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July 30, 2012
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Pro-Life Wisconsin commends Wisconsin Catholic Bishops for warning against use of Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST)


On Wednesday, July 25, the Wisconsin Catholic Bishops released a pastoral statement on Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST). Entitled “Upholding the Dignity of Human Life,” the statement warns against the use of POLST forms in medical decision making. A POLST form does not require a patient’s signature and, according to the bishops, “bears the real risk that an indication may be made on it to withhold a treatment that, in particular circumstances, might be an act of euthanasia.”

Pro-Life Wisconsin State Director Peggy Hamill offered the following comments:

“Pro-Life Wisconsin thanks the Wisconsin Catholic Bishops for their critical statement warning against the use of Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST). It will be a tremendous help to Pro-Life Wisconsin in our ongoing efforts to expose and limit the use of POLST here in Wisconsin, beginning with Christian medical providers.

Brightly colored POLST forms are being presented to patients in Wisconsin and across the country who are viewed by caregivers as not worthy of life-sustaining care. In other words, care, even minimal care, is viewed as futile or too costly. When attached to a medical chart, POLST can act to limit the use of life-saving treatment, technology, and even antibiotics and ordinary care such as food and hydration. POLST forms are presented to vulnerable patients often at a time when the patient's appointed advocate should be the one making medical decisions. Once the form is filled out and signed by a doctor or physician’s assistant, its effect is immediate and can override a patient's own advance directive and judgments of the patient’s medical team on the scene.

For well over a year Pro-Life Wisconsin has worked with local lawyers, medical personnel, clergy and patient advocates to educate on and advocate against the increasing use of POLST and similar documents in our nursing homes and hospitals.  We concur with the bishops’ recommendation to use a durable power of attorney for healthcare and avoid the use of living wills. Pro-Life Wisconsin provides free of charge our own Protective Power of Attorney for Healthcare(PPAHC) document. Click here to download the PPAHC and to access more information on POLST.”

Catholic family business wins injunction against HHS birth control mandate


From LifeSiteNews:

A federal judge has given a Catholic family business a temporary injunction against the HHS mandate, exempting that family from providing no-cost contraception, sterilization, or abortifacient medicines in its employees’ health care plans.

The Newlands, a Catholic family, argued that the controversial provision of the Affordable Care Act violated their First Amendment rights by forcing them to purchase something that violates their consciences.

Attorneys for the Obama administration justified the mandate as part of the fight for sexual equality, arguing it was a necessary part of “improving the health of women and children… so that women who choose to do so can be part of the workforce on an equal playing field with men.”

But Senior Judge John L. Kane of the U.S. District of Colorado ruled on Friday that the government’s interests, which he called into question, “are countered, and indeed outweighed, by the public interest in the free exercise of religion.”

Judge Kane ruled that the plaintiffs could prevail on the grounds of the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act alone. That law states the government may not “substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion” unless it is to further “a compelling governmental interest” and it uses “the least restrictive means” possible to implement the law.

Click here to read more. Click here for more information on the connection between abortion and contraception.

Tonya Reaves killed by incomplete abortion, perforated uterus, and delay, documents say


From LifeSiteNews:

New documents released in the Tonya Reaves tragedy reveal a timeline leading to her death that clearly shows Planned Parenthood delayed summoning emergency care for the dying woman for five-and-a-half hours after a severely botched abortion.

At 11:00 a.m. on Friday, Reaves received a second-trimester dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion at Planned Parenthood, located at 18 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago.

After the abortion, Reaves suffered bleeding. The bleeding continued at Planned Parenthood for five-and-a-half hours before a Fire Department ambulance finally took her to Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 4:30 p.m. according to a report from Steve Miller of the CBS news affiliate WBBM.

“It is clear that Planned Parenthood botched the procedure that resulted in uncontrolled bleeding then failed to treat the hemorrhage while Reaves was at their clinic, allowing her to bleed for over five hours before finally calling for help. There can be no doubt that this delay contributed to her death,” said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation. “The injury and the untreated hemorrhage happened at Planned Parenthood, and they are solely responsible for it.”

Once at the hospital, it appears the emergency room staff had to start from scratch to figure out the extent of Reaves’ injuries.

According to Dr. James C. Anderson, M.D., in his 30 years of experience as an emergency room physician, abortion clinics never informed him about their patients’ conditions.

Click here to read more.

Reports of forced abortions fuel push to end Chinese law


From The New York Times:
Pan Chunyan was grabbed from her grocery store when she was almost eight months pregnant with her third child. Men working for a local official locked her up with two other women, and four days later brought her to a hospital and forced her to put her thumbprint on a document saying she had agreed to an abortion. A nurse injected her with a drug.

“After I got the shot, all the thugs disappeared,” Ms. Pan, 31, said in a telephone interview from her home in the southeastern province of Fujian. “My family was with me again. I cried and hoped the baby would survive.”

But after hours of labor, the baby was born dead on April 8, “black and blue all over,” Ms. Pan said.

Recent reports of women being coerced into late-term abortions by local officials have thrust China’s population control policy into the spotlight and ignited an outcry among policy advisers and scholars who are seeking to push central officials to fundamentally change or repeal a law that penalizes families for having more than one child. Pressure to alter the policy is building on other fronts as well, as economists say that China’s aging population and dwindling pool of young, cheap labor will be a significant factor in slowing the nation’s economic growth rate.

“An aging working population is resulting in a labor shortage, a less innovative and less energetic economy, and a more difficult path to industrial upgrading,” said He Yafu, a demographics analyst. China’s population of 1.3 billion is the world’s largest, and the central government still seems focused on limiting that number through the one-child policy, Mr. He said. Abolishing the one-child policy, though, might not be enough to bring the birthrate up to a “healthy” level because of other factors, he said.

Beyond debate about the law itself, critics say that enforcement of the policy leads to widespread abuses, including forced abortions, because many local governments reward or penalize officials based on how well they keep down the population.

Click here to read more.

Pro-life news wrap-up


- British mother of 2 self-aborted a week before her due date. Read more here.

- John Haas warned Catholic Relief Services “scandal would be unavoidable” with grant to CARE. Read more here.

- Spain angers feminists with plan to tighten abortion law. Read more here.

Affiliate announcements


PLW Ozaukee County will have a booth at the Ozaukee County Fair from Aug. 1-5, 10 AM - 10 PM, Cedarburg. Firemen's Park on Washington Ave., between Hwy 60 and Bridge St., Cedarburg. Volunteers needed - email ozaukee@prolifewisconsin.org.

Sawyer County Affiliate (Hayward) - Queen of Peace, Protector of Life - will be again be offering offering the 'Cemetery of the Innocents' display of 400 crosses representing the thousands of daily abortions in the USA. In addition, we have a new display of fetal models consisting of 13 models, 5-35 weeks gestation and one newborn. These are professional grade, soft-touch models that can be handled, and are available all year, with or without the crosses. They're suitable for all ages. For more information call Bob Ornberg at 715-699-1287 or check out our new Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bvmqp.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Walworth Co. prays at Planned Parenthood in Delavan, WI. Signs are provided. Contact Phil Cullen for info - 262-742-3299.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Juneau County gathers for prayer witness every Monday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Family Planning Health Services, 522 State Road 82 # F, in Mauston. Please call Richard Irwin, (608) 565-6706, for more information. They meet every second Tuesday of the month at the Hatch Public Library in Mauston at 7 p.m. in the Community Room.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Marathon County prays the Rosary once a month on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. at Family Planning Health Services. Call Ron Putzer at (715) 842-5368 to confirm date.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Fond du Lac County prays in front of Planned Parenthood, 333 N. Peters Ave., Fond du Lac, on the second Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. For information, call Ann at (920) 921-6062 or Julie (920) 923-0437. A pro-life Rosary is also said at 8:30 a.m. before the 9 a.m. Mass each Saturday at St. Mary's Church, Marquette St. at E. Merrill Ave., Fond du Lac.

Vigil for Life-PLW Dane County has a perpetual presence on the sidewalks in front of Madison's Planned Parenthood abortion facility (3706 Orin Road, Madison, WI 53704). Each day that Planned Parenthood is open for business (every week day), 2 people (at least!) will be scheduled to be present on the sidewalk. The times and days are as follows: Monday-Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.; Thursday 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.; and Friday, 1pm - 3pm. Individuals or groups are needed to sign up for these 2-hour shifts, especially on a monthly basis. You may also "stop by." Those interested should click here to view the online scheduling calendar or contact affiliate leader Laura Karlen at (608) 445-2064 or email laura@vigilforlife.org.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Chippewa Valley prays and gives public witness against abortion and contraception outside the Eau Claire Planned Parenthood (1231 Menomonie St.) every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month at 11 a.m.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Milwaukee County gathers regularly on Saturday mornings at the Affiliated abortion center, 1428 N. Farwell Ave. in Milwaukee, between 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. SIDEWALK COUNSELORS ARE NEEDED! If you can come pray or counsel women entering the abortuary, please contact Peggy Hamill, (262) 796-1111, or e-mail info@prolifewisconsin.org for more information.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Outagamie County invites you to love your preborn neighbor as yourself, by going out to the places where abortions are sold and committed. Please plan to come and sidewalk counsel (beside the driveway), pray and witness with signs at Planned Parenthood Appleton North on 3800 N. Gillett St.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Kenosha has consecrated our fight against Planned Parenthood to Jesus through Mary. We pray every Saturday at 11 a.m. in front of the Planned Parenthood facility, located at Roosevelt Road and 36th Avenue in Kenosha. Please come and pray the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and other prayers with us. For more information contact Karie Kinzler at kakinzler7@yahoo.com or at (262) 656-0301.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Rock County members daily praise and thank God for the January 13, 2012 permanent closure of the Rockford, IL abortion mill.  Chapter members meet monthly (except June, July, August) in St. Jude's Hall, Beloit, WI.  The Spiritually Adopt-A-Baby initiative resumed March 24/25 at St. Jude/St. Thomas parishes, praying daily for nine months for pre-born babies. If you'd like information regarding this, contact Charlene Tolmie 608-362-3406 or Sister Rosalia Bauer 608-364-2830.

Courtesy announcements


Join Father Bill Hoffman of St. Therese Parish in Appleton as he leads a Marian pro-life pilgrimage with daily Mass to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe near La Crosse, the Villa Maria Retreat Center, the Basilica of St. Mary and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Departs Monday September 24 at 7:00 a.m., returning the next day by 9:00 p.m. to St. Therese in Appleton. Everything except two meals is included for $199. Sign up by July 31. For more information call St. Therese Parish at (920) 733-8568 or download the flyer here.

Join the 2nd Annual “Rosary Cruise” benefiting Rachel’s Vineyard of Stevens Point.  Rachel’s Vineyard is a nationwide ministry providing weekend retreats where women and men can experience spiritual and emotional healing from the traumatic, and often painfully secret, wound of abortion. The next retreat is scheduled for September. The Rosary cruise will take place from 4:30 - 6:30 pm on Aug. 26 at Clearwater Harbor in Waupaca. There is no charge for attendance, but a donation will be greatly appreciated. Space is limited; registration required: call 715-204-9561 or email rvstevenspoint@gmail.com.

Rosary Rallies at the State Capitol: Fr. Isaac Mary Relyea and Fr. Rick Heilman invite you to kneel in prayer together every Thursday evening at 7pm, at the State Street steps of the Capitol in Madison. From June 16 - November 1.

Monthly All Night Prayer Vigil: August 3-4 at St. Joseph's Parish in Wauwatosa. Bishop Hying will celebrate the opening Mass at 8 p.m. All night exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, pro-life Satations of the Cross, pro-life holy hour from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Everyone welcome, stay as long as you can. For additional information call (414) 321-3900.

Witness for Life: Each Thursday, St. Mary Catholic Church in Kenosha will offer 8am Mass, followed by a Rosary procession to the nearby Planned Parenthood. St. Mary's is located at 7307 40th Avenue, Kenosha. For more information call Monica at 262-515-3132 or Laura at 262-358-0705.

 The Wausua 40 Days for Life group will continue their prayer vigil by meeting the first Thursdays of the month, May through August. We will meet at Family Planning Health Services, 719 N 3rd Avenue in Wausau at 3 pm. Please join us in prayer to be a public witness for the unborn and for mothers to make the right choice.

Kneel for Life: Capitol Campaign meets Wednesdays at the Capitol from 1-2pm. We try to precede with Mass at St. Patrick's at 12:10, then we walk over from there. Our purpose is to be a peaceful, joyful presence praying to tear down the evil strongholds present there and be an encouragement for the pro-life legislators/staff. We pray the Rosary, Chaplet of Mercy and St. Michael prayer as we walk in twos or independently, throughout the Capitol.

The third Monday of every month All Saints Catholic Church in Berlin says a Rosary for life at the church's monument for the unborn after a 5:15p.m. Mass. Everyone welcome.

The pro-life group at St. Frances Cabrini Parish meets to pray every Thursday evening from 6-6:30 p.m. at the West Bend Planned Parenthood, 532 Shepherd’s Drive, West Bend, WI. Located on the West end of town, approximately 1-1/2 miles west of Hwy 45 on West Washington Street (aka: Highway 33) in West Bend. It is in a shopping mall on the north-side of the street. We are on the sidewalk.

Holy Hour for the Unborn: St. John the Evangelist Parish, 8500 W. Cold Spring Rd., Greenfield, Wis. We come together every fourth Wednesday of the month from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. to pray for the end of abortion. The church has 24 hours of Adoration seven days a week. Contact Kathy Knaack with questions, Kathy.knaack@gmail.com.

Cenacles of Life meets every Saturday morning at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Cambridge at 8:30 am to pray two rosaries for an end to the culture of death.

Cenacles of Life meets at St Mary’s Good Shepherd Chapel, 108 McHenry St, Burlington, WI every Wednesday at 6 p.m., and recites the second oral Rosary in the main body of the church, finishing at 7:15 p.m.

Cenacles of Life meets every Saturday morning at 6:45 a.m. to pray two Rosaries for pro-life intentions before the 7:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pine Bluff, west of Madison.

The Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe has a prayer vigil every Monday at 4:30 p.m. in Wisconsin Rapids on 8th St. by the Shopko mall to pray for the closing of the Planned Parenthood. If you have any questions contact Will Goodman at (608) 698-7443.

The Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe has a prayer vigil every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in Stevens Point in front of the strip mall next to Family Video to pray for the closing of Family Planning Health Services. If you have any questions contact Jen Dunnett at (715) 340-2779.

If you enjoy receiving the Monday Update every week, please consider donating to Pro-Life Wisconsin’s life-saving work. For your convenience, credit card donations are accepted by phone, (262) 796-1111 or toll-free (877) GOD’S WILL or use our secure online donation form. Thank you for your generosity!