- Governor Gone Activist
- Gender Free Scouting
- Embracing a Cure
- Satanic Murder
- Faithful Succession
Monday, October 31, 2011
Catholic News Roundup 10/31/2011
- Governor Gone Activist
- Gender Free Scouting
- Embracing a Cure
- Satanic Murder
- Faithful Succession
Abortion Alternative Resources in Florida
Check out this website I found at endabortionnow.org
Collier Pregnancy Centers, Inc.
940 5th Avenue North
Naples, FL 34102
239-262-6381
Visit Website
http://www.collierpregnancycenters.com/
Email Them
Immokalee Pregnancy Center
106 South 2nd Street, Suite 4
Immokalee, FL 34143
239-657-2016
Visit Website
http://www.immokaleepregnancy.com/
Shepherds House aka Catholic Charities of Central Florida
Visit Website
http://www.cflcc.org/services/adoption.htm
Crisis Hotline for Pregnant Mothers, Teenagers or Anyone with Questions Call 1-800-395-4357
Post Abortion Support
Center Point Community Church Rev. Jim Nite
6590 Golden Gate Parkway
Naples, FL 34105
239-261-7486
Visit Website
http://cpccnaples.org/
First Baptist Church Naples Dr. Hayes Wicker
3000 Orange Blossom Drive
Naples, FL 34109
239-596-8600 X265
Visit Website
http://http//www.fbnc.org/
Project Rachel
Lorretta Judy
Naples, FL
239-293-5897
Visit Website
http://hopeafterabortion.com/
Email Them
Spiritual Support - Fr. Luis Pacheo St. Leo Catholic Church
Se Habla Espanol
Bonita Springs, FL
239-992-0901
Visit Website
http://stleocatholicchurch.org/
LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report 10/31/11
LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Monday, October 31, 2011
| For pro-life news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com. |
Current Headlines
Top Stories
• Planned Parenthood Caught Misleading on Birth Control Pills
• Cain Hits Planned Parenthood as Racist, Abortion Biz Responds
• Congress to Hold Hearings on China s One-Child Policy
• 40 Days for Life Up to 417 Babies Saved From Abortion
More Pro-Life News
• Campaign Launched to Support Forced Abortion Opponent Chen
• Abortion Biz: Medicaid Would Pay $16K to Kill Down Syndrome Baby
• Perry Tells New Hampshire Voters He s Strongly Pro-Life
• Welcome, Baby Seven Billion: The World Needs More People
• Clinic Mocked Post-Abortion Women Who Are Now Pro-Life
• Dutch Doctors Expanding Euthanasia to Lonely People
• Canada: Poll Shows 72% Want Pro-Life Protections for Unborn
• Sex-Selection Abortions a Possible Opening to Overturn Roe
• Exploring Gardasil Vaccinations From a Pro-Life Perspective
---> Please inform others of President Barack Obama's pro-abortion record, link to it on your web site.
Planned Parenthood Caught Misleading on Birth Control Pills
The Planned Parenthood abortion business has been caught misleading Mississippi residents about the availability of the birth control pill should state residents approve Amendment 26 this November. The ballot proposal has the state of Mississippi defining the beginning of human life as at conception.
The pro-life group Live Action responded to public claims from Planned Parenthood attacking the personhood amendment, which will appear on the November 8 ballot asking state residents: Should the term person be defined to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof?
A Salon story several days ago claims, By its own logic, the initiative would almost certainly ban common forms of birth control like the IUD and the morning-after pill, call into question the legality of the common birth-control pill, and even open the door to investigating women who have suffered miscarriages.
Kay Scott, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast has said, It s so extreme it could even ban common methods of birth control like the pill.
But the activists at Live Action released audio and transcripts of calls to Planned Parenthood, legitimate health care providers and local pharmacies asking if the birth control pill would still be available after November s vote even if Mississippi residents approve Amendment 26.
So far as we know, birth control will still be available, a Planned Parenthood official in Hattiesburg told the caller. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/planned-parenthood-caught-misleading-on-birth-control-pills/
Cain Hits Planned Parenthood as Racist, Abortion Biz Responds
Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain went after the Planned Parenthood abortion business in a weekend interview on Face the Nation, saying the abortion giant was founded on racist roots and continues that racism today.
The host of the CBS program asked Cain about comments he made in January saying he opposes the racist agenda of Planned Parenthood, the nation s biggest abortion business.
I absolutely would defund Planned Parenthood not because I don t believe in planning parenthood, [but because] Planned Parenthood as an organization is an absolute farce on the American people, he said then. People who know the history of Margaret Sanger, who started Planned Parenthood, they know that the intention was not to help young women who get pregnant to plan their parenthood. No it was a sham to be able to kill black babies.
In the new interview, Cain says, I still stand by that. If people go back and look at the history and look at Margaret Sanger s own words, that s exactly where that came from What I m saying is, Planned Parenthood isn t sincere about wanting to try to counsel them not to have abortions. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/cain-hits-planned-parenthood-as-racist-abortion-biz-responds/
Congress to Hold Hearings on China s One-Child Policy
Members of Congress will hold three days of hearings related to China s one-child policy next week and the human rights abuses such as forced abortions and sterilizations that accompany it.
Chai Ling, founder of humanitarian organization All Girls Allowed and a former Tiananmen Square activist, informed LifeNews of the hearings, which will spotlight the coercive family planning policy for three days straight. The hearings comes as new reports have surfaced that Chen Guangcheng, a blind attorney who exposed one campaign of more than 100,000 forced abortions and sterilizations in Linyi, China, has been killed by local family planning officials who had subjected him to home confinement.
Tuesday s hearing is an emergency hearing, devoted to exposing the beatings, four years of imprisonment on false charges and other abuses Chinese officials subjected Chen and his family to since he brought to light the brutal population control campaign. Chen and his wife were recently beaten almost to the point of death, in front of their elementary school-age daughter and activists are concerned he may have been killed.
Chai Ling will ask U.S. leaders to take action to speak out on his behalf as he spoke out for women and men victimized by the one-child policy. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/congress-to-hold-hearings-on-chinas-one-child-policy/
40 Days for Life Up to 417 Babies Saved From Abortion
Are you ready for another serving of Monday morning good news? Here it is! So far during this 40 Days for Life campaign, we now know of 417 babies whose mothers decided to reject abortion!
Here are some of the stories we ve received from local 40 Days for Life teams:
A woman left smiling as she spoke to those praying in front of the abortion facility. She told them, I can t go through with this! The prayer volunteers all rejoiced in her decision to choose life. The very next day, said Ernie in Pensacola, three more women changed their minds about abortion. That s four witnessed turnarounds! Praise be to God! Ernie also reports that a former worker at the abortion facility has now found a new job as a medical assistant. Thank you for all your prayers for her, he said. We were with her last evening and she expressed how seeing our peaceful, prayerful presence made all the difference in her life. It is truly beautiful how God uses this simple act to draw hearts and minds to him. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/40-days-for-life-up-to-417-babies-saved-from-abortion/
Campaign Launched to Support Forced Abortion Opponent Chen
The pro-life group Operation Rescue has released a second undercover call it recorded exposing how abortion businesses are using money from Medicaid to pay for late-term abortions.
The first call showed how the Southwestern Women s Options abortion center in Albuquerque, New Mexico offered information on how Medicaid would cover the $9,000 cost of a late-term abortion. This second call has the same abortion business telling a caller Medicaid would cover the estimated cost of $10,000-$16,000 for an abortion at 30 weeks gestation on an unborn baby diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
The call was placed on October 12 to Southwestern Women s Options, a late-term abortion clinic in Albuquerque that has had issues with sending women to the hospital because of botched abortions.
I m pregnant with a Down Syndrome baby, the caller says. But I m 30 weeks now but I have Pregnancy Medicaid. I was just wondering if that would cover the termination at your office?
And you live in New Mexico? the abortion facility worker asks. And it s New Mexico Medicaid? That does cover the procedure for you. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/campaign-launched-to-support-forced-abortion-opponent-chen/
Abortion Biz: Medicaid Would Pay $16K to Kill Down Syndrome Baby
Today s story is not one you d hear every day. Two years ago this month, former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson experienced a conversion after witnessing a live abortion on an ultrasound at her office in Texas.
She walked into my office at the Coalition for Life next door, told me her story, then resigned from the abortion industry.
I had known Abby for eight years before that day and I d had multiple conversations with her through the fence outside Planned Parenthood. But after her conversion, I realized how much I didn t know.
I didn t know that her parents were pro-life and had been praying for her to leave Planned Parenthood. I didn t know her husband was pro-life and her job created tension in their family. I didn t know that before Abby saw that ultrasound, even she was starting to see that Planned Parenthood cares more about abortion than anything else. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/28/40-days-for-life-leads-to-amazing-talk-with-abortionists-wife/
Perry Tells New Hampshire Voters He s Strongly Pro-Life
Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry appeared at a conservative event Friday night and touted his pro-life views, saying he supports de-funding the nation s biggest abortion business and urging Republicans to stand for pro-life values.
As conservatives we believe in the sanctity of life, Perry told 500 activists gathered for a conservative event, according to the Christian Post.
Perry touched on efforts by New Hampshire officials to end taxpayer funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business and said some candidates haven t gone as far as she has, in signing a bill in Texas to cut off much of the funding.
For some candidates the issue of life is a slogan for the campaign. It s how to get some votes, he said. To me it s about an enduring principal that innocent human life should be protected in all forms and at all stages of life.
If you want to stop Washington s big violations of the (constitution), especially when it comes to the most basic principle of protecting life, then we must make President Obama a one-term president, Perry continued. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/perry-tells-new-hampshire-voters-hes-strongly-pro-life/
Welcome, Baby Seven Billion: The World Needs More People
A few seconds after midnight a baby emerged from the womb of her mother, drew her first breath, and announced her arrival into the world with a tiny cry. This is Baby Seven Billion. Today, 31 October 2011, is her birthday. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/welcome-baby-seven-billion-the-world-needs-more-people/
Clinic Mocked Post-Abortion Women Who Are Now Pro-Life
There was a framed single-panel comic that hung in the hallway just outside of the Executive Director s office at the abortion clinic where I used to work: it was a pen-and-ink drawing of an umbrella bucket next to the entrance of an office building with a picket sign in it that read, STOP ABORTION in large block caps with right after my turn scratched under it in script. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/clinic-mocked-post-abortion-women-who-are-now-pro-life/
Dutch Doctors Expanding Euthanasia to Lonely People
The Dutch Medical Association is seeking to expand the practice of Euthanasia in the Netherlands to include more people under the unbearable suffering that allows physicians to kill patients and the elderly. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/dutch-doctors-expanding-euthanasia-to-lonely-people/
Canada: Poll Shows 72% Want Pro-Life Protections for Unborn
Canadians are perceived to be more supportive of legalized abortion than their American neighbors, but a new poll released by LifeCanada today shows 72 percent want to see more legal protections in place for unborn children. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/canada-poll-shows-72-want-pro-life-protections-for-unborn/
Sex-Selection Abortions a Possible Opening to Overturn Roe
The Supreme Court s abortion jurisprudence appears to protect a right to abortion even for reasons of sex selection. Yet this gruesome reality might provide an opening for a frontal assault on the premises of Roe v. Wade. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/sex-selection-abortions-a-possible-opening-to-overturn-roe/
Exploring Gardasil Vaccinations From a Pro-Life Perspective
This is a mess. It s also one of the thorniest questions in vaccination medicine to have surfaced in a long time. From the outset, it must be clear that I am neither endorsing, nor dismissing the question of vaccinating boys. Get a cup of coffee, and let s kick this one around for a bit. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/31/exploring-gardasil-vaccinations-from-a-pro-life-perspective/
Encourage Friends to Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
Peruvian cardinal encourages defense of life on feast of the Lord of the Miracles
.- During a Mass on Oct. 28 on the feast of the Lord of the Miracles—the most popular religious devotion in Peru—Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani of Lima encouraged Catholics to be strong in their defense of life and the family.
“Lord of the Miracles, thank you for giving us this great gift of faith to Peru, to the world, to Lima. Today you look upon us, you bless us, you hear us and you forgive us. Today you walk our streets, and we all will seek after your gaze, which fills us with peace and joy,” the cardinal said during his homily. Following the Mass, a massive procession took place in downtown Lima.
“The Lord loves us so much that he has left us teachings from the law of God that tell us that marriage is a wonderful sacrament between one man and one woman that is lifelong, and we must fight to build up marriage,” the cardinal said.
“The Lord also says that the family is the privileged place to teach the faith, to educate children, to help one another. Consequently, it is normal that those charged with enacting laws would protect the family, protect marriage and defend life. Year after year we repeat it: we will never be unfaithful to God’s law,” Cardinal Cipriani added.
“Lord of Miracles, enlighten those who have the duty to watch over those laws and customs so that our people will continue to look upon you with trust, because we protect life from the moment of conception. We forever say no to abortion! We are not afraid to repeat it a thousand times. Your Catholic people say yes to life!”
Cardinal Cipriani highlighted the importance of the processions in honor of the Lord of Miracles, which are a reflection of our own journey of faith in the Christian life. “The Lord does not love you because of what you are worth; he loves you because of who you are: you are a child of God … And he tells you: be humble, accept yourself,” Cardinal Cipriani insisted.
Turing toward the image of the Lord of Miracles, the cardinal said, “Lord, Lima is yours, Peru is yours, each one of us is yours.”
“During this holy Eucharist may he embrace us all in his heart and make Peru a more united, brotherly, just and honest country, in which the Catholic people truly continue to practice their faith. Long live the Lord of Miracles! Long live Peru!” the cardinal exclaimed.
Welcome baby 7 billion, says Population Research Institute president
 3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street London, SE11 4AB, United Kingdom Telephone: (020) 7091 7091 Email: information@spuc.org.uk http://www.spuc.org.uk |
 |
| Welcome baby 7 billion, says Population Research Institute president |
|---|
 |
| © Society for the Protection of Unborn Children 2011 |
Irony: FDA announces major safety concern with common contraceptive on World Contraception Day
via lifesite.net
October 31, 2011 (HLIWorldWatch.org) - Advocates of abortion and birth control often speak of “empowering women” with unbiased and vital information about reproductive health, but their silence following the most recent warning from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) calls into question the nature of their concern for women’s health.
On September 26, 2011, the FDA announced that it “remains concerned by the potential increased risk of blood clots” associated with the use of one of the most popular types of birth control pills.
As irony would have it, the date of the FDA announcement was also recognized as “World Contraception Day” (WCD) by organizations dedicated to the promotion of contraception, such as Marie Stopes International, Population Council, and International Planned Parenthood Federation.
The stated mission of WCD is to “improve awareness of contraception to enable young people to make informed decisions on sexual and reproductive health.”
Note the emphasis on helping women make “informed decisions.” With such a mission statement, one would expect that the FDA’s concern about the side-effects of certain birth control pills would receive serious attention from the defenders of women’s health in a press release or on the WCD web site. Yet weeks after the FDA’s announcement, nary a mention of the new studies has appeared.
The pills in question contain the progestin drospirenone, and have in recent years been marketed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals to young women under such trade names as Yaz, Beyaz, Yasmin, and Safyral. Following publication in the British Medical Journal of two studies in early 2011 that indicated these birth control pills brought their users a two to three times greater risk for venous thromboembolism (blood clots), the FDA announced on May 31, 2011 that it would undergo an investigation into their safety.
The recent FDA press release reports that the “preliminary results of the FDA-funded study suggest an approximately 1.5 fold increase in the risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing birth control pills compared to users of other hormonal contraceptives.”
In addressing these “other hormonal contraceptives,” the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) states that users of birth control are three times more likely to develop superficial venous thrombosis, and have a four to eleven times greater risk for deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism than non-users. The risk goes up by a factor of 1.5 – 6 for those women who are genetically predisposed to clots.
In summary, the PDR notes that, “An increased risk of thromboembolic and thrombotic disease associated with the use of oral contraceptives is well established.”
According to the preliminary conclusions of the FDA’s recent analysis, however, Yaz and other drospirenone containing pills increase these “well established” risks by a factor of 1.5. Awareness of this increased risk is vital for consumers, especially for parents as they make health-care decisions for their teenage daughters, and for college-aged women as they make health care decisions for themselves.
The WCD organizers who claim to provide “accurate and unbiased information” make scant reference to any of the many and scientifically established negative side-effects of combined oral contraceptives. The site brushes aside the increased risk of blood clots, stating that “a few women might suffer from thrombosis, but this is very uncommon.” No mention whatsoever is made about the FDA’s ongoing safety review.
Why is a site dedicated to contraception, and which boasts of its desire to help women make informed choices about their health, either downplaying or ignoring serious threats to the health of women who use the products being promoted? A closer look at the site reveals what may be the answer: the financier of World Contraception Day is Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the very company who manufactures all four of the brand name drugs (Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz, and Safyral) currently under safety review by the FDA. Yaz and Yasmin alone earned Bayer $505 million in the first half of 2011, which makes it the third highest earning drug for the company.
Is it any wonder that the WCD organizers are silent about the side-effects of the drugs sold by their sponsor?
Bayer has other reasons to downplay the potential negative side-effects of the birth control pills they market and distribute. As they report in their stockholder newsletter, the company is currently facing a “number of lawsuits pending in the United States and served upon Bayer” numbering “about 9,300 as of July 16, 2011.” Bayer notes that, “Plaintiffs allege that they have suffered personal injuries, some of them fatal, from the use of Bayer’s oral contraceptive products Yasmin™ and / or YAZ™.”
Regardless of the outcome of these lawsuits, the findings of ongoing safety studies, and in spite of the virtual silence by organizations that promote birth control to young women, consumers have a right to this information as it is made available.
Thankfully, the FDA, by all appearances, seems to be taking the side-effects somewhat seriously. They note that while the department “has not yet reached a conclusion” regarding the two 2011 studies, they have scheduled a joint meeting of the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee for this December to discuss the increasingly worrisome risks associated with drospirenone-containing birth control.
The promoters of World Contraception Day are hocking a product that makes billions annually for companies that know the harm their products cause, but seem to have calculated that the profits outweigh the risks to women’s health. Adding insult to injury, they are doing so with funds provided by those who profit from the sale of these drugs, all in the name of helping women make “informed choices” about their health.
In the face of this conspiracy of silence, where are the real champions of women’s health?
Reprinted with permission from HLIWorldWatch.org
More Evidence Raped Children in Kansas Were Ignored
Dr. Kristin Neuhaus testifies in a hearing where the state is attempting to revoke her medical license. Neuhaus recently told a reporter with the Lawrence Journal World that she was working with "young girls" who had been raped when she worked for Dr. Tiller. Yet, investigative records and testimony reveal that these rapes were not reported to child welfare officials as required by law.
In an effort to save her medical license, last week, Dr. Kristin Neuhaus granted the Lawrence Journal World in exclusive interview. The resulting article primarily focuses on Neuhaus' concerns about her safety. Neuhaus' statements in the article, however, again highlight how Dr. Tiller and Neuhaus refused to report child sexual abuse.
Read more here: http://standwithtruth.com/uncategorized/more-evidence-raped-kansas-children-w...
Call Reveals Medicaid Paying $16,000 to Abort 30-Week Down Syndrome Baby
| |||
Albuquerque, New Mexico - As Down Syndrome Awareness month concludes, Operation Rescue has released a video containing excerpts from an undercover call to a late-term abortion clinic that assured the caller that Medicaid would pay the total costs of an abortion at 30 weeks gestation on a pre-born baby diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Estimated cost of the abortion was between $10,000 and $16,000.
"We know that 92 percent of all women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome end up aborting their babies. Now we know that it is done at great expense to the taxpayer, who foots the bill for outrageously expensive abortions," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
"These precious babies do not deserve to die and certainly the taxpayers should not be paying to kill them. The fact that our tax money goes to exterminate innocent children with disabilities is abhorrent to most Americans. Cutting off the tax funding will go a long way toward ending this barbaric and intolerant practice."
The call was placed on October 12, 2011, to Southwestern Women's Options, a late-term abortion clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that made headlines when a similar undercover call revealed that late-term abortions are being done at tax-payer expense on healthy women with healthy pregnancies. Operation Rescue and Project Defending Life documented 15 states where Medicaid funds pay for abortions.
Southwestern Women's Options also recently attracted attention for the excessive number of abortion complications there requiring emergency hospitalization. Operation Rescue published the 911 calls showing women suffering from various life-threatening abortion-related injuries and complications. The clinic's abortionists, Curtis Boyd, Shelley Sella, and Susan Robinson, are currently under investigation by the New Mexico Medical Board based on complaints filed by Operation Rescue and Project Defending Life.
Please call your Senator and demand an and to ALL tax-funded abortions. | |||
|
DAY 34: 417 lives saved
Dear Deacon, Are you ready for another serving of Monday morning
good news? Here it is! So far during this 40 Days for Life campaign, we now
know of ... ... 417 babies whose mothers decided to reject abortion! Here are some of the stories we've received from local
40 Days for Life teams.
-------------------------------------------------------
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
------------------------------------------------------- A woman left smiling as she spoke to those praying in
front of the abortion facility. She told them, "I can't
go through with this!" The prayer volunteers all
rejoiced in her decision to choose life. The very next day, said Ernie in Pensacola, three more
women changed their minds about abortion. "That's four
witnessed turnarounds! Praise be to God!" Ernie also reports that a former worker at the abortion
facility has now found a new job as a medical assistant.
"Thank you for all your prayers for her," he said. "We were with her last evening and she expressed how
seeing our peaceful, prayerful presence made all the
difference in her life. It is truly beautiful how God
uses this simple act to draw hearts and minds to him."
-------------------------------------------------------
POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------- Maureen in Poughkeepsie tells the story of two women
who changed their minds. In one instance, a woman walked into Planned Parenthood,
followed a few minutes later by a man. The man had
accepted some pro-life information from prayer
volunteers. A short time later, he left the building
and got in his car. A few minutes later, the woman also left the building
and got into the car with him. They hugged, then drove
away with relieved looks on their faces. Later, two women drove past Planned Parenthood twice
-- slowly. The younger woman in the passenger's seat
was crying. They pulled over and talked briefly, then left. Ten
minutes later, they came back. This time, they stopped
and went inside. As they walked towards the building,
the volunteers offered information and help. They were inside for only ten minutes before they came
back out. They waved to the volunteers, got into their
car and left -- for good.
-------------------------------------------------------
SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN
------------------------------------------------------- A young couple walked out of the abortion center with a
handful of paperwork. "They had just found out she was
farther than they thought -- 17 weeks," said a 40 Days
for Life volunteer. "And after paying $150 for the
ultrasound, they didn't have the $775 to complete the
abortion." The volunteers mentioned a pro-life center that would
do another ultrasound -- free -- to see if they were
told the truth. The couple accepted the offer. "There's NO WAY we're having the abortion now," the
father said, after seeing the ultrasound. "I thought
the baby was the size of a quarter from the picture
they gave us." "We are so joyful to see God's blessings for our
prayerful presence on the sidewalk in front of the
abortion facility," said Mike in Southfield. "This
is such a simple plan. We show up and pray in public.
God changes hearts, mothers and babies are saved from
abortion. What could be easier?"
Here's today's devotional from Rev. Paul Stallsworth,
President of Lifewatch (United Methodist Church)...
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 34 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- May we come to know that divine life, in
relationship, creates human life.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God. All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was made. --John 1:1-3
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Rev. Paul Stallsworth
----------------------------------------------------- "In the beginning" was God. Always, before all times,
there was God. This particular God -- the God of the
Bible, the God of St. John's Gospel -- is different
from all other gods. This God is alive and full of
life. This God is not the picture of deadness and
death, aloneness and isolation. This God is the
picture of life, relationship, and unity. For within this God, within this one God, there are
three divine persons who live, who love, and who work
-- together. This is the glorious mystery of the
Trinity. The Trinity means divine life. The Trinity
means three, living Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit -- who relate to each other. The Trinity means
mutual love and service among three Persons. The Word was always with God the Father. This Word
was, is, and will be the Trinity's second person. The
Word is also the Son of God or, as revealed in time,
Jesus Christ. God the Father and God the Son live,
love, and work for each other. As one, they create
"all things" together: the Father creates all things,
including all human life, through the Son. So the Father, through the Son, creates all human
lives. The little one swimming in his mother's womb,
the infant smiling in his father's arms, the child
crying in pain in a hospital bed, the energetic teen
running another mile, the old man gasping for his
last breath -- all were created, at their beginning,
by the Father through the Son. No exceptions. Divine
life creates human life.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- O God, may we always be quick to call you Father. And
when we call you father, let your Spirit remind us
that we, and all people, from their beginning to
their last day, are your children. We praise you,
Father, that you sent your Son to reveal to the world
that all people are His brothers and sisters, that
all people are your children. Through Jesus Christ we
pray, Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2011day34print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: What has impressed you most about your 40 Days
for Life experience this fall? Please let us know
by leaving a comment on today's blog posting at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2500 40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
Pope Benedict's Mission Intention for November 2011.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Pro Bikers for Life
via airmaria.com
Ave Maria!
http://airmaria.com/?sn=153&vp=21981&prefx=face&plyrnb=1&ttl=Face%20of%20Pro-...
Lou Fielack and Tom Upshur of Pro Bikers ride their Harleys up from Long Island displaying their full biker regalia to join us for the Face of Prolife show. They explain their very interesting and unique pro-life apostolate that they carry out on their motorcycles, going from one abortion clinic to the next giving witness and side-walk counseling in a way many people can relate to. Listen to their very inspiring and colorful story.
Ave Maria!
Audio (MP3) http://s3.amazonaws.com/airmaria/face/face0153.mp3
DAY 33: God will use your sacrifice
holding their vigils outside Planned Parenthood
facilities, it's no surprise that I get a lot of
e-mail about Planned Parenthood. Here are a few stories about how America's largest
abortion chain conducts its business -- including a
report from Houston, home of the biggest abortion
facility in North America -- the 76,000 square foot
Planned Parenthood complex.
-------------------------------------------------------
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
------------------------------------------------------- Eileen tells the story of a Barbara and her husband,
who had recently moved to Indianapolis and called the
pro-life pregnancy center for an appointment. "During the moving process, Barbara realized that she
was pregnant for the first time," Eileen said. "She
wanted an ultrasound to be sure the pregnancy was
progressing normally." Barbara said she was on her way to the pro-life center
from Planned Parenthood. "I told Barbara that I was
glad she had decided against having an abortion,"
Eileen said. "But Barbara said she had not gone there
for an abortion." Barbara thought she knew what Planned Parenthood was
about. She believed they cared about women. But when
she went there and asked for an ultrasound, she was
told that she could only have an ultrasound if she
was going to have an abortion. Eileen said, "Thank God for 40 Days for Life, for
prayer partners and for sidewalk counselors who really
do care about women." For a picture of the 40 Days for Life vigil in
Indianapolis, go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2495
-------------------------------------------------------
ITHACA, NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------- "A minister saw us praying," said Mary Anne in Ithaca,
"and stopped to introduced himself. He wanted to pray
over us for protection." Right after that, a Planned Parenthood employee jumped
into the midst of the people praying at the 40 Days for
Life vigil, claiming they had no right to be there. "One of the prayer volunteers proclaimed that she did
have a right to be there," said Mary Anne, "as she'd
had an abortion and regrets it every day." She also mentioned a man who was delivering bottled
water to Planned Parenthood. He told the volunteers
his girlfriend had been scheduled to have an abortion
-- until he saw people praying on the sidewalk outside. After seeing the pro-lifers praying that day, he ran
into the abortion center and found his girlfriend
-- and the two of them left. They're now the parents of
a 17-month-old child. To see photos from 40 Days for Life in Ithaca, go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2495
-------------------------------------------------------
HOUSTON, TEXAS
------------------------------------------------------- A woman walked into the mobile pro-life pregnancy center
across from Planned Parenthood with a coupon for a free
pregnancy test and ultrasound. She was given the coupon
in February -- but did not use it. She had gone through
with an abortion. As she pointed towards Houston’s Planned Parenthood
abortion megaplex, she told volunteers, "I never want
to go into that building again." She said the abortion
was a terrible experience and that she would never have
another one. The volunteers have seen other women who had been
given these coupons -- by friends who had gone to
Planned Parenthood. One woman’s friend told her that she really regretted
her abortion and that before the friend had one, she
should go see "the people in the blue bus." "Even if you think your day in prayer at Planned
Parenthood was unproductive, think again," said one
volunteer. "You never know how God will use the
sacrifice you make to be there and the time you spend
in prayer."
To see a picture of Planned Parenthood's huge facility
in Houston, go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2495
Here's today's devotional from Fr. Terry Gensemer,
National Director of the Charismatic Episcopal Church
for Life...
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 33 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- May we absorb the truth that God is paying attention
to us, and to each human life, personally and
individually.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your
fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have
ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of man that You visit him? For You have
made him a little lower than the angels, and You have
crowned him with glory and honor. -- Psalm 8:3-9
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Fr. Terry Gensemer
----------------------------------------------------- How often we ignore the phrase, "stop and smell the
roses" and instead submit to the all too "urgent"
task at hand. Is this tendency what keeps us, at
least in part, from acknowledging that God's care for
His sacred creation is paramount in His own mind? The Psalmist speaks of God's handiwork: the heavens,
the work of his "fingers," and then points to God's
masterpiece - human life. He declares to us that God
is mindful of us. God keeps His masterpiece in His
thoughts. God, the creator of the awe-inspiring heavens, is not
distracted by the tasks before Him. He is not pulled
away, as we might be, by thoughts of something "more
important." God is paying attention to and attending to His
crowning glory, His masterpiece of creation, which
cannot be duplicated or replaced, which surpasses the
beauty of all other created things -- the human
being. There is no way to adequately describe how God feels
about us as human beings. There are no words to fully
portray His love, compassion or desire to be in
communion with us. Perhaps, the closest we can come, is to contemplate
the thoughts of a mother as she gazes for the first
time at her newborn child. God cares for Life. We, as His followers, should take time to consider
the life He has created and called upon us to love
and protect.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- Lord, you are the creator of all things. Guide my
thoughts to consider your creation in all of its
majesty, beauty and holiness. Guide my heart
especially to your creation of precious human life. Help me to comprehend how essential life is in your
own heart. Teach me to appreciate, love and protect
all human life through your son, Jesus Christ our
Lord, Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2011day33print.pdf
----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: As always, if you have news to report from your
community's 40 Days for Life effort, please let
everyone know! You may leave a comment at today's
blog posting at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2495 40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
Heather's House
via renewamerica.com
The following article is from the fall 2011 newsletter of Aid for Women, a Chicago-area pregnancy counseling center.
'Aid for Women counsels thousands of women at our downtown Chicago and suburban Berwyn centers each year. We have found that many of our clients consider abortion because they lack adequate housing or will be otherwise homeless if they choose life. While we have had some success placing clients in residential programs offered by other agencies, the waiting lists are long and admission criteria narrow. Certain that God was calling us to do more to help pregnant women in need of housing and trusting in His guidance, we rolled up our sleeves and established Heather's House, Aid for Women's new residential program.
'Named in honor of Heather Bresler, wife of our founder Deacon Thomas Bresler, the home was established on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation. Heather's House now provides a place where women can stay for up to two years. More than just a shelter, Heather's House offers mothers a two-year opportunity to develop the life skills, education and job skills necessary to become independent and loving mothers.
'The facility occupies 4,200 square feet on Maryville Academy's campus in Des Plaines, Illinois. The home has several bedrooms and bathrooms, a large kitchen and dining room, a large living room, a suite for the residential staff, a chapel, offices, an activity area, nursery and baby boutique. We are grateful to Sr. Catherine Ryan and her staff at Maryville Academy for giving us an extremely warm welcome.
'August was a busy month at the home as we welcomed our first newborn, Ashley. After giving birth to Ashley, our resident Liza has been working closely with her mentor Kathy Kelly, who is making sure that mom and baby are both healthy and happy. August was also the start to the school year, and the home's staff was proud to send several of the residents off to their first day of school at the local community college. Residents are learning to balance homework, classes, caring for a child and keeping up with household responsibilities. But it hasn't been all work and no play for the young moms. Family movie nights, storytelling, Sunday BBQ picnics and outings at the shopping mall have also been part of their busy schedules.
'Life Skills classes led by volunteers are ongoing. Residents are having fun improving their culinary skills in the kitchen and attending many classes, such as computer skills, exercise, nutrition, art and etiquette. Bible study classes are offered weekly, and residents are learning to trust in God's plan. Abstinence support group sessions and house meetings keep communication open and are also part of the weekly routine.
'Maria Taylor, MSW and Bonnie Ryan, MSW are the home's Program Director and Program Manager. Jeanne Garnello resides at the home as House Mother, and Cate Campbell and Jessica Shaw are the home's Residential Assistants. All work closely together to assure that the residents' needs are met in a comfortable, compassionate and professional manner.
'The Des Plaines location at Heather's House also offers the same pregnancy resource center services as our downtown and Berwyn locations. Now, women in difficult and unplanned pregnancies throughout Chicago's northwest suburbs can receive pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, compassionate and confidential counseling and participate in our mentor program while staying close to home.'
For more information about Aid for Women and Heather's House, visit http://www.helpaidforwomen.org.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
2012 St. Augustine March for Life
Join the Diocese of Orlando on Saturday, January 14 as we travel to St. Augustine Florida to mark the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade legalizing abortion in the United States. The March begins at the Mission Nombre de Dios—The Great Cross— and concludes in the public plaza with talks by nationally recognized Pro-Life Speakers. The Diocese of Orlando will have buses leaving from Brevard, Orange, and Volusia county. The cost for the bus is $25 per person; children under 12 are free. Call the office of Advocacy and Justice at 407-246-4819 for more information or to register. To read more about the march, visit: http://www.marchforlifestaugustine.com
Video from previous March:
Fr Mark Swires is leading from the front in east London
 3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street London, SE11 4AB, United Kingdom Telephone: (020) 7091 7091 Email: information@spuc.org.uk http://www.spuc.org.uk | ||||
 | ||||
| Fr Mark Swires is leading from the front in east London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
| Fr Swires & youth at opening rally |
On Thursday I blogged about the good example of a pro-life priest in Italy who rings his church bell every time an unborn child is killed by abortion at the local town hospital. Yesterday I blogged the excellent letter by Fr Leon Pereira O.P. standing up to Dr. Jon Cruddas, the pro-abortion MP. For another great example of priestly pro-life witness Londoners can look to Fr. Mark Swires of Brentwood diocese. Thomas McMahon, bishop of Brentwood, has on several occasions led prayer vigils outside abortion centre.
Fr Mark joined a group of Christians, Muslims, and local residents in Stratford, east London last week, who are trying to have a newly-established BPAS abortion centre shut down. Fr. Mark spent the whole day with the group, leading prayer at the opening rally (pictured), handing out pro-life literature, manning the street-stall (pictured), and engaging with the public. We need more and more priests to follow the example of Fr. Mark witnessing to the Gospel of Life. |
| Sr Rosalind (left) & street stall |
Also pictured is Sister Rosalind, an Anglican and a new member of SPUC, who also spent the whole day with the group. Sr. Rosalind has since told us how keen she and others in the area are about keeping up the pro-life momentum.
Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
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Bicycle trek helps veterans down road to recovery
Cyclists make their way to Winter Haven from Orlando during the Ride 2 Recovery Florida Challenge. More than 200 cyclists, mostly injured veterans from across the country, took part in the 350-mile seven-day trip from Jacksonville to Tampa.
More than 200 cyclists, mostly injured military veterans, set out to cross Florida coast to coast in seven days. They took part in the 350-mile Ride 2 Recovery Florida Challenge from Jacksonville to Tampa to raise money for veteran rehabilitation programs across the country.
The group stopped this weekend in Orlando. They had dinner at the American Legion Post 286 on Friday and rode 44 miles to Winter Haven on Saturday. They plan to end their trek today in Tampa.
"Yes, we're injured and gave up part of our life. But we're still living our lives to the fullest," said Army Sgt. Nathan Hunt before setting off Saturday from the Sheraton Safari Hotel near Walt Disney World.
In 2008, he lost both legs from a blast in Iraq. Hunt, who served in the military for about a decade, said he got on a hand cycle that September. The following spring, he took part in his first Ride 2 Recovery.
Read more here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-injured-veterans-ri...
Watching out for sex offenders on Halloween
via cfnews13.com
When it comes to registered sex offenders, not all are the same. Parents may be realizing this fact this Halloween.
There’s no denying the popularity of the FDLE’s Sexual Offenders and Predators website. You plug in your address and up pops the sex offenders living near you. But dig a little deeper and you’ll notice some are listed as “supervised.”
What does this mean?
Patrice Bryant with the Department of Corrections explains: “"When you say sex offender, it's a catch-all. But you have different classes of sex offender. You have offenders who have restrictions if a victim was a minor. And then you have sex offenders whose victim was an adult and depending on when they were sentenced and what laws were in place."
So why should you care?
“Supervised” sexual offenders have to abide by certain rules during Halloween. Basically, they can’t participate in anything, be it decorate their house, hand out candy, go to the various “trunk-or-treat” or Halloween carnivals. Those who are not supervised can do all of that.
To give you an example of just how many people we’re talking about, in Volusia County there are more than 800 registered sexual offenders and sexual predators. Of those, just 242 are supervised by the DOC’s Probation and Parole office. Patrice Bryant does say those who have committed the most heinous sex crimes are those who are supervised. But she says if parents are concerned this Halloween, log on to the FDLE’s site and see which houses you may or may not want to avoid.
Bryant said: “we monitor all of them. We go out and make contact on Halloween and throughout the weekend. Some of them take things so far as to not answer the door when we knock, so we have to call them and tell them to open up.”
http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/homepage.do;jsessionid=7IWM3Nnn48v-...
DAY 32: Defending human life
in Calgary, Alberta. I was invited here to speak at
a conference focusing on the culture. It's called
Life 2011. This fall, there are a record sixteen 40 Days for Life
campaigns going on throughout Canada. Since I'm currently outside the United States, let's
take a quick look at what's happening in two NEW
international campaigns -- Argentina and Germany --
as well as here in Canada.
-------------------------------------------------------
ROSARIO, ARGENTINA
------------------------------------------------------- "Everything is going great here," writes Gabriela in
Rosario. "We have over 400 people praying and fasting.
They receive daily prayers and reflections -- most of
them translated into Spanish from the 40 Days for Life
devotionals." She's received countless messages from people who are
taking part in the campaign. "Many have said this
initiative has arrived as a blessing in our country." Gabriela said the vigil is working out well so far in
this first-ever campaign in Argentina. "Many people in
Rosario are getting to know that there is a group of
citizens that defend human life from the moment of
conception." As part of the community outreach, they have organized
a couple of talks, inviting well-known professionals
to speak about medical and legal aspects of abortion. "You can't imagine the positive impact 40 Days for Life
is making, not only in Argentina but in many Latin
American countries," said Gabriela, noting that she has
received inquiries from people in other nations. To see pictures of the Rosario campaign, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2490
-------------------------------------------------------
SAARBRUECKEN, GERMANY
------------------------------------------------------- Praying in front of an abortion center, said Tori in
Germany, "was a wonderful witness and a couple of
people passing by actually nodded their heads in the
affirmative and smiled." The group took part in a pro-life march earlier this
month. "There were a lot of people on the street and
shopping in the city looking at our signs and amazed
at how many young teenagers were marching. You could
see the other young people on the street -- taking
notice of the young people who are openly showing
their solidarity to the innocent babies losing their
lives through abortion." Tori said the team is reminding people, "The Lord will
provide; be not afraid. This is the message we want to
relay to anyone facing a crisis pregnancy situation."
-------------------------------------------------------
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
------------------------------------------------------- The first 40 Days for Life campaign in British
Columbia's largest city is seen by the local leadership
team as "a landmark event." They've sent along a few pictures of their vigil, which
is taking place in front of the BC Women’s Health Centre,
"night or day, rain or shine." That's exactly what the
pictures show -- groups from several churches in the
Vancouver area, often carrying umbrellas. They DID have a sunny day for their midpoint event,
and were appreciative of the big crowd that turned out
to support the 40 Days for Life campaign. To see pictures of the Vancouver events, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2490
Heartbeat International.
------------------------------------------------------
DAY 32 INTENTION
------------------------------------------------------ As we pray for the end of abortion, let us pray for
the expansion of the pregnancy help center movement
worldwide.
------------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
------------------------------------------------------ The dragon stood before the woman who was about to
give birth, so that when she bore her child he might
devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is
to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her
child was caught up to God and to his throne. -- Revelation 12:4-5
------------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Rev. John Ensor, Heartbeat International
------------------------------------------------------ You don't need to be a theological scholar to get the
essential point of Revelation 12. Something BIG is
afoot. It has something to do with the birth of Christ
and the children of God. It involves a war in heaven, with powers and
principalities beyond our expertise. But the battles
are fought here on earth. The crux of the matter centers around the babe of
Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary. It continues to unfold down through the ages, through
us, the children of God, who put their faith in Christ
and take up their cross and follow him. We are waging a war of love against all things that
destroy body and soul. The intensity waxes and wanes, but like labor pains,
they grow and culminate in new life. The unleashing of legal abortion nearly 40 years ago
stirred up prayer (lamentation really). Many were then
led to start pregnancy help centers and maternity homes. Today there are over 3,000 such ministries that did not
exist 40 years ago. They reflect a movement of God on our watch: Christians
driven to give their time and charity to end abortion
one woman at a time. Let's pray this movement expands worldwide. Let's pray
for thousands more Christians to start, serve and
support pregnancy help centers.
------------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
------------------------------------------------------ O God, from generation to generation, you have called
your people to be the very aroma of life amidst a
culture of death. Now it is our turn. Prepare me.
Send me. Use me. I am eager to do my part. Stir your
people everywhere to take up this great work.
------------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
------------------------------------------------------ To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2011day32print.pdf
------------------------------------------------------ Yours for Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: Are you a first-time participant in 40 Days for
Life? If so, thanks for joining the campaign! Please
share your impressions by replying to today's blog
entry at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2490 40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
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