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May 21, 2012
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Congratulations to our 2012 Sharon Schumer Memorial Scholarship winners!


Pro-Life Wisconsin congratulates our 2012 Sharon Schumer Memorial Scholarship winners, Sarah Zelenak of Appleton and Angelyn Von Rueden of Milwaukee.

Sarah was very active in local PLW activities through her Appleton Xavier High School Rock4Life club. She will be attending Marian University in Fond du Lac.

Angelyn participated in PLW activities with her family, church and her homeschool pro-life club, Voices of the Holy Innocents. Angelyn will attend either Benedictine College or Belmont Abbey.

Both young women are active in 40 Days for Life, support crisis pregnancy centers, care for the elderly, LifeChain, the Silent Day of Solidarity and the Washington, D.C. March or Life. Both look forward to continue working with Pro-Life Wisconsin as they advocate on their college campuses and in communities.

PLW Speakers Bureau


PLW's Virginia Zignego spoke to 7th and 8th graders on Wednesday, May 16 about abortion and the dignity of the human person at St. Margaret Mary School in Milwaukee (image, left). This was just one of dozens of talks given throughout the year by our Speakers Bureau.

Our Speakers Bureau consists of physicians, lawyers, and other professionals with the expertise to educate your parish or organization about the full range of pro-life topics. Topics range from chastity, purity, natural family planning and moral problems with contraception, to embryonic stem cell research, end-of-life legal concerns and ethics, to Planned Parenthood's sexualization of children to morality and medical ethics, to reproductive technology, to pro-life activism, getting your parish involved, reaching out to the next generation of pro-lifers and more.

Check out our list of speakers here. Email us at info@prolifewisconsin.org if you would like us to speak at your school, parish or group!

Father Norman Weslin passes away


On May 16, Fr. Norman U. Weslin O. S. passed away at the age of 81. Fr. Weslin was the founder of Lambs of Christ.

Pro-Life Wisconsin State Director Peggy Hamill reflected on her interaction with Fr. Weslin over the past 20 years. "What a blessing it was, on many occasions, to be in the presence of Fr. Weslin. Whether it was in public at our local March for Life, at a private mass in a friend's home or praying  outside a local abortuary, he gently shepherded by example. His selfless sacrifice on behalf of the preborn was exemplified by his holiness and his actions. The last of his frequent visits to Wisconsin that I recall was when he humbly joined our office volunteers in assembling our newsletter. We will all treasure his greeting that day, ‘God love you all'. God Love you Father Weslin and may you rest in peace." 

Funeral  arrangements for Fr. Norman U. Weslin O.S. can be found here.

Chicago's Archbishop: Obama will 'steal' or close down all Catholic hospitals within two years


From Business Insider:
Barack Obama's hometown Archbishop, Cardinal George, has issued a dire warning: if Obama's regulations on health insurance are allowed to stand, all Catholic hospitals and schools will be destroyed through fines, sold-off to non-Catholics, or closed down within two years.

He says that the Church will be "despoiled of her institutions" be stripped of its "voice in public life," because Obama's regulations of health insurance force Catholics to act against their faith.

The regulations which go into effect next year require religiously affiliated charities, hospitals, and universities to purchase insurance for their employees that includes contraception, sterilization and 'morning after' pills. For Catholics this amounts to "material cooperation" with an objectively sinful act.

Francis Cardinal George wrote about the choices Obama is forcing on the Church in his column this week:
What will happen if the HHS regulations are not rescinded? A Catholic institution, so far as I can see right now, will have one of four choices: 1) secularize itself, breaking its connection to the church, her moral and social teachings and the oversight of its ministry by the local bishop. This is a form of theft. It means the church will not be permitted to have an institutional voice in public life. 2) Pay exorbitant annual fines to avoid paying for insurance policies that cover abortifacient drugs, artificial contraception and sterilization. This is not economically sustainable. 3) Sell the institution to a non-Catholic group or to a local government. 4) Close down.

George has been warning of the state's intrusion into religious affairs for a long time. In 2010 he predicted, “I expect to die in bed. My successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”

Read the rest here.


Video of mom who refused abortion for disabled son approaches staggering 10 million views


From LifeSiteNews:
A video of a young mom who says she did the right thing by choosing life for her severely disfigured son has been viewed by almost 10 million people around the world. The viewer count is shared between YouTube, where the video has been watched 1.5 million times, GodVine, which has recorded 8 million views, and GodTube, where the video has 76,000 views.

In her video Lacey Buchanan from Woodbury, Tennessee chronicles the story of her baby Christian, who was born with an extremely rare condition known as Tessier cleft that caused severe deformity of his mouth, soft palate, and bony elements of his face. He was also born blind with soft fleshy spots covering his eye sockets.

“This video is about my son Christian, and the decision I made to give him life, when others were telling me to abort him. He is an amazing little boy who has God all over him and I want to share him with the world!” she writes in the description of the video.

In the low-key video made using her iphone, Lacey holds up written messages to the camera. Christian is resting on his mother’s chest with his back to the camera. At the end of the video, a beaming Lacey turns the sleeping Christian around for the viewer to see him for the first time.

Lacey wrote on her blog that she was inspired to make the video after watching a similar video on YouTube about a young woman named Lizzie, who had a rare syndrome that distorted her facial features and interfered with her ability to gain weight. Lizzie used flashcards to cover her face during the video and only revealed her face at the end.

“This video inspired me so much because I can relate to knowing how it feels to look different,” wrote Lacey on her blog. “It may not be me that looks different, but the stares at my son hurt no less than if they were at me. I thought about how devastated I would be if someone said something to my Christian like they said to Lizzie, that the world would be better without him in it.”

The judgmental comments and stares that Lacey and her son received when they travelled together in public is what convinced the mom to make a video that showed people how seeing through the eyes of love can change everything.

Read the rest here. Watch the video here.



Pro-life news wrap-up


- NARAL head: ‘intensity gap’ between pro-lifers and pro-aborts could threaten future of abortion. Read more here.

- What the Pill is doing to our water supply. Read more here.

- Eating babies to improve sexual performance: the grotesque fall-out of abortion. Read more here.

- Chen Guangcheng arrives in U.S.: ‘I hope everyone will help me promote justice in China’. Read more here.

Affiliate activities


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. During 40 Days For Life which begins February 22,  we will be Bringing Jesus to Planned Parenthood Through Mary on Tuesdays 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and Thursdays 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. 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 Waukesha County will join other pro-lifers for monthly prayer in front of the Planned Parenthood in Waukesha, 426 W. Main St. Prayer gatherings will be held the fourth Saturday of every month at 10 a.m.

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


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. State Director Peggy Hamill will join them in prayer this Wednesday, March 28. 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!