Thank you!
Wednesday, April 8
Filled! Praise God!
Thursday, April 9
Filled! Praise God!
Friday, April 10
FULL! Praise God!
As you can see, our big need is Thursday night. We appreciate your sacrifices.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
State Elections to be held on April 7
State Elections to be held on April 7
There are a few big ones in both Wisconsin and Dane County next week. While Vigil for Life is not a political organization and does not make political endorsements, these definitely have pro-life implications. In a spring election, voter turnout is low so your voice matters more than ever!
Here's a quick primer:
Wisconsin State Supreme Court
Judge Randy Koschnick vs. Justice Shirley Abrahamson
There are a few big ones in both Wisconsin and Dane County next week. While Vigil for Life is not a political organization and does not make political endorsements, these definitely have pro-life implications. In a spring election, voter turnout is low so your voice matters more than ever!
Here's a quick primer:
Wisconsin State Supreme Court
Judge Randy Koschnick vs. Justice Shirley Abrahamson
- Koschnick is endorsed by Pro-Life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Right to Life
- Abrahamson is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI)
Click here for the nonpartisan (but pro-life) Wisconsin Family Council's candidate comparison: http://yourwisconsinvote.org/materials/Judicial_survey_completed.pdfWisconsin
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Rose Fernandez vs. Tony Evers
- Evers is endorsed by Planned Parenthood (PPAWI)
Click here for the Wisconsin Family Council's candidate comparison: http://yourwisconsinvote.org/materials/DPI_Response_Final_030609.pdf
Dane County Executive
Nancy Mistele vs. Kathleen Falk
- Falk is endorsed by Planned Parenthood (PPAWI)
Vigil for Life presents at PLW's Day at the Capitol
Pro-Life Wisconsin invited Vigil for Life to present at its annual Day at the Capitol. Here's what Steve Karlen had to say:
Good morning!
My name is Steve Karlen, and I represent Madison Vigil for Life. Before I get started, I’d just like to ask the Holy Spirit to bless my talk and fill my words with truth and grace. My Italian wife reminded me yesterday that today we celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph. And since St. Joseph knows a thing or two about unplanned pregnancy and the difficult choices that accompany it, I ask his intercession in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I’d like to thank you all for coming. I’d also like to thank Monsignor Holmes for leading us in prayer and for all his work in the service of God and defense of life.
It’s also my great pleasure to thank fine legislators like Representative La Mahieu and Senator Grothman for their service to Wisconsin residents—born and pre-born. Their courageous stance isn’t exactly a popular one in the Capitol these days. It’s not one that will yield political clout nor draw worldly praise. But Representative La Mahieu, Senator Grothman, and their pro-life colleagues have demonstrated that they are willing to do what is right, even if it’s not trendy. They are heroes in the pro-life movement, and they deserve both our respect and our admiration.
Finally, I’d like to thank everybody at Pro-Life Wisconsin for hosting us this fine day and for inviting me to speak. Surely, I’m preaching to the choir this morning, but the folks at PLW are doing absolutely fantastic work. Not only do they conduct tireless legislative efforts, media campaigns and educational outreach; they also get down into the trenches to pray at vigil sites, participate in demonstrations, and strengthen grassroots efforts to build a Culture of Life across this state. And they do it all without compromising the truth for political expediency or good PR.
Like I said, I represent Vigil for Life right here in Madison. Our organization works to end abortion and all destruction of human life through prayer, fasting and peaceful witness outside abortion clinics. We coordinate the 40 Days for Life campaign, a 24/7 vigil of prayer, fasting and peaceful presence outside of the Planned Parenthood on Madison’s East Side. Our humble organization also coordinates twice monthly prayer vigils outside of Madison’s Planned Parenthood locations, a pro-life retreat, pro-life speakers, and other events throughout the year.
I couldn’t be more proud of our group of prayer warriors. Our resources are few, but our hearts are big. One veteran pro-life activist described the 40 Days for Life campaign as the force that will finally turn the tide on abortion in America. It’s a testament to the power of grassroots activism firmly rooted in prayer, fasting and love for Jesus Christ. And it’s faith and humility that made Vigil for Life a major player in Wisconsin’s pro-life movement this January when it was revealed that the Madison Surgery Center would begin performing late-term abortions downtown.
My involvement in this saga began on December 29, 2008. I was enjoying an evening with my family at home, celebrating the Christmas season when I received the strangest phone call of my life. A man named Matt Bowman was on the line. He worked for an organization called the Alliance Defense Fund. To establish his credentials, he told me he was friends with a number of my pro-life colleagues. He told me that a new abortion clinic was coming to Madison and that he’d like me to organize a demonstration. And then he told me that he couldn’t say any more, but that he knew I was having lunch the next day with PLW’s Matt Sande who would fill me in with the details the next day.
I said goodbye, he hung up the phone, and I told my wife, “That was the single strangest phone call I’ve ever received.” I felt like I’d stepped into a real-life episode of 24. And so I thought little about the conversation until I sat down to lunch with Matt the next day. When I brought up the bizarre call at a restaurant, Matt started looking nervous and told me we’d have to leave the restaurant and he’d brief me in his car.
Wow. Now I really felt like I was in an episode of 24. In his car outside the Pizzeria Uno, I learned the grisly details: Madison’s abortionist Dennis Christiansen was going to retire from killing babies at Planned Parenthood, and UW Faculty member Caryn Dutton would take his place. She’d also be secretly moving the late-term abortions to the Madison Surgery Center—a collaborative surgery institute run by the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and Meriter Hospital. We had to keep our knowledge of these developments on the down low to not tip off the pro-abortion movement that we were on to them.
Over the coming days, I kept in touch with the people at Pro-Life Wisconsin as well as Matt Bowman at the ADF. Needless to say, the ensuing conversations were much less awkward and confusing than the initial ones. I learned that on January 6, the ADF was set to blow the cover off the secret late-term abortion plans of UW Health and Meriter. Vigil for Life had a week to plan a January 8 rally outside the Madison Surgery Center, but we couldn’t tell people when, where or why were rallying until the ADF’s January 6 announcement. With such short notice, I said I thought we could get 25 people out.
Shortly before 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 6, the ADF dropped the bombshell. They distributed a press release and open letter to UW and Meriter leadership laying out the secret plans, describing the way these plans had crushed employee morale at the Madison Surgery Center, and reminding the parties involved that any attempts to use public funding for abortion or coerce pro-life staff into participating were illegal and would result in swift litigation.
By the end of the morning, Pro-Life Wisconsin had issued its own press release, condemning the plans and encouraging Wisconsin residents to contact Meriter and UW officials to protest the plans.
Just two hours later, Vigil for Life dropped a press release of our own—joining the ADF and PLW in condemning the decision, but also announcing the January 8 rally.
War had been declared. UW Health and Meriter had been caught completely off-guard. While pro-life groups from across Wisconsin joined the uproar, Meriter remained silent. And all the UW could do was issue a terse statement that said little more than “Uh, trust us. Our lawyers said it’s ok” and “We promise to only experiment on the harvested corpses of our victims if a medical board approves it”—a statement they’d later deny ever making.
While the public and the media began to digest the story, we had work to do. We announced a demonstration, and now we had to get people there. First, of course, we mobilized our Vigil for Life group. Secondly, we worked through every pro-life or Christian channel we could find. Within hours, the event was announced to every sort of group we could imagine: Church men’s groups, women’s Bible studies, home schooling groups, a newsgroup of supporters of Bishop Morlino. It spread like wildfire, and we express our deep gratitude to Pro-Life Wisconsin and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison in particular, for making it happen.
To say that I was anxious the morning of January 8 would be an understatement. We had spread the word, but still it was a work day. A school day. Parking was practically nonexistent. And to top it off, the wind chill was well below zero. Despite these challenge, more than 100 people turned out. We prayed. We sang. All up and down Park Street we stood witness that the murder of the pre-born would not be tolerated. The media showed up as all four commercial television affiliates and the Wisconsin Radio Network covered the day. Even in the freezing cold temperature, the crowd was slow to break up, with numerous people staying well longer than the hour we had allotted.
The day was a great success. I spent much of the morning calling family and pro-life colleagues who couldn’t make it to share the great news, took a nap to recover from several late-nights of preparation, and settled in to watch the coverage on the evening news. We were flying high.
That evening as the excitement died down I became contemplative. Among the scores of people I met that morning, one face stood out—burned into my memory forever. It was a young girl with Down syndrome. She had greeted me with an exuberant “Hi!” and the biggest, most radiant beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. This girl warmed my heart and brought joy to my day. I suspect she warmed the hearts of everybody she encountered out in the cold.
But in the United States, 90 percent of Down syndrome children just like her are killed in the womb. In fact, while the UW has waffled on their motives for getting into the late-term abortion business, they haven’t wavered from the fact that they want to provide a place to “terminate” babies with abnormalities. They’re looking to sign a large-scale death warrant for children with disabilities. I can’t help but to be reminded of the point in my favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird, when Miss Maudie explains the book’s title. She says, “'Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'"
My young friend here was the mockingbird. She and special needs kids just like her don’t do one thing but SMILE their hearts out for us, and that’s why it’s a sin to kill them. Yet that’s exactly what the UW and Meriter intend to do. It’s a world gone mad.
And so, after I laid my two-year-old son down to sleep that evening, I walked into my hallway, buried my head in my hands and began to cry. The stakes in this battle had suddenly become all too clear.
My wife walked out and asked me what was wrong. “It’s a game to them,” was all I could mumble. She looked perplexed. “This is life and death,” I said. The news papers don’t care. The radio stations don’t care. And the TV news doesn’t care. This story is just another mixed in among stock market reports and basketball scores. By showing up and protesting, we play our part. The media play their part by reporting on us. And life goes on while babies continue to be slaughtered by the thousands.
Whatever the media’s motivations were, it became clear that our efforts those first three days of the controversy won us a resounding victory in the court of public opinion. We’d caught the pro-aborts by surprise. They wanted to keep their treachery secret, and it had been exposed. Even people reluctant to call themselves pro-life wanted answers.
The momentum was growing and it led to a conference call with state pro-life leaders the very next day. This call was the genesis of the majority of the coordinated efforts that have taken place the last two and a half months. In the middle of the call, Senator Glenn Grothman suggested “Let’s hold a rally on January 31 right in the heart of the UW-Madison campus.” Now, we were talking.
Over the next three weeks, things came together quickly. Meriter Hospital heart surgeons Dr. Bill Evans and Dr. Joe Bellissimo met with Meriter leadership to express their disgust that Meriter pours hundred of thousands of dollars into a state-of-the-art neonatal facility that saves babies the same age as those that would be killed right across the street. On January 24, the coalition of pro-life groups ran a nearly full-page ad in the Wisconsin State Journal urging a boycott of the guilty institutions. Senator Grothman and Representative Rich Zipperer led more than 40 legislators in a letter urging that the late-term abortion plan be abandoned.
On January 28, the pro-life coalition gathered in the Capitol rotunda to hold a press conference announcing that in just two weeks, more than 21,000 signatures opposing these plans had been gathered. Twenty-one thousand in only two weeks! The petitions were delivered to Meriter Hospital. Thousands more would arrive in the coming days.
Next up: the January 31 rally Senator Grothman had suggested. The rally had been a challenge to plan from the start. It was beyond complicated to work out the required permits. It was difficult to schedule a date and time. And it was tough to find speakers on short notice. But for every challenge, there were numerous wonderful people who stepped up to provide answers. The coalition did a great job spreading the word. Senator Grothman’s assistant Jolene Churchill and Pro-Life Wisconsin volunteers made arrangements to acquire a stage, sound system, and decorations. The morning of the 31st saw dozens of volunteers turn a cache of equipment into the stage you see behind me in a matter of hours.
Being the nervous type, I was terrified that our attendance would be low. We had mild temperatures, but a biting wind tore through downtown Madison. On top of that, we learned that at some point we’d be confronted by pro-abortion agitators from the International Socialist Organization. And so, with most of setup completed, I secluded myself in the basement of Calvary Lutheran Church—our base of operation—to prepare my speech and try not to worry about potential pitfalls.
However, as I began to meet and greet people in the Calvary basement, I began to sense we would have an excellent turnout. “Where are you from?” I asked a number of folks. “Milwaukee.” “Wausau.” “Iowa.” All over the place. Simply amazing.
And so, as I emerged from the basement, I saw Library Mall filled with pro-lifers of every age, faith, and background from around Wisconsin. As the crowd gathered, a choral group from St. Paul’s University Catholic Center led us in song. They were followed by powerful remarks from a dozen or so pro-life leaders. The best was yet to come from our keynote speakers.
We flew in Shawn Carney, co-founder of 40 Days for Life, and former abortionist, turned pro-life activist Dr. Haywood Robinson. Dr. Robinson recounted how he’d been seduced by money into doing as many abortions as possible every Saturday. He discussed his conversion to Christianity and to pro-life activism. He called for an end to abortion, remarking, “Now that’s change I can believe in!” And he led a captivated crowd in singing “No Woman No Cry, No Baby No Die,” a spin on Bob Marley’s famous reggae song.
Shawn Carney kept the momentum going. He inspired us with tales of pro-life heroes like Mother Teresa and of saints martyred in World War 2 concentration camps. And he called out the UW in particular, with what he called the “Yeah, but” clause. He said that no matter what the UW achieves—whether the achievement be in medicine, academics, or any other field, it would be tainted because “Yeah, but you’re killing babies!”
As Shawn wound down, there had been a change of plans for our march to the Madison Surgery Center. I got up on stage and broke the news to the crowd. “In case you haven’t noticed,” I said. “We had a few more people arrive than we expected.” The crowd of 2,000 people roared. I continued, “So the police are going to escort us for our march!” The crowd went wild.
Now, I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life. But the memory that is most deeply ingrained into my mind doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with abortion, or speeches, or a police escort. My fondest memory is what transpired next. The St. Paul’s kids came back and led all of us in a rendition of “Amazing Grace.” I knelt in front to hold the microphone for them. As I did I took a look around and just listened. Two thousand voices united in song is a beautiful thing. I saw Dr. Robinson, eyes closed, hand in the air, belting it out with a southern flare. I saw my parish priest, Father David Greenfield—who had rushed to join us there after an event that morning—also with eyes closed belting it out. I saw my pro-life colleagues, members of the clergy, lay people, family, friends, total strangers, long-time activists, first-time protesters, Catholics and Protestants united in song. The love these people had for their God, for defenseless babies, and for each other was thick and tangible. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. There really are no folks like pro-life folks.
I suspect that we needed that gigantic group hug to prepare us for what happened next. Our march, which spanned many blocks and stopped traffic throughout the downtown area, met up with the pro-abortion demonstrators at the Madison Surgery Center. With few exceptions, our people remained peaceful, calm and friendly. The opposition’s faces were filled with rage; their voices filled with palpable hate. I think few will forget their chant, “Pray, you’ll need it. Your cross will be defeated.” Their true colors were on display for all to see.
While their actions were despicable in almost every way, I do have to give the socialists credit for one thing. At least they were honest. They wasted no time pretending to be “personally opposed” to abortion. They didn’t argue that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. This group of a few dozen 20-year-olds and a handful of washed up 60s retreads hated us. They hated God. And they loved the thought of killing babies. We stayed for about an hour or so, prayed, sang some hymns and dispersed. A great success.
The following Wednesday, UW Health held a so-called open meeting, in which they debated and voted on the matter at hand. They invited three pro-abortion groups and three pro-life groups. I won’t spend much time rehashing this kangaroo court, but it didn’t take long to learn that the board of directors had made their decision before the event began. The pro-life groups were largely ignored while the pro-abortion speakers went well over their allotted time and received a wildly disproportionate number of questions from the board. At this open meeting, members of the public were not allowed to speak.
As the board closed debate and convened to vote, board President David Walsh commented that he was hearing a lot about the taking of innocent lives and when life begins but that the Supreme Court said this isn’t life. He then exhorted the board to go forward with the plans to provide late-term abortions. Now, this stunning display of cowardice would be morally reprehensible even if Walsh had gotten his case law right. But Walsh’s assertion that the Supreme Court declared a fetus is not a person was patently false. Indeed, the Roe vs. Wade decision explicitly stated that if society ever decided when life begins, that the Roe decision would be voided. That a statement of such gross negligence could be used to direct the UWHC Board of Directors on a matter of life and death should give us grave concern about the competence of UW Health.
And so, the final tally was 11 votes in favor of late-term abortions so grisly that they won’t even do them in Europe and 3 votes against. But what further made me queasy was the tone of the debate. There seemed to be an implicit assumption that of course we should abort babies with disabilities. The real question is whether we can get away with aborting the healthy ones. As you all know, our language has two different words that describe such targeted killing. One is eugenics. The other is genocide.
Of course the ivory tower abortion proponents won’t admit it’s that simple. They’ll describe late-term abortions as “acts of mercy” justified by concern for a disabled person’s quality of life. They truly believe that the value of one’s life is determined by the perceived quality of life.
My friends, every time I hear this argument made, I stop and reflect on an experience that I had—I believe—two years ago this week. My wife and I were living in Chicago at the time, and we were good friends with a couple we’d known from college. The man’s dad had terminal cancer, and when it became clear that his remaining days were few, my wife and I drove across town to spend an evening with the family. We hoped to simply visit, help out, and try to be good friends.
Shortly after dinner, the father—who had been resting—was going to come meet us. He’d had an upset stomach, and on his way up, he was unable to make it to the bathroom. He’d had an accident.
I’m ashamed to say that the words that immediately went through my mind were, “My God, this man has no dignity.”
The next minute changed my perspective on life forever. His wife, who had been patiently caring for him during a long and painful decline, went over to him, sweetly spoke words of comfort to him, smiled at him, and wheeled him to the washroom to clean him up.
I chastised myself immediately. This man was in his final days. Cancer and chemo had ravaged his body to the point that he looked like a Picasso painting. He was confined to a wheelchair, and he’d just soiled himself in front of a house full of guests. Yet his wife’s tender care made him the most dignified man in the world.
Such is the paradox. This moment was wretched and painful. But it was also the purest and truest expression of love I’ve ever seen. It was something that no spouse ever wants to go through, but it was the absolute pinnacle of human love. This moment was the closest I’ve ever seen human love mirror the love of Almighty God.
GK Chesterton calls this the “great lesson of Beauty and the Beast; that a thing must be loved BEFORE it is loveable.” So, too, it is with these babies. The child with spina bifida. The child who will certainly die within a day of birth. My little friend with Down syndrome. Their value is not reduced by their disabilities. They are only unwanted so long as we CHOOSE not to want them. They are only unloved as long as we CHOOSE not to love them.
And that’s why I ask you all to join us in prayer outside the Madison Surgery Center and Planned Parenthood. Truth be told, I hate praying outside of abortion clinics. I’d rather be somewhere else because I’ve never been cursed at in a soup kitchen, and I’ve never been flipped off ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. But I must go to these places of death to pray because this simple act might be the only act of love a child receives in his or her all-too-short time on this earth. So please, join us.
Getting back to our timeline here, the UW Board approved the abortions on February 4. The defeat was bitter and painful. Over the coming days I received numerous broken-hearted voicemails and emails. And driving home that night, I, too, was sinking toward despair myself. At least until I got a phone call from Doctor Thomas Warner.
Most of you may not know Doc Warner. He’s a Madison pro-life hero, and he also happens to be an enigma. He never refers to himself by name—just as the “Irish doctor.” His Irish accent is so thick that I consider it a victory if I can make out half of what he tells me during a conversation. And despite his age, he’s probably the most pugnacious pro-lifer I’ve ever met.
So I answered the phone to hear, “Hello, Steve. This is the old Irish doctor.” He asked how the board meeting went. Filled with self-pity, I mumbled something about how we lost.
His sharp reply caught me off guard. “Of course you lost tonight!” he said. “What did you expect? You haven’t been at this pro-life work very long have you? Now is when we begin to fight!”
It was a William Wallace moment for me. I snapped out of my funk and got back to work. UW and Meriter think that the public outcry will go away. We need to prove it won’t. Fortunately, Pro-Life Wisconsin is unleashing a multifaceted approach to turn up the heat. You’ll see on your handout, that there are many ways to contribute to the effort.
They’ve got a patient letter that you can give your doctor to decline service at the Madison Surgery Center and to request being referred elsewhere. We invite those who can switch their insurance coverage to avoid patronizing Meriter or UW Health to do so. We encourage you to write the officials responsible for this decision as well as the editors of your local newspaper. If you haven’t yet signed the petition, it’s not too late. We urge you to support and encourage pro-life medical staff that you know. We need their leadership!
We also ask you to pray daily and to consider committing to praying and/or protesting outside the Madison Surgery Center. PLW volunteers have done a great job of this so far, and Vigil for Life is rolling out a plan to have hours covered each business day of the week.
Moreover, in the coming days, we’ll be announcing a 40 Hours for Life campaign of 40 straight hours of prayer outside the UW Hospital—culminating at noon on Good Friday. We’ve entered into our own little version of Gethsemane. We weep the bitter tears of betrayal. Let us keep watch at the UW Hospital, even for one hour. Stay tuned for more information.
Finally, starting next week, Pro-Life Wisconsin will be airing television ads decrying the late-term abortion plans. Watch for them. They’ll refer you to noUWabortions.com, a soon-to-be-launched Web site with full details on how you can get involved.
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you this morning. You’ve been so kind and considerate. And as I wrap up my time with the microphone at this Day at the Capitol, I find it only too appropriate to close with a quote from a great pro-life legislator—the late Henry Hyde who said:
When the time comes, as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I've often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates; you will be alone standing before God, and a terror will rip through your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there will be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next, and they will plead for everyone who fought to defend them. They will say to God, "Spare him because he loved us"; and God will say not "Did you succeed?," but "Did you try?"
My friends, thank you for all the great work you’re doing. Keep it up. Thank you so much, and praise be to the Lord God Almighty!
Good morning!
My name is Steve Karlen, and I represent Madison Vigil for Life. Before I get started, I’d just like to ask the Holy Spirit to bless my talk and fill my words with truth and grace. My Italian wife reminded me yesterday that today we celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph. And since St. Joseph knows a thing or two about unplanned pregnancy and the difficult choices that accompany it, I ask his intercession in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I’d like to thank you all for coming. I’d also like to thank Monsignor Holmes for leading us in prayer and for all his work in the service of God and defense of life.
It’s also my great pleasure to thank fine legislators like Representative La Mahieu and Senator Grothman for their service to Wisconsin residents—born and pre-born. Their courageous stance isn’t exactly a popular one in the Capitol these days. It’s not one that will yield political clout nor draw worldly praise. But Representative La Mahieu, Senator Grothman, and their pro-life colleagues have demonstrated that they are willing to do what is right, even if it’s not trendy. They are heroes in the pro-life movement, and they deserve both our respect and our admiration.
Finally, I’d like to thank everybody at Pro-Life Wisconsin for hosting us this fine day and for inviting me to speak. Surely, I’m preaching to the choir this morning, but the folks at PLW are doing absolutely fantastic work. Not only do they conduct tireless legislative efforts, media campaigns and educational outreach; they also get down into the trenches to pray at vigil sites, participate in demonstrations, and strengthen grassroots efforts to build a Culture of Life across this state. And they do it all without compromising the truth for political expediency or good PR.
Like I said, I represent Vigil for Life right here in Madison. Our organization works to end abortion and all destruction of human life through prayer, fasting and peaceful witness outside abortion clinics. We coordinate the 40 Days for Life campaign, a 24/7 vigil of prayer, fasting and peaceful presence outside of the Planned Parenthood on Madison’s East Side. Our humble organization also coordinates twice monthly prayer vigils outside of Madison’s Planned Parenthood locations, a pro-life retreat, pro-life speakers, and other events throughout the year.
I couldn’t be more proud of our group of prayer warriors. Our resources are few, but our hearts are big. One veteran pro-life activist described the 40 Days for Life campaign as the force that will finally turn the tide on abortion in America. It’s a testament to the power of grassroots activism firmly rooted in prayer, fasting and love for Jesus Christ. And it’s faith and humility that made Vigil for Life a major player in Wisconsin’s pro-life movement this January when it was revealed that the Madison Surgery Center would begin performing late-term abortions downtown.
My involvement in this saga began on December 29, 2008. I was enjoying an evening with my family at home, celebrating the Christmas season when I received the strangest phone call of my life. A man named Matt Bowman was on the line. He worked for an organization called the Alliance Defense Fund. To establish his credentials, he told me he was friends with a number of my pro-life colleagues. He told me that a new abortion clinic was coming to Madison and that he’d like me to organize a demonstration. And then he told me that he couldn’t say any more, but that he knew I was having lunch the next day with PLW’s Matt Sande who would fill me in with the details the next day.
I said goodbye, he hung up the phone, and I told my wife, “That was the single strangest phone call I’ve ever received.” I felt like I’d stepped into a real-life episode of 24. And so I thought little about the conversation until I sat down to lunch with Matt the next day. When I brought up the bizarre call at a restaurant, Matt started looking nervous and told me we’d have to leave the restaurant and he’d brief me in his car.
Wow. Now I really felt like I was in an episode of 24. In his car outside the Pizzeria Uno, I learned the grisly details: Madison’s abortionist Dennis Christiansen was going to retire from killing babies at Planned Parenthood, and UW Faculty member Caryn Dutton would take his place. She’d also be secretly moving the late-term abortions to the Madison Surgery Center—a collaborative surgery institute run by the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and Meriter Hospital. We had to keep our knowledge of these developments on the down low to not tip off the pro-abortion movement that we were on to them.
Over the coming days, I kept in touch with the people at Pro-Life Wisconsin as well as Matt Bowman at the ADF. Needless to say, the ensuing conversations were much less awkward and confusing than the initial ones. I learned that on January 6, the ADF was set to blow the cover off the secret late-term abortion plans of UW Health and Meriter. Vigil for Life had a week to plan a January 8 rally outside the Madison Surgery Center, but we couldn’t tell people when, where or why were rallying until the ADF’s January 6 announcement. With such short notice, I said I thought we could get 25 people out.
Shortly before 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 6, the ADF dropped the bombshell. They distributed a press release and open letter to UW and Meriter leadership laying out the secret plans, describing the way these plans had crushed employee morale at the Madison Surgery Center, and reminding the parties involved that any attempts to use public funding for abortion or coerce pro-life staff into participating were illegal and would result in swift litigation.
By the end of the morning, Pro-Life Wisconsin had issued its own press release, condemning the plans and encouraging Wisconsin residents to contact Meriter and UW officials to protest the plans.
Just two hours later, Vigil for Life dropped a press release of our own—joining the ADF and PLW in condemning the decision, but also announcing the January 8 rally.
War had been declared. UW Health and Meriter had been caught completely off-guard. While pro-life groups from across Wisconsin joined the uproar, Meriter remained silent. And all the UW could do was issue a terse statement that said little more than “Uh, trust us. Our lawyers said it’s ok” and “We promise to only experiment on the harvested corpses of our victims if a medical board approves it”—a statement they’d later deny ever making.
While the public and the media began to digest the story, we had work to do. We announced a demonstration, and now we had to get people there. First, of course, we mobilized our Vigil for Life group. Secondly, we worked through every pro-life or Christian channel we could find. Within hours, the event was announced to every sort of group we could imagine: Church men’s groups, women’s Bible studies, home schooling groups, a newsgroup of supporters of Bishop Morlino. It spread like wildfire, and we express our deep gratitude to Pro-Life Wisconsin and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison in particular, for making it happen.
To say that I was anxious the morning of January 8 would be an understatement. We had spread the word, but still it was a work day. A school day. Parking was practically nonexistent. And to top it off, the wind chill was well below zero. Despite these challenge, more than 100 people turned out. We prayed. We sang. All up and down Park Street we stood witness that the murder of the pre-born would not be tolerated. The media showed up as all four commercial television affiliates and the Wisconsin Radio Network covered the day. Even in the freezing cold temperature, the crowd was slow to break up, with numerous people staying well longer than the hour we had allotted.
The day was a great success. I spent much of the morning calling family and pro-life colleagues who couldn’t make it to share the great news, took a nap to recover from several late-nights of preparation, and settled in to watch the coverage on the evening news. We were flying high.
That evening as the excitement died down I became contemplative. Among the scores of people I met that morning, one face stood out—burned into my memory forever. It was a young girl with Down syndrome. She had greeted me with an exuberant “Hi!” and the biggest, most radiant beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. This girl warmed my heart and brought joy to my day. I suspect she warmed the hearts of everybody she encountered out in the cold.
But in the United States, 90 percent of Down syndrome children just like her are killed in the womb. In fact, while the UW has waffled on their motives for getting into the late-term abortion business, they haven’t wavered from the fact that they want to provide a place to “terminate” babies with abnormalities. They’re looking to sign a large-scale death warrant for children with disabilities. I can’t help but to be reminded of the point in my favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird, when Miss Maudie explains the book’s title. She says, “'Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'"
My young friend here was the mockingbird. She and special needs kids just like her don’t do one thing but SMILE their hearts out for us, and that’s why it’s a sin to kill them. Yet that’s exactly what the UW and Meriter intend to do. It’s a world gone mad.
And so, after I laid my two-year-old son down to sleep that evening, I walked into my hallway, buried my head in my hands and began to cry. The stakes in this battle had suddenly become all too clear.
My wife walked out and asked me what was wrong. “It’s a game to them,” was all I could mumble. She looked perplexed. “This is life and death,” I said. The news papers don’t care. The radio stations don’t care. And the TV news doesn’t care. This story is just another mixed in among stock market reports and basketball scores. By showing up and protesting, we play our part. The media play their part by reporting on us. And life goes on while babies continue to be slaughtered by the thousands.
Whatever the media’s motivations were, it became clear that our efforts those first three days of the controversy won us a resounding victory in the court of public opinion. We’d caught the pro-aborts by surprise. They wanted to keep their treachery secret, and it had been exposed. Even people reluctant to call themselves pro-life wanted answers.
The momentum was growing and it led to a conference call with state pro-life leaders the very next day. This call was the genesis of the majority of the coordinated efforts that have taken place the last two and a half months. In the middle of the call, Senator Glenn Grothman suggested “Let’s hold a rally on January 31 right in the heart of the UW-Madison campus.” Now, we were talking.
Over the next three weeks, things came together quickly. Meriter Hospital heart surgeons Dr. Bill Evans and Dr. Joe Bellissimo met with Meriter leadership to express their disgust that Meriter pours hundred of thousands of dollars into a state-of-the-art neonatal facility that saves babies the same age as those that would be killed right across the street. On January 24, the coalition of pro-life groups ran a nearly full-page ad in the Wisconsin State Journal urging a boycott of the guilty institutions. Senator Grothman and Representative Rich Zipperer led more than 40 legislators in a letter urging that the late-term abortion plan be abandoned.
On January 28, the pro-life coalition gathered in the Capitol rotunda to hold a press conference announcing that in just two weeks, more than 21,000 signatures opposing these plans had been gathered. Twenty-one thousand in only two weeks! The petitions were delivered to Meriter Hospital. Thousands more would arrive in the coming days.
Next up: the January 31 rally Senator Grothman had suggested. The rally had been a challenge to plan from the start. It was beyond complicated to work out the required permits. It was difficult to schedule a date and time. And it was tough to find speakers on short notice. But for every challenge, there were numerous wonderful people who stepped up to provide answers. The coalition did a great job spreading the word. Senator Grothman’s assistant Jolene Churchill and Pro-Life Wisconsin volunteers made arrangements to acquire a stage, sound system, and decorations. The morning of the 31st saw dozens of volunteers turn a cache of equipment into the stage you see behind me in a matter of hours.
Being the nervous type, I was terrified that our attendance would be low. We had mild temperatures, but a biting wind tore through downtown Madison. On top of that, we learned that at some point we’d be confronted by pro-abortion agitators from the International Socialist Organization. And so, with most of setup completed, I secluded myself in the basement of Calvary Lutheran Church—our base of operation—to prepare my speech and try not to worry about potential pitfalls.
However, as I began to meet and greet people in the Calvary basement, I began to sense we would have an excellent turnout. “Where are you from?” I asked a number of folks. “Milwaukee.” “Wausau.” “Iowa.” All over the place. Simply amazing.
And so, as I emerged from the basement, I saw Library Mall filled with pro-lifers of every age, faith, and background from around Wisconsin. As the crowd gathered, a choral group from St. Paul’s University Catholic Center led us in song. They were followed by powerful remarks from a dozen or so pro-life leaders. The best was yet to come from our keynote speakers.
We flew in Shawn Carney, co-founder of 40 Days for Life, and former abortionist, turned pro-life activist Dr. Haywood Robinson. Dr. Robinson recounted how he’d been seduced by money into doing as many abortions as possible every Saturday. He discussed his conversion to Christianity and to pro-life activism. He called for an end to abortion, remarking, “Now that’s change I can believe in!” And he led a captivated crowd in singing “No Woman No Cry, No Baby No Die,” a spin on Bob Marley’s famous reggae song.
Shawn Carney kept the momentum going. He inspired us with tales of pro-life heroes like Mother Teresa and of saints martyred in World War 2 concentration camps. And he called out the UW in particular, with what he called the “Yeah, but” clause. He said that no matter what the UW achieves—whether the achievement be in medicine, academics, or any other field, it would be tainted because “Yeah, but you’re killing babies!”
As Shawn wound down, there had been a change of plans for our march to the Madison Surgery Center. I got up on stage and broke the news to the crowd. “In case you haven’t noticed,” I said. “We had a few more people arrive than we expected.” The crowd of 2,000 people roared. I continued, “So the police are going to escort us for our march!” The crowd went wild.
Now, I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life. But the memory that is most deeply ingrained into my mind doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with abortion, or speeches, or a police escort. My fondest memory is what transpired next. The St. Paul’s kids came back and led all of us in a rendition of “Amazing Grace.” I knelt in front to hold the microphone for them. As I did I took a look around and just listened. Two thousand voices united in song is a beautiful thing. I saw Dr. Robinson, eyes closed, hand in the air, belting it out with a southern flare. I saw my parish priest, Father David Greenfield—who had rushed to join us there after an event that morning—also with eyes closed belting it out. I saw my pro-life colleagues, members of the clergy, lay people, family, friends, total strangers, long-time activists, first-time protesters, Catholics and Protestants united in song. The love these people had for their God, for defenseless babies, and for each other was thick and tangible. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. There really are no folks like pro-life folks.
I suspect that we needed that gigantic group hug to prepare us for what happened next. Our march, which spanned many blocks and stopped traffic throughout the downtown area, met up with the pro-abortion demonstrators at the Madison Surgery Center. With few exceptions, our people remained peaceful, calm and friendly. The opposition’s faces were filled with rage; their voices filled with palpable hate. I think few will forget their chant, “Pray, you’ll need it. Your cross will be defeated.” Their true colors were on display for all to see.
While their actions were despicable in almost every way, I do have to give the socialists credit for one thing. At least they were honest. They wasted no time pretending to be “personally opposed” to abortion. They didn’t argue that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. This group of a few dozen 20-year-olds and a handful of washed up 60s retreads hated us. They hated God. And they loved the thought of killing babies. We stayed for about an hour or so, prayed, sang some hymns and dispersed. A great success.
The following Wednesday, UW Health held a so-called open meeting, in which they debated and voted on the matter at hand. They invited three pro-abortion groups and three pro-life groups. I won’t spend much time rehashing this kangaroo court, but it didn’t take long to learn that the board of directors had made their decision before the event began. The pro-life groups were largely ignored while the pro-abortion speakers went well over their allotted time and received a wildly disproportionate number of questions from the board. At this open meeting, members of the public were not allowed to speak.
As the board closed debate and convened to vote, board President David Walsh commented that he was hearing a lot about the taking of innocent lives and when life begins but that the Supreme Court said this isn’t life. He then exhorted the board to go forward with the plans to provide late-term abortions. Now, this stunning display of cowardice would be morally reprehensible even if Walsh had gotten his case law right. But Walsh’s assertion that the Supreme Court declared a fetus is not a person was patently false. Indeed, the Roe vs. Wade decision explicitly stated that if society ever decided when life begins, that the Roe decision would be voided. That a statement of such gross negligence could be used to direct the UWHC Board of Directors on a matter of life and death should give us grave concern about the competence of UW Health.
And so, the final tally was 11 votes in favor of late-term abortions so grisly that they won’t even do them in Europe and 3 votes against. But what further made me queasy was the tone of the debate. There seemed to be an implicit assumption that of course we should abort babies with disabilities. The real question is whether we can get away with aborting the healthy ones. As you all know, our language has two different words that describe such targeted killing. One is eugenics. The other is genocide.
Of course the ivory tower abortion proponents won’t admit it’s that simple. They’ll describe late-term abortions as “acts of mercy” justified by concern for a disabled person’s quality of life. They truly believe that the value of one’s life is determined by the perceived quality of life.
My friends, every time I hear this argument made, I stop and reflect on an experience that I had—I believe—two years ago this week. My wife and I were living in Chicago at the time, and we were good friends with a couple we’d known from college. The man’s dad had terminal cancer, and when it became clear that his remaining days were few, my wife and I drove across town to spend an evening with the family. We hoped to simply visit, help out, and try to be good friends.
Shortly after dinner, the father—who had been resting—was going to come meet us. He’d had an upset stomach, and on his way up, he was unable to make it to the bathroom. He’d had an accident.
I’m ashamed to say that the words that immediately went through my mind were, “My God, this man has no dignity.”
The next minute changed my perspective on life forever. His wife, who had been patiently caring for him during a long and painful decline, went over to him, sweetly spoke words of comfort to him, smiled at him, and wheeled him to the washroom to clean him up.
I chastised myself immediately. This man was in his final days. Cancer and chemo had ravaged his body to the point that he looked like a Picasso painting. He was confined to a wheelchair, and he’d just soiled himself in front of a house full of guests. Yet his wife’s tender care made him the most dignified man in the world.
Such is the paradox. This moment was wretched and painful. But it was also the purest and truest expression of love I’ve ever seen. It was something that no spouse ever wants to go through, but it was the absolute pinnacle of human love. This moment was the closest I’ve ever seen human love mirror the love of Almighty God.
GK Chesterton calls this the “great lesson of Beauty and the Beast; that a thing must be loved BEFORE it is loveable.” So, too, it is with these babies. The child with spina bifida. The child who will certainly die within a day of birth. My little friend with Down syndrome. Their value is not reduced by their disabilities. They are only unwanted so long as we CHOOSE not to want them. They are only unloved as long as we CHOOSE not to love them.
And that’s why I ask you all to join us in prayer outside the Madison Surgery Center and Planned Parenthood. Truth be told, I hate praying outside of abortion clinics. I’d rather be somewhere else because I’ve never been cursed at in a soup kitchen, and I’ve never been flipped off ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. But I must go to these places of death to pray because this simple act might be the only act of love a child receives in his or her all-too-short time on this earth. So please, join us.
Getting back to our timeline here, the UW Board approved the abortions on February 4. The defeat was bitter and painful. Over the coming days I received numerous broken-hearted voicemails and emails. And driving home that night, I, too, was sinking toward despair myself. At least until I got a phone call from Doctor Thomas Warner.
Most of you may not know Doc Warner. He’s a Madison pro-life hero, and he also happens to be an enigma. He never refers to himself by name—just as the “Irish doctor.” His Irish accent is so thick that I consider it a victory if I can make out half of what he tells me during a conversation. And despite his age, he’s probably the most pugnacious pro-lifer I’ve ever met.
So I answered the phone to hear, “Hello, Steve. This is the old Irish doctor.” He asked how the board meeting went. Filled with self-pity, I mumbled something about how we lost.
His sharp reply caught me off guard. “Of course you lost tonight!” he said. “What did you expect? You haven’t been at this pro-life work very long have you? Now is when we begin to fight!”
It was a William Wallace moment for me. I snapped out of my funk and got back to work. UW and Meriter think that the public outcry will go away. We need to prove it won’t. Fortunately, Pro-Life Wisconsin is unleashing a multifaceted approach to turn up the heat. You’ll see on your handout, that there are many ways to contribute to the effort.
They’ve got a patient letter that you can give your doctor to decline service at the Madison Surgery Center and to request being referred elsewhere. We invite those who can switch their insurance coverage to avoid patronizing Meriter or UW Health to do so. We encourage you to write the officials responsible for this decision as well as the editors of your local newspaper. If you haven’t yet signed the petition, it’s not too late. We urge you to support and encourage pro-life medical staff that you know. We need their leadership!
We also ask you to pray daily and to consider committing to praying and/or protesting outside the Madison Surgery Center. PLW volunteers have done a great job of this so far, and Vigil for Life is rolling out a plan to have hours covered each business day of the week.
Moreover, in the coming days, we’ll be announcing a 40 Hours for Life campaign of 40 straight hours of prayer outside the UW Hospital—culminating at noon on Good Friday. We’ve entered into our own little version of Gethsemane. We weep the bitter tears of betrayal. Let us keep watch at the UW Hospital, even for one hour. Stay tuned for more information.
Finally, starting next week, Pro-Life Wisconsin will be airing television ads decrying the late-term abortion plans. Watch for them. They’ll refer you to noUWabortions.com, a soon-to-be-launched Web site with full details on how you can get involved.
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you this morning. You’ve been so kind and considerate. And as I wrap up my time with the microphone at this Day at the Capitol, I find it only too appropriate to close with a quote from a great pro-life legislator—the late Henry Hyde who said:
When the time comes, as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I've often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates; you will be alone standing before God, and a terror will rip through your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there will be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next, and they will plead for everyone who fought to defend them. They will say to God, "Spare him because he loved us"; and God will say not "Did you succeed?," but "Did you try?"
My friends, thank you for all the great work you’re doing. Keep it up. Thank you so much, and praise be to the Lord God Almighty!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Refuse Services at the Madison Surgery Center
Refusing to Patronize the Madison Surgery Center
Do you want to receive minor surgery in the exact same office and clinic where a 20-week-old baby is being dismembered in the room next to you? Your current health insurance plan likely offers the same services at other surgery centers.
If you live in Madison or the greater Madison area, please download the following letter that informs your physician that you refuse to be scheduled at the Madison Surgery Center for any surgery that you may need. Please mail/e-mail the completed letter to your physician and then mail/e-mail copies to the Madison Surgery Center, the UW Medical Foundation, the UW Hospital and Clinics, and Meriter Hospital. Email and street addresses are provided on the letter.
Click here for the letter: http://www.prolifewisconsin.org/pdf/PatientsLetter.pdf
Switching your insurance coverage away from the UW or Meriter
Does the UW and Meriter’s decision to become a national leader in aborting healthy babies up to viability, and to force this plan on an office full of employees who don’t want to kill babies, lead you to consider switching your health insurance?
Understanding that it may be very difficult to extricate yourself from the UW or Meriter due to specific care needs or insurance requirements, we do ask you to prayerfully consider pulling out of these entities altogether and finding life-affirming medical care in Madison or in the greater Madison area.
Do you want to receive minor surgery in the exact same office and clinic where a 20-week-old baby is being dismembered in the room next to you? Your current health insurance plan likely offers the same services at other surgery centers.
If you live in Madison or the greater Madison area, please download the following letter that informs your physician that you refuse to be scheduled at the Madison Surgery Center for any surgery that you may need. Please mail/e-mail the completed letter to your physician and then mail/e-mail copies to the Madison Surgery Center, the UW Medical Foundation, the UW Hospital and Clinics, and Meriter Hospital. Email and street addresses are provided on the letter.
Click here for the letter: http://www.prolifewisconsin.org/pdf/PatientsLetter.pdf
Switching your insurance coverage away from the UW or Meriter
Does the UW and Meriter’s decision to become a national leader in aborting healthy babies up to viability, and to force this plan on an office full of employees who don’t want to kill babies, lead you to consider switching your health insurance?
Understanding that it may be very difficult to extricate yourself from the UW or Meriter due to specific care needs or insurance requirements, we do ask you to prayerfully consider pulling out of these entities altogether and finding life-affirming medical care in Madison or in the greater Madison area.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Ways to Help Stop the Abortions at the Madison Surgery Center
Here are additional ways you can help stop the bloodshed at the Madison Surgery Center:
1) Pray daily that this plan will fail: We are called to be a people of hope and prayer. Please ask our Lord to intervene and stop this madness. Pray that the staff members of the Madison Surgery Center have the courage to refuse to participate in any manner and pray for their protection.
2) Fill out and send patients’ letter refusing treatment at the Madison Surgery Center: If you live in the Madison or greater Madison area, please download the following letter that informs your physician that you refuse to be scheduled at the Madison Surgery Center for any surgery that you may need. Please mail/e-mail the completed letter to your physician and then mail/e-mail copies to the Madison Surgery Center, the UW Medical Foundation, the UW Hospital and Clinics, and Meriter Hospital. Email and street addresses are provided on the letter. Click here for the letter: http://www.prolifewisconsin.org/pdf/PatientsLetter.pdf
3) Strongly consider switching your insurance coverage away from the UW or Meriter: Understanding that it may be very difficult to extricate yourself from the UW or Meriter due to specific care needs or insurance requirements, we do ask you to prayerfully consider pulling out of these entities altogether.
4) Phone the Madison Surgery Center and Meriter Hospital and express your disgust with their decision: Please call the Madison Surgery Center at (608) 287-2200 and Meriter Hospital at (608) 417-6210.
1) Pray daily that this plan will fail: We are called to be a people of hope and prayer. Please ask our Lord to intervene and stop this madness. Pray that the staff members of the Madison Surgery Center have the courage to refuse to participate in any manner and pray for their protection.
2) Fill out and send patients’ letter refusing treatment at the Madison Surgery Center: If you live in the Madison or greater Madison area, please download the following letter that informs your physician that you refuse to be scheduled at the Madison Surgery Center for any surgery that you may need. Please mail/e-mail the completed letter to your physician and then mail/e-mail copies to the Madison Surgery Center, the UW Medical Foundation, the UW Hospital and Clinics, and Meriter Hospital. Email and street addresses are provided on the letter. Click here for the letter: http://www.prolifewisconsin.org/pdf/PatientsLetter.pdf
3) Strongly consider switching your insurance coverage away from the UW or Meriter: Understanding that it may be very difficult to extricate yourself from the UW or Meriter due to specific care needs or insurance requirements, we do ask you to prayerfully consider pulling out of these entities altogether.
4) Phone the Madison Surgery Center and Meriter Hospital and express your disgust with their decision: Please call the Madison Surgery Center at (608) 287-2200 and Meriter Hospital at (608) 417-6210.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Text of Vigil for Life's Statement at the Capitol Yesterday
Good afternoon.
My name is Steve Karlen, and I am here to submit more than 1,000 signatures on behalf of Madison Vigil for Life.
The members of my organization are people of faith. Yet we are a people of faith that is grounded in reason. That a new, unique, and individual human life begins at the moment of conception is an indisputable fact, proven by both logic and empirical science.
Indeed, this debate over plans to perform late-term abortions at the Madison Surgery Center is not a debate over when life begins, but over which human beings we as a society decide to value and which we decide to discard.
The University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics and Meriter hospital boards now have an important choice to make. Will their institutions affirm the self-evident truths that all human beings are created equal, endowed by their Creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? Or will they decide that a person’s value can be arbitrarily diminished by size, age, health, or location?
Can anyone seriously suggest that mere passage through the birth canal transforms a body from a non-entity to an individual worthy of society’s protection? Indeed, abortion is an irrational act.
Secondly, we must take issue with the UW Health statement that callously labeled abortion as a community service. We cannot conceive of any other service that leads to an astronomically high risk of suicide and substance abuse. So-called family planning services are the only cases where health care is designed to destroy the normal, healthy functioning of the human body.
This week, I have spoken with businessmen who have begun exploring opportunities for changing their insurance plans so that they need not patronize Meriter and UWHC should these late-term abortion plans be enacted. I invite all businesses, families and individuals to join them in this boycott.
Thank you.
My name is Steve Karlen, and I am here to submit more than 1,000 signatures on behalf of Madison Vigil for Life.
The members of my organization are people of faith. Yet we are a people of faith that is grounded in reason. That a new, unique, and individual human life begins at the moment of conception is an indisputable fact, proven by both logic and empirical science.
Indeed, this debate over plans to perform late-term abortions at the Madison Surgery Center is not a debate over when life begins, but over which human beings we as a society decide to value and which we decide to discard.
The University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics and Meriter hospital boards now have an important choice to make. Will their institutions affirm the self-evident truths that all human beings are created equal, endowed by their Creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? Or will they decide that a person’s value can be arbitrarily diminished by size, age, health, or location?
Can anyone seriously suggest that mere passage through the birth canal transforms a body from a non-entity to an individual worthy of society’s protection? Indeed, abortion is an irrational act.
Secondly, we must take issue with the UW Health statement that callously labeled abortion as a community service. We cannot conceive of any other service that leads to an astronomically high risk of suicide and substance abuse. So-called family planning services are the only cases where health care is designed to destroy the normal, healthy functioning of the human body.
This week, I have spoken with businessmen who have begun exploring opportunities for changing their insurance plans so that they need not patronize Meriter and UWHC should these late-term abortion plans be enacted. I invite all businesses, families and individuals to join them in this boycott.
Thank you.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Vigil for Life ACTION ITEM and Week in Review!
ACTION ITEM:
Before we get to our weekly message discussing last Thursday’s rally and the days to come, we need your help once more! Vigil for Life has united with other pro-life groups from around the state to circulate a petition opposing the plan to perform late-term abortions at the Madison Surgery Center. We will be circulating this petition throughout the entire state as all Wisconsin taxpayers should be outraged that the publicly funded clinic will dismember live babies.
We encourage you to download the petition (the attached file) and circulate it among family and friends. Then, mail the completed petitions to the Karlens at the address listed at the bottom of the petition. We will add them to those collected by groups all over Wisconsin to be presented to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics president and board. Thank you for your help! Now to our message! Now to our message!
Message from the Vigil for Life Team
Dear Prayer Warriors,
To the Vigil for Life team and all those who allied with us in prayer and witness the past week and a half: Well done.
We could not have been more pleased with Thursday morning’s demonstration. More than 100 of you braved the subzero wind chills on short notice on a week day. Many more reported praying from home, work, school and church. In fact, prayers came in from all over Wisconsin. Absolutely superlative. We made a very strong statement. Even the secular media was out in force, with three television stations and the Wisconsin Radio Network out to cover our event. Just an exhilarating day.
Yet when the rally ended, I couldn’t shake a tinge of sorrow. When the cameras, microphones and signs were put away, my heart grew troubled. When I tried to spend a relaxing evening with my family, my thoughts remained haunted.
Haunted by the face of a little girl I met at the demonstration. A special needs child who greeted me with the biggest, most beautiful smile I have ever seen. A smile that radiated love and warmth and joy. Indeed, this little smile was the closest look at perfection I might ever have on this side of Heaven.
After saying my quick hello to this child, I quickly excused myself. You see, my eyes had begun to well with tears. But from that moment on, I couldn’t help but notice each and every child gathered with us. Whether nestled in closely to their mothers or playing in the snow, each boy and girl was a reminder of the innocence we adults seem to lose along the way.
Let us make every effort to protect these little ones, our greatest example of what once was good…and can be again. As my wife often says, abortion would be unimaginable if children ran the world. They simply would never tolerate the rationalization that accepts abortion as a reasonable solution to society’s problems. Instead, they’d cry “You can’t hurt a baby! Why would you ever hurt a baby?”
Let us pray that we may all see the world through the eyes of a child.
-The Vigil for Life Team
Looking Ahead
Outside of 40 Days for Life, we typically try to limit our emails to one per month. However, as this situation continues to develop, we will keep you updated. There are a lot of plans in the works, and we expect to make another major announcement in the days ahead. Stay tuned, my friends.
Until then, please continue to inundate UW with calls and emails:
Ms. Donna Katen-Bahensky, President and CEO
(608) 263-6400
Before we get to our weekly message discussing last Thursday’s rally and the days to come, we need your help once more! Vigil for Life has united with other pro-life groups from around the state to circulate a petition opposing the plan to perform late-term abortions at the Madison Surgery Center. We will be circulating this petition throughout the entire state as all Wisconsin taxpayers should be outraged that the publicly funded clinic will dismember live babies.
We encourage you to download the petition (the attached file) and circulate it among family and friends. Then, mail the completed petitions to the Karlens at the address listed at the bottom of the petition. We will add them to those collected by groups all over Wisconsin to be presented to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics president and board. Thank you for your help! Now to our message! Now to our message!
Message from the Vigil for Life Team
Dear Prayer Warriors,
To the Vigil for Life team and all those who allied with us in prayer and witness the past week and a half: Well done.
We could not have been more pleased with Thursday morning’s demonstration. More than 100 of you braved the subzero wind chills on short notice on a week day. Many more reported praying from home, work, school and church. In fact, prayers came in from all over Wisconsin. Absolutely superlative. We made a very strong statement. Even the secular media was out in force, with three television stations and the Wisconsin Radio Network out to cover our event. Just an exhilarating day.
Yet when the rally ended, I couldn’t shake a tinge of sorrow. When the cameras, microphones and signs were put away, my heart grew troubled. When I tried to spend a relaxing evening with my family, my thoughts remained haunted.
Haunted by the face of a little girl I met at the demonstration. A special needs child who greeted me with the biggest, most beautiful smile I have ever seen. A smile that radiated love and warmth and joy. Indeed, this little smile was the closest look at perfection I might ever have on this side of Heaven.
After saying my quick hello to this child, I quickly excused myself. You see, my eyes had begun to well with tears. But from that moment on, I couldn’t help but notice each and every child gathered with us. Whether nestled in closely to their mothers or playing in the snow, each boy and girl was a reminder of the innocence we adults seem to lose along the way.
Let us make every effort to protect these little ones, our greatest example of what once was good…and can be again. As my wife often says, abortion would be unimaginable if children ran the world. They simply would never tolerate the rationalization that accepts abortion as a reasonable solution to society’s problems. Instead, they’d cry “You can’t hurt a baby! Why would you ever hurt a baby?”
Let us pray that we may all see the world through the eyes of a child.
-The Vigil for Life Team
Looking Ahead
Outside of 40 Days for Life, we typically try to limit our emails to one per month. However, as this situation continues to develop, we will keep you updated. There are a lot of plans in the works, and we expect to make another major announcement in the days ahead. Stay tuned, my friends.
Until then, please continue to inundate UW with calls and emails:
Ms. Donna Katen-Bahensky, President and CEO
(608) 263-6400
publicaffairs@uwhealth.org
Media Coverage of Vigil for Life’s 1/8 demonstration:
Channel 3 Video: http://www.channel3000.com/news/18439268/detail.html
Sly in the Morning Radio Show: (Includes tasteless commentary after the interview): http://podcast.loyalears.com/mr_embeddable.php?station_id=wtdy&mp3_path=YmVndmJhZnlsX25v8mp3&UserID=
Catholic Herald: http://www.madisoncatholicherald.org/around-diocese/298-abortion-plan-protest.html
Media Coverage of Vigil for Life’s 1/8 demonstration:
Channel 3 Video: http://www.channel3000.com/news/18439268/detail.html
Sly in the Morning Radio Show: (Includes tasteless commentary after the interview): http://podcast.loyalears.com/mr_embeddable.php?station_id=wtdy&mp3_path=YmVndmJhZnlsX25v8mp3&UserID=
Catholic Herald: http://www.madisoncatholicherald.org/around-diocese/298-abortion-plan-protest.html
Text of Steve Karlen's speech at January 8 Rally
My friends, what a blessing it is to stand united with you this morning to witness against this culture of death in our nation, our state, our city and this very building.
Over the past few months, the Vigil for Life team has asked a lot of you. We’ve asked for you to pray, to fast, to stand witness outside of Planned Parenthood. We’ve asked you to volunteer, to sacrifice your time and give of your talent. And now—when we need you more than ever, when the stakes are higher than ever—you show up in greater numbers than ever to tell UW and Meriter that we do not want this fine medical facility turned into a death camp! Last night as I prepared to speak to you, I realized this is classic preaching to the choir. It’s a work day. It’s a school day. It’s the middle of winter, and you were given less than 48 hours notice that this event would be happening. Yet you’ve come. God Bless you!
As Bishop Morlino might say, I’ve got three points that I’d like to make this morning:
First, I’d like to update you on the latest developments. Exactly two days ago, Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defense Funds raised some serious question for Meriter and UW Officials. Yet this morning, these critical questions have yet to be answered. How will the University abide by a multitude of laws prohibiting public money from financing abortion? In a hastily constructed statement to the media, UW spokesperson Lisa Brunette has said that insurance and patient fees will cover these so-called services. Do not be misled. This institution is a joint venture with the public UW. The abortionist is an employee of that public UW. And her salary is paid by that public UW.
How will the Madison Surgery Center abide by conscience protection laws to ensure that faithful Christians are not coerced into participating even indirectly in killing the pre-born? That same hastily written statement said essentially no more than “Uh, just trust us. Our Lawyer said it was ok.”
In response to allegations that the University could use this facility as a cheap way to harvest nearly-fully formed organs from preborn babies for research purposes, Ms. Brunette said that this could happen quote “only after review by a faculty committee.”
As though that’s supposed to make us feel better about it! I recently learned that there is a market for fetal organs. With a little investigation, you can find price lists for various body parts. Ms. Brunette, allow me to make a suggestion for your price list: Sell every brain, every pancreas, every arm and every other body part for a flat rate of 30 pieces of silver!
If the UW Hospitals and Clinics intended to be forthcoming and transparent as we should expect from a public institution, we’d have answers by now. But still we wait. Shame on you UW, and shame on you Meriter!
Secondly, I ask you to continue this fight with me, wherever it will take us. When this fight for the pre-born goes to the Capitol, let us go there. When this fight goes to the courts, let us go there. When this fight goes to this facility and to Planned Parenthood, let us go there. When it comes to our neighborhoods, our workplaces, even our own families, let us go there.
But wherever this battle for souls goes, let us go first to our knees.
Because it is only with the armor of God, as St. Paul says, that we have the strength and courage to take a stand for life.
Ephesians 6: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.”
My friends, that day of evil has arrived. So let us petition our God and Savior for the spiritual fortitude to reach out to the unwed mother and the child within her, to give the extra dollar, to spend an extra half hour in prayer. Millions of tiny little boys and girls depend on our actions, but perish at our inaction. So let us receive His grace to stand firm against the gates of hell that one day we may be welcomed in at the Gates of Heaven.
Third, I seek to encourage you. Right now, we are an angry people. But we are first and foremost a joyful people. Our victory is and has been in hand for nearly 2,000 years. Alleluia!
We are a people of faith, of hope, and of love. So let us stand witness today to the love we have for our God, for each other, for the pre-born babies, for the parents facing crisis pregnancies, for the post-abortive, and in a very special way for abortionists like Dennis Christiansen and Caryn Dutton.
Our Lord told us “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Indeed, these abortionists have become very skilled at destroying the body. They’ve made careers of it. But in doing so, they’ve caused incredible damage to their own souls and the souls of their victims. So let us always pray for their conversion in love and charity.
Regardless of what decisions are made here at this facility, let us remain hopeful. It may be easy to get discouraged by recent events, but such trials are a part of every movement for justice in the world.
This fight over abortion is THE civil rights battle of our generation. Yet history is on our side. We know that one day abortion will be in children’s textbooks alongside racism and slavery, genocide and apartheid.
So take heart. For one shining day, whether in this life or the next, abortion will be merely another historical relic of man’s shocking capacity for cruelty toward his fellow man. And on that day, we will rest peacefully knowing that we were the Lord’s humble instruments who ran the good race and fought the good fight.
I close today with words of encouragement from Teresa of Avila:
Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing frighten you
All things pass away
God never changes
Patience obtains all things.
He who has GodFinds he lacks nothing
God alone suffices.
Praise be to God the Father. Praise be to Jesus Christ the Risen Lord. Praise be to the Holy Spirit in whom and through whom all our good deeds are done. Thank you and God bless you.
Over the past few months, the Vigil for Life team has asked a lot of you. We’ve asked for you to pray, to fast, to stand witness outside of Planned Parenthood. We’ve asked you to volunteer, to sacrifice your time and give of your talent. And now—when we need you more than ever, when the stakes are higher than ever—you show up in greater numbers than ever to tell UW and Meriter that we do not want this fine medical facility turned into a death camp! Last night as I prepared to speak to you, I realized this is classic preaching to the choir. It’s a work day. It’s a school day. It’s the middle of winter, and you were given less than 48 hours notice that this event would be happening. Yet you’ve come. God Bless you!
As Bishop Morlino might say, I’ve got three points that I’d like to make this morning:
First, I’d like to update you on the latest developments. Exactly two days ago, Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defense Funds raised some serious question for Meriter and UW Officials. Yet this morning, these critical questions have yet to be answered. How will the University abide by a multitude of laws prohibiting public money from financing abortion? In a hastily constructed statement to the media, UW spokesperson Lisa Brunette has said that insurance and patient fees will cover these so-called services. Do not be misled. This institution is a joint venture with the public UW. The abortionist is an employee of that public UW. And her salary is paid by that public UW.
How will the Madison Surgery Center abide by conscience protection laws to ensure that faithful Christians are not coerced into participating even indirectly in killing the pre-born? That same hastily written statement said essentially no more than “Uh, just trust us. Our Lawyer said it was ok.”
In response to allegations that the University could use this facility as a cheap way to harvest nearly-fully formed organs from preborn babies for research purposes, Ms. Brunette said that this could happen quote “only after review by a faculty committee.”
As though that’s supposed to make us feel better about it! I recently learned that there is a market for fetal organs. With a little investigation, you can find price lists for various body parts. Ms. Brunette, allow me to make a suggestion for your price list: Sell every brain, every pancreas, every arm and every other body part for a flat rate of 30 pieces of silver!
If the UW Hospitals and Clinics intended to be forthcoming and transparent as we should expect from a public institution, we’d have answers by now. But still we wait. Shame on you UW, and shame on you Meriter!
Secondly, I ask you to continue this fight with me, wherever it will take us. When this fight for the pre-born goes to the Capitol, let us go there. When this fight goes to the courts, let us go there. When this fight goes to this facility and to Planned Parenthood, let us go there. When it comes to our neighborhoods, our workplaces, even our own families, let us go there.
But wherever this battle for souls goes, let us go first to our knees.
Because it is only with the armor of God, as St. Paul says, that we have the strength and courage to take a stand for life.
Ephesians 6: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.”
My friends, that day of evil has arrived. So let us petition our God and Savior for the spiritual fortitude to reach out to the unwed mother and the child within her, to give the extra dollar, to spend an extra half hour in prayer. Millions of tiny little boys and girls depend on our actions, but perish at our inaction. So let us receive His grace to stand firm against the gates of hell that one day we may be welcomed in at the Gates of Heaven.
Third, I seek to encourage you. Right now, we are an angry people. But we are first and foremost a joyful people. Our victory is and has been in hand for nearly 2,000 years. Alleluia!
We are a people of faith, of hope, and of love. So let us stand witness today to the love we have for our God, for each other, for the pre-born babies, for the parents facing crisis pregnancies, for the post-abortive, and in a very special way for abortionists like Dennis Christiansen and Caryn Dutton.
Our Lord told us “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Indeed, these abortionists have become very skilled at destroying the body. They’ve made careers of it. But in doing so, they’ve caused incredible damage to their own souls and the souls of their victims. So let us always pray for their conversion in love and charity.
Regardless of what decisions are made here at this facility, let us remain hopeful. It may be easy to get discouraged by recent events, but such trials are a part of every movement for justice in the world.
This fight over abortion is THE civil rights battle of our generation. Yet history is on our side. We know that one day abortion will be in children’s textbooks alongside racism and slavery, genocide and apartheid.
So take heart. For one shining day, whether in this life or the next, abortion will be merely another historical relic of man’s shocking capacity for cruelty toward his fellow man. And on that day, we will rest peacefully knowing that we were the Lord’s humble instruments who ran the good race and fought the good fight.
I close today with words of encouragement from Teresa of Avila:
Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing frighten you
All things pass away
God never changes
Patience obtains all things.
He who has GodFinds he lacks nothing
God alone suffices.
Praise be to God the Father. Praise be to Jesus Christ the Risen Lord. Praise be to the Holy Spirit in whom and through whom all our good deeds are done. Thank you and God bless you.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
BREAKING NEWS: Vigil for Life Action Alert for Thursday, January 8 at 8 a.m.
Madison Vigil for Life News Release
January 6, 2009—For Immediate Release
Contact Vigil for Life Communications: 608-445-2063
Today we were saddened to learn of secret plans to perform late-term abortions at the Madison Surgery Center, a clinic jointly operated by the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics and Meriter Hospital.
Pro-lifers across Wisconsin are invited to help stop this transformation of a legitimate health facility into a death camp. Vigil for Life will meet outside the Madison Surgery Center (1 S. Park Street, Madison, WI 53715) at 8:00 a.m. this Thursday, January 8 for a demonstration against these grisly plans. Together, we will stand and declare that we will not accept the destruction of pre-born life.
The demonstration is scheduled to last an hour, but participants are invited to stand witness and pray as long as they would like.
According to the Alliance Defense Fund, the Madison Surgery Center plan would likely illegally force unwilling employees to participate in the killing and dismembering of pre-born babies. Additionally troubling is UWHC researchers’ history of experimenting on body parts harvested from second-trimester abortions performed nearby.
Interestingly, the revelation of these secret plans comes on Epiphany, the Christian holiday commemorating the Wise Men’s visit to the infant Jesus. Shortly after the Wise Men’s visit, King Herod began his Slaughter of the Innocents, killing all of the babies in Bethlehem.
Here are three other ways pro-lifers can help stop this latest development in the modern-day slaughter of innocents:
Pray! Please pray regularly for a quick end to these plans and an end to all abortion.
Spread the word. Please share this information with all your pro-life friends, family and acquaintances from around the state.
Make your voice heard! We urge you to call the officials behind these plans:
Donna Katen-Bahensky, President and CEO of UW Hospital and Clinics
608-263-6400
Jeffrey Grossman, M.D., President and CEO of the UW Medical Foundation
608-608-263-7013
James L. Woodward, President and CEO of Meriter Hospital
608-417-6000
Please contact Steve Karlen at 608-445-2063 with any questions.
January 6, 2009—For Immediate Release
Contact Vigil for Life Communications: 608-445-2063
Today we were saddened to learn of secret plans to perform late-term abortions at the Madison Surgery Center, a clinic jointly operated by the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics and Meriter Hospital.
Pro-lifers across Wisconsin are invited to help stop this transformation of a legitimate health facility into a death camp. Vigil for Life will meet outside the Madison Surgery Center (1 S. Park Street, Madison, WI 53715) at 8:00 a.m. this Thursday, January 8 for a demonstration against these grisly plans. Together, we will stand and declare that we will not accept the destruction of pre-born life.
The demonstration is scheduled to last an hour, but participants are invited to stand witness and pray as long as they would like.
According to the Alliance Defense Fund, the Madison Surgery Center plan would likely illegally force unwilling employees to participate in the killing and dismembering of pre-born babies. Additionally troubling is UWHC researchers’ history of experimenting on body parts harvested from second-trimester abortions performed nearby.
Interestingly, the revelation of these secret plans comes on Epiphany, the Christian holiday commemorating the Wise Men’s visit to the infant Jesus. Shortly after the Wise Men’s visit, King Herod began his Slaughter of the Innocents, killing all of the babies in Bethlehem.
Here are three other ways pro-lifers can help stop this latest development in the modern-day slaughter of innocents:
Pray! Please pray regularly for a quick end to these plans and an end to all abortion.
Spread the word. Please share this information with all your pro-life friends, family and acquaintances from around the state.
Make your voice heard! We urge you to call the officials behind these plans:
Donna Katen-Bahensky, President and CEO of UW Hospital and Clinics
608-263-6400
Jeffrey Grossman, M.D., President and CEO of the UW Medical Foundation
608-608-263-7013
James L. Woodward, President and CEO of Meriter Hospital
608-417-6000
Please contact Steve Karlen at 608-445-2063 with any questions.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Merry Christmas, everybody! As we celebrate the birth of Christ and another year winds down, we'd like to take this moment to thank you for your wonderful service to our Lord and to the least of His people: the pre-born babies. We have asked a lot of you these last few months, and you've answered the call every time.
From 40 Days for life to rallies, to special events, to our continuing presence outside of Planned Parenthood, you have sacrified your time, talent, and energy to prevent the sacrifice of babies. It has been an absolute blessing for us to be able to serve with such faithful, committed people as yourselves. We pray for you and for your families and ask that you continue to stand and kneel with us in the year ahead. God bless you! That said, there is a lot of exciting pro-life news in the Madison area this month. Please read on for all the details, including some major BREAKING NEWS!
BREAKING NEWS
A MAJOR pro-life event will be held around the downtown area on Thursday, January 8 at 8:00 a.m. Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to disclose exactly what and where this event will be, but please trust us: It will be crucial to the pro-life movement in Madison.
We will be able to deliver all the details on Tuesday in a special Vigil for Life email. Until then, we ask that if you are able, please block off the 8:00 a.m. hour to attend this event. Certainly, many of you will be working or otherwise engaged. If this is the case, please let your pro-life friends and family members know. And please pray for the success of the event. If you are scheduled to pray outside Planned Parenthood on Thursdays per the continuing presence at the East Side facility, we invite you to feel free to attend this event in lieu of your scheduled hours.
Again, we will provide more information on this as soon as we are able.
Vigil for Life Expands Presence Outside Planned Parenthood
Our prayerful presence changes hearts and minds through the Holy Spirit. This knowledge challenges us to continue our loving witness outside of Planned Parenthood. We need your help to stand outside in the cold when the clinic is open and especially when abortions are happening. We need your weekly, monthly or one-time commitment to spend an hour in prayerful vigil on Thursdays and Fridays, 7AM-6PM. Our goal is not constant, 24-hour vigil but a year-round commitment to prayerful presence. Please respond to this e-mail with the commitment you can make. As you know, each day, thousands of unborn babies die. So, each day, you and I have the opportunity to do something about it. We kicked off these Thursday and Friday vigils beginning Thursday, December 4, 2008 in conjunction with our anticipation of the Incarnation of Jesus as a helpless child on Christmas morning. Now that we have celebrated the birth of Christ, we seek to continue defending children from this modern day slaughter of the innocents.
Saturday, January 3 Guest Speaker: Safe Place for Newborns' Terry Walsh
As the economy worsens, more women will feel the strain of an unplanned pregnancy. We really need to get the word out more that there is a last safety-net option -- not a quick abortion. Terry Walsh of Safe Place for Newborns joins us to share how we can help mothers choose life in tough financial times. See her speak at 9:00 am at Holy Redeemer, 120 W. Johnson.
Our Lady of Hope Clinic to Bring Pro-Life Family Practice to Madison
Our Lady of Hope Clinic, a 100 percent pro-life family practice clinic, will open its doors in Madison in April. Dr. Michael Kloess and Dr. Anne Johnson will provide primary care to benefactors and uninsured people in the Madison community. However, there is still a great need for pro-life families and individuals to become benefactors, donors, promoters, or to regularly offer prayers. Small group informational meetings are currently being held with free snacks and beverages. Please contact Steve Karlen by phone, 608-445-2063, or by e-mail sjkarlen@ourladyofhopeclinic.com. You may also visit the Web Site, www.ourladyofhopeclinic.org. You are also invited to attend the following scheduled presentations:
-Sunday, January 4, 2009, 9:30 a.m. (Following the 8:30 Mass) at St. James Parish (downstairs)1128 St. James Court, Madison, WI 53715-Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at Schoenstatt5901 Cottage Grove Road, Madison, WI 53718
-Sunday, January 18, 2009, 8:30 a.m. (following the 7:30 Mass) at Sacred Hearts Parish
221 Columbus Street - Sun Prairie, WI 53590
-Sunday, January 18, 2009, 11:30 a.m. (following the 10:30 Mass) at St. Joseph Parish
590 S. Saint Joseph Circle - Edgerton, WI 53534
Silent No More Wisconsin: Post-Abortive Women to Deliver Testimonies at Capitol
Testimonies of mothers and fathers that have lost their children to the choice of abortion. Come, listen and support our precious brothers and sisters giving their personal stories. Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. www.silentnomoreawareness.org
Care Net Seeks Male Mentors for Men Facing Crisis Pregnancies
While a great deal of time, effort and attention is rightly given to women facing crisis pregnancies, sometimes men can be forgotten. That's why Care Net seeks volunteers for their man-to-man ministry. It is a commitment that involves being trained in meeting men who are accompanying their pregnant partners/spouses to the Elizabeth House and assisting them in thinking through their situation and praying that they see choosing life as a beautiful option. For more information on volunteering for this life-affirming project, contact Cassie Mott at cassiem@carenetdane.org.
All men who are governed by Christian charity and love, willing to go through some formal training at Care Net, and have some aptitude for relating to men, are encouraged to apply.
Men of Christ Conference, Jan 10, 2009
www.MenofChrist.net
YOUTH 2000 Mar 20-22, 2009
A high school and young adult retreat, led by the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Renewal and the Community of St. John, will take place at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center. More info: www.madisondiocese.org:80/Ministry/EvangelizationandCatechesis/YouthMinistry/Youth2000/tabid/1129/Default.aspx
Respect Life Retreat: Mar 27-28, 2009 (Date change)
Fr. Samuel Martin of the Diocese of LaCrosse will be our retreat master during our Lenten Journey focusing our attention to how we can continue to protect the innocent (conception to natural death), building a Culture of Life! The flyer will be posted on our new upcoming website. Please ask for more details.
To have your event or announcement listed in our monthly email, contact Steve and Laura Karlen at vigilforlife@gmail.com.
From 40 Days for life to rallies, to special events, to our continuing presence outside of Planned Parenthood, you have sacrified your time, talent, and energy to prevent the sacrifice of babies. It has been an absolute blessing for us to be able to serve with such faithful, committed people as yourselves. We pray for you and for your families and ask that you continue to stand and kneel with us in the year ahead. God bless you! That said, there is a lot of exciting pro-life news in the Madison area this month. Please read on for all the details, including some major BREAKING NEWS!
BREAKING NEWS
A MAJOR pro-life event will be held around the downtown area on Thursday, January 8 at 8:00 a.m. Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to disclose exactly what and where this event will be, but please trust us: It will be crucial to the pro-life movement in Madison.
We will be able to deliver all the details on Tuesday in a special Vigil for Life email. Until then, we ask that if you are able, please block off the 8:00 a.m. hour to attend this event. Certainly, many of you will be working or otherwise engaged. If this is the case, please let your pro-life friends and family members know. And please pray for the success of the event. If you are scheduled to pray outside Planned Parenthood on Thursdays per the continuing presence at the East Side facility, we invite you to feel free to attend this event in lieu of your scheduled hours.
Again, we will provide more information on this as soon as we are able.
Vigil for Life Expands Presence Outside Planned Parenthood
Our prayerful presence changes hearts and minds through the Holy Spirit. This knowledge challenges us to continue our loving witness outside of Planned Parenthood. We need your help to stand outside in the cold when the clinic is open and especially when abortions are happening. We need your weekly, monthly or one-time commitment to spend an hour in prayerful vigil on Thursdays and Fridays, 7AM-6PM. Our goal is not constant, 24-hour vigil but a year-round commitment to prayerful presence. Please respond to this e-mail with the commitment you can make. As you know, each day, thousands of unborn babies die. So, each day, you and I have the opportunity to do something about it. We kicked off these Thursday and Friday vigils beginning Thursday, December 4, 2008 in conjunction with our anticipation of the Incarnation of Jesus as a helpless child on Christmas morning. Now that we have celebrated the birth of Christ, we seek to continue defending children from this modern day slaughter of the innocents.
Saturday, January 3 Guest Speaker: Safe Place for Newborns' Terry Walsh
As the economy worsens, more women will feel the strain of an unplanned pregnancy. We really need to get the word out more that there is a last safety-net option -- not a quick abortion. Terry Walsh of Safe Place for Newborns joins us to share how we can help mothers choose life in tough financial times. See her speak at 9:00 am at Holy Redeemer, 120 W. Johnson.
Our Lady of Hope Clinic to Bring Pro-Life Family Practice to Madison
Our Lady of Hope Clinic, a 100 percent pro-life family practice clinic, will open its doors in Madison in April. Dr. Michael Kloess and Dr. Anne Johnson will provide primary care to benefactors and uninsured people in the Madison community. However, there is still a great need for pro-life families and individuals to become benefactors, donors, promoters, or to regularly offer prayers. Small group informational meetings are currently being held with free snacks and beverages. Please contact Steve Karlen by phone, 608-445-2063, or by e-mail sjkarlen@ourladyofhopeclinic.com. You may also visit the Web Site, www.ourladyofhopeclinic.org. You are also invited to attend the following scheduled presentations:
-Sunday, January 4, 2009, 9:30 a.m. (Following the 8:30 Mass) at St. James Parish (downstairs)1128 St. James Court, Madison, WI 53715-Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at Schoenstatt5901 Cottage Grove Road, Madison, WI 53718
-Sunday, January 18, 2009, 8:30 a.m. (following the 7:30 Mass) at Sacred Hearts Parish
221 Columbus Street - Sun Prairie, WI 53590
-Sunday, January 18, 2009, 11:30 a.m. (following the 10:30 Mass) at St. Joseph Parish
590 S. Saint Joseph Circle - Edgerton, WI 53534
Silent No More Wisconsin: Post-Abortive Women to Deliver Testimonies at Capitol
Testimonies of mothers and fathers that have lost their children to the choice of abortion. Come, listen and support our precious brothers and sisters giving their personal stories. Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. www.silentnomoreawareness.org
Care Net Seeks Male Mentors for Men Facing Crisis Pregnancies
While a great deal of time, effort and attention is rightly given to women facing crisis pregnancies, sometimes men can be forgotten. That's why Care Net seeks volunteers for their man-to-man ministry. It is a commitment that involves being trained in meeting men who are accompanying their pregnant partners/spouses to the Elizabeth House and assisting them in thinking through their situation and praying that they see choosing life as a beautiful option. For more information on volunteering for this life-affirming project, contact Cassie Mott at cassiem@carenetdane.org.
All men who are governed by Christian charity and love, willing to go through some formal training at Care Net, and have some aptitude for relating to men, are encouraged to apply.
Men of Christ Conference, Jan 10, 2009
www.MenofChrist.net
YOUTH 2000 Mar 20-22, 2009
A high school and young adult retreat, led by the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Renewal and the Community of St. John, will take place at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center. More info: www.madisondiocese.org:80/Ministry/EvangelizationandCatechesis/YouthMinistry/Youth2000/tabid/1129/Default.aspx
Respect Life Retreat: Mar 27-28, 2009 (Date change)
Fr. Samuel Martin of the Diocese of LaCrosse will be our retreat master during our Lenten Journey focusing our attention to how we can continue to protect the innocent (conception to natural death), building a Culture of Life! The flyer will be posted on our new upcoming website. Please ask for more details.
To have your event or announcement listed in our monthly email, contact Steve and Laura Karlen at vigilforlife@gmail.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)