Here's Your Monday Update

SAVE THE DATE – EMPTY MANGER CAROLING

In the Christmas story, hope enters the world through the birth of a child, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Join us as we share this Christmas hope where it is needed most – the abortion facility right here in our community.

Pro-Life Wisconsin will gather at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 9, 2023 for Empty Manger Christmas Caroling on the sidewalks outside of Planned Parenthood Milwaukee (435 S Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53204). A group will also host Empty Manger Christmas Caroling at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 11, 2023 outside of Planned Parenthood Kenosha (3601 Roosevelt Rd, Kenosha, WI 53142). Please join us! Carol booklets are provided. For more information, contact September (Milwaukee) via email at september3t@yahoo.com or Leslie (Kenosha) at 847-951-1064.

WISCONSIN LEGISLATURE PASSES SAFE HAVEN “BABY BOX” BILL

On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, the Wisconsin Assembly passed Senate Bill (SB) 369, legislation permitting the installation of newborn infant safety devices under Wisconsin’s safe haven law. Senate Bill 369 previously passed the Wisconsin Senate on October 17, 2023. Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislative Director Matt Sande testified in support of the legislation before the Assembly Committee on Children and Families on November 1, 2023. The bill now moves to the Governor’s desk for his expected signature.

Pro-Life Wisconsin supports efforts to prevent the illegal abandonment of newborn infants, often resulting in their tragic demise, by offering ways to hand over newborns lawfully and safely to proper authorities. Enacted in 2001, Wisconsin’s current safe haven law, s.48.195, allows in-person, anonymous relinquishment of newborn infants 72 hours old or younger to law enforcement officers, emergency medical services practitioners, or hospital staff members.

Senate Bill 369 would enhance Wisconsin’s safe haven law by increasing the anonymity of the parent relinquishing his or child. It would do so by authorizing the installation of newborn infant safety devices, also known as “safe haven baby boxes,” in hospitals, fire stations, and law enforcement agency buildings and allowing a parent to relinquish a child under 72 hours of age in such a device. This option avoids the visible, face-to-face contact that might dissuade an otherwise willing parent from safely relinquishing his or her newborn child.

The bill’s safety criteria governing the baby box itself is extensive. For example, a baby box located at a hospital or law enforcement agency building must be staffed 24 hours per day. Baby boxes located at a fire station must also be staffed 24 hours per day with an emergency medical technician onsite. Furthermore, the device must be physically part of the hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency building, must be temperature controlled and ventilated, and must be equipped with an alarm system that automatically triggers an alarm inside the building when a newborn infant is placed in the device. Also, the device must be equipped with a surveillance system that allows employees of the hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency to monitor the inside of the device 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Fourteen states currently allow both face-to-face and baby box relinquishment of newborns: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Iowa. Safe Haven Baby Boxes of Woodburn, IN has had over 140 legal safe haven surrenders, with thirty-six babies having been surrendered in their baby boxes. Senate Bill 369 gives Wisconsin localities and new parents in crisis the option of safe haven baby boxes. We know they will save lives. Pro-Life Wisconsin thanks bill authors Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Rep. Ellen Schutt (R-Clinton) for their dedicated work in passing this critical bill with bi-partisan support.

In Jefferson County, WI, a newborn infant was left for dead last March in a field near a Whitewater trailer park. Perhaps if the mother had known of a baby box nearby in which to place her baby boy silently and anonymously, he would be alive today and she would not be facing charges in Jefferson County Circuit Court. We must do all we can to avoid such preventable tragedies!

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR RESCUE WORKERS NOW!

“For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also, faith without works is dead.” St. James 2:26

What will you be doing on Thanksgiving? I know I will be with family and friends, eating way too much food with my back to a roaring fireplace that my sister always has going during family events. That will not be the case for these eight pro-life heroes: Jonathan William Darnel, Herb Geraghty, William Louis, Lauren Handy, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, Joan Bell and Jean Marshall. They will be in jail because they had the courage to stand up for babies in their mothers’ wombs – INSIDE an abortion center!

Rescuing is not for everyone, but it is one of the ultimate forms of expressing freedom of conscience. In a nutshell, that is what all pro-life work is – expressing your fully formed conscience on the matter of abortion. Is supporting your local pregnancy center enough? Is praying at abortion centers enough? Is voting for pro-life candidates enough? Peaceful civil disobedience is a time-honored tradition in America and elsewhere to express your conscience on important issues of the day. Mahatma Ghandi did it against the British because they were forcing the people of India to purchase British salt instead of producing it locally. Dr. Martin Luther King did it to advance the freedoms of all Black Americans. All these amazing pro-life people pondered and discerned in deep prayer as to what God was calling them to do in the pro-life movement. Somehow, by God’s providence, they found themselves in the Rescue Movement and they ACTED.

Send them a card, or a letter! Send them money! Whatever God is calling you to do! If you are close by, maybe investigate visiting them, if possible. Will Goodman is one of ours. We are so proud of him. If you are having a hard time picking one, why not send Will Goodman a letter of encouragement? For a list of contact addresses and the proper procedures for sending funds, please visit: How to send letters, money to pro-lifers jailed for FACE Act violations - LifeSite (lifesitenews.com)

Thank You!

Dan Miller

State Director

JOIN US IN EDUCATING PRO-LIFE YOUTH THIS #GIVING TUESDAY

Pro-Life Wisconsin is here to help you, parents and grandparents, educate the young people in your life and raise them with pro-life values. This #GivingTuesday, we are raising funds to enable pro-lifers to live out their convictions and share the pro-life message.

When you donate to PLW’s Brighter Future: Youth Education program, you help pro-lifers like *Cameron to learn the pro-life message and get equipped to it with their peers. Recent Gallup data regarding teens’ opinions on abortion showed that merely 39% of Midwestern teens aged 13-17 surveyed believed abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, with the remaining 61% believing abortion should be allowed under certain or any circumstances.

Together we can change that statistic and educate the next pro-life generation. Your donation provides educational materials, helps provide sponsorships to students attending the March for Life DC, and more!

Don’t wait until #GivingTuesday to make your gift! Help us educate and support our pro-life youth 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, please be a part of the mission to save lives and aid women, and 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

THIS IS WHAT OHIO AND SIX OTHER STATES VOTED FOR AND CELEBRATE: (Live Action) – "Earlier this month, Ohio voted to enshrine abortion as a ‘right’ in its state constitution. Three other states have done likewise in the last year, including California, Michigan, and Vermont, where killing children in the womb at any point in pregnancy is now a protected action. In Kentucky, residents voted against an amendment stating that their constitution does not protect a right to killing preborn children. In Kansas, residents voted against clarifying their state constitution’s language to protect preborn children. In Montana, voters shot down efforts to protect even abortion survivors. To accomplish these feats, abortion proponents had to convince the majority of voters that women have a ‘right’ to dead children, and they had to erase the casualties of that ‘right’ entirely. Erasing the primary victim is easy in the abortion debate. These victims can’t march down streets carrying posters and chanting for their equal rights - because they’re dead. They were killed without the opportunity to even cry out. Their bodies were then buried — not in proper graves, but hidden and disposed of in medical waste facilities, dumpsters, and the sewer system after being brutally suctioned, dismembered, or injected with lethal drugs. They cannot speak for themselves, but photos speak for them. Read the full story here. (Warning: Graphic images)

PERU CONGRESS PASSES LAW REINFORCING UNBORN’S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE: (Catholic News Agency) – “By a vote of 72-26 with six abstentions, Peru’s Congress passed a bill on Nov. 9 that expressly recognizes the rights granted in its constitution to unborn children. Congressman Alejandro Muñante, one of the spokespersons for the Life and Family caucus in Peru, on Nov. 12 told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that the fundamental purpose of the law was ‘to consolidate the right to life from conception, which is already established in our constitution and in the Civil Code and the Children and Adolescents Code.’” Read the full story here.

10,000 AFRICAN SEMINARIANS HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO COUNTER WESTERN-BACKED ABORTION CAMPAIGNS: (LifeSiteNews.com, by Human Life International) – “The future looks bright for pro-life Catholics in Africa, thanks to the dedicated training of seminarians conducted by Human Life International (HLI), a U.S.-based Catholic pro-life organization. Africa is a shining beacon of hope to those pursuing a culture of life. As HLI continues its counteroffensive against the abortion promotion campaigns of the West, one of many fertile fields bearing fruit in Africa is the organization’s training programs, which have reached more than 10,000 African seminarians in the last 20 years. […] George Wirnkar, HLI’s Regional Director for French-speaking Africa, has trained thousands of young men called to the priesthood in the 25 years he has been with the global Catholic pro-life organization. Annually, HLI trains 4,500 priests and seminarians around the world. These young men, dedicated to serving the Lord, generally come from traditional African cultures that value family, human dignity, and life. However, Wirnkar explained, they are ministering in communities that have been targeted by abortion-promoting organizations from the West. He noted that the sub-Saharan nations are frequent targets of global abortion promoters. Among those countries in the crosshairs of organizations such as International Planned Parenthood Federation and MSI Reproductive Choices, Wirnkar named Benin, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire. Human Life International has conducted pro-life training for seminarians in those countries.” Read the full story here.

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 (1201 Caledonia Street, La Crosse, WI 54603). 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 p.m. (rain or shine) to pray the Angelus followed by the Rosary in reparation for sins of ingratitude at the Fatima Shrine (141 N. 68th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53213).

All are welcome to come and pray at Planned Parenthood in Milwaukee (425 S. Water Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204) on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 10:00am. Songbooks will be provided, so your presence would be greatly appreciated. For further details, contact September at september3t@yahoo.com.

PRICE COUNTY: Join Pro-Life Wisconsin Price County for our monthly meetings. We meet every second Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at First National Bank in Phillips (366 N. Lake Drive, Phillips, WI 54555). Everyone is welcome. For more information, contact Patti McCormick at jandpmac6@gmail.com.

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 First Amendment Free Speech rights in the public right of way (nearest to Marcus Cinema) in Oshkosh, near Planned Parenthood (3768 Koeller Street, 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 (1355 S. 8th Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494). Gather in the parking lot at 3:45 p.m.

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.

DECEMBER 11, KENOSHA - All are welcome to meet up at Planned Parenthood (3601 Roosevelt Road, Kenosha WI, 53142) to sing and pray for the unborn. We will commence at 3:00pm that day. Hymnbooks will be available for all in attendance. To learn more, contact Leslie at 847-951-1064.

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 – Rachel's Vineyard of the Diocese of Madison offers Healing from Abortion. Whether recent or long ago ... Rachel’s Vineyard retreats offer hope and healing for anyone, women or men who have struggled with the emotional or spiritual pain after abortion. Confidential and private. Contact Mary: call 608-821-3177, text 608-215-0061 or email at rachel@madisondiocese.org.
Visit: www.madisondiocese.org/rachel or www.rachelsvineyard.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 are free of charge. All questions and requests for bumper stickers should be forwarded to 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.