiocese of Chicago seminarians from
Mundelein Seminary. These dedicated future
priests pray and sidewalk counsel regularly with
the Helpers at Chicago area abortion facilities.
Eight seminarians came to the training seminar.
Walter and fellow seminarian Eduardo Martinez
acted out a situation that is frequently encountered
while sidewalk counseling. Eduardo played the role
of the Abortion-Minded Father, and Walter took
the role of the Sidewalk Counselor. The scenario
was instructive to the neophytes in the group, and
amusing to the veteran counselors, who could so
well relate to it, as Eduardo played the role of the
stubborn Abortion-Minded Father to the hilt.
In the end, Walter prevailed and Eduardo, the
now contrite Father Ready To Choose Life for His
Baby, agreed to go back into the imaginary abortion clinic to retrieve his imaginary wife.
Photo by Julie McCreevy
A packed League conference room for the March 19 training seminar
Encouragement from a Veteran Counselor
Following this mini-drama, Cathy Mieding
shared some insights gained during her eleven
years faithfully and heroically sidewalk counseling
outside Chicagos Albany Medical-Surgical Center,
a late term abortion facility. She exhorted the
group to be open to the inestimable gift of counseling abortion bound parents and helping them
choose life instead of death for their unborn babies.
Cathy told the group, There is no greater joy
than to know that a baby who was on the verge of
being killed through abortion will live because her
mother or father spoke to a sidewalk counselor
who was willing to sacrifice and to be present at
the abortion clinic. Hundreds of children are alive
today because Catherine has been an instrument of
Gods grace to abortion bound mothers and
fathers.
The meeting concluded with a delightful chanting by the Mundelein seminarians of the Salve
Regina, the Latin version of the prayer Hail, Holy
Queen. The inspiration and enthusiasm fostered
by Walter, Eduardo and Cathy made for a very successful training seminar.
Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of the Archdiocese of
Chicago joined three hundred volunteer Chicago
Helpers of Gods Precious Infants on Saturday,
April 30 to lead the Helpers thirteenth Vigil for
Life. Since 1998, Bishop Paprocki, Cardinal
George and Bishops Raymond Goedert, Jerome
Listecki (now bishop of the Diocese of LaCrosse,
WI), John Manz and the late Edwin Conway have
all participated in Helpers of Gods Precious
Infants Vigils for Life, leading the faithful in
prayerful procession to various abortion centers
within the Chicago Archdiocese.
Father, Shepherd and Teacher of All
The April 30 Vigil for Life began at St. John
Berchmans Church on Logan Boulevard in Chicago
with a Mass offered by Bishop Paprocki. During
his homily, His Excellency wore his mitre and held
his crosier, a privilege reserved to him as Bishop
and symbolizing his authority as a successor of the
apostles and as a father, shepherd and teacher. His
Excellency mentioned the importance of the
encyclical Humanae Vitae, written by Pope Paul VI,
which stated anew for the modern age the
Churchs timeless teaching on the sacrament of
marriage, the gift of children and the destructive
nature of contraception for the family and society
as a whole.
Bishop Paprocki also shared some remarks he
gave at a Mass that he celebrated for the repose of
the soul of Pope John Paul II at the Basilica of St.
Hyacinth on April 3, the day after our Holy Father
passed away. Governor Rod Blagojevich was in
attendance at this standing room only Mass in a
basilica that can seat two thousand.
Courageous Bishop Confronts Governor
The governor had very recently signed an order
requiring pharmacists in the state of Illinois to fill
prescriptions for all contraceptives, including the
so-called morning-after pill, regardless of their
objections of conscience or faith. Before offering his
final dismissal at the April 2 Mass, Bishop Paprocki
Continued on page 5
Fr. Tom Euteneuer Offers Spiritual Renewal at Helpers Retreat
On Saturday, July 30, thirty-five Chicago
Helpers of Gods Precious Infants sidewalk counselors and prayer warriors gathered for a day of recollection and retreat at Marytown, a Franciscan
monastery and retreat center in Libertyville, IL.
They gathered in the early afternoon, after spend-
Fr. Euteneuer speaks about Our Lady during the Helpers Retreat, July 30
ing the morning sidewalk counseling and praying
at abortion facilities throughout the area.
The Chicago Helpers were privileged to welcome
Fr. Thomas Euteneuer as their retreat master. As
president of Human Life International, Father
Euteneuer travels throughout the world spreading
the Gospel of Life. The gracious gift of Fathers
time leading the Helpers retreat was highlighted
by the fact that he was to leave the next day on a
week-long pro-life mission to Indonesia.
Our Prayers Are Shafts of Light
The retreat began in the exquisite Mother of
Sorrows Chapel. Through his inspiring meditations, Father encouraged and affirmed the Helpers
in their efforts to save babies, likening their prayers
to shafts of light which pierce the darkness inside
the abortion clinics. Father told them, Send your
Guardian Angel to assist the Guardian Angel of
the person who is in spiritual danger. Father glorified the Precious Blood of Christ, explaining, the
devil cannot penetrate the Precious Blood. In
prayer and especially during the elevation of the
chalice at Mass, generously apply the Precious
Blood to yourself and all who are in need. Father
spoke of Our Lady of Guadalupe as a loving son
would of his own mother, in a tender and affectionate portrayal of the goodness and power of our
Blessed Mother.
After his meditations, Father heard confessions,
then conducted an uplifting and enlightening
question and answer session. The Helpers were
able to ask Fr. Euteneuer whatever was on their
minds regarding the spiritual battle they face in
their mission to the unborn. Dinner followed, with
Helpers from throughout the region breaking
bread together as they met for the first time or
renewed old acquaintances.
Pray for Fathers Global Mission
The day of retreat concluded with Mass celebrated by Fr. Euteneuer in the Mother of Sorrows
Chapel. After Mass, the Helpers gathered around
Father to thank him for the wonderful day. He
replied, Although you thank me, please know that
in coming here, I too received many blessings from
you, today.
The Helpers hope Father Euteneuer will be able
to lead them again in a future retreat. Please pray
for Father and Human Life International as they
lead the pro-life battle around the world. And
remember to pray for the Helpers, too!
Spring/Summer 2005
5
Bishop Paprocki Leads Vigil for Life
charitably but firmly confronted Governor
Blagojevich. He said that as an attorney himself, he
could attest that the governors order did not
respect laws already on the books pertaining to
freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. He
then called on the governor to rescind the order in
honor of the life and teachings of Pope John Paul
II. Bishop Paprockis account of his confrontation
with Blagojevich drew an enthusiastic round of
applause from the Vigil for Life congregation at St.
John Berchmans.
No Abortions Performed during Vigil
At the conclusion of Mass, the faithful, led by
Bishop Paprocki, set out to pray for the lives of the
unborn, processing five blocks from St. John
Berchmans to American Womens Medical Center
abortion clinic. Outside the clinic the group prayed
fifteen decades of the Rosary, singing hymns after
each decade appropriate to the mystery which had
just been prayed.
Bishop Paprocki leads the Vigil for Life at AWMC, April 30
As the vigil continued, it was remarkable that no
abortion-bound mothers entered. This is unusual
for a Saturday morning, when forty to fifty abortion appointments are typically scheduled. Possibly
the appointments were diverted to an abortion
center in suburban Des Plaines owned by the same
abortionist, but sometimes a seemingly simple
change in plans becomes an opening for grace,
inspiring the abortion-bound mother to rethink
the whole situation and choose life. Hopefully the
outpouring of prayer aided many to do so.
After the vigil outside of American Womens
Medical Center concluded, the faithful continued
in prayer as they processed back to St. John
Berchmans. Bishop Paprocki bestowed a final
blessing on the crowd, and graciously remained to
greet the many faithful who wished to thank him
for his courageous witness.
Bishop Paprocki can be assured that the Helpers
of Gods Precious Infants will support him, pray for
him and bless himour father, teacher and shepherd.
by John Jansen
by a Washington, D.C. court of possessing a dead
body for the purpose of public display.
White was arrested outside of a Planned
Parenthood facility during the so-called March for
Womens Lives in April 2004 for holding a vial
containing the remains of an unborn baby who had
been killed by abortion.
During the trials closing arguments, the judge
asked the government prosecutor if the fetus was a
human being. The prosecutor initially said yes, but
later said that the baby merely constituted part of
a human body. The governments position on the
matter clearly confused the judge.
Brian Chavez-Ochoa, of the Life Legal Defense
Foundation, which represented White, declared,
The Lord Jesus Christ deserves the credit and the
glory for this victory. Had he been convicted,
White would have faced up to three months in jail
and a $200 fine for displaying human remains
without a permit.
Colleges, Dominican Republic see the Truth
The indomitable Missionaries to the Preborn
conducted two large-scale Campus Tours at colleges and high schools in Iowa and Indiana this
past April. The Missionaries distributed tens of
thousands of pieces of literature and showed the
ugly truth about abortion to an even greater number. Throughout both four-day statewide Tours,
the group was able to minister to those at several
major universities and high schools, and to the
general public.
At the University of Iowa, despite tremendous
hostility, one professor spontaneously joined the
Missionaries and passed out literature. At Purdue
University in West Lafayette, IN, more than a
dozen nearby residents joined the group, and a
local TV station even covered their efforts. At
Indiana State, two members were invited by a professor to give an impromptu presentation to a class
Operation Rescues Latest Success
and answer students questions.
Notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller
The group was blessed with unseasonably warm
recently
saw yet another employee resign since
weather throughout the Tours, which helped them
Operation Rescue announced its
reach many more people than they
Year of the Rebuke Campaign to
otherwise would have.
The
broken-down
pray for clinic workers and let their
The Missionaries also recently took
their graphic abortion pictures to the sign outside Tillers neighbors know how they make
their living.
Dominican Republic, where citizens
mill
seems
to
be
a
Nurse Jennifer Van Deest is the
are resisting the governments
eleventh
employee to resign from
attempts to make abortion legal.
sign of the times.
Tillers abortion business in the last
Pastor Matt Trewhella remarked that
Cheryl
Sullenger
18 months, including other nurses
the groups graphic pro-life display
and clinic managers. Many of these
was like a spiritual atomic bomb
employees have not been replaced.
going off in the nation. Nearly everyone who was
The broken-down sign outside Tillers mill seems
offered Missionaries literature took some40,000
to be a sign of the times, noted ORs Cheryl
pieces were distributed. Many even spontaneously
Sullenger. It is almost as if it reflects the general
joined the group.
disarray that is currently plaguing Tillers failing
Trewhella commented, Here in this nation of 8
abortion business. His employees are abandoning
million, you dont have millions of women and
him, he is under investigation for assorted incidents
men trying to justify their sin of killing their own
of wrongdoing, and business has never been worse.
son or daughter. They instantly recognized the evil
Operation Rescue also recently unveiled a new
of abortion for what it isand they wanted to stop
website,
www.truthtruck.com, dedicated to its
it from coming onto their shores!
fleet of Truth Trucksvehicles with huge images
Northern Ireland Activists Harassed
of graphic abortion pictures mounted on three
On February 19, members of the Belfast-based
sides. ORs Truth Trucks have been all over
group Precious Life were showing pictures of America this summer, including northern Illinois,
aborted babies in the citys centeras they had
when one of the Truth Trucks accompanied the
done every week for the past seven yearswhen
Leagues own Face the Truth Tour at more than
police seized one of their display
half our sites.
boards and threatened two of the
We will continue CLOSED: 2 Florida Abortion Clinics
groups members with prosecution
to show the true
An abortion clinic in southern
for displaying offensive material.
Florida
has been evicted from its
Precious Life founder Bernie reality of abortion.
facility after apparently lying to its
Smyth commented, We will not be
We will be out
landlords. According to a West Palm
deterred by the police action today.
Beach based pro-life group, the
We will continue to show the true
again showing
abortion clinic told the buildings
reality of abortion. We will be out
these
pictures
on
the
owners that it would not be peragain showing these pictures on the
abortions. Susan Pine, presstreets of Belfast.
streets of Belfast. forming
ident of FACE Life, said that repreThree weeks later, Smyth and othBernie
Smyth
sentatives of the WomanCare clinic
ers from Precious Life were praying
misrepresented themselves to the
and distributing literature outside of
property
owner
in order to secure the location.
a Belfast abortion referral agency when its director
Tammy Sobieski, owner of WomanCare, also
came out and doused Bernie with a bucket of
recently shuttered an abortion clinic she had been
water. The incident was reported to police, and the
operating in Cocoa, FL. Pine commented, We are
director was cautioned for assault.
thrilled that there are two less facilities in our
We will not be intimidated, remarked Smyth.
beautiful state that are focused on the destruction
She vowed: We will not be stopped from carrying
of innocent human life, that exploit women in dire
out our pro-life work.
and unusual circumstances, and that rob men of
Pro-Life Activist Found Not Guilty
their fatherhood. At the time it closed, Pine estiOn April 8, Jeff White, director of the pro-life mated that the West Palm Beach facility had been
youth organization Survivors, was found not guilty
performing 5000 abortions per year.
6
Spring/Summer 2005
International Travels
I was presented with an honorary professorship
by the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara at
an international pro-life conference in Guadalajara.
And Ann was invited to return to Paris for a conference sponsored by Laissez Les Vivres, where she
spoke on activism in the United States and inadvertently discovered that the French word for
activism actually translated to terrorism!
While in Paris Ann met David Logan who asked
the League to participate in an international appeal
to the Catholic Cardinals meeting in Rome in April
that they step up their efforts to restore protection
to the unborn. The League received many positive
responses from its mailing to the worlds then 142
cardinals. The Cardinals requested that John Paul
II issue a statement on abortion that would reaffirm the sacredness of human life. In 1995 the
Pope issued his encyclical Evangelium Vitae.
In November 1991 I attended a conference
sponsored by the Pontifical Council on the Family
in Rome. During the course of the conference the
attendees attended a Papal audience. Pope John
Paul II welcomed the pro-life leaders and greeted
them individually. I had the opportunity to present
the Pope with a copy of my book CLOSED and to
give him a petition asking for the public excommunication of public office holders who claim to be
Catholic and yet support abortion. When I told the
pope I was from Chicago, John Paul II remarked,
Chicago, a very pro-life city. The Pope asked the
pro-life leaders for input on the document he was
preparing on the value and dignity of human life.
While in Rome, Steve Wood, Bogomir Kuhar
and I picketed a Rome hospital where abortions
were performed, holding signs reading ABORTO NO!
VITA SI!
SpeakOut Illinois
The first SpeakOut Illinois breakfast and rally
was coordinated by the Leagues Tommie Romano
on January 22, 1992. Tommie organized the event
with the cooperation and sponsorship of thirty-four
Illinois pro-life organizations. Over five hundred
guests attended a breakfast at the Bismarck Hotel.
Talk show host Jerry Rose served as master of
ceremonies and Joseph Cardinal Bernardin was the
main speaker. Cardinal Bernardins appearance
also drew the attention of the local media resulting
in excellent news coverage of the memorial event.
I debated abortion advocate Bernie Koenig of the
Canadian Abortion Rights League at the
University of Western Ontario in London, ON on
February 3. To the chagrin of the spokesman for
the abortion side, the majority of the audience was
pro-life, and the president of Ontario Students for
Life explained that the audience was representative
of the attitudes on campus. While in London, I
also led an abortion protest and spoke to seminarians at St. Peters Seminary.
In February, NOW v. Scheidler headed to the
Federal Appellate Court in Chicago after being dismissed by Judge James Holderman in May, 1991.
Joining Forces
Chicago pro-lifers joined in solidarity with their
counterparts in Ireland on March 3 as they demonstrated outside the Irish Consulate in support of
Irelands ban on abortion. The international media
had been pressuring Ireland to ease their restrictions on abortion, using a highly publicized story
about a young Irish girl who they claimed was
raped and wanted to travel to England for an abortion. It was widely believed among pro-lifers that
the entire situation was a set-up to challenge
Irelands law.
The Pro-Life Action League joined forces with
other pro-life organizations to defeat the Freedom
of Choice Act (FOCA) supported by NARAL,
NOW and Planned Parenthood. At Tommie
Romanos suggestion, the League gathered hundreds of thousands of petitions asking Congress to
oppose FOCA.
In April, 1992 the National Womens Coalition
for Life, representing 1.5 million women, called a
press conference in Washington, D.C. at which the
petitions were presented. Participating groups
included Concerned Women for America,
Feminists for Life, the International Black
Womens Network, the Life After Assault League,
the National Association of Pro-Life Nurses, the
National Council of Catholic Women, Victims of
Choice and many others.
Following the National Womens Coalition for
Life press conference, the Pro-Life Action League
held another press conference at the Rayburn
House Office Building where the quarter-of-a-million signatures were presented as evidence to the
members of Congress that the Freedom of Choice
Act must be defeated.
The Zeal of Ahab
While in Washington the pro-life contingent
countered a NOW rally at Union Station. I joined
a rescue at the Hillcrest Clinic, Tim Murphy
Joe meets Pope John Paul II at a 1991 meeting of pro-life leaders in Rome
helped set up the Cemetery of the Innocents
including symbolic tombstones representing
women who have died from legal abortionand
several of us cut across the NOW We Wont Go
Back march carrying STOP ABORTION NOW signs.
The pro-lifers sensed an attitude of defeat among
the pro-abortion marchers, some of whom resorted
to vicious attacks. A group of clinic escorts began
beating up on me, but I was fortunately rescued by
Bobby Sullivan, a young man I had met at a prolife breakfast that morning.
The April 27 issue of Newsweek magazine singled
me out among pro-life activists whom Newsweek
credits with the anticipated downfall of Roe v. Wade.
Newsweeks John McCormick wrote that the people who fought abortion in this country fought it
with a holy fervor, in the spirit of Joseph Scheidler,
a former Benedictine monk who persecutes abortionists with the righteous zeal of Ahab.
The Newsweek article unwittingly brought out
the fact that activists, led by the Pro-Life Action
League, have kept the abortion issue in the forefront, generating the controversy that merits
media coverage and drawing public attention to
the abortion debate.
Pro-Abort Vandalism
Pro-abortion extremists vandalized the Chicago
office building where the Pro-Life Action League is
headquartered in mid-June 1992, repeating an
incident sixth months previous when unidentified
persons spray-painted graffiti on the windows and
parking lot of the building.
Continued on page 7
League Meets with
Chicago Tribune Staff
On March 24, representatives of several
Chicago area pro-life organizations met with
Chicago Tribune public editor Don Wycliff and
members of the Tribune staff in a beautiful paneled conference room in the gothic Tribune
Tower on Michigan Avenue.
The Tribune personnel included columnists
John Kass and Steve Chapman, as well as
deputy editorial page editor John McCormick,
senior editor for standards Margaret Holt, and
womens health issues contributor Judy Peres.
The pro-life contingent was made up of
Archdiocese of Chicago Respect Life Office
Director Mary-Louise Kurey, Executive Director
of Illinois Right to Life Bill Beckman, AbortionBreast Cancer Coalition representative Arlene
Sawicki, Concerned Women for America representative Jill Stanek and Directors of the ProLife Action League Joe and Ann Scheidler.
Addressing Coverage of Pro-Life Issues
After general introductions, Mr. Wycliff asked
us to express our particular concerns and reasons for requesting a meeting. Arlene Sawicki,
who arranged the meeting, explained that our
main purpose was to foster a better relationship
between those in the communications field and
us in the pro-life movement, so that when our
activities are presented in the Tribune, reporters
and columnists will know whom to call to get
accurate information.
Judy Peres had recently written an article on
a local pharmacist who refused to dispense the
emergency contraceptive pill. Her article had
stated that the birth control pill was quite similar in action to the Plan B and other emergency contraceptives. A reader had emailed
her to object to that statement. It was clear that
Peres had a very good understanding of how the
pill works and why we would oppose it.
Steve Chapman raised the question of
whether the pro-life movement is in agreement
on the contraception issue. Joe Scheidler
responded that there is not agreement on the
issue, but that the League was planning a seminar for pro-life leaders on that very topic.
Chapman perked up and wanted to know if
press would be invited.
Getting Pro-Life Voices into the Press
Arlene Sawicki asked Mr. Wycliff if he would
assign a Tribune liaison for pro-life issues.
Wycliff responded that he would be that person.
John McCormick explained that the Tribune
receives thousands of letters and makes an effort
to print a representational balance of letters to
the editor, and steers away from letters from
organizations, which emphasizes the importance of individual pro-lifers sitting down and
writing a letter to the editor when life issues
need to be addressed.
Ann Scheidler asked about the possibility of
submitting op-ed articles. McCormick and
Wycliff said anyone can submit an article, but it
must be timelyrelated to a current issue
and no longer than 800 words.
All parties to the meeting found it quite productive. The pro-life representatives were
pleased to discover that we were of one mind on
every topic that was discussed.
Spring/Summer 2005
7
League Serves as a Media Resource
The Pro-Life Action League has long been a
magnet for the media, but one never knows what
particular subject might pique their curiosity.
Sometimes we send out a press release on an issue
we think is highly importantlike filing a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court for the third
time!and discover there is virtually no interest.
Then we will get a call from a media outlet asking for a statement of position on emergency
contraception or embryonic stem cell research
and it will provoke a flurry of interest.
Relevant Radio takes an active interest in what
is current in the pro-life movement, regardless of
the secular medias level of interest. In February
Joe Scheidler was featured on Al Krestas show
and on the Archdiocese of Chicagos Relevant
Radio segment, discussing the developments in
the NOW v. Scheidler case.
Fox News turned to Joe for the pro-life take on
the question of what to do about frozen embryos,
after a couple sued an fertility lab for accidentally
destroying their children when the lab discarded
their stored frozen embryos.
League Contributes to Stem Cell Debate
Frozen embryos are often brought into the discussion of research on embryonic stem cells,
another topic that brings reporters to the League
for statements and background information. Joe
Scheidler appeared on a segment of Court TV on
just that topic.
On February 24 Ann Scheidler was invited to a
panel discussion on embryonic stem cell research
on the Newsmakers program hosted by Jerry Rose
on Total Living Network, along with Dr. Lauri
Zoloth, a philosophy professor from
Northwestern University, Dr. Dan Peterson, a
researcher from Chicago Medical College and
Paige Cunningham from the Center for Bioethics
and Human Dignity.
Christian and secular media focused their attention on the Terri Schiavo crisis during most of
March, and both Joe and Ann Scheidler were
interviewed several times by print media reporters
and radio talk show hosts. Joe was on Relevant
Radios Drew Mariani Show on March 18 and
again March 21, and on a panel on Total Living
Networks Newsmakers on March 24. On the
Newsmakers panel with Joe were journalist Lindsey
OConnor, Mark Epstein, an attorney specializing
in mental health and elder care, Carla Sauer Iyer,
a former nurse for Terri Schiavo, and Dr. Joseua
Hauser of Northwestern University.
Reproductive Issues Spark Media Calls
Ann Scheidler fielded a call from Fox News
Online on the new concept of delayed fertility
being marketed by a woman who is setting up
clinics around the country for women to harvest
young eggs and freeze them for later use. The
apology for this technique is to preserve fertility for women who must undergo radiation or
chemotherapy but hope to have children once
they are healthy. But the more common use of the
egg harvesting procedure is to defy the natural
reduction in fertility as a woman ages. Once the
Fox News Online article was published, Ann
received several calls from other media outlets on
the same subject.
The controversy over whether Plan B, the
emergency contraception pill, should be available over the counter brought inquiries from sev-
Various anarchist groups picketed our home in
Chicago in the summer of 1992. I learned of plans
for the first picket on June 29 while listening to the
radio. I was interviewed by several Chicago
reporters and then notified the Chicago police that
pro-aborts planned to picket my home on June 30.
I went to 7:30 Mass as usual and arrived home
shortly after 8:00 to find the members of the
Emergency Clinic Defense Coalition shouting in
front of my home.
One demonstrator lay on the sidewalk pretending to be a woman who died because she could not
get an abortion. The lawn sprinkler happened to
be in place on the front lawn and my daughter
Annie, then 17 years old, decided it was a good
time to water the lawn. (The woman on the sidewalk just happened to be in the path of the water.)
In July someone left a stack of bibles on the front
step of our home, all of them marked with obscenities or nonsense phrases. In September our home
was vandalized by members of Refuse and Resist
who painted slogans and taped posters all over the
front and back of the house while we were out of
town. We returned to discover that local television
stations had filmed the vandalism, but police had
not been called.
These attacks were a sign of the desperate measures the abortion forces were willing to take to stop
our life-saving work. We were soon to see how far
they were willing to go in court.
Creative Tactics
When Faye Wattleton announced her resignation as head of Planned Parenthood in early 1992,
she planned to take a position as host of a talk
show produced by Tribune Entertainment. The
Pro-Life Action League launched a campaign to
block the production and keep Wattleton off the
air. We contacted forty pro-life organizations
nationwide to join in the campaign. When
Wattleton came to Chicago on August 28 to film
the pilot program, we were there to protest, with
placards identifying Wattleton with abortion and
featuring photos of aborted babies. No more was
heard about the potential talk show.
League pickets CBS over proposed Fay Wattleton talk show Aug. 28, 1992.
The primary election season of 1992 saw a new
approach to campaigning as Mike Bailey of southern Indiana won a landslide victory for his districts
seat in Congress. Bailey decided to run for
Congress on a strictly pro-life platform. A former
advertising consultant, Bailey learned that federal
Photo by John Jansen
Ann gives an interview to Kelsey Kilpatrick outside an abortion facility.
eral reporters, most of whom are incredulous that
anyone would oppose making massive doses of
artificial hormones available to anyone, including
teens, without a prescription.
Press Coverage of Truth Tours
In June, Steve Peroutka of Baltimore, MD, host
of the Face the Truth radio program, interviewed
Joe Scheidler for several segments of his program,
including the Face the Truth tours in both
Maryland and Chicago. Several members of the
League staff were interviewed by newspaper
reporters over the course of the summer Face the
Truth tour in July.
Al Kresta, broadcasting from the Fairmont
Hotel at the Catholic Bishops Conference in
Chicago, again interviewed Joe Scheidler on the
highlights of the Pro-Life Action Leagues twentyfive years of activism.
The League was consulted by several reporters
for reaction to President Bushs nomination of
Judge John G. Roberts for Supreme Court justice,
in light of the fact that the League would once
again be before the High Court in November.
law requires that television stations provide airtime
at their lowest rate for congressional candidates.
He contacted the Pro-Life Action League to get
graphic video clips for his television ads. The tactic
was so unusual that just a week before the May 5
primary, Bailey and I were featured on the Jerry
Springer Show. Once the ads began running, Bailey
received dozens of calls from other pro-life politicians eager to expose abortion.
I was invited to testify May 6 before the U. S.
House Judiciary Committees Subcommittee on
Crime and Criminal Justice regarding the proposed
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE).
I reminded the committee members that there
were already ample laws against trespass in every
state and that purveyors of abortion had used antitrust laws and the RICO law against pro-lifers, so
there was no need for another federal law simply to
protect the abortionists and restrict the rights of
pro-lifers. FACE was ultimately signed into law by
President Bill Clinton on May 26, 1994.
Bringing Activism to Russia
As 1993 dawned, I accompanied Bill
Grutzmacher to Moscow. Bill had overcome the
city of Chicagos roadblocks to erect a Nativity
scene in Daley Plaza and decided he would do the
same in Red Square now that the Iron Curtain had
been raised in Russia. I went along in order to meet
with pro-life activists in Russia.
Dr. Igor Ivanovich Guzov, head of Moscows
Support for Motherhood, was eager to learn everything he could about pro-life activism in the
United States. He gathered the Moscow activists
together to meet with me and compare notes.
Abortion has been legal in Russia since 1920 and
serves as the principal method of birth control.
Continued on page 10
8
Spring/Summer 2005
Pro-Choice
Student Becomes
PRo-Life Leader
After a talk at St. Scholastica H.S. in April, Annie
chatted with members of the Respect Life Club, including President Hava Barlaj. Hava told Annie that
her talk at the school two years before had changed her
heart and mind about abortion. Have writes:
Teens are Eager FOR THE
PRo-Life MessagE
Generations for Life continues to be blessed with
many opportunities to share the pro-life message
with many receptive teen audiences.
Newlyweds Speak on Marriage
On February 23, Annie Casselman was invited to
St. Marys Parish in Sycamore, IL to speak to the
confirmation students on chastity. A month later,
both she and her husband Robert were asked to
speak to the same group about the vocation of
marriage.
The following day, Annie attended an Elgin
Deanery Meeting where she met with the
Directors of Religious Education to share the mission of Generations for Life.
Exposing Abortions Effect on Men
On March 2, John Jansen spoke to the social justice classes at Notre Dame High School in Niles,
IL, about the psychological effects of abortion on
men. The presentation was well received, with the
students showing marked interest in the testimonies of post-abortive fathers.
On February 28 and March 10, John attended
the youth ministers meetings for the Chicago
Archdioceses Vicariates I and II, where he had the
chance to meet several youth ministers who were
very supportive of GFLs mission and outreach
efforts. John hopes to work with many of them
again in the future.
On March 8, Annie spoke at the home of Laurie
Tefft of Aurora, IL to a group of young ladies on
Purity. As a follow up to her talk, the girls decided
to plan a modesty fashion show for the summer.
Photo by Jackie Galarza
John instructs Roberto Clemente High School students on the harmful consequences of abortion, May 17
It was a hot April day near the end of my
sophomore year when I learned that there was
going to be an assembly at my school that day,
and was disappointed because I dont really like
assemblies. One of the teachers at my school
came onto the stage and introduced this as a
pro-life assembly. I had never really known
what being pro-life meant, but I assumed
that this would be a boring assembly.
My attention was on the speaker, Annie, the
entire time. We were presented with definitions
and meanings of abortion and pro-life activism,
and facts and horrifying statistics relating to the
number of deaths due to this procedure.
What touched me the most, though, wasnt
the amount of psychological and physical damage that women who have suffered abortions
must endure, or the sheer magnitude of babies
killed each year; what caught my eye was the
procedure itself. We were shown pictures of the
results of abortions, and I was disgusted and
angry that humanity could allow this treatment
to occur. I decided right then that I was against
abortion.
I was too shy to ask questions at the assembly,
but I picked up some information after the pres-
Annie (left) with junior high students at St. Marys in Durand, April 17
Abortion 101 in Public Schools
On March 18, John was invited to give GFLs
Abortion 101 PowerPoint presentation to the
Human Development classes at Proviso West High
School in Hillside, IL. The pro-life message was
very well received, with several students visibly
showing emotion at the depictions of fetal development and the explanation of abortion procedures.
John was especially glad to speak at Proviso West
as it was his first opportunity to bring the GFL
message to a public school.
On March 19, Blessed Sacrament Parish in
North Aurora invited Annie to speak to their confirmation students about chastity.
On March 20, Annie was invited back to Christ
the Teacher Newman Center in DeKalb, IL to
speak on abortion. She gave her new PowerPoint
presentation, showing beautiful images of the
unborn child at different stages of development.
Chastity: Crucial Pro-Life Message
Throughout the month of April, Annie spoke on
chastity at St. Ritas in Aurora, IL, St. Marys in
Durand, IL, St. Marys in Byron, IL and St. Peters
in Spring Grove, IL.
On April 14, Annie was invited back to St.
Scholastica High School in Chicago to speak to the
entire student body on Women and Abortion. The
response from the students was overwhelmingly
positive (see related story, column 3).
John Gives a History Lesson
On May 17, John was invited to give a pro-life
presentation to several U.S. History classes at
Roberto Clemente High School in Chicago. In the
presentation, John focused particularly on the history of legal abortion and the negative consequences it has wrought on our society.
Annie with pro-choicer turned pro-life leader, Hava Barlaj
entation and studied every word and picture. I
talked to the pro-life club coordinator, and
vowed to join the club the next year.
I am now nearing the end of my senior year,
with two wonderful and productive years as
president of the pro-life club at my school under
my belt, and I owe it all to Annies talk at the
assembly on that hot April day two years ago.
Local Pro-Life Rally
by Annie Casselman
Three Catholic churches in McHenry, ILSt.
Mary, St. Patrick and Holy Apostlesare forming
a new Generations for Life chapter. To spark interest and recruit teens, they had a Pro-Life Rally on
July 5, which I attended. The rally included a concert by the Christian Band 38 Acres and a powerful testimonial by Bryan Kemper of Stand True.
Teens from all over McHenry County enjoyed great
music, an inspirational talk, excellent weather and
an opportunity to join the new GFL Chapter.
Spring/Summer 2005
GFL CLUBS OBSERve
National Pro-Life
T-Shirt Day
by John Jansen
Tuesday, April 26 was National Pro-Life TShirt Day. Teens across the country participated,
witnessing to their peers on the sanctity of
human life, including the following Generations
for Life clubs:
Julie Hobbs club, CJ Right to Life Club at
Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High
School in Dayton, OH.
9
Strong Teen Presence ON Truth Tour
by Eric J. Scheidler
This years Face the Truth Tour was blessed with
the contributions of many teen volunteers. Fr. Tom
Loya brought a group of ByzanTeens from
Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Parish in Homer
Glen, IL on July 7, when the Tour visited the Art
Institute of Chicago. Fr. Tom later interviewed
some of the teens on their experience for his Light
of the East radio program.
The Magdalen Teens for Life, a homeschoolers
pro-life club from Wauconda, joined the Tour on
July 10. Many other teens joined the Tour as well,
Peg Freiburgs club in Fond du Lac, WI.
Photo by Eric J. Scheidler
Jessica Bodohs club, Crusaders for Life in
Necedah, WI.
Warning Sign stalwart Nathan Calvino here holds a sign outside the Art
Institute of Chicago, July 7.
Jim Heims club, Voice for the Unborn,
Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford,
IL.
Diane Hermans club in Lemont, IL.
Brad Gluszewskis club at Chesterton
High School in Chesterton, IN.
Liz Chadwicks club, Generations for Life
at Cardinal Gibbons High School in
Raleigh, NC.
Jeremy Hylkas Club at Joliet Catholic
Academy in Joliet, IL.
Project Reality
GALA DINNER
Cherie Trentine described her experience holding an 8th Week of Life sign on
Michigan Avenue July 7 on Fr. Tom Loyas Light of the East radio show.
Visiting Dekalbs
We Care CPC
by John Jansen
by Annie Casselman
On February 25, Annie and I were privileged to
attend the Teens Speak Out Dinner Gala sponsored by Project Reality, a youth advocacy organization dedicated to abstinence education.
The event, emceed by 15-year old Chicago high
school student Taylor Moore, provided an opportunity for the winners of Project Realitys essay contest to voice their support for abstinence.
We are always edified to hear students extol the
merits of abstinence, and this evening was no
exception. The winning essay, written by 14-year
old Eun Young Park of Gurnee, IL, featured writing befitting of a college graduate, and served to
remind us why todays teens are increasingly
choosing to embrace the virtue of chastity.
In order to stay abreast of the pregnancy services offered to the women in my area, I visited We
Care Pregnancy Center in DeKalb. The director,
Katie Mehne and I met on June 2. She gave me a
tour of the center, introduced me to her fellow coworkers and volunteers and told me of all the services that the center offers.
Mrs. Mehne was eager for me to share the mission of Generations for Life, since We Care is reaching out to young people in the schools with the
pro-life, pro-chastity message. They recognize that
chastity education is an essential component of the
effort to guide young women and men away from
abortion. I gave her a copy of the Generations for
Life Curriculum and told her I look forward to
working together in the future.
offering their youthful enthusiasm, eager cooperation and special talent for engaging the public in
peaceful debate.
We want to offer special thanks to Nathan
Calvino and Dominic Payne, who competed to see
who could stand to hold Warning Signs most
often. The Warning Sign job can be grueling, with
the isolated sign holders positioned before the rest
of the display is set up, and picked up after everyone else has begun to carry their signs back in.
Scott and Leo Reese were also instrumental in
keeping the Warning Signs manned throughout
the Tour.
Crusade FOR Life
Visits THE League
Photo by Ann Scheidler
Joe Scheidler with a contingent of the Crusade for Life, June 27
On June 27, an enthuasitic group from
American Life Leagues Crusade for the Defense
of Our Catholic Church dropped by the
Leagues office while passing through Chicago
during their summer mission. They later joined
us for a day on our Truth Tour.
10
Spring/Summer 2005
League Joins Effort To Save Terri Schiavo, Mourns Her Death
The Pro-Life Action League joins the Schindler
family and all pro-life Americans in mourning the
death of Terri Schiavo. Terri died on March 30 of
organ failure brought on by starvation and dehydration thirteen days after her feeding tube was
removed by court order.
Its disappointing that the efforts of so many
pro-life activists and disability rights activists were
unable to prevent the killing of an innocent
woman, said League National Director Joe
Scheidler, but we are thankful that we were a part
of that great effort.
League Joins Eleventh-Hour Campaign
Scheidler and the League had joined an eleventhhour campaign organized by Operation Rescues
Troy Newman, including an open letter to the
nations pro-lifers debunking the many myths
about Terris condition and calling on all to take
action to prevent her estranged husband from having her put to death.
On March 2, Joe Scheidler did a radio interview
on Terri Schiavos plight, during which he
described the torturous death by starvation and
dehydration that Terri ultimately suffered.
On March 23, members of the League took to
the chilly streets of downtown Chicago to spread
the truth about Terri Schiavo and debunk the
myths surrounding her situation. Thousands of
The Truth about Terri Schiavo leaflets were distributed to Chicagoans. Some also held signs reading, SAVE TERRI with a picture of Terri Schiavo
before she was stricken with brain damage.
Public Education, Public Prayer
When our fliers ran out, John Jansen ran off to
make copies at a nearby copy shop while the rest of
our group prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the
Rosary for Terri and her family and all the judges
and officials involved, as well as Michael Schiavo.
At the very moment the Rosary concluded, John
arrived with 500 additional fliers.
The leafleting group received many positive
remarks and thumbs-up from passers-by, as well as
a few donations. One man stopped to speak with
Eric Scheidler about his son who suffers from spina
bifida and the mother he lost to Alzheimers.
Every life is precious, he said.
The following week, Joe, Ann and Eric Scheidler
and John Jansen joined the disability rights group
Not Dead Yet for a Save Terri protest and press
According to Dr. Guzov the average Russian
woman had had six abortions, and that it was not
uncommon to have had thirty.
The second annual SpeakOut Illinois was held at
the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago on January 21. The
League distributed 25,000 copies of a newspaper
insert, America Must Decide, for attendees to
take to their own neighborhoods to deliver door to
door. The League sponsored a bus trip directly
from SpeakOut to the March for Life in
Washington, D.C. The bus trip itself was fraught
with mishaps, late arrivals and missing passengers,
but the Illinois pro-lifers marched with hundreds of
thousands of fellow supporters of life and met with
their elected representatives during the whirlwind
three-day trip.
More Testimony from Abortion Insiders
We continued our Meet the Abortion Providers
series with conference III on April 3, 1993. Marian
Johnston-Loehner, Luhra Tivis, Judith Fetrow and
Ministries, Joan left the abortion industry. When
she announced at a meeting of the National
Organization for Women that she could no longer
support abortion, she was asked to leave the organization.
Judith Fetrow worked for a Planned Parenthood
clinic in the San Fransico Bay area. She compared
her past support for abortion to a religious commitment and admitted to being pro-lifers worst
nightmare. She said witchcraft was common in
the abortion industry, and she lashed out at
Planned Parenthood for its deceptive practices.
Marian Johnston-Loehner, who was herself a victim of abortion, founded a chapter of NOW in
Florida and soon learned that the organization
mandated support for abortion from all members.
After years of buying into the NOW rhetoric,
Marian received a copy of Dr. Jean Gartons book,
Who Broke the Baby?, which destroyed the
euphemisms she had relied on and helped her turn
away from abortion and feminism.
Photo by Dan Gura
League group prays a Rosary for Schiavo at Daley Plaza, March 23
conference outside the State of Illinois Building.
One woman held a sign reading, IM A PRO-CHOICE
FEMINIST WHO SUPPORTS TERRIS RIGHT TO LIFE.
Uncertain Future after Terri
Will Schindler v. Schiavo prove to be the Roe v.
Wade of euthanasia? Or will the nation respond by
reforming the bad lawsand the renegade judiciarythat allowed this tragedy to ensue? We must
not forget Terri, or cease praying, so her cruel
death will not have been in vain.
Hospital Demonstrations
In September, the League organized a protest of
Cook County Hospital, which had resumed abortions a year earlier. Over one-hundred-fifty demonstrators held a memorial service for the estimated
1560 babies who had died from abortion at Cook
County in the previous year. Several of the Cook
County Commissioners who opposed abortion had
sued County Board president Richard Phelan in a
challenge of his power to unilaterally reinstate
abortion at the hospital.
Jeannie French, coordinator of the National
Womens Coalition for Life and founder of the
Professional Womens Network, spoke on behalf of
pro-life taxpayers who object to the use of their tax
money to kill children and announced an ongoing
petition drive demanding an end to abortion in the
County hospital.
Other leaders participating in the memorial service included Archdiocese of Chicago Respect Life
Coordinator Mary Hallan, who read a statement
from Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, Fr. Jim Heyd,
head of the Chicago chapter of Priests for Life,
Protesters Confront President Clinton
Part I of the Clinton protest display, July 1993.
Joan Appleton testified about their roles in the
abortion industry and their motivation for getting
out of it.
Tivis worked for the notorious late-term abortionist in Wichita, KS, George Tiller. She revealed
that Tiller regularly made substantial contributions to the campaign funds of local politicians.
Appleton worked as a nurse and administrator at
the Commonwealth Womens Clinic in Falls
Church, VA. As a result of a friendship she developed with Debra Braun of Pro-Life Action
In July President Bill Clinton visited Chicago.
Tim Murphy and I, along with forty pro-lifers,
greeted the president at Midway Airport with
large CLINTON=ABORTION signs. Later, outside a
$1000-a-plate dinner at the Chicago Historical
Society, pro-lifers held graphic abortion signs and
STOP CLINTON NOW signs. Clinton snuck into the
building via a side entrance, but when he left the
event his motorcade had to pass right by the
graphic pro-life display.
Tim Murphy and I attended the Pro-Life Action
Network (PLAN) conference in Denver in August.
The conference coincided with World Youth Day.
Bill Clinton was scheduled to meet with the pope
so the pro-life activists took advantage of the
opportunity to greet Clinton with STOP CLINTON
NOW and STOP ABORTION NOW signs.
One of the PLAN activities was a protest at
Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood. The clinic
was closed due to the presence of a hundred pro-lifers, a hundred pro-aborts and a large contingent of
police.
Part II of the Clinton protest display completes the message.
Kathy Reese, representing the Black Pro-Life
Church Coalition and Rev. Bradford Traywick, pastor of the Broadview Baptist Church.
Later in September, I joined a protest at the
Swedish American Hospital in Rockford, IL,
organized by Scott Matthiew of Rockford Citizens
for Life. Pro-lifers regularly picketed that hospital
because the citys only abortionist, Richard
Ragsdale, had staff privileges there. News coverage
of the picket in a driving rain was excellent. The
Spring/Summer 2005
11
Scheidlers Cheer Black Americans for Life Honorees
by Ann Scheidler
On June 2, Joe and Ann Scheidler made a quick
day-trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the Awards
Luncheon honoring three stalwart pro-life leaders
in the African-American community. Black
Americans for Life, an outreach of the National
Right to Life Committee, presented awards to Dr.
Mildred Jefferson, Rev. Dr. Johnny Hunter and
Kay Coles James for their outstanding leadership
on life issues.
The mission of Black Americans for Life is to
encourage African-Americans to break their silence
on the tragedy of abortion in their communities.
They believe that if they equip Black people with
the facts of this modern-day genocide, they will
respond and work to end the killing of black children.
The Awards Luncheon was held in the
Manchester Room of the U.S. Capitol, under the
sponsorship of Senator Rick Santorum. The event
was organized by Day Gardner, National Director
of Black Americans for Life. Dr. Alveda King,
niece of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. and
daughter of slain civil rights activist Rev. A. D.
King, was a special guest at the luncheon and
treated the invitees to a medley of Freedom Songs,
as well as leading the group in singing Lift Every
Voice and Sing, the Black National Anthem.
Claude A. Allen, domestic policy assistant to
President George W. Bush, was the keynote speaker. He recalled hearing Kay James speak several
years ago at a pro-life meeting in Virginia. He was
Joe with honoree Dr. Mildred Jefferson at the Black Americans for Life
Awards Luncheon, June 2
so struck by her description of the impact of abortion on the black family, that he realized he had to
become personally involved in the effort to educate
his brethren and stem the tide of abortion in the
black community. He also told the story of a good
friend who moved in with him in order to offer his
own apartment as a home for a young pregnant
woman who had been kicked out by her family
because she was pregnant. Having nowhere to go,
she was planning an abortion until Claudes friend
came to her rescue.
Kay Coles James also served President Bush as
the head of the Office of Personnel Management
from 2001 to 2005. She had worked with National
Right to Life for many years, so when she left gov-
ernment work she wanted to find another way to
work in the pro-life movement. She told a job consultant that she wanted to find a job that would
earn enough money in the next three years to free
her to accept a job as the director of a crisis pregnancy center. In receiving her award Kay James
spoke about hearing Dr. Mildred Jefferson speak
shortly after Roe v. Wade. She was so impressed with
the young, beautiful, intelligent physician that she
threw herself into pro-life work.
Dr. Johnny Hunter is the National Director of
Life Education and Resource Network (LEARN),
dedicated to outreach to the African-American
community. Dr. Hunter is an ordained minister
and served as a founding co-pastor of National
Community Church on Capitol Hill. He received
an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the
Methodist-Episcopal Church USA.
Dr. Mildred Jefferson was the first AfricanAmerican woman graduate of Harvard Medical
School. She has been awarded twenty-eight honorary degrees by American colleges and universities. She has been a leader in the pro-life movement
since the early 1970s and served three terms as
president of the National Right to Life Committee.
The three honorees were well chosen for their
significant contributions to the pro-life movement
and for their efforts to mobilize the AfricanAmerican community in the battle against abortion. We were honored to be invited to the Awards
Luncheon and grateful for the opportunity to
express our appreciation to all three.
protesters also picketed Ragsdales home the same
day.
In 1993 I joined with California pro-lifers in
suing Governor Peter Wilson for having ten pro-
Former abortion providiers (from left) Marian Johnston-Loehner, Luhra
Tivis, Judith Feltrow and Joan Appleton with Joe at Providers III.
lifers forcibly ejected from Blessed Sacrament
Cathedral in Sacramento during an ecumenical
prayer service honoring the pro-abortion governor
in January 1991. In October, 1993 I went back to
Sacramento to give my deposition in the case,
Burns v. Wilson. I testified to my actions in the
Cathedral, where I stood and announced that the
ceremony was a sacrilege and requested prayers for
Wilson. I had been arrested immediately and
dragged from the Church.
First Round at the Supreme Court
My fellow racketeers and I sat in the front row
at the United States Supreme Court on December
8, 1993 for the oral hearing in NOW v. Scheidler. G.
Robert Blakey, architect of the RICO (Racketeer
Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) statute,
argued on behalf of the pro-life defendants. The
question at hand was whether the RICO statute
required an economic motive. Since the pro-lifers
had not profited from their efforts to shut down
abortion clinics, Blakey maintained they could not
be charged under RICO. The Clinton justice
department sided with NOW and argued that the
statute did not specify that an economic motive
was necessary.
Prayers by the hundreds accompanied us to the
Supreme Court. A few days before the oral argument, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin met and prayed
with Ann and me and our youngest son, Matthias.
The Cardinal presented me with a medallion of the
Holy Name of Jesus, bearing the words, That you
may have life in His name. He also promised to
offer his Mass on December 8 for a positive outcome at the Supreme Court. On the morning of
the oral argument Fr. Frank Pavone, head of Priests
for Life, celebrated Mass at the Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception for the Scheidlers and
Murphys.
The media turned out in droves to question
attorney Blakey and NOWs lawyer, Fay Clayton,
after the one-hour oral hearing. In spite of the proabortion stance of most of the nations major
media, many took the editorial position that the
pro-life activists should not be subject to RICO
charges.
Third Annual SpeakOut Illinois Event
The Pro-Life Action League helped coordinate
the third annual SpeakOut Illinois conference on
January 20, 1994. Adopting the theme,
Changing Hearts and Minds, five hundred
Chicago area pro-lifers gathered at the Bismarck
Hotel to hear Dr. Jean Garton, founder of
Lutherans for Life, give the keynote address. Three
women who had been helped by the South Side
Pregnancy Center told their stories of choosing life
for their babies with the help of the center. And
Mike Bailey, the Congressional candidate from
Indiana, explained how he used his campaign as an
opportunity to educate voters on the reality of
abortion by showing graphic pictures in his television ads.
Joe and Tim Murphy on the steps of the Supreme Court after Dec. 8, 1993
oral arguments in the first round of NOW v. Scheidler
Following the talks, the group marched to the
State of Illinois building for a rally, where Joe and
Ann Scheidler spoke before several dozen members
of the group boarded buses for Washingtons
March for Life.
Two days after the twenty-first anniversary of Roe
V. Wade the Supreme Court handed down its 9-0
ruling in NOW v. Scheidler, broadening the scope of
RICO by deciding that the RICO statute could be
used against protesters. The case would begin its
trek through the Seventh Circuit to the District
Court and back. Again the nations newspapers
lined up in opposition to the use of RICO against
protesters, since political protest has a long and
proud tradition in American history.
Undeterred by High Court Defeat
Undeterred by the unexpected defeat at the
Supreme Court, the League escalated protests at
American Womens Medical Center. Christmas and
New Years Day had fallen on Saturdays that year
so the clinics had been closed two Saturdays in a
12
Spring/Summer 2005
Strong Reactions Pro and Con Mark Sixth Annual Truth Tour
by Ann Scheidler and John Jansen
In the wee hours of Wednesday, July 6, Face the
Truth Tour team captain Eric Scheidler rushed his
wife April off to the hospital for an emergency Csection and the birth of their seventh child, Mary
Macrina. The nine-day Tour began later that day in
the hands of Erics capable assistants, John Jansen,
Peter Shaughnessy and Ann Scheidler.
The first site was on the overpasses of the
Kennedy Expressway in downtown Chicago. Three
dozen participants held eight-foot tall Choice
signs on the Randolph, Washington, and Monroe
Street bridges, where hundreds of motorists would
see the gory results of a third trimester abortion.
Police, Protesters on First Day of Tour
A Chicago Tribune photographer spent nearly an
hour snapping shots of the signs and the pro-lifers.
In response to complaints from drivers, a Chicago
Police officer stopped to give some friendly advice
on our leafleting, but did not object to our signs.
However, the Illinois Department of
Transportation showed up on the Washington
Street bridge and told the participants they were a
traffic hazard. An Illinois State trooper threatened
arrest if we continued with the display, and for
about fifteen minutes the pro-lifers held the signs
down on their sides and negotiated with the IDOT
agents. One of the State troopers, a father of five,
was supportive and diffused the situation. He
mediated on behalf of the League and the signs
went back up.
A lone member of NARAL arrived on a bicycle
and waited around for a while. None of her cohorts
showed up. She finally sat down on the sidewalk
and, using a stone, scraped Its pro-choice or no
choice into the cement.
Pro-Life Mother and Daughter Spat Upon
At the second site of the first day, Daley Plaza,
reaction to the signs was mild until a man came
along Washington St. spitting in participants
faces, including the Leagues Urszula Mihai and
stalwart Jean Crocco and her daughter, Xina. Jean
alerted a nearby police officer who handcuffed the
man and took him away. He was later given one
years supervision in Cook County Court.
A short time later, the individual who had
attacked League employee Carmeline DeVito at
the April 2004 Truth Day at UIC picked up a stack
of Malachi information cards, threw them in the
gutter and poured water on them. Joe Scheidler
reported the incident to a police officer who briefly
detained the man. He was clearly fearful of being
arrested and began making excuses that he had to
leave and get to work. After checking his ID the
police allowed him to leave, but he was later subpoenaed to appear in the case Carmeline had filed
against him, now that his whereabouts had been
ascertained.
A group of eight pro-aborts huddled together
with small signs at the corner of Clark and
Washington, but did not interfere with us. Several
John Chesna and Joe (right) hold sign over the Kennedy Expy., July 8
passers-by join the tour on the spot at Daley Plaza,
spending their lunch hour holding signs.
At the final site of the first day near Union
Station, we were joined by fifteen members of the
Crusaders for Life (see story, page 9). Also, a couple
who had recognized Joe Scheidler at lunch at the
Berghoff that afternoon joined the Truth Tour
before boarding an Amtrak train at Union Station.
As the participants were taking their places
along Madison Street, a homeless woman
approached in tears and asked for help. Several
pro-lifers offered her money and helped her find a
bus to get to a shelter. She was also given Truth
Tour T-shirts for herself and her two young children.
Enraged Passers-By Attack Pro-Lifers
Back at the Kennedy overpasses the morning of
July 7, an angry woman pulled up in her car,
jumped out and tried to push the large Choice
sign held by Nathan and George Calvino over the
railing and onto the expressway below. Chuck
Bacon, who was holding a sign nearby, came to
their assistance. Carmeline saw the disturbance and
ran over to help, posing as a disinterested passer-by
and telling the woman that she had called the
police, but the woman fled before a squad car
could get there.
At the Art Institute of Chicago, the lunch hour
stop, about a dozen individuals carrying pro-abor-
Matthew Funovits (right) holds KEEP MURDER LEGAL sign, July 7
tion and pro-gay signs showed up to counterprotest, but police kept the peace. We dispatched
volunteers to infiltrate the ranks of pro-aborts displaying KEEP ABORTION LEGAL signs with our lookalike KEEP MURDER LEGAL signs.
Mayor Daley Faces the Truth
On July 8, with the full Face the Truth display in
place along three bridges over the Kennedy
Expressway, Mayor Richard M. Daley drove by. He
was stunned by what he saw. A CTA bus driver just
starting his route for the day pulled up and got out
of his bus. He looked over our Face the Truth
leaflet and commented that it is necessary to teach
morals, and proudly showed pictures of his four
children. He told us to keep up the good work.
Nearly fifty participants lined Lake Shore Drive
for the noon Tour site near Buckingham Fountain,
where reaction from motorists was mostly positive.
But at our final site of the day, an encore on the
Kennedy overpasses, ten pro-aborts arrived. They
hastily made signs and held them over the railing.
Shortly thereafter, a crazed motorist pulled up
along the sidewalk on the bridge, leapt out of his
car, tried to wrench a large Choice sign from volunteer Mike Walsh and knocked it to the ground.
Ann Scheidler already had a video camera running
because of the counter-demonstrators, so she
caught the man on tape. He then began circling,
swearing and threatening, and finally attempted to
grab the camera, saying he would throw it onto the
Photo by Dan Gura
Tour coordinators in yellow shirts (right) discuss strategy for the Libertyville
site as the police (left) brew trouble, July 9
expressway. He finally got back in his car, but only
drove to the next corner, parked and walked
around the neighborhood. His license plate number was reported to the police and Mike Walsh
went to the police station to file a complaint.
Ann later gave the videotape to a Chicago police
detective in prepration for an August court hearing
at which the man was given six months supervision. Afterwards he approached Mike Walsh and
sincerely apologized.
Tour Hits the Suburbs
On Saturday, July 9 the Tour hit the suburbs,
beginning in Libertyville, where police arrived
before the Tour began to announce that they had
received complaints. Dan Gura suggested the complaints were unfounded since so far there were no
signs on display. The Libertyville police were terribly uncooperative. They informed Ann Scheidler
that Libertyville had an ordinance against protesting on public streets. She told the officer that such
an ordinance would be unconstitutional, but he
said that did not matter and that he would arrest
her if the demonstration continued.
While the police waited to hear from the States
Attorney, the demonstration continued and the
officers warned each sign holder individually not to
block the sidewalk. In contrast to the police,
Libertyville residents were receptive to the pro-life
message. Five pro-aborts showed up to counterdemonstrate and parked in a private strip mall
parking lot where police had told pro-lifers they
could not park.
Pro-Lifers Attacked Again
Next we visited Lake Zurich, where thousands of
motorists saw the display despite considerable road
construction, and over sixty volunteers joined the
Tour. One driver of a small truck drove by hurling
hard plastic electrical connectors at the pro-lifers,
hitting Dan Gura, Ann Scheidler, Katherine Reese,
and George Calvino. A report was made to the
Lake Zurich police who said they would follow up,
but predicted the driver would deny it.
On this first day of the Tour in the suburbs,
Sandy Gura, Phyllis Finnegan and Judith Stephens
provided lunch at the Gura home for all the Truth
Tour participants. In fact, our group was blessed
with a generous lunch every day after leaving
downtown Chicago.
The last site of that Saturday was in Barrington,
where a dozen pro-aborts showed up and began
shouting about George Bush over a bullhorn.
Police quickly silenced the bullhorn, but they continued to shout slogans, mostly about the Iraq War.
As participants were leaving the site, volunteer
Debbie Lipinski was assaulted by a mother and
daughter from the pro-abort group. She was very
frightened by the experience, so Joe Scheidler and
Dan Gura accompanied her to a squad car to make
a police report. The police then escorted her to her
car so she could safely leave Barrington.
Spring/Summer 2005
13
Strong Reactions Pro and Con Mark Sixth Annual Truth Tour
Spring Tour Saves a Baby
Eric Returns for Tour Week Two
We left much of the drama of our first Tour week
behind when the second week began Tuesday, July
12 in Rockford, IL. Tour organizer Eric Scheidler
returned for the second week and took over the job
of shuttling the Warning Sign holders to their positions at each site. Ann and Joe Scheidlers van
broke down on the way to Rockford, but Eric was
not far behind and was able to drive them and volunteer Alan Nelles to the first site, which had been
delayed because of rain.
The Chicagoland stalwarts were joined by local
Rockford activists and Operation Rescues Troy
Newman for three sites around the city and a
refreshing lunch at Holy Family Church. Except
for the irate owner of a vacant building where we
had parked, who yelled in the ear of an elderly volunteer, our day in Rockford was peaceful.
Tour Front Page News in Aurora
July 13 we lined Route 34 in Oswego, a suburb
far west of Chicago. As the demonstration was in
progress, an older woman approached John Jansen
and identified herself as a former neo-natal nurse.
She credited her nursing experience for making her
pro-life and blessed us for being there.
The days second site was Eric Scheidlers hometown, Aurora. Police in Aurora were exceptionally
cooperative. Angela Fornelli, a reporter with the
Aurora Beacon, interviewed several people at the
site, including organizers and participants, while a
Beacon photographer snapped pictures of the
demonstration. A fairly objective story on the Tour
ran on the front page of the paper the next day.
A woman approached John Jansen and revealed
to him that she had gotten pregnant when she was
twenty-one. Her boyfriend had told her to get an
abortion or else; she chose or else and he left
her. She said her daughter is now six years old and
is the joy of her lifeShe was planned, said the
woman, just not by me.
Lunch was served at the home of Richard and
Mary Ellen ORourke at their Naperville home,
before the group set up in Naperville. The base of
operations was adjacent to a Kohls department
store where the manager came out to ask us to
leave, claiming that the store owned all the property along the roadway. He was finally placated
when we moved our remaining signs a little farther
from the Kohls parking lot.
Differing Police Responses in West Suburbs
On July 14, as the Tour lined Butterfield Road
near Route 53 in Glen Ellyn, DuPage County
police officers, responding to complaints, came and
claimed that state law prohibits us from being
within twenty feet of the roadway. While the
demonstration continued, Eric occupied them with
questions on where the twenty feet begins and
ends. Soon they returned to their squad cars and no
longer interfered with the Tour.
Fr. Francis McClosky of Albany, New York, on
his way to a Truth Tour in Colorado, joined the
Chicago Tour for the day. A woman who
announced that she had a masters degree in early
childhood education, got out of her car and
declared You people are sick, and criticized us for
bringing children on our Tours.
After our next site at the busy intersection of St.
Charles Road and Route 83 in Elmhurst, Jerry and
Barbara Urbik hosted our sixty volunteers for
lunch at their nearbyt home.
The police were great at our final site of the day
along North Avenue at Glen Ellyn Road in
Glendale Heights. They advised us to park in a
particular parking lot and helped escort sign holders as they crossed the highway. Several motorists
drove up to our site base to complain about seeing
by Eric J. Scheidler
Prior to the summer Truth Tour, the League
took to the streets during the spring with
monthly Truth Days, begining with a
lunchtime site at Daley Plaza April 18, where
our volunteers had many opportunities to discuss the abortion issue with passers-by.
Joe Scheidler speaks to the Truth Tour faithful of the grace they have received
that allows them do this work as he closes the 2005 Tour, July 16.
the signs, but one man stopped to get information
on the rest of the Tour so that he and his three
teenagers could join us later in the week. Another
motorist bought a case of water for us on this hot
day. A biker who had seen the display the previous
week along the Kennedy Expressway thanked us
for having the courage to show the truth.
Generous Supporters Feed the Tour Group
On July 15, as a light drizzle fell, the Tour came
to Oak Lawn, a south suburb of Chicago. Two teen
girls who had participated in pro-life protests with
their parents as children bought donuts and water
and distributed them along the demonstration
line. An off-duty policewoman purchased dozens of
White Castle hamburgers for the demonstrators.
The next site was Chicagos South Side Beverly
neighborhood, where police would not allow
leafleting in the streetsunusual for Chicago. But
at the final site of the day in Chicagos Bogan
neighborhood, so much literature was passed out
that we had to call Penny Kleiner at the League
office to come and replenish our supply. Margaret
Shine, mother-in-law of former Generations for
Life co-director, Mary Shine, provided lunch in her
backyard between the last two sites.
Biggest Turnout for Final Tour Day
Our final Tour day, Saturday, July 16, yielded the
best turnout yet. Shortly after set-up was complete
at the first site in north suburban Skokie, a police
sergeant from neighboring Nileswhere we were
scheduled to be two hours laterdrove up and
graciously advised us where we would be able to
park when we arrived at our next site.
This instruction proved especially helpful, as the
intersection of Touhy and Milwaukee Avenues
drew a crowd of 90 pro-lifersthe largest of the
2005 Tour!along with a group of pro-aborts,
including one who banged wildly on a drum.
Following the Niles site, we were treated to a delicious Filipino lunch provided by Carol Alcazar at
the home of Brian and Mary Higgins in nearby
Evanston.
The last site of the Tour was the intersection of
Touhy Avenue and McCormick Boulevard in
Lincolnwood. Near the end of the site, a waiter
from the Olive Garden, which happened to have
several Baby Malachi signs in front of it, came out
looking upset. Eric Scheidler crossed the road to
talk to him and hear out his complaint that it was
sadistic to hold graphic signs outside a restaurant. The man was so receptive to Erics defense of
the Truth Tour concept that Eric decided to give
him one of the new Project Rachel flyers for postabortion healing that debuted on the Tour. He
urged the young man to give it to anyone he knew
who had been involved with abortion. The man
took the flyer and confessed that his girlfriend had
had an abortion, and he and Eric parted warmly.
The Tour concluded with a joyous party at the
Scheidlers Chicago home, where the pro-life faithful celebrated our sixth successful year of bringing
the truth about abortion into the public square in
northern Illinois.
Truth Tour Exposes Abortionists Lies
Near the end of our second April 18 site along
Lake Shore Drive at Jackson Boulevard, a
young man passed by one of the First Trimester
signs and stopped in astonishment. Thats
what abortion looks like? he asked. They told
us it was worms, like a little ball! He explained
that he and his girlfriend had met with staff at
an abortion facility, and actually had an abortion scheduled for the next week.
He said that he was supposed to pay for the
abortion, but after seeing our signs, he said he
couldnt do it. I gave him information on getting help with this untimely pregnancy.
New Strategy Tested at the Art Institute
A handful of pro-abortion counter-protesters
showed up at our first May 18 Truth Day site at
Wacker Drive and Madison Street, an Early
Bird site with coffee and donuts for the volunteers. One of the pro-aborts held a sign reading
MY MOM LOVES ME MORE. SHE CHOSE ME. We
agreed that it is loving to choose to have a baby.
For the second site along Michigan Avenue in
front of the Art Institute of Chicago, I tested a
novel arrangement of signs, staggering Eighth
Week of Life and First Trimester Abortion signs
to comprise a series of mini-lessons in what
abortion does to the unborn child.
Novel Face the Truth display in front of the Art Institute, May 18
Staff and volunteers were struck by some of
the conversations that the display inspired.
Everyone passing by was talking about abortion, including a father whom Joe Scheidler
oveheard explain to his young children, Thats
what a baby looks like inside its mommy. And
thats what an abortion does to the baby.
Tour Opens Door to Grace
The spring Tour ended June 15 in the near
north suburbs. In Evanston at Davis and Ridge
Streets, a man driving by jumped out of his car,
swearing and shouting threats at me and rookie Tour coordinator Peter Shaughnessy. I immediately called the police on my cellphone, but
gradually we calmed the man down. By the
time police arrived, I had engaged him in conversation about some of the problems he was
going through, and convinced him to visit a
church that day and pray for Gods guidance.
When I reached out to shake his hand goodbye, he grabbed me and hugged me.
Following our final site along McCormick
Boulevard in Lincolnwood, we spent the afternoon repairing signs in preparation for the
Summer Tour.
14
League Mourns the Death of John Paul II,
Celebrates Election of Benedict XVI
The Pro-Life Action League joins the world in
mourning the death of Pope John Paul II and celebrating the election of Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope John Paul II once called pro-life activism
the most important work on earth and was an
outspoken opponent of abortion. In the heroic suffering of his final years he made his most powerful
testament to dignity of all human life.
When he visited Chicago in 1979, the Leagues
Joe and Ann Scheidler sang in the choir at his
Grant Park Mass. In 1991, Joe Scheidler met the
Holy Father during a meeting of pro-life leaders in
Rome (see League history story, page 6).
We look forward to strong pro-life leadership
from our new Holy Father. Pope Benedict XVI is a
man of humble faith and keen intellect, and has
distinguished himself as a steadfast guardian of the
Catholic faith.
As Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger strongly supported bishops who courageously stood up to pro-abortion Catholic politicians, and called upon society to
reawaken a new love for children.
row. Expecting a backlog of abortions for the
weeks after the holidays, we scheduled protests at
several clinics for the following two Saturdays.
Braving sub-zero temperatures, dozens of protesters participated. On the third Saturday, which
coincided with the twenty-first anniversary of Roe
v. Wade the League joined forces with Operation
Rescue Chicago and Armitage Baptist Church for a
large scale demonstration at American Womens
Medical Center. Following the announcement of
the Supreme Courts 9-0 ruling against me, another large contingent of pro-life protesters demonstrated at Chicagos abortion clinics.
The Pro-Life Action League presented the
Protector Award to Pennsylvanias Peg Luksik at
its annual Awards brunch on March 6, 1994. The
Leagues Tim Murphy also received a special award
for his excellent coordination of demonstrations at
Chicago area abortion facilities. The Dirty Dozen
activist awards were given to twelve faithful prolife activists who regularly came out to the clinics
to save babies.
I spent St. Patricks Day 1994 in Ireland, where
I spoke at a four-day conference sponsored by
Human Life International in Malahide, County
Dublin. The Irish Times carried an extensive story
about the conference and highlighted my praise for
Ireland as the last great hope of civilized society,
since Ireland was one of the only developed nations
that rejects abortion.
Protest Restrictions Beget Violence
On December 30, 1994 a gunman shot seven
people at two Boston abortion clinics, killing two
of them. Bostons Cardinal Law immediately
announced that all pro-life activity outside abortion clinics should cease, and he canceled a scheduled pro-life Mass. My niece, Elsa Scheidler, then a
graduate student at Boston College, regularly
prayed at an abortion clinic with a friend. She contacted her Uncle Joe to ask his thoughts on
Cardinal Laws decree. I told Elsa that I disagreed
with Cardinal Law and recommended that she and
her friend, Michael Patrick, continue to pray as
usual at the clinic. They turned out to be the only
pro-lifers at any Boston-area abortion clinic and
were interviewed and photographed by Boston
media.
Rest in Peace, Elizabeth
All human beings, from their mothers
womb, belong to God who searches them
and knows them, who forms them and
knits them together with his own hands,
who gazes on them when they are tiny
shapeless embryos and already sees in
them the adults of tomorrow.
John Paul II,
Evangelium Vitae, 1995
If we give up the principle that every
man as man is under Gods protection,
that as a man he is beyond the reach of
our arbitrary will, we really do forsake
the foundation of human rights.
Pope Benedict XVI
(Joseph Ratzinger)
Salt of the Earth, 1996
Spring/Summer 2005
Following Elsa and Michaels example, most of
Bostons pro-lifers returned to their sidewalk counseling and prayer activities in front of the abortion
clinics. Time magazine quoted me in the issue for
January 16, 1995: If we go away, its like we are
conceding guilt. I blamed the increase in violence
on the FACE bill, which restricts protests. Placing
restrictions on peaceful demonstrations only
encourages turning to the non-peaceful approach.
1995: Busy Year for Activism
Spreading the word on the importance of nonviolent direct action, I traveled to Bakersfield, CA,
Washington D.C. and Ft. Wayne, IN in January
1995. February and March were filled with
Joe and Tim Murphy expose the deception of the Museum of Science and
Industrys 1995 exhibit on AIDS.
protests and talks in the Chicago area. The
Museum of Science and Industry installed an
exhibit on AIDS, filled with misinformation and
promoting the use of condoms to avoid the disease.
Tim Murphy and I took a group of fearless pro-lifers and twelve signs saying, LIES into the museum. We paid our admission fee, viewed the exhibit and then stood with our signs. We were ejected
by security.
Spring of 1995 was a busy time for me. In April
Mark Crutcher and I spoke at an activist conference in Wichita, KS, hosted by Life Legal Defense
Trust. I spoke on non-violent techniques to stop
abortion while Crutcher talked about ways to dissuade medical students from going into the abortion business.
The Pro-Life Action League will miss its loyal
volunteer bookkeeper, Elizabeth Lewis, who
died on August 16 at the age of 96. Elizabeth
balanced the books and processed deposits
every Tuesday for twenty-three years. She was
absolutely accurate and kept the petty cash box
to the penny. She made sure our books were
above reproach. But Elizabeths softer side compelled her to bake chocolate chip cookies for
each staff members birthday. On the day she
died, she had prepared a plate of cookies for
Urszula Mihai. May she rest in peace.
In May, I joined Maine pro-life activist Prof.
Terence Hughes to picket the home of abortionist
Parker Harris and the Mabel Wadsworth Womens
Center, as well as the Eastern Maine Medical
Center where Harris performed late-term abortions. Later that month, Ann and I gave a joint
talk in Aurora, IL for LIFE (Life is For Everyone) of
Fox Valley. I emphasized the spiritual battle against
abortion and Ann spoke about how the testimonies
of the former abortion providers can help the prolife movement.
Confronting Clinton AgainAs Promised
Bill Clinton made another trip to Chicago in
June, and following through on a promise to confront him with the truth about abortion at every
opportunity, the League coordinated a protest
across the street from the Chicago Hilton and
Towers on Michigan Avenue. Sixty protesters held
signs, including graphic posters of an aborted baby,
ABORTION: AMERICAS HOLOCAUST and PRAY TO END
ABORTION. As President and Mrs. Clinton arrived
at the hotel they had no choice but to see the pickets and the graphic signs.
In July 1995, we released our second video featuring former abortion providers. Abortion: The
Inside Story focused on the testimonies of seven
women who had worked in various capacities in
abortion clinics. Roger MacZura, who had produced Meet the Abortion Providers, and had videotaped four Abortion Providers conferences, edited
all the presentations. Then Tim Murphy, Ann and
I spent a day in the editing studio at Russell Videos
in Detroit, carefully reviewing every scene, adding
still photos and putting the finishing touches on
the video.
The League held a sidewalk counseling conference at the Lincolnwood Radisson Hotel on
August 26. Ann conducted the seminar with the
assistance of Annie Scheidler, Cathy Mieding and
Julie McCreevy. They discussed the motivation for
sidewalk counseling, the importance of stepping
into the shoes of the pregnant woman and the role
of men in the decision for or against life. Tim
Murphy explained the details of the Chicago
Method and how to research the lawsuits against
abortionists.
Spring/Summer 2005
15
Letters to the Editor
Earlier this year, we asked our supporters to share their
stories of what motivated them to get involved fighting
abortion and saving babies. The following letters represent only a fraction of the moving responses we received.
Dear Joe,
I first realized the full tragedy of abortion when
I realized that no one I knew appeared to be concerned. Clergy I knew didnt preach against it.
I was really motivated to do something about
abortion when I began to hear from anti-abortionists by mail. You seemed to express yourself better
than others and seemed better organized. The sorrow of abortion touches me most when I see people I love who have no inkling that sex should take
place within marriage, and therefore accept abortion. What I appreciate most about the Pro-Life
Action League is your persistence and your capacity to realize how important your work is.
Sincerely,
Jean Groves
Nashua, NH
Dear Joe,
my mom was handing out little paperback books
with photos of chopped up babies in garbage cans.
Prior to our marriage, my husband wrote a proabortion paper. He was set straight through
debatesand through our sons heartbeat at my
first prenatal visit.
My best friend in high school had an abortion, at
her Catholic mothers request. She was raped on a
cruise her senior year. She has since married and
divorced an abusive, drug-addicted husband who
put her in the hospital.
Thank you for your hard work and giving your
whole life and family for these babies. I am raising
soldiers to help you. I have four children who have
memorized the Baltimore Catechism and can interpret it. They also pray outside Planned Parenthood
amidst ugly, snarling women who come out to
insult us. I also teach natural family planning
(NFP) to help change peoples hearts to become
all-embracing of family life and children.
I run a daycare and my tithing from that all goes
to you frontline people. Keep it up. Im training
reinforcements!
Sincerely,
Daphne Sutton
Pine Village, IN
Dear Joe,
I decided to follow Christ. I reexamined all social
issues, and abortion screamed for action and commitment. I most admire the Pro-Life Action
League because of your Christ-directed spirit coupled with Gods gift for boldness.
Sincerely,
Mr. and Mrs. Robin Richey
Greensburg, IN
Dear Mr. Scheidler,
I was present for a very sad experience as a third
year medical student. A baby was born at 20 weeks
due to an incompetent cervix (the mother had previously experienced seven miscarriages). The OB
residents were supposed to get a piece of tissue
from the heart and thigh to study it to determine
if there was any genetic reason why this was happening. However, the baby was still sighing, and
the residents decided to temporarily leave before
cutting into the baby. They left the baby on a cold
countertop to die. They acted so cold, as if this
baby wasnt really a person.
I spoke to the mom and asked her if she wanted
to baptize the baby, but she refused. However, I
went ahead and baptized baby Barbara on
December 2, 1997. Her last moments were with
dignity, and I at least wrapped her up so she
wouldnt be so cold.
I became a sidewalk counselor, and that is when
my eyes really lit up to the massive corruption of
abortion. What I appreciate most about the ProLife Action League is the leadership to help others
to do good. Alone, we often feel helpless, but supported by your organization, there is power in
numbers.
I know God is smiling in heaven when He thinks
of you and your staff! You will only understand the
immense good you have done when you get to
heaven. You have started a legacy that will never
end, and I know that our children and their children will continue to stand up for life. For this
great endeavor, I am forever grateful to you and
your family for all the persecution you have
endured.
Thank you so much,
Grettel Donahue, M.D.
Arlington Heights, IL
Dear Joe,
I am an 80-year old woman. My grandmother
had fourteen children, but raised only six of them.
The other eight lived from six months to three
years. Someone asked her why she had all those
children, only to bury them. She replied, We
French-Canadians believe that every baptized
infant that dies is a jewel. Six jewels make a crown
waiting for the mother. When I die, I will have six
children at my bedside, a crown with two extra
jewels waiting for me in Heaven, and no babies
hanging on my conscience.
The sorrow of abortion touched me personally
because three of my children had the innate disease
cystic fibrosis (CF). They died at 8, 23, and 26
years of age. Many people thought I was crazy for
having them. But I also had six that didnt have
CF. Those who had it suffered a lot, but they also
laughed a lot and lived a lot. They were all artistically talentedand they loved life! Also, the six
that didnt have CF learned to be more understanding and more empathetic.
God bless you all,
Emma Schmitt
Roseville, MI
Dear Joe,
I was first motivated to do something about
abortion when I learned some members of my
parish were going to a local abortuary to pray the
rosary, and I was to gradually become involved
with that and holding a Stop Abortion Now
sign.
I have seen firsthand how the contraceptive mentality has led to people being indifferent to abortion, how friends or family have approached me to
confess their own involvement in abortion and the
pain and consequences those decisions have borne
upon themselves and those around them. My presence at the local abortion mill shows me how hard
many hearts are and how so many participate in
this horror as others ignore it.
The Pro-Life Action League has an undying commitment to remind America that the true face of
freedom of choice means the death of an innocent child. Their perseverance and witness are an
inspiration to me.
Sincerely,
Albert and Leila Stecklein
Bethesda, MD
Dear Joe & Ann,
My motivation to be part of the pro-life movement has come from the inspiring letters both of
you write and your complete dedication to the
cause and the sacrifices you have made.
I do believe God has a plan for each of us and we
need to be open to it. Joe, your tough decision not
to be ordained was part of that plan, and God gave
you the grace and the inspiration to do these many
years of life-saving work.
Your long battle with NOW and your success
with the Supreme Court 8-1 decision are results of
your untiring commitment to the cause.
Devastating was the story of finding a barrel of
aborted babies and the joy of learning that
Cardinal Bernardin conducted a funeral and a
decent burial for them. So many heartwarming
stories along with the sad ones.
May God bless you abundantly,
Ruth Scheidler
Terre Haute, IN
The barrel of aborted babies Ruth refers to was discovered in
1988. See League history story, page 1.Editor.
Dear Mr. Scheidler,
I cannot express in words the deep admiration I
have for your never yielding to the enemies of
Gods little ones. You have suffered so very much
even as the innocent victims suffer from their cruel,
inhumane deaths.
I do pray fervently each day for an end to this
abomination while praying at the same time for
mercy for our country and the real conversion of
the abortionists. I do pray also for continued grace
and strength for you and all the pro-life people. I
am sure our God is exceedingly pleased with you
and will continue to be there to support and bless
you.
God bless you,
Sister Alberta Jurewicz
Brooklyn, NY
Dear Joe,
you spoke at an Illinois Citizens for Life dinner over
ten years ago. My husband was always pro-life, and
would get sad when speakers at church would talk
about abortion. It didnt affect me at all. In fact, I
didnt realize that I was pro-choice and indifferent.
For my husbands birthday, I took him to ICLs
dinner and it happened that you, Joe, were the
speaker. I didnt walk out of there that night prolife, but your talk definitely changed me and in less
than a month I began to be involved in pro-life
activities. God has used me much but as of late He
has called me to be pro-life by being a mother of
ten children. I have very poor health and with my
current pregnancy my contribution has become the
sacrifice of enduring and the sacrifice of not being
able to be on the lines working.
You are a hero to me. You have so many gifts and
use them all for Gods glory in speaking and
defending the unbornand our Faith. It makes
me sad that I cant help. I have to be satisfied that
God is using me in His own way. Thank you for all
your work and sacrifice.
Sincerely,
Krista Calvino
Downers Grove, IL
Though Krista cannot be on the front lines, her sons George
and Nathan joined the Truth Tour this summer. See page 9 for
a picture of Nathan and details on his contribution.Editor
16
Pro-Life Action on the March (19881995)
Trips to Africa and Italy
At the invitation of Right to Life of South Africa
and Fr. Paul Marx, OSB, of Human Life
International, I spent two weeks in South Africa in
September 1995, introducing the activists there to
my successful methods of pro-life activism. The
pro-life team from the U.S. visited Johannesburg
and Cape Town, meeting with local pro-life leaders. South Africans are overwhelmingly pro-life,
but there is enormous pressure from international
population control forces to legalize abortion in
South Africa.
While in Cape Town, I visited a nursery run by
the Visitation Nuns who care for babies dying of
AIDS, including three-year-old Ntombi, who
could speak three languages and chose to speak
English with her new American friend.
In October, Ann and I traveled to Rome for the
Pontifical Council on the Familys World Congress
on Pope John Paull IIs encyclical, Evangelium Vitae,
which had been issued on March 25 to the enthusiastic welcome of the pro-life community. The
Vatican urged pro-life leaders to invite young people to participate in the Congress, so we also
brought Annie Scheidler and John DeJak, president of Loyola University of Chicagos pro-life
club. We joined hundreds of pro-lifers from all over
the world to discuss the various ways to implement
the Popes encyclical.
Banned from Canada
Human Life International scheduled a conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in November of
1995 and invited me to deliver the banquet
address. Two days before the event, however, I
received a call from Mark Bell, director of the
Canadian branch of HLI, informing me that twenty-seven pro-abortion groups had banded together
to try to keep me out of Canada. Bell said Fr. Marx
and I might need special visas to enter the country.
When I arrived in Calgary, I was stopped by customs officials and had to fill out a Canadian
Spring/Summer 2005
Mother Nature Rains on Pro-Aborts Parade
On July 26, over two dozen pro-life activists
braved driving winds and torrential rains to
counter-protest the fledgling Illinois NARAL
branchs Honk and Wave for Choice event at
Madison and Wacker in downtown Chicago. The
League learned of the event only days beforehand
but immediately mobilized a counter-protest,
outnumbering the pro-aborts three to one despite
the gloomy weather forecast.
League members arrived shortly before the
NARAL group and set up giant Baby Choice
signs along Madison St. The downpour began
shortly after the first pro-abortion protesters
arrived. They took cover, while several pro-lifers
stayed out in the rain, getting drenched in order
to show the truth about abortion.
As the rains continued, both groups congregated under the partial cover of the bank on the corner of Madison and Wacker, exchanging chants.
League Communications Director Eric Scheidler,
who spearheaded the counter-protest, comment-
Joe leads rally in Cape Town, South Africa, September 1995.
Immigration Form and pay $125 for a special visa.
I was told I could only remain in the country for
three days. The pro-aborts who instigated the
trouble had discovered that I had been convicted of
trespassing in 1985 for going into an abortion clinic in Wilmington, Delaware at the behest of three
local Christian ministers. I had paid a $50 fine at
the time. But that crime translated to Criminal
Mischief in Canada and has kept me out of the
country ever since.
ed that the pro-abortion group was drowned
out in more ways than one.
The protest was broken up after about 45 minutes when security guards demanded that both
groups leave the shelter of their property. Our
group agreed that it had been one of the most
upbeat actions they had ever participated in.
I had plenty to do in the United States, however,
and spent December traveling from coast to coast.
I spoke in Aiden, SC, Boston, MA and Los
Alamitos, CA. The Los Alamitos event was a
demonstration at the racetrack where abortionist
Edward Allred is part owner and races his own
horses. Over three hundred pro-life activists
marched from Laurel Park to the Los Alamitos
Race Track, where Allred had invited thousands of
friends to a special running. Allred owns forty
abortion clinics across the United States and has
many lawsuits against him, his clinics and the
other doctors who work for him.
Thus ended 1995, one of my busiest years yet,
with three international trips, travels all around
the country and many bold campaigns and
protests. This level of activism would countinue in
the coming years, even as the NOW v. Scheidler lawsuit finally came to trial in federal court.
Next Issue: Pro-Life Action under Siege: The Abortion Forces Attack the
League, 1996-2000

Spring-Summer 2005 - Pro

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