Here's Your Monday Update

PLW TESTIFIES IN SUPPORT OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROHIBITING CHURCH CLOSURES

On Tuesday, July 18, Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislative Director Matt Sande testified before the Senate Committee on Licensing, Constitution and Federalism in support of Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 54, legislation guaranteeing the freedom to gather in places of worship during a state of emergency. Wisconsin Family Action also testified in favor of SJR 54.

Authored by Sen. Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee) and Rep. Ty Bodden (R-Hilbert), SJR 54 amends the Wisconsin Constitution to prohibit the state or a political subdivision of the state from ordering the closure of or forbidding gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency at the national, state, or local level, including an emergency related to public health. An amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution requires passage in two successive legislatures followed by a simple majority vote of the people. The governor’s signature is not required.

Senate Joint Resolution 54 recognizes that pro-life Wisconsinites are engaged in a spiritual war against the culture of death, exemplified most horribly by the twin evils of abortion and assisted suicide that kill both the young and old with impunity. Our members fortify themselves in this epic battle by faithfully attending their communal places of worship and living sacramental lives. When they are cut off from this spiritual sustenance, it is difficult to be effective in their missionary work.

In a state of emergency, uninhibited access to our grocery stores is no more important than unrestricted access to our churches. SJR 54 upholds our unqualified federal First Amendment right to freely exercise our religious beliefs and freely assemble and expands our unqualified state constitutional (Article 1, Section 18) freedom of worship.

With your help, Pro-Life Wisconsin will fight for passage of SJR 54.

Please CALL or EMAIL your state senator TODAY and urge him/her to "Pass SJR 54."Tell them, "Our nation was founded on religious freedom. Don’t close our churches!"

Don’t know your state senator? Go to legis.wisconsin.gov and type in your home address under "Who Are My Legislators" or call the Legislative Hotline: 1-800-362-9472.

Thank you for making your pro-life voices heard in the Wisconsin Senate!

THOUSANDS MET WITH THE PRO-LIFE MESSAGE

Thank you to all who joined us on Friday, July 21, for National Pro-Life Bridges Day! Nearly 10,000 motorists were met with the message that "abortion takes a human life" in just one hour! Your selfless witness out in the heat of the day is a testament to the determination of the pro-life movement to reach people far and wide in whatever capacity possible to bring the truth of life to those in our community! Thank you for your unwavering commitment to fight for life and protect every preborn child from the violence of abortion.

Join Pro-Life Wisconsin for our annual Love for Life Gala on Thursday, September 21, 2023, as we raise funds to keep fighting for life! This is our largest fundraiser of the year!

The Brookfield Conference Center
(325 South Moorland Road, Brookfield, WI 53005)

Formal Attire (suits for men, dresses for ladies)

5:30 PM Drinks, Hors d'oeuvres, and Raffle
6:30 PM Dinner Program
7:30 PM Live Auction
8:00 PM Keynote Speaker, Dr. Anthony Levatino, Former Abortionist

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Anthony Levatino will share his powerful story on why a physician trained to give life would instead take it away.  Before his conversion, Dr. Levatino performed over 1,200 first and second-trimester abortions as part of his OBGYN practice in upstate New York. He has since become a pro-life advocate, speaking about the dangers of abortion. His story is filled with practical advice on what we can do to increase our effectiveness in advocating for the preborn. We hope you will join us for Dr. Levatino's compelling testimony and an unforgettable night of supporting life!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Are you interested in helping Pro-Life Wisconsin and enjoying a complimentary dinner? Please consider volunteering at the Gala! Complete our sign-up form here. Questions? Please contact Celia at Celia.B@ProLifeWI.org. We are most grateful for your help!

MARCH WITH US IN WASHINGTON D.C.

Join us for the 2024 March for Life in Washington DC! Take advantage of summer savings, and get $100 off your ticket through Labor Day (Monday, September 4, 2023)! No promo code is necessary. Discount automatically applied at checkout.

Travel to our nation's capital, and march alongside hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers! Pro-Life Wisconsin buses will leave Wisconsin on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, and return on Sunday, January 21, 2024. The March will take place on Friday, January 19, 2024.

ALL SUMMER: BILLBOARDS ON THE BORDERS

Thanks to a tremendously generous donor, Pro-Life Wisconsin is covering the Wisconsin borders and major cities with the pro-life message all summer long! The intent of this campaign is to reach abortion-bound women leaving Wisconsin to obtain an abortion with the pro-life message of compassion, care, and abundant help.

Many women seeking an abortion are desperately hoping for a sign to keep their baby and reject the coercive pressure of family, friends, or their partner. “We know from working with women and men in their struggle to choose life for their child, many are making deals with God,” said Dan Miller, State Director of Pro-Life Wisconsin. “Some simply ask God to show them a sign to not have the abortion. We decided to give them a really big sign!" Pro-Life Wisconsin’s billboards will be that beacon of hope for women, offering them real help in their time of need.

Coming home to Wisconsin from out of state, women will also be met with Pro-Life Wisconsin billboards offering post-abortive healing help and Abortion Pill Reversal information should they regret their abortion and seek to save their baby. Dan Miller, State Director of Pro-Life Wisconsin commented, "If they are having second thoughts about their abortion, help and hope is available. There is a group of medical doctors trained in safe protocol to reverse the effects of the first pill in the chemical abortion regimen. The first 24 hours are critical, so a billboard on the way back from the neighboring state is the best way to reach these women in time.” No woman should feel as though they are alone or abandoned. Visit ProLifeWI.org/help for a glimpse of the tender care these women are met with!

If you’d like to financially support this campaign and extend the life of these billboards, please give to the True to Life Media Campaign fund here today.

Since late October 2017, Choose Life license plates have been available to Wisconsin motorists, and every penny earned through the sale of the plates directly aids Wisconsin's incredible pregnancy resource centers and initiatives. Choose Life Wisconsin license plate sales have resulted in over $279,508 granted to Wisconsin pregnancy resource centers to date.

With a greater need to serve pregnant women in our state, be a part of the mission to save lives and aid women, get your Choose Life Wisconsin license plate today! For more information call Pro-Life Wisconsin at 262-796-1111 ext. 110.

For a list of pregnancy resource centers in Wisconsin, visit CrisisPregnancies.org

PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WOULD EXEMPT WORSHIP VENUES FROM EMERGENCY CLOSINGS: (Wisconsin Examiner) – “A proposed amendment to the state constitution that would exempt houses of worship from emergency orders closing public buildings got its first hearing in the Legislature Tuesday, with backers arguing that the intent of such orders to save lives was irrelevant.[…] Matt Sande, the lobbyist for Pro-Life Wisconsin, which opposes abortion in all circumstances, was among other witnesses who testified in favor of the amendment. ‘There has to be a balance, not only on matters of prudential decisions, but on core constitutional rights,’ Sande said. “Short of martial law, these rights must be respected and they can’t be abridged.’ Sande said Pro-Life Wisconsin is ‘an evangelical organization, and we’re spreading the Gospel of Life. That’s our mission. And we do that a lot in churches and church gatherings all across the state. And we were prevented from doing that during the pandemic.’” Read the full story here.

ROCKFORD ABORTION CLINIC DOES 400 ABORTIONS IN FIRST 6 MONTHS, ANOTHER CLINIC TO OPEN SOON: (Wisconsin State Journal) – “An abortion clinic that opened in Rockford, Illinois, in January provided more than 400 pill abortions in the first six months, with nearly half of the patients coming from Wisconsin. A second clinic, for surgical abortions, is expected to open in Rockford by this fall. Dr. Dennis Christensen, a mostly retired obstetrician-gynecologist from Madison, bought both properties in June 2022, the same month the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the federal right to abortion. The ruling led abortion providers in Wisconsin to halt the procedures as courts determine whether to uphold an 1849 state law interpreted as banning nearly all abortions.” Read the full story here.

THE SATANIC TEMPLE JUST GOT NEWS FROM A JUDGE ABOUT ITS TEXAS LAWSUIT: (Live Action) – “A federal judge in the Southern District of Texas has dismissed a lawsuit filed by The Satanic Temple (TST) challenging the state’s pro-life laws. TST had filed the lawsuit on behalf of a woman called Ann Doe, claiming that abortion was necessary so that Doe could perform her ‘abortion rituals.’ The suit asserted that laws that restrict abortion infringe on the group’s rights to freedom of religion. ‘The abortion ritual requires an abortion; and affirms [Doe’s] religious subscription to TST’s Third and Fifth Tenets,’ the suit claimed. TST even went so far as to refer to abortion as a ‘sacrament.’” Read the full story here.

AUGUST 28, WAUKEGAN – Join us for the Life Witness Training Seminar from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at St. Dismas Catholic Church (2600 Sunset Ave., Waukegan, IL 60087). Learn how to save babies from abortion on the front lines of the battle for life! Join Ann Scheidler of Pro-Life Action League and Dan Miller of Pro-Life Wisconsin as they share their stories and practical tips for sidewalk counseling. Register here.

SEPTEMBER 21, BROOKFIELD – Mark your calendars for our annual Love for Life Gala on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. Join fellow pro-life Wisconsinites for an evening celebrating life at the Brookfield Conference Center! Register here.

JANUARY 2024, WASHINGTON DC – Travel to our nation's capital, and march alongside hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers for the national March for Life! Pro-Life Wisconsin buses will leave Wisconsin on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, and return on Sunday, January 21, 2024. The March will take place on Friday, January 19, 2024. Register here for $100 off your ticket now through Labor Day!

CRAWFORD COUNTY: Life Guardians pro-life group meets monthly in Boscobel. Email Heather at heatherkramer79@gmail.com for more information or check out the Facebook page here.

GREEN BAY: Pro-Life Green Bay is an active pro-life ministry in Northeast Wisconsin and meets regularly throughout the year. For more information, contact prolifegreenbay@gmail.com

LA CROSSE: We would like to see at least two people pray every day of the week outside Planned Parenthood. If you can commit to this weekly prayer, please let Marie Allen know. We encourage people to pray in groups of two if possible. You may choose your own time, and sidewalk counseling and signs are optional. Pro-Life literature is available if anyone wishes to distribute it. Questions? Call 608-784-5189.

MILWAUKEE: Join us every Tuesday at 6:00 PM (rain or shine) to pray the Angelus followed by the Rosary in reparation for sins of ingratitude at the Fatima Shrine (141 N 68th St Milwaukee, WI 53213).

Pro-Life Students of Milwaukee (PRISM) is an affiliate for high school students in the greater Milwaukee area. PRISM meets monthly and hosts pro-life events throughout the year. Email PRISM@ProLifeWI.org for more information.

ROCK COUNTY: For meeting times and other information, please email Miriam at

plwrcc@charter.net

WINNEBAGO COUNTY: Please join us in prayer every first Monday of the month from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. to exercise your 1st amendment free speech rights in the public right of way (nearest to Marcus Cinema) in Oshkosh, near Planned Parenthood (378S Koeller St, Oshkosh, WI 54902). Bring your own sign, or use one of ours! Contact Don Doro at 920-279-3496 or at ddurawa1@yahoo.com

WISCONSIN RAPIDS: Please join us in prayer on the 2nd Monday of each month at 4:00 p.m. along 8th Street near Planned Parenthood. Gather in the parking lot at 3:45 p.m.

JULY 25, APPLETON – Vida Medical Clinic and Support Services invites the public and members of the media to the official ribbon cutting and housewarming for Vida Trinity House on Tuesday, July 25 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at W2613 Barney Ct., Appleton, WI 54915. Vida Trinity House is an expansion of Vida’s nonprofit services and will be the first and only transitional residential maternity housing program in the Fox Valley. Trinity House will provide free, stable, and safe housing for pregnant women and new moms in need or who are at risk for homelessness. Integrated with free programming, resources, education, and services from Vida, the Trinity House will be a place of love, growth, and empowerment to support women in improving the trajectory of their lives and the lives of their children.

AUGUST 5, GENESEE DEPOT – First Saturday Traveling Rosary for Life. Join us for Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration on Saturday, August 5, at 9:00 a.m. at St. Paul Church (S38 W31602 Wern Way, Waukesha, WI 53189). Each month a different parish in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will host a Rosary for Life on the First Saturday of the month. For a complete listing, please email Deacon Jim Matthias at matthiasj@archmil.org.

AUGUST 6, WAUKESHA – Join the Catholic Community of Waukesha for a Eucharistic Procession on Sunday, August 6, 2023. The event starts at 3:00 p.m. with Adoration at St. Joseph Church (818 N East Ave. Waukesha, WI 53186). Pilgrims then depart St. Joseph and process about 0.5 miles to Frame Park Amphitheater. Adoration concludes at the Amphitheater with a social to follow until 6:30 p.m. at the Rotary Building (1150 Baxter St. Waukesha, WI 53186). For more information contact Mike Jeske at mjeske54@yahoo.com or 262-402-8265.

AUGUST 12, WAUKESHA – Join the Amos Center for Justice and Liberty on August 12, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Waukesha County Expo Center (1000 Northview Rd, Waukesha, WI 53188) for the Every Life Matters: Legal Offense Fund Benefit Conference. View the flyer here. Purchase tickets here.

AUGUST 25-27, WAUSAU – Deeper Still Abortion Recovery Retreats: Have you experienced or been touched by pregnancy losses through abortion? Do you wonder if it’s still impacting your life today? Deeper Still offers completely free 3-day retreats for women and men that provide a safe and confidential place to examine the impact of abortion on your life. Retreats are led by trained, compassionate people who facilitate deep healing in a short amount of time. By taking a break from familiar routines and responsibilities, you have the opportunity to be released from the past and enjoy a restored hope for your future. The next retreat is coming up on Friday, August 25 – Sunday, August 27. Find more information and register here. Contact Christina at christina@hopewi.org or 715-843-4673 (call or text), with any questions.

SEPTEMBER 2 – First Saturday Traveling Rosary for Life. Details to be announced. For a complete listing, please email Deacon Jim Matthias at matthiasj@archmil.org.

OCTOBER 7, MILWAUKEE – First Saturday Traveling Rosary for Life. Join us for Mass, Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and Reconciliation on Saturday, October 7, at 8:00 a.m. at the Basilica of St. Josaphat (2333 S 6th St, Milwaukee, WI 53215). Each month a different parish in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will host a Rosary for Life on the First Saturday of the month. For a complete listing, please email Deacon Jim Matthias at matthiasj@archmil.org.

NOVEMBER 4, MILWAUKEE – First Saturday Traveling Rosary for Life. Join us for Rosary and prayer on Saturday, November 4, 9:00-10:00 a.m. outside Planned Parenthood (435 S Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53204). Each month a Rosary for Life is held on the First Saturday of the month. For a complete listing, please email Deacon Jim Matthias at matthiasj@archmil.org.

DECEMBER 2, GRAFTON – First Saturday Traveling Rosary for Life. Join us for Mass and Rosary on Saturday, December 2, at 8:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Church (1619 Washington St, Grafton, WI 53024). Each month a different parish in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will host a Rosary for Life on the First Saturday of the month. For a complete listing, please email Deacon Jim Matthias at matthiasj@archmil.org.

JANUARY 6, 2024, MILWAUKEE – First Saturday Traveling Rosary for Life. Join us for the Rosary on Saturday, January 6, at St. Matthias Church (9306 Beloit Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53227). Each month a different parish in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will host a Rosary for Life on the First Saturday of the month. For a complete listing, please email Deacon Jim Matthias at matthiasj@archmil.org.

ONGOING – Help America Pray the Rosary Bumper Stickers Available at No Cost: A generous Pro-Life Wisconsin supporter wants to help you promote devotion to the Rosary! Help America Pray the Rosary Bumper Stickers are available to you and/or your organization. They come in packets of 250 and will be sent to you free of charge. Questions and requests for bumper stickers should be directed to the Mazza Family at RosaryBumperStickers@gmail.com. God bless!

ONGOING – Walking with Moms in Need: The Catholic Church has a long history of service to those who are most vulnerable. From pregnancy care centers, to foster care and adoption agencies, and from maternity homes to parish-based ministries, the Church consistently bears witness in word and deed to the beauty and dignity of every human life—including both mother and child. This program asks parishes and parishioners to adopt and support those centers and agencies that are actively helping moms in need. View the flyer here or visit the website here.

ONGOING, KENOSHA – Participate in the Rosary in Kenosha at 6:00 p.m. every Sunday at Saint Therese Catholic Church (2020 91st Street Kenosha, WI 53143). Bring family and friends!

ONGOING, OCONOMOWOC – Public Prayer of the Rosary to entrust the whole world to Our Lady and ask her to intercede for our state, country, and world. Join us at Village Green Park (104 E Wisconsin Ave. Oconomowoc, WI 53066) every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. View the flyer here.

ONGOING – Toda America con Cristo and Family Life Council, Inc. has created pro-life resources for the latino community. If you or someone you know would benefit from these resources please view the web pages here and here.

POST-ABORTIVE VIDEO – There is hope and healing for mothers and fathers who now regret their abortion and deeply grieve the loss of their little child. A new day is dawning; be not afraid. Seek the help you need. Your wounded heart can be healed through the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. Go to Him, seek Him, and receive the help you desire to be healed and live in hope once again. Watch this video for more information on where to find help. There are millions and millions who regret their abortions. You are not alone.