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Last Updated 1/6/2008

Peaceful Singing and Disruptive Counter-Protest Mark League's 6th Annual "Empty Manger" Caroling Day

Carolers sing outside Washington Street Abortion Clinic

Joe Scheidler and carolers sing outside the Washington Street abortuary. [Photo by John Jansen]

The Pro-Life Action League's sixth annual "Empty Manger" Christmas Caroling day was by far the most eventful year yet. For the second year, the League sponsored two tours, one in Chicago and one in DuPage county, visiting abortion clinics singing Christmas carols to bring light and hope to those dark places.

The Chicago tour experienced the sharp juxtaposition of the joy and peace of Christmas and the violence and anger of pro-abortion counter protest.

The Chicago carolers began at Planned Parenthood at LaSalle and Division, where they saw the traditional Christmas Deathscorts in their festive yellow vests. At the Family Planning Associates Washington Street clinic, a group of 30 carolers sang to several women entering the clinic, while counselors tried to persuade them to choose life.

LuAnn Bloom rented a bus for several southside families, and these first two stops were blessed with the presence of several children. The group sang all of the songs on the sheet, some familiar and some new. There was a real feeling of joy and peace from the group.

Counter Protesters Try to Disrupt Caroling

Protesters crowd around Carolers

Protesters crowd around Joe Scheidler and carolers, waving signs and yelling at them. [Photo by John Jansen]

The mood of the third stop, unfortunately, was not as joyful. As the carolers began to arrive at American Women's Medical Center, so did the opposition. The League had found out the day before that a group was trying to organize a "counter-protest." But since efforts to organize protests of League events in the past had usually been unsuccessful and poorly attended, no one was concerned.

As soon as the protesters saw they outnumbered the carolers—and that a reporter from a local radio station and a video camera from a TV station had arrived—they began chanting their usual slogans: "Who decides? Women decide."

One amusing moment came when the group leader led them in the chant "Pro-choice, that's a lie, you don't care if women die!" The chant was repeated several times before they realized they were saying it wrong.

Protester yells at Joe Scheidler

One of the protesters yelling at Joe Scheidler as he tries to sing carols. [Photo by John Jansen]

The carolers lined both sides of the sidewalk, facing each other so they could hear one another singing. One particularly angry girl pushed by pro-lifers reminding them "you can't block the sidewalk." She led them screaming past the solemn singing of the carolers.

When they tired of marching, two of them walked in front of Dan and Corrina Gura's "All I Want For Christmas. . .Is An End To Abortion" sign to try to block the words. So Dan and Corrina hoisted their banner, which is on long poles, high into the air. The protesters raised their arms, but gave up when their cardboard signs flopped over and their stomachs were exposed to the cold weather.

Several or the pro-abortion protesters placed themselves right next to carolers, shouting in their faces. But the carolers continued to sing, ignoring their opposition. "These people are trained to anger pro-lifers and get them to respond," Ann Scheidler said. "It is so important that we do not take the bait, that we do not respond to their anger with our anger. We cannot give them that kind of power." In spite of their best efforts, the protesters could not start a fight.

Final Site Ends Tour Peacefully

Carolers at Albany

Carolers sing at the last stop at Albany. [Photo by John Jansen]

The carolers soon finished their signing at American Women's and moved on to Albany. There the caroling went smoothly until the very end. Again, only when the abortion advocates had gathered a large enough group did they get out of their cars and head to the clinic's sidewalk.

By that time, though, the group solemnly sang Silent Night and got back in their cars to go to Joe and Ann Scheidler's house for hot chocolate and cookies. There everyone had a chance to talk about the evil they had faced and overcome, and to warm their fingers and toes after such a cold day.

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Hundreds Flock to Federal Plaza for Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass

Bishop Gustavo greets the faithful

Bishop Garcia-Siller Greets the Faithful at Federal Plaza, Dec. 12 [Photo by EJS]

Bishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller celebrated Holy Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Federal Plaza in Chicago December 12 with over 400 faithful in attendance, in the shadow of the Federal Building where President-Elect Barack Obama is working with his transition team.

Despite the eleven degree temperature and biting wind, the Mass was a joyous celebration of the life that comes into the world through the Mother of God.

Twelve priests concelebrated with Bishop Garcia-Siller assisted by two deacons and a host of acolytes.

The Bishop delivered a stirring homily about the hope that came to the world, and especially the people of Mexico, through Our Lady's appearance at Tepyac nearly five hundred years ago. His Excellency repeatedly called upon the faithful to chant after him "We are people of hope" and "We are people of life."

Before the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the faithful brought flowers to a shrine set up next to the altar with a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe along with Mexican plants and flowers.

Traditional hymns to Our Lady of Guadalupe as well as the rest of the music for the mass was provided by the Mariachi band from St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish.

After the Mass, the crowd stayed for fellowship over coffee, hot chocolate, and Mexican sweet breads. The Bishop stayed as well, greeting and blessing the faithful.

The Mass was sponsored by the Pro-Life Action League, the Thomas More Society Pro-Life Law Center and the Archdiocese of Chicago Office for Hispanic Catholics, the Respect Life Office, and the Office for Peace and Justice.

Hundreds gather to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe

Hundreds braved the cold to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe [Photo by EJS]

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Scheidler: "Pro-lifers must answer this election with MORE ACTIVISM"

Obama supports abortion

"In the week since Barack Obama's presidential election victory, two things have become apparent," commented Pro-Life Action League National Director Joe Scheidler. "First, come January, the pro-life movement is going to be facing the most hostile political environment we've ever known. And second, pro-lifers across the country are turning to grassroots activism as the most effective way to meet that challenge.

Obama is expected to immediately reverse some of President George Bush's pro-life measures, including the Mexico City Policy that bans the expenditure of federal funds on international abortions. He intends to pour federal funds into human experimentation in the form of embryonic stem cell research. And he has vowed to appoint "pro-choice" judges to the federal courts.

Obama has also promised his allies at Planned Parenthood that he intends to push Congress to pass the Freedom of Choice Act, which would sweep away all existing restrictions on abortion, such as the federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.

Activism is the answer

But as grim as the prospect of the nation's most pro-abortion administration ever may be, Scheidler is confident that the pro-life movement is equal to the task.

He points out that if Obama follows through on the Freedom of Choice bill, it would be an unprecedented opportunity to educate the people on how unrestricted abortion really is in this country—and how important it is that we defend the few restrictions already on the books, like parental invovlement and the ban on partial birth abortion, measures which the majority of Americans support.

Join the Pro-Life Action League's grassroots resistance to Barack Obama's pro-abortion agenda and help restore a Culture of Life in the United States!

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"The election results are a call to action," Scheidler said. "Many pro-life Americans are waking up to the realization that they cannot sit and wait for the politicians and judges to restore legal protection to unborn babies. If we want to save babies from abortion, we've got to save them ourselves."

Scheidler and the Pro-Life Action League have never been content to await a political solution. "From the beginning, my mission has been to mobilize opposition to abortion on the local level. When a pro-lifer reaches out to an abortion bound mother and gives her the help she needs to choose life, Roe v. Wade has been overturned for that baby."

What's always been needed is pro-life evangelism—conversion of our fellow Americans. "It's our duty as citizens and as Christians," Scheidler explained, "to changes hearts on abortion, one by one. And that's just what we're going to do during the Obama presidency."

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