YOUTH FOR LIFE

Meeting on Wednesday

2009-04-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Come to our April meeting on Wednesday, April 8, at 7 pm.

And PLEASE read the post below. Its about contacting President Obama and telling him NOT to rescind Conscience Clauses for healthcare providers. If he did that, doctors and nurses would be forced to provide abortions against their consciences. The President has given the public a 30 day window (which was not publicized) to give their opinions on the conscience clauses. The deadline is April 9. Please participate.

Protect Conscience Rights

2009-04-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is inviting public comment on a proposal to rescind an important December 2008 federal regulation. The 2008 regulation implements and enforces three federal laws protecting the conscience rights of health care providers, especially those at risk of being discriminated against because of their moral or religious objection to abortion. For background, see: www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection. The rescission proposal was published in the Federal Register on March 10. See: nchla.org/docdisplay.asp?ID=233. The public has until April 9 to submit comments.

As they did when the conscience regulation was first proposed, pro-abortion groups are again trying to flood HHS with comments attacking conscience rights. Their chief message: Rescind the regulation because conscience clauses (which they call “refusal” or “denial” clauses) interfere with women’s “access” to health care. These groups want to force doctors, nurses and hospitals to violate their consciences or leave the profession. The Catholic community and others must speak out so this will not happen. Talking points:

- Religious liberty and freedom of conscience have been building blocks of our society since its founding. We respect conscientious objection for those opposed to war, physicians opposed to taking part in capital punishment, and others who object to involvement in the taking of life. We can do no less in the context of abortion.

- Conscience protection does not threaten access to health care. Allowing health care providers to serve the public without violating their consciences protects and enhances access to health care, by ensuring continued participation by some of our most dedicated health professionals. Catholic and other faith-based providers are specially called to serve the poorest and most vulnerable, from the inner city to remote rural areas – if they are driven away, who will replace them?

- Abortion, in particular, cannot be seen as “standard” health care. Most physicians, nurses and hospitals choose not to provide abortion, and the Hippocratic Oath that established medicine as a profession has rejected abortion for many centuries. Forcing health professionals to be involved in abortion against their will shows a distorted sense of priorities—one that will irreparably damage the healing professions and undermine efforts to work together for health care reform.

All persons are encouraged to submit comments. Health care professionals—hospital administrators, physicians, pharmacists, nurses, technicians, and the like—should submit examples or personal experiences where discrimination was or is a concern. Please write now urging the Administration to retain the regulation protecting conscience rights! For excellent comments by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office of General Counsel, see: www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection/hhs_comments_conscience_09final.pdf.

Action: An e-mail message can be sent through the NCHLA Action Center. Please click below. Comments can also be submitted electronically by e-mail to proposedrescission@hhs.gov or online through www.Regulations.gov (check “Select to find documents” and then enter “Rescission Proposal”). Comments also can be mailed. See instructions in the March 10 Federal Register cited above. In all comments, refer to “Rescission Proposal.”

Suggested Message: “Please retain the conscience regulation, and enforce the laws protecting the right of health care providers to serve patients without violating their moral and religious convictions. The government has a special responsibility to ensure that the conscience rights of health care providers are fully protected.”

When: Please submit your comments by close of business April 9, 2009. Thanks!

3/16/09; updated 3/25/09

Click the link below to take action on this issue.:
http://actions.nchla.org/link/forward/nchla177426.aspx

Pro-Life Update

2009-04-02T21:03:00.001-07:00

Everett 40 Days for Life Victory Rally
The rally will be held on April 5 from 4:30-7:30 pm in Hensen Hall at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic parish in Everett.

It's About Life Conference
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, is coming to Olympia and Seattle April 18-19, 2009.

Fr. Frank Pavone will be at the Planned Parenthood Abortion Mill in Olympia on Saturday, April 18, at 3 p.m. He will then preach at the 5 p.m. Mass at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Olympia. Mass will be followed by dinner and an evening conference. Tickets are available from the Knights of Columbus.

On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19, Fr. Frank Pavone will preach at the 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. Masses at Holy Family Church in Seattle. That afternoon Fr. Frank will lead the Hour of Mercy Prayers, beginning at 3 p.m., in front of the Madison Street Planned Parenthood (2001 E Madison Street). At 5:30 p.m. Fr. Frank will speak at a Social/Dinner/Conference at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seattle.

Dinner tickets for both nights are $25 per person. Group rates are available. Tickets are limited and will go quickly.

Contact Tom Hruska (360-561-5548) or Matt Ulrich (206-546-3923) for tickets.

One Million Rosaries for Unborn Babies
Consider registering to participate in the One Million Rosaries campaign for an end to abortion on May 1, 2 and 3. Please visit www.saintmichaelthearchangelorganization.org for more information.

Credit
Some of the information in this post is courtesy of www.gospeloflifeinstitute.org.

Kickoff Rally for Everett 40 Days for Life

2009-02-24T11:18:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder that the Everett 40 Days for Life Kickoff rally is tonight (Tuesday) at 7 pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Everett. The address is: 2913 W Marine View Dr, Everett. See you there!

40 Days for Life

2009-02-23T22:10:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the start of the Spring 40 Days for Life campaign. Please prayerfully consider participating. These locations need all the help they can get! The closest locations to most YFLers will be Everett, Bremerton, and Tacoma. There are other locations listed on the national website: 40daysforlife.com. Look under the Locations tab for Washington, click on the location you will be attending, and sign up for vigil hours! Everett will not be holding a 24-hour vigil, so keep that in mind if you sign up there. Thanks!

Pro-Life People Must Not Lose Heart with Obama Election Says Vatican Archbishop

2009-01-31T11:50:00.001-08:00

Exclusive Interview: Pro-Life People Must Not Lose Heart with Obama Election Says Vatican Archbishop

Says the movement must never stop trying to overturn Roe v Wade

By Hilary White - Rome Correspondent
VATICAN CITY, January 30, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews.com earlier this week, Archbishop Raymond Burke sent a message of support from Rome to those in the U.S. who defend human life and the traditional family, telling them not to give up the fight, even though things may seem dire with the election of Barack Obama. The Archbishop particularly urged pro-life people to continue the political and legal battle against the 1973 US Supreme Court decision, Roe vs. Wade, that legalised abortion.

"We are in a very dark period for the pro-life movement, which means that now we have really to re-double all of our efforts," he said.

The new president, Archbishop Burke said, must hear from the American people "who I believe are, in the end, pro-life, above all else." But the time has come, with the election of the man who is being called by pro-life advocates the "most pro-abortion president" in US history, to announce clearly and firmly the message of the sanctity of life and family more than at any other time.

"There can never be any let-up on the effort to overturn Roe versus Wade," he said, "because there is, at its deepest core, our most unjust judicial decision. It has to be overturned."

He agreed that people of good will could work with the Obama administration to provide improved services to women in crisis pregnancies and pointed out that the Catholic Church has "above all, been in the forefront of that." But, he said, "that can never exempt us from the duty" to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
Despite the difficulties ahead, he urged the pro-life people to be the "tough who get going when the going gets tough."

"It's going to depend upon the pro-life movement to make that voice heard, and to get people to express to the president their dismay with what he's doing, so that he understands that the people of the United States are not for the murder of infants in the womb."

LifeSiteNews.com spoke to Archbishop Burke, who is regarded as a hero by many in the pro-life and family movement, at his offices in Rome, where he was recently appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as head of the Catholic Church's highest tribunal, the Apostolic Signatura. The office of Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura is normally regarded as a "red hat" position that brings with it appointment as a Cardinal. It is widely expected among Vatican watchers that Pope Benedict will name Archbishop Burke a Cardinal at the next consistory.
He told LifeSiteNews.com that he is becoming "very concerned" at the number of people who have written to him to say that the election of Obama is a sign that the pro-life movement has definitively failed to overturn Roe vs. Wade. He particularly denounced the idea, put forward by some in the pro-life movement in the US, that the time has come to abandon the fight against Roe and turn exclusively to "education" and to cooperate with the new administration in "reducing abortions" by improving welfare and health services for women.
Archbishop Burke responded, saying, "To me this is a form of self-deception because the law itself is one of the principle teachers in any culture, and you have a law, a decision of the Supreme Court of your country, which says, in effect, that an infant in the womb can be destroyed right up to the time of birth and even in the act of birth."

Until Roe vs. Wade is overturned, he said, "that law remains a teacher in the culture" and "represents a direction given to the life of the society, of the nation.

"So I'm very concerned that some of the dedicated pro-life people don't fall prey to this false reasoning, and then not continue their work for the repeal of this Supreme Court decision."

Archbishop Burke is known in the US as one of the most outspoken members of the US hierarchy on the Church's teachings on the sanctity of life. He was the first among a very small number of US Bishops who enforced can. 915 of the Code of Canon Law, saying that pro-abortion Catholic politicians are not to be given Holy Communion. His position was confirmed by a letter of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in June of 2004.Upon the announcement of his transfer to Rome, Judie Brown, the president of the American Life League, said, "Archbishop Burke's contributions to the Church go beyond anybody's imagination. He is among the most courageous bishops that I have known in my entire life."

The archbishop said, "I have been for years very much in the heart of the pro-life movement as I believe that I should be as a bishop."

"It was painful for me to leave the United States because of my strong conviction about the importance of strong leadership, a prophetic leadership on the part of the bishops in the whole work of promoting the respect for human life."

He particularly urged pro-life and family people to be on guard against becoming discouraged. "Discouragement is itself a prime temptation that Satan uses to get people to stop working for the good," he said. "But the minute you give into discouragement he can get you to do whatever he wants. But if we are people of life, if we are people who honour the dignity of every human life, then we also are necessarily people of hope.

"I understand, from a human point of view, why people are discouraged and why they want to give up or try some radically different approach, but as people of hope we don't have any choice in this matter. We have to continue the battle."

Reminder

2009-01-19T21:33:00.001-08:00

If you haven't already sent a letter to your local hospital or hospice center alerting them to the fact that they do not have to provide assisted suicide and asking them not to, then please visit the Coalition's website (www.noassistedsuicide.com) to find out how to do that. Click on "What Can I Do?" It doesn't take very long and it can have a huge impact. Thank you!

Upcoming Pro-life Events

2009-01-05T13:29:00.001-08:00

9 Days of Prayer to Prevent the Freedom of Choice Act
A novena will be prayed from January 11 until January 19 for the intention of preventing the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). President-elect Barack Obama has promised Planned Parenthood that he will enact the FOCA as soon as he is in office. This act would undo many of the safeguards and laws pro-lifers have worked so hard to put in place over the years, including parental notification laws and the partial birth abortion ban. Not only that, but doctors would be required by law to perform abortions regardless of their personal beliefs. These are just a few of the things FOCA would enable and require. Please pray that President-elect Obama will not be able to keep his promise to PP.

Youth for Life Meeting
It will be held on January 14 at 7 pm. We have an awesome guest speaker this time who is very excited to be coming!

Olympia March for Life
This year's March for Life will be held on Tuesday, January 20. If you would like to ride down on a bus, check at your local parishes to see if they have one going. You can also carpool down with a group of friends. Directions are here.

Walk for Life West Coast
If you're feeling adventurous this month, you can take some time to attend the Walk for Life in San Francisco on January 24. To organize a group or for more information, call 415-586-1576 or e-mail info@walkforlifewc.com. The official website is www.walkforlifewc.com.

Prolife Prayer Vigil in Everett
To mark the 36th anniversary of the Roe verses Wade abortion decision, please join us for a prayer service for the unborn and their mothers on Saturday, January 31 at 9:30 am at

Immaculate Conception Church (2501 Hoyt Avenue, Everett).

CAAS needs YOU!

2008-12-21T18:49:00.000-08:00

Dear awesome CAAS Coordinators and Volunteers,

So many of you have called and emailed asking, "What next?" and your grit and determination have been nothing short of inspiring. We all needed a chance to step back, take a breather and regroup. But, as promised, it ain't over!

As we all know, I-1000 will be written onto the Washington state books this March, making it legal for doctors to help patients kill themselves. And while I-1000 is a devastating blow to the vulnerable in our state, we can still work to protect them until this awful law is overturned. Over these next few months, CAAS will be sending updates about easy ways that YOU can continue to rally against I-1000, impact the way the law is written and continue to advocate for the vulnerable.

Below is super time-sensitive information (deadline is this Monday, December 22) regarding the Washington State Department of Heath; curl up with a cup of coffee or cocoa (since no one should be doing anything outside in this insane weather), read through the info and send a quick comment to the DOH (and get your family and friends to do the same; the more comments sent to the DOH, the more they will take notice). This is the first step to muddying the waters surrounding assisted suicide.

So onwards and upwards, my friends! We CAN do this; we have the volunteers, we have the dedication and we have the vulnerable to protect. Let's do it.

CAAS Outreach

____________________________

CAAS Needs YOU!

The Washington State Department of Health is in the process of creating the rules and program administration that will govern Initiative 1000 now that it is set to become law. In Oregon, the rules set up by the health department are seriously flawed and have resulted in secrecy and abuse.

In order to prevent that from happening here, we need as many people as possible to contact the Department of Health before the end of the work day this Monday, December 22. The Department of Health keeps track of how many people comment about proposed laws-so even a few minutes of your time and that of your volunteers, family, friends, or relatives will make a huge difference in trying to keep as many vulnerable people as we can safe from this lethal law.

To comment, go here https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/policyreview/ and click on "Add Comment". Here are some helpful points to make regarding the institution of I-1000 (choose a few to send in or come up with some of your own):

1) The Death with Dignity Act allows physicians licensed by the Department of Health to prescribe substances to intentionally cause their patient's death. This poses a real danger to the public if not properly regulated.

2) Since The Death with Dignity Act was adopted by initiative, experienced legislators did not have a chance to identify and correct the risks to the public. The Department of Health therefore has a special responsibility to enact regulations to help to protect those made vulnerable by I-1000.

3) Oregon's administrative regulations are flawed. They should not serve as a model for the people of Washington. The Oregonian, Oregon's largest newspaper, stated that the Oregon system of administrating their Death with Dignity act "seems rigged to avoid finding answers." The Disability Rights Education Defense Fund deems the Oregon reporting system "flimsy." In the Michigan Law Review, Herbert Hendin and Kathleen Foley give a detailed account of the flaws in the Oregon system. They report that: "The problem lies primarily with the Oregon Public Health Division ("OPHD"), which is charged with monitoring the law. OPHD does not collect the information it would need to effectively monitor the law and in its actions and publications acts as the defender of the law rather than as the protector of the welfare of terminally ill patients." ([1]"Physician-Assisted Suicide in Oregon: A Medical Perspective." Michigan Law Review; [Vol.106:1613])

4) Neither the Oregon regulations nor the proposed rules from Washington have any sufficient requirements for transparency in order to assure patient safety from abuse. The Death with Dignity Act lacks adequate informed consent and information about life-affirming alternatives to assisted suicide such as hospice and palliative care. Even more seriously, it lacks protections against coercion, elder abuse, and disability abuse. The Department of Health should dedicate sufficient resources to detect underreporting, noncompliance and violations. The DOH should keep track of data, including information about patients who are requesting assisted suicide, physicians who are prescribing it or not prescribing it and why, and accurate documentation about terminal illness, mental competency and clinical depression. The DOH should also retain information about witnesses to the request, the medications prescribed, the effect of those medications, and whether witnesses were present at the time of death.

5) I urge the Department of Health not to copy Oregon's inadequate regulations and flawed structure. Please protect the welfare of Washington citizens by creating robust administrative rules and common sense reporting requirements which will serve as a safety net for vulnerable Washingtonians.

To read the draft of the DOH rules and forms regarding I-1000, go here: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/policyreview/Documents/DWDArulesandformsdraft.pdf

Night of Prayer for Unborn on December 8

2008-12-05T16:25:00.001-08:00

Everyone is invited to a National Night Of Prayer which is being held
at Saint Jude's Parish (10526 166th Ave NE, Redmond) on the evening of
Dec. 8 following the 7 p.m. Mass. 700 other parishes around the
country will also be participating. We will celebrate the gift of life
by reciting the rosary and divine mercy chaplet and by participating
in Eucharistic adoration.

Fwd: Urgent Action Alert - Stop Dec. 3 Execution by Washington State

2008-11-27T14:09:00.001-08:00

Received from www.gospeloflifeinstitute.org

At a time when respect for the sanctity of human life is undermined in many ways, the Church's opposition to the use of the death penalty is an important witness in support of a culture of life.

Attached you will find a flier asking people to write Governor Christine Gregoire to commute the death sentence of Darold Stenson. Mr. Stenson is scheduled to be executed at the Washington State Penitentiary at 12:01 a.m. on December 3rd, thus the urgency of this request. The Bishops of Washington State are sending a letter to the Governor, requesting her to commute his sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The flier has been sent to all pastors and pastoral coordinators along with a request to place this flier in Sunday's (Nov 23rd) bulletin and the bulletin for Nov. 30th. Please pass on this alert to other members of your parishes and ask them to contact the governor as well.

If you would like background material on the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty, please refer to the following USCCB website: www.ccedp.org.

Thank you for your help in building life, justice and peace,
Jim Thomas
Director of Adult Faith Formation for Catholic Social Teaching and Family Life
Archdiocese of Seattle

As per Human Life Policy, I have sent the following message to the Governor:

Washington State is planning to execute Darold Stenson on Dec. 3rd, 2008. In our view, respect for all human beings from conception to natural death compels us to oppose the death penalty. Human Life of WA has opposed the death penalty since the 1970's - (see policy statement below. Therefore, we urgently plead that you commute Mr. Stenson's sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Human Life of WA Policy:

HUMAN LIFE has as its basic goal the protection of the right to life of all persons, from conception to natural death, regardless of their physical or mental abilities. Sensitive to the issue of the protection of society and the need for a system of criminal justice that affords all people that basic protection, we must deal with capital punishment as a basic moral issue involving the right to life. The question of guilt or innocence of any act is not the central issue, for without previously establishing guilt no punishment is ever considered. Once guilt has been established, the question of penalty must be determined. Penalty, then, is the basic issue.

Consideration of one's physical and mental state may weigh heavily as to the guilt or innocence of an individual, but cannot be the basis upon which we deny any person the right to life. No act or combination of acts causes one to lose his/her personhood. Our obligation to protect society and impose just penal sanctions dictates that we reject as a morally sound penalty, the destruction of life through capital punishment.

Whatever steps we take to assure a just and well-ordered society must be based upon the fundamental principle of the sanctity of life.

Dan Kennedy, CEO
Human Life of Washington
14400 Bel-Red Rd Suite 207
Bellevue, WA 98007-3952

Affiliate of National Right to Life
V-425.641.9345 F-425.641.9635
websites:
Human Life of Washington
Center for Life Principles - A Project of Human Life Ed. Foundation
National Right to Life

"We cannot talk about human rights without the right to be human."

Fight FOCA

2008-11-14T10:41:00.001-08:00

You may have heard that President-elect Obama has promised to sign the Freedom of Choice Act as soon as he becomes President. The FOCA will eliminate all restrictions and bans on abortion across the US, and will even require pregnancy aid centers to give their clients information about abortion! Needless to say, this goes against everything YFL stands for and against everything we've worked for, too. Please sign the petition to fight FOCA by going to http://www.fightfoca.com/. Thanks, guys! Thanks also for a great meeting on Wednesday! It was great to see you!

We're Back!

2008-11-09T01:06:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all! After our little blog break, we are back and ready to go like never before. There is a "meeting" this Wednesday, the 12th, at 7 pm. But, really, its just a party to celebrate our 7 year anniversary! We'll be watching old KYFL news reels, hanging out, relaxing, basket balling, etc. Come and have fun!

Meeting on Wednesday

2008-10-06T18:51:00.001-07:00

Youth for Life's monthly meeting is this Wednesday at the usual place and time! See you there!

David Bereit, National Campaign Director of 40 Days for Life, In Town Wednesday

2008-09-30T14:06:00.001-07:00

Mr. Bereit and his family will be visiting some of the Western Washington 40 Days for Life vigil sites this Wednesday! Here are the details.

Olympia
Mr. Bereit and his family will be at the Olympia 40 Days (for location informaiton, visit http://www.40daysforlife.com/olympia) beginning at 11 am for an hour.

Tacoma
Mr. Bereit and his family will be at the Tacoma 40 Days (for location information, visit http://www.40daysforlife.com/tacoma) beginning at 1 pm for an hour.

Everett
40 Days for Life National Director, David Bereit will visit Western Washington Wednesday. He's due to arrive in Everett about 6 PM, and would love to meet all of you! Please join us for an evening vigil Wednesday 6 PM at Planned Parenthood. (Visit http://www.40daysforlife.com/everett/ for vigil location and other information)

Seattle
David Bereit, the National Campaign Director of 40 Days for Life, will be speaking and praying at the Seattle Vigil Site this Wednesday, 10/1 at 8PM. I know it's last minute, but don't miss out! David is an excellent speaker, a motivated follower of Christ, the founder of 40 Days for Life, and a family man. He and his family will join us in unity and love and witness at our vigil site, at the Planned Parenthood on 45th and 9th, for a memorable evening from 8 to 9PM. (Visit http://www.40daysforlife.com/seattle/ for more information)

Colorado Personhood Amendment

2008-09-27T20:58:00.001-07:00

Colorado has a Personhood Amendment to their state Constitution coming up on their ballot this November! And it's being led by a 21 year old young lady! Here's the website: http://www.coloradoforequalrights.com/

4US Registration

2008-09-18T21:05:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends of Life,

For those of you who have not yet registered to participate in 4US, registration and donation turn-in will be available tomorrow, Friday, September 19 at Point Defiance Park from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. Simply follow the signs to registration.

Sincerely in Christ,
www.gospeloflifeinstitute.org

Please make a donation, today: www.4us.org/TeamPage/tabid/100/ftid/31/Default.aspx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

2008-09-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

Announcing the birth of Youth for Life's spiritually adopted (previously) unborn children!!!

Today, we thank God for the lives of Maximilian Diego, Jose Maria, Gabriel James, Gabriela Noel, and Ricky Charles!

Thank you for praying with us for the last nine months. As Catholics, we believe that our prayers may have helped save these children from abortion and someday, God willing, we will be with them in Heaven.

4US is this Saturday, September 20

2008-09-17T23:13:00.001-07:00

A message from the Gospel of Life Institute: www.gospeloflifeinstitute.org

Dear Friends of Life,

Thank you to everyone who has registered to participate in and/or made a donation to 4US. If you have not yet registered, online registration for 4US ends tonight, September 17, at midnight. Participants may also register on the morning of September 20 at Point Defiance. If you have not yet made a donation to a Gospel of Life Institute team member, please consider doing so. Fundraising team members include:
Fr. Ed White, http://www.4us.org/FundraiserPage/tabid/101/fid/78/Default.aspx
Rachel Olson, http://www.4us.org/FundraiserPage/tabid/101/fid/136/Default.aspx
Brendan Boyle, http://www.4us.org/FundraiserPage/tabid/101/fid/79/Default.aspx

I hope to see you on Saturday.

Initiative 1000 Speaker from Archdiocese

2008-09-15T13:14:00.001-07:00

PLEASE share this invitation with others and announce it at your
church, if possible.

All are invited, as guests of the Central Deanery of the Archdiocesan
Council of Catholic Women, to come and hear Jim Thomas speak at Holy
Family Parish in Auburn between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday,
September 16. Jim Thomas, Director of Adult Faith Formation for
Catholic Social Teaching & Family Life for the Archdiocese of Seattle,
will present the Catholic view concerning Initiative 1000, Assisted
Suicide. A $5.00 per person luncheon will follow the presentation.

Contact Kathlenn G. Tansey at 253-630-7755 for more information.

40 Days for Life 2008

2008-09-13T00:34:00.000-07:00

Its that time of year again! Time to look over your calendars and prayerfully consider when during the weeks ahead you can take time out of your busy lives and schedules to visit a local abortion mill and pray there for the babies and mothers inside whose lives have been, are, or will be changed forever after walking through those doors.

Here are the locations for Washington this year:

Seattle: http://seattle40daysforlife.com/?p=49
Everett: http://www.40daysforlife.com/everett/
Centralia: http://www.40daysforlife.com/centralia/
Olympia: http://www.40daysforlife.com/olympia/
Spokane: http://www.40daysforlife.com/spokane/
Tacoma: http://www.40daysforlife.com/tacoma/
Tricities: http://www.40daysforlife.com/tricities/

Thanks!

2008-09-13T00:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting on Wednesday!

Lawsuit: Young Pro-lifers Jailed, Shackled, Strip Searched for Peacefully Sharing Message

2008-09-13T00:27:00.001-07:00

Read the article here:

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08090402.html

Angelorum Picnic - Tomorrow!

2008-08-29T13:31:00.001-07:00

Hey all! You are invited to the annual Angelorum picnic tomorrow, Saturday the 30th. If you'd like more information about where and when, please e-mail youthforlifewa@yahoo.com.

Healing the Culture Conference

2008-08-26T13:41:00.001-07:00

Howdy! I have some exciting news concerning the Seattle-based pro-life group "Healing the Culture," founded by Fr. Spitzer and run by Camille de Blasi Pauley. They're hosting a major national pro-life conference here in Seattle this November 6-8 at the Hilton Bellevue. The expectation is that the conference will gather between 400 and 800 pro-life leaders from all over the US and other countries. That in itself should be pretty impressive, and it'll be one heck of a good time! They'll have speakers and workshops and a big banquet that'll knock your socks off. And even though the conference may be too expensive for some of us young'uns to attend, we definitely should help spread the word where possible. This is gonna be big.... real big! The website link is below, but if you or anybody you talk to has questions or wants more info definitely get in contact with me.

Here's the website: http://www.healingtheculture.com/conference2008.php

Thanks!

Chris Haag

Tour To The Hoods

2008-08-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Please contact Ed at 360-480-9329 if you would like to participate in Tour to the Hoods this Monday, August 25. See below for more information.

SHOW THE TRUTH

TOUR TO THE HOODS

MONDAY, August 25 2008

Join us to pray and Show the Truth at Washington State's #1 abortion provider.

Olympia area group

Meet at Sauley home a little before 8:00 AM

Have breakfast

Leave for Tacoma Mall at 8:30

Arrive Tacoma Mall parking lot sign at 9:10

Meet with Tacoma Stands Up for LIFE

Leave Tacoma at 9:15

Arrive Cedar River Mill at 10:00

4300 Talbot Rd. S.

Renton

Lunch at Noon

Arrive Planned Parenthood at 1:15

702 30^th Ave SW

Puyalllup

Leave Puyallup at 3:00

Seattle and Tacoma groups leave

Southern groups arrive at PP Centralia 4:30

Closing dinner – Centralia – 5:30

Contact # 360-480-9329

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS

St. Maximilian Kolbe novena

2008-08-15T11:44:00.001-07:00

Hey YFLers!!

Here is a novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe for us to pray for the defeat of I-1000. If we start to day (his feast!) and end on August 22, that is the Feast of the Queenship of Our Lady (and also the day chosen by Mother Teresa as the Society Feast Day for the Missionaries of Charity!)

http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/novena/kolbe.htm

God bless!
-Sheila

Meeting

2008-08-12T17:35:00.001-07:00

Hi All -

Here is your reminder that the August Youth For Life meeting will be
held this coming Wednesday, August 13th at 7:00pm.

Hope to see you there.

Urgent Prayer Request

2008-08-01T15:58:00.001-07:00

I received this e-mail a few days ago from friends of the lady who wrote the paragraph below. Please pray.

It is interesting to have received your e-mail today. Cedric and I are in Switzerland (his native home) and have been here since mid-June. We are in the middle of a crisis, and I'd like to request your prayers. Cedric's grandmother, Alix de Wurstemberger, is 98 years old and, though is suffering from failed eyesight and weak legs, is completely coherent. It came to our attention last week that his family has set up an assisted suicide plan for Alix (assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland). She has been persuaded that this is the route to die. This is very upsetting to us, and since there are virtually no other believers in his family (he's a convert to the Faith), we are depending on prayer to work this out. Please, please pray for this situation.

Over 70 Colorado Physicians Sign Statment Saying Personhood Begins at Fertilization

2008-07-29T13:06:00.001-07:00

Over 70 Colorado Physicians Sign Statment Saying Personhood Begins at
Fertilization
"Personhood Amendment" set to appear on 2008 Colorado ballot

DENVER, Colorado, July 28, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Colorado for
Equal Rights has announced the support of over 70 physicians and
pharmacists, including neonatologists, family physicians, ob-gyns,
pediatricians, and other physicians nationwide. These physicians have
stated that they concur with the statement, "A 'person' includes any
human from the time of fertilization." A list of these physicians is
available at http://www.personhood2008.com. ;

"We are honored to have received these endorsements from such
respected physicians," stated Kristi Burton, the sponsor of the
"Personhood Amendment" which is set to appear on the 2008 Colorado
ballot. "Science clearly proves that life begins at the time of
fertilization. We are secure in the fact that we have science and
reason on our side, and we are pleased to have the medical community
supporting our efforts."

Sponsored by Burton, a 20-year-old law student, the Personhood
Amendment states: "Be it Enacted by the People of the State of
Colorado…the terms 'person' or 'persons' shall include any human being
from the moment of fertilization."

"As support for Amendment 48 accumulates, we are very encouraged as we
get closer to November's election," continued Burton. "Every human
life should be protected, and the endorsements we continue to receive
prove that our easy to understand amendment is one that all Coloradans
can support."

Seattle 40 Days for Life - Fall 2008

2008-07-15T13:49:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Its time to start thinking about 40 Days for Life again!
Here is the official e-mail from our Seattle coordinators, Aaron and
Chris.

***
Exciting news for all those interested in participating in this Fall's
40 Days for Life campaign!

Last year you may remember that Seattle participated with almost 90
other cities to pray, fast, and keep a constant vigil for 40 full days
- we prayed for God's grace to be with the aborted; we prayed for the
conversion of heart of the mothers and fathers who entered the
abortion clinic; we prayed for love to be shown to the ones who work
at the abortion mill; and among other things we prayed for the light
of Christ to affect all those in this city. Results and inspirational
stories from last Fall are amazing and countless.

This year, the desire to run 40 Days for Life campaigns has spread to
many additional cities, as well as countries, showing that with the
aid of God's grace the prayers from this Fall may truly impact humans
on a level like none other. The dates of this year's vigil will be
Sept 24 - Nov 2, and sign-ups start next week. For more information,
feel free to email me back any questions, or take a look at the
national webpage: www.40daysforlife.com

The desire here in Seattle and Washington is to increase the number of
abortion mills that we pray at - to be present to more women and help
show them a more loving path. We're going to have a meeting soon to
gauge interest and find additional volunteers who are willing to help
with planning. We know you're out there and we need you! Let's come
together and as a community make this vigil a reality here in Seattle
once again! Here's the info for our planning meeting - all who are
interested in helping are more than welcome to attend:
When? July 29th at 7pm
Where? Blessed Sacrament Parish in the Aquinas Library (entrance off of 8th Ave)
5041 8th Ave NE, Seattle 98105

Yours in Life,

Aaron Stockton & Chris Haag
http://seattle40daysforlife.com
seattle@40dfl.com

Meeting

2008-07-06T23:24:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that the July Youth For Life meeting will be held this
coming Wednesday, July 9, at 7:00pm. Our guest speakers will be Tim
Kowalewski and Jen Beback. As usual, we will start with the Rosary.

Heroic Polish Athlete Dies to Save Life of Unborn Child

2008-06-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Rome, Jun 16, 2008 (CNA).- Thousands of Poles lined up to say their final goodbyes to Agata Mroz, a young volleyball star who died on June 4 after postponing a bone marrow transplant in order to allow her daughter to be born.

At the age of 17, Agata was diagnosed with leukemia. She battled the disease and ended up becoming one of the top athletes in Poland, winning the European Volleyball Championship twice with her country’s team. She joined the professional volleyball team CAV in Murcia, Spain, where she also led the team to title wins.

Her struggle against leukemia forced her to take a sabbatical year during which she received many blood transfusions. Thousands of Poles donated blood for her cause. On June 9, 2007, she married Jacek Olszewski. She was too weak to travel away for a honeymoon but soon afterwards she became pregnant. A few weeks later, doctors discovered her cancer had progressed. She decided to postpone a bone marrow transplant until after the baby’s birth, set for April 4.

Agata told the Polish daily Dziennik that she never regretted her pregnancy. “The news I was going to be a mother made me feel fortunate. I was so happy because I would know what it was like to be a mother and I would give my husband something good from myself,” she said.

Agata underwent the transplant after the birth but she contracted a deadly infection. Her funeral Mass was celebrated in the same church that she was married in one year earlier to the day. She was remembered for her heroism and her decision to confront her illness. Bishop Marian Florczyk of Kielce presided at the Mass and said Agata gave Poland a witness of “love, motherhood, the desire to give life and the heroic love for an unborn child.”

Youth For Life Meeting

2008-06-09T19:18:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that the June Youth For Life meeting will be held this
coming Wednesday, June 11, at 7:00pm.

Saturday June 14
Angelorum Pregnancy Services' annual auction will be held on Saturday,
June 14th, at St. Matthew's Catholic Church (1230 NE 127th St, Seattle
98125). Youth For Life has been asked to help as servers for the
dinner and auction again this year. If you would like to help, please
let M. know. Servers will need to be there between 4:30 and 5:00pm -
Please wear white shirts and black pants/skirt.

Saturday June 21, Sunday June 22
Human Life of Washington will have their pro-life booth set up at the
Fremont Fair the weekend of June 21-22. Volunteers are still needed to
staff the booth for the 5:00pm to 8:30pm slot on Saturday. If you
would like to help, please let M. know at the meeting.

Join 4US at the Gig Harbor Maritime Parade

2008-05-30T22:12:00.001-07:00

Remember Bikin' 4 Babies? This is the same organization, but this time they're in a parade in Gig Harbor! Come join the fun, wear a bright orange t-shirt, ride a bike, bring your friends, and show Gig Harbor you're pro-life!

WHAT: Gig Harbor Maritime Parade – 4US will have a flatbed truck, a pickup truck and a cool Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang Car as we march, drive, roll, scoot, bike, trike and stroll down the mile long main street of Gig Harbor.

WHEN: Saturday, June 7 - Meet at 9:00 am to assemble and get a cool orange Join4US T-shirt (see below) - Parade at 10:00 - Done around noon - Exact times to follow (once parade organizers tell us our official start time)

WHO: Anyone who wants to bike, walk, ride, scooter, stroller, or roll together and have a fun morning while promoting 4US .

Champions, bring your friends and their kids and all of their friends! ( BUT NO PETS )

WHAT WE'LL DO: Launch last year's t-shirts into the throngs of parade bystanders. Hand out 1,000 4US tattoos and brochures. Encourage folks to visit our booth, register and become Champions.

WHERE: Tentatively meeting at the KOA campground at 9515 Burnham Dr NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98332. (¼ mi north of the Parade Line up area)

You'll probably have to park at the Home Depot lot farther north. We will notify you about where we will meet with a shuttle to get to the staging area. (That way your parking will be easier.)

WEBSITE: www.maritimegig.com/body.html

RSVP by MON JUN 2nd to Cyndi@4US.org (so we know how many shirts and shuttles to get)

SEND this email to friends and post the attached PDF on your fridge and at work as a reminder to Join the Rhythm of Life!

More details soon!

Angelorum's Auction of the Angels

2008-05-28T19:30:00.001-07:00

Saturday, June 14 is Angelorum's annual Auction of the Angels! It will
be held this year at St. Matthew's Parish in Seattle (1240 NE 127th
Street, Seattle, WA 98125) and will start at 6:00 pm. As you may know,
YFL has helped serve this auction every year since it began. Please
check your calendars and see if you'll be available. Also, be aware
that servers have to arrive early, so make sure your evening is clear.
Everything will be finalized at our meeting on June 11. Thanks!

Seattle Town Hall meeting TONIGHT

2008-05-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Please RSVP to Carrie Herring at 206.337.2091 or Carrie@noassistedsuicide.com

SEATTLE TOWN HALL MEETING

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28 at 7:30 PM
Seattle Town Hall
Great Hall - Enter on 8th Ave.
1119 8th Ave.
Seattle

Meeting is open to the public, and tickets are $5 at the door. Arrive
early, as Town Hall members are given priority seating.

It is important that you attend this meeting. Please call Carrie for
more information.

Dr. Shane Macaulay will be speaking in a public forum entitled, "Death
With Dignity or Assisted Suicide?" The forum will include discussion
on the moral and ethical arguments on both sides of this issue. Those
presenting are Dr. Shane Macaulay of the Coalition Against Assisted
Suicide, Arline Hinckley of Compassion & Choices, and Rev. Hubert
Locke, Dean Emeritus of the Evans School of Public Affairs at UW. The
discussion will be moderated by Seattle University law professor John
Mitchell.

It is imperative that you attend this important event to not only show
support for Dr. Macaulay, but also to become more informed about the
arguments that the proponents of Assisted Suicide are using to
persuade the voters of Washington to pass Initiative 1000.

The speakers will be taking questions from the audience, so come
prepared with a few in mind.

International Pro-life News

2008-05-27T17:24:00.001-07:00

Poland Embraces Successful March for Life and Family in Face of 'Human Rights' Movement
By Tim Waggoner

WARSAW, May 26, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On the eve of Mother's Day, Polish citizens, together with a variety of international guests, took part in the third annual March for Life and Family. Several thousand marched through the streets of Warsaw in a joyful affirmation of Judeo-Christian values. Participants called for recognition of the traditional family and fundamental human right to life for everyone from conception to natural death.

Slawomir Olejniczak, co-organizer of the March for Life and Family, reflected on the wave of the culture of death that has swept over Europe and the need to "return to family values":

"The family is the future for Europe. It guarantees stability and development of the whole civilization. Unfortunately, because of the crisis caused by the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, we see a decline of family - more divorces, homosexual unions and also less children because of contraception and abortion. Because of this, Europe is becoming a demographical 'Titanic'. The only solution is to return to the family values and it should be guaranteed by the state and also by the European Union which it is not. It is unfortunately supporting a suicidal policy."

Jaroslaw Kniolek of the Warsaw-based Fundacja Pro, also warned of the attack against the family, but brought to attention Poland's work to defend the culture of life:
"The family in Europe is in crisis. Judeo-Christian values are under attack but Poland is pro-life and pro-family. We know that the abortion genocide is against women, men and societies. And we do not want aggressive ideologies of sick sexuality on our land. So we go out on the streets to celebrate normality and human rights."
Poland is facing stiff opposition on this front from the United Nations and the European Union.

Last month, the UN Human Rights Council criticized the government of Poland for their conservative view of abortion and sexual orientation. Poland's head of state, President Lech Kaczynski, warned of the repercussions of the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Rights, which contain no clear definition of marriage.
Additionally, last year the European Parliament passed a resolution vowing to take 'homophobic' countries to court and labeled Poland as "hateful" for failing to allow the promotion of homosexuality in schools. The EU's advocacy of the culture of death was explicitly demonstrated when the European Union Court of Human Rights ordered the Polish government to pay a women a fine, upholding her claim that she had been discriminated against by being refused an abortion by doctors and the Polish courts.

In the midst of this resistance, Lukasz Wróbel, a 27-year old organizer of anti-abortion exhibitions in Polish cities, commented on Poland's position as a beacon of hope and truth for the rest of Europe:

"Europe is in our hands. 99% of Poles consider family a value and 70% of Poles admit abortion is genocide. We are a chance for Europe, we can instill anew the idea of fundamental human rights."

Gospel of Life Institute Pro-Life Reminders

2008-05-27T17:18:00.001-07:00

The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide
The recipients of the Western Washington Pro-Life Update are familiar with the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide and many of you have made a donation to this organization to help them defeat I-1000. However, many people are still unaware of this deadly initiative and its repercussions.

Please take the time to educate yourself regarding I-1000 by visiting the question and answer section of www.noassistedsuicide.com and then speak to other people about assisted suicide. It is especially important that you be able to defend the Church's position. "As you know from the history of abortion, the Church telling Catholics something is forbidden is sadly no longer a good enough reason for them to reject it. Like it says on the website, supporting assisted suicide could be like signing your own death warrant. Particularly disturbing is the scenario of your elderly parents being in a nursing home and being talked into assisted suicide without your knowledge or permission, seeing them one day, coming to visit the next and finding them dead and not even knowing that they committed suicide because the death certificate will say that it was from whatever illness they had. It's like your teenage daughter being coerced into believing that abortion is the best answer. Now you'll have your parents and loved ones being convinced, without your knowledge, that ending their life would be doing you a favor by saving on all of those medical bills. The Culture of Death is on the attack from both ends and wants to meet in the middle where only 'perfect' people are allowed to live and those who 'drain' society of the ability to enjoy a higher standard of living – whether elderly, infirm, handicapped, or unborn, are eliminated. Pray, Pray, Pray and talk, talk, talk to those around you. Once they have the facts, they may be more open to rejecting assisted suicide than you think. God Bless, Peggy"

Let us show our country that we value human life and that killing people (via assisted suicide) because they are elderly, sick, infirm, or disabled is never acceptable. Life is sacred from conception until natural death.

Rita Marker, a well-known national speaker on physician-assisted suicide and euthansia, will be here in June for a series of meetings and talks (we are in the process of putting one together for the Seattle area).

She will be in Mt. Vernon from June 23-25, if anyone, living in the area, would like to have her speak, even in an informal setting in a home, she is happy to help educate people on this potentially devastating initiative.

Please see www.internationaltaskforce.org for more information or call Anne Wilson at 425-432-4536

Human Life of Seattle at the West Seattle Junction Street Fair
Human Life of Seattle has been invited to participate in staffing a booth at the West Seattle Junction Street Fair, which will occur on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 11, 12, and 13. This would be a new activity for them.

About ten years ago, there was a right-to-life booth in that street fair, but that was stopped in later years after complaints. In recent years, though, both Planned Parenthood and NARAL have had booths. Apparently there has been a change in management of the fair. There is support for a booth from the West Seattle Ministerial Association (which includes the pastor of Holy Rosary Church) and from Healing Hearts, a Protestant group with a mission similar to that of Project Rachel. The plan is, though, for any booth to be under the "Human Life of Washington" banner.

Ted Nutting, President of Human Life of Seattle, is canvassing to see if there is enough interest for Human Life to support this endeavor. The affiliate is already extended by its booth in the Fremont Fair in June, and Ted is seeking some outside support for the West Seattle Junction Fair.

He notes that his affiliate, though secular, has a membership that is predominantly Catholic. For years they have wanted to reach out to other pro-life organizations, but they haven't had much success. This could be an opportunity to do that.

If you might be interested in helping staff the booth, please contact Ted at theodorenutting@msn.com.

Two Day Retreat: Living the Gospel of Life

2008-05-20T19:43:00.001-07:00

This is just a reminder of the pro-life retreat coming up this weekend!

Fr. Tom Euteneuer, President of Human Life International presents:
Living the Gospel of Life
What: A two Day Retreat This Weekend!
Topics: The miraculouse presence of the angels and Mary in prolife ministry and how to effectively minister through sidewalk counseling
Where: St. Mark Parish (18033 15^th Place NE - Shoreline, WA) - Parish Gym (across street from church)
When: Friday evening talk

May 23, 7:30 pm

Saturday all day retreat

May 24, 9 am Mass in St. Mark Church

10 am – 4 pm conference (lunch served)

Freewill donations appreciated
Please RSVP (especially for lunch) - (206) 546-3923 or mgulrich@juno.com

The mission of HLI is to promote and defend the sanctity of life and family around the world according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church through prayer, service and education. With 99 satellite offices in 80 countries, Human Life International is the largest international, pro-life, pro-family, pro-woman organization in the world.

Archbishop Calls on "Catholics for Obama" to Face Views on Abortion

2008-05-20T18:32:00.001-07:00

Archbishop Calls on "Catholics for Obama" to Face Views on Abortion

Denver, May 19, 2008 (CNA).- Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver is calling on the group Roman Catholics for Obama '08 to convince Sen. Barack Obama to become pro-life, instead of overlooking his support for abortion in favor of other issues of concern to Catholics.

Recalling his own political involvement in the Bobby Kennedy's campaign in 1968, his support for Jimmy Carter's first presidential bid and then his subsequent re-election campaign, Archbishop Chaput explains how he came to his convictions about politics and abortion.

Archbishop Chaput writes in a column titled, "Thoughts on 'Roman Catholics for Obama'," he "eventually got involved with the 1980 Colorado campaign for Carter's re-election."

"Carter had one serious strike against him. The U.S. Supreme Court had legalized abortion on demand in its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, and Carter the candidate waffled about restricting it. At the time, I knew Carter was wrong in his views about Roe v. Wade and soft toward permissive abortion. But even as a priest, I justified working for him because he wasn't aggressively 'pro-choice'."

Chaput acknowledges that Carter "held a bad position on a vital issue, but I believed he was right on so many more of the 'Catholic' issues than his opponent seemed to be. The moral calculus looked easy. I thought we could remedy the abortion problem after Carter was safely returned to office."

Yet, Carter lost his re-election bid, and the archbishop notes that "even with an avowedly pro-life Ronald Reagan as president, the belligerence, dishonesty and inflexibility of the 'pro-choice' lobby has stymied almost every effort to protect unborn human life since."

What changed Chaput's mind about his earlier decision to support a "pro-choice" candidate was that he began to notice "that very few of the people, including Catholics, who claimed to be 'personally opposed' to abortion really did anything about it. Nor did they intend to. For most, their personal opposition was little more than pious hand wringing and a convenient excuse -- exactly as it is today."

"In fact," the archbishop says, "I can't name any 'pro-choice' Catholic politician who has been active, in a sustained public way, in trying to discourage abortion and to protect unborn human life -- not one."

Instead, the situation has become one in which, "In the United States in 2008, abortion is an acceptable form of homicide," Chaput says.

Archbishop Chaput writes that the situation will only change when "Catholics force their political parties and elected officials to act differently."

At the beginning of 2008, Archbishop Chaput wrote a column which focused on the role of Catholics in the public square. The archbishop's January 16 column explained how this type of interaction between Catholic voters and the political parties should take place.

Archbishop Chaput wrote:

"So can a Catholic in good conscience vote for a pro-choice candidate? The answer is: I can't, and I won't. But I do know some serious Catholics -- people whom I admire -- who may. I think their reasoning is mistaken, but at least they sincerely struggle with the abortion issue, and it causes them real pain. And most important: They don't keep quiet about it; they don't give up; they keep lobbying their party and their representatives to change their pro-abortion views and protect the unborn. Catholics can vote for pro-choice candidates if they vote for them despite -- not because of -- their pro-choice views."

"But [Catholics who support 'pro-choice' candidates] also need a compelling proportionate reason to justify it. What is a 'proportionate' reason when it comes to the abortion issue? It's the kind of reason we will be able to explain, with a clean heart, to the victims of abortion when we meet them face to face in the next life — which we most certainly will. If we're confident that these victims will accept our motives as something more than an alibi, then we can proceed."

However, the archbishop points out that Roman Catholics for Obama chose to use only the first paragraph of his explanation as justification for their support of Sen. Barack Obama, an unflinching supporter of abortion.

According to their website, the Obama supporters say that they have faithfully thought and prayed about who they should support and "have arrived at the conclusion that Senator Obama is the candidate whose views are most compatible with the Catholic outlook, and we will vote for him because of that -- and because of his other outstanding qualities -- despite our disagreements with him in specific areas."

Noting in his column today that this kind of moral calculus sounds like the same reasoning he used 30 years ago, Archbishop Chaput says, "30 years later we still have about a million abortions a year."

While holding out the possibility that "Roman Catholics for Obama will do a better job at influencing their candidate," Chaput also highlights the February 2008, '100 percent pro-choice voting record both in the U.S. Senate and the Illinois Senate,' that the senator received from the Planned Parenthood of Chicago.

The archbishop closes by saying, "Changing the views of 'pro-choice' candidates takes a lot more than verbal gymnastics, good alibis and pious talk about 'personal opposition' to killing unborn children. I'm sure Roman Catholics for Obama know that, and I wish them good luck. They'll need it."

WEDNESDAY MEETING CANCELLED

2008-05-13T21:54:00.001-07:00

This month's meeting, which was originally planned for May 14, has been CANCELLED.

See you at next month's meeting!

A Message from ALL

2008-05-13T12:50:00.001-07:00

Dear Pro-life friends:

As many of you know, Colorado for Equal Rights turned in their petition signatures for the personhood amendment today by well over 30,000 the required number. This is certainly a great day for the pro-life cause and reason to celebrate!

That's why I am inviting you to join Judie Brown, David Bereit, Ted Harvey, Keith Mason, and the architect of the Personhood Amendment, Kristi Borton, to a 60 minute teleconference this evening to discuss how this historic moment can have a sweeping impact on the whole nation.

Go to http://www.voteyescolorado.com/ and join hundreds of pro-lifers who are taking part, and please ... post this information on your blogs to help spread the word.

The teleconference is tonight, May 13 at 7 PM Mountain Time (9PM Eastern, 8PM Central, 6PM Pacific).

--Michael

The Pill Kills

2008-05-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

American Life League has started another t-shirt day, this time dedicated to educating people about the abortifacient nature of the birth control pill. The website is The Pill Kills, the movie has been embedded below, and Protest the Pill t-shirt day is June 7, 2008. Buy your t-shirt at The Pill Kills website, read about the pill on the website so that you can educate friends and family, and then participate in Protest the Pill T-shirt Day on June 7!

MEDIA RELEASE: MORE DEAD BABIES FOUND IN MICHIGAN DUMPSTERS

2008-05-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
08 May 2008
CONTACT: Michael Hichborn
540.226.9178 | mhichborn@all.org

MORE DEAD BABIES FOUND IN MICHIGAN DUMPSTERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. (08 May 2008) – Shortly after the gruesome discovery of aborted babies in a dumpster behind Dr. Alberto Hodari's Womancare abortion facility in early March, Citizens for a Pro-Life Society discovered the mutilated bodies of aborted babies in another dumpster at Women's Advisory Clinic in Livonia, Michigan, owned by Dr. Reginald Sharpe.

"It is indeed representative of the evil times in which we live that we must stop and take time to grieve the loss of children whose parents clearly believed they were disposable in much the same way that rotting garbage would be," said Brown "America is losing her soul."

The bodies of at least six aborted babies were discovered in trash bags containing McDonald's food wrappers, Olive Garden crackers, medical records and bloody medical waste. Following an April 30 investigation by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Sharpe received only a warning and no fines, as was the case with Hodari.

"Dr. Monica Miller's most recent discovery is not only bone chilling, but a somber reminder of the total disregard for the rights of those human beings who have not yet been born," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "We are told that the bodies of the babies found behind Reginald Sharpe's abortion facility are legally defined as mere biohazardous waste and are thus treated as such. After all, that is the law."

Earlier this week, Bishop John Quinn of the Detroit diocese offered a funeral Mass for the 25 aborted babies found behind Hodari's facility in Lathrup Village. "We are grateful to Bishop Quinn for giving these babies the dignity and respect they were denied when they were tossed in the trash," said Brown. "We pray that the remains of these most recent victims will be treated with equal respect."

American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death. For more information or media inquiries, please contact Michael Hichborn at 540.659.7900.

Fr. Thomas Euteneur Retreat

2008-05-07T18:50:00.001-07:00

Father Tom Euteneuer, President of Human Life International, will be giving a retreat at St. Mark's Parish in Shoreline beginning on Friday, May 23rd 7:30 pm and continuing all day Saturday the 24th from 9:00 am until late afternoon. Lunch will be provided and a free will offering taken. For more information, e-mail mgulrich@juno.com. The St. Mark Prolife Group in sponsoring the event.

St. Matthew's Rosary for Life

2008-05-05T13:35:00.001-07:00

Received in an e-mail:

Hi friends,
I don't usually send out mass emails about things – but I just talked to a very sweet woman who is going to St. Matthew's in Shoreline (1240 NE 127th St, Seattle, WA 98125) and organizing a rosary to pray for an end to abortion. It will be prayed after the 9:00 AM Mass on Sunday May 18^th. I will actually be out of town, but I told her I would let my group know. If any of you are in that part of town, or even go to St. Matthews already (I won't mention names) (: it would be so nice to support her and make contact with her. I think she is trying to do this by herself. She is a single mom and I'm sure that she and her kids can use prayer as well. Her name is Alina. Thank you and God bless you!

"An Interview with a Pro-life Pioneer"

2008-05-05T13:32:00.001-07:00

Originally published in the May 1, 2008 edition of the Catholic Northwest Progress, this is an interview with Ken VanDerhoef, a native of Seattle and founder of National Right to Life. Incidentally, he has been in poor health, so keep him in your prayers.

Help Still Needed for STM Purity Retreat

2008-05-04T00:50:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, the purity retreat at St. Thomas More School in Lynnwood still needs youth leaders. They have about 35 teens signed up to participate, but they need people who are mature and are already familiar with and passionate about purity and the beauty of the Church's teachings on love and sexuality. From what I know about the retreat, this will be very similar to the purity and chastity teachings the MI does. Some of the 7th and 8th graders attending are younger siblings of YFL teens and young adults. If you are 18 or over, please consider helping with the retreat. You can look back at the previous retreat post for more information and then attend the youth leader meeting on May 7 at 6:30 pm in the Adult Education room at STM.

Also, at the end of the retreat (May 10 at 6:30 pm) national pro-life speaker Lisa Ann Oliver from Healing the Culture (the same organization Camille DeBlasi-Pauley belongs to) will give a talk entitled "Don't Worry! Be Happy..." This talk is open to everyone and will offer free babysitting! Learn the four levels of happiness, how to live on the highest levels of happiness, why sexuality is sacred and worthy, develop awareness of the intrinsic dignity and inalienable rights of every person, distinguish between worldly success and true success, understand that freedom requires commitment to what is truly good, and make ethical choices based on "Golden Rule, Silver Rule" ethics.

Finally, if you can't attend the retreat, please pray for its success.

If you have any questions or concerns at all, please contact Christina Moynihan at bkind2all@gmail.com. Thanks!

Gospel of Life Institute Pro-Life Update

2008-05-01T13:46:00.001-07:00

This update includes the latest news and events not listed in the last pro-life update. Please check the last pro-life update for other upcoming events. Every event listed in the pro-life updates is included on the Calendar of Events below the Mission Statement on the sidebar.

Lawsuits Against Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood has a public face that says they are supporting the rights of women to assert their reproductive rights. Unfortunately, recent investigations and reports suggest that this organization is actually peddling death in an aggressive and unethical manner. In Kansas the organization is under criminal investigation for falsifying documents and performing late term abortions. It faces 23 felony counts. Please read Townhall's Planned Parenthood Puts a Hit Out on Black Children for more details.

Governor of Alaska Gives Birth to Son with Down Syndrome Anchorage, Apr 24, 2008 / 03:42 am (CNA) - Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin on Friday gave birth to her fifth child, a son who has Down's Syndrome. She said that she and her family had been "truly blessed."

Governor Palin's labor began while she was in Texas at the Governors' Energy Conference where she gave the keynote luncheon address. She was able to fly back to Alaska in time to deliver her son, Trig Paxon Van Palin, at 6:30 a.m. He was born one month early and weighed six pounds, two ounces.

Testing during early pregnancy revealed the baby had Down's Syndrome. Governor Palin said she was sad at first, but her family now feels blessed that God chose them.

The family released a statement which said, "Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed."

Cardinal Egan Rebukes Giuliani for Receiving Communion
Apr. 29, 2008 (CWNews.com) - In his public rebuke to Rudy Giuliani for improperly receiving Communion during Pope Benedict's visit to New York, Cardinal Edward Egan raised two subtle but very interesting points. First, the cardinal says that Giuliani should not receive the Eucharist because of his support for legal abortion; he does not base his argument on Giuliani's irregular marital status. Second, the cardinal reveals that he had reached a quiet agreement with Giuliani. The former New York mayor violated that agreement-- apparently for his own political purposes. More information about these points can be found by visiting http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=58113

A Vital Prayer Request
As you know, efforts are underway in Washington to pass an initiative to legalize physician assisted suicide. There is an organized minority of physicians attempting to sideline physicians to drop their opposition to assisted suicide. On May 15 and May 18 there are important meetings of physicians to consider how and whether to respond to this threat to patients' lives.

We need earnest prayers on those days that physicians might prevail in protecting patients and opposing assisted suicide. I ask for you to pray on those days, and to ask your fellow prayer warriors to do the same. If you can make a Holy Hour for this intention on or before those dates, that would be powerful and greatly appreciated!

Correction
The location of Dawn Eden's talk at Seattle University on Friday, May 16, at 7:00 p.m. has been changed to Bannan 200 (Wykoff Auditorium) - Admission is free.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
I saved this for last because it is so long. This is a review of the movie written by a member of the AZ RTL Tucson Central/SW Chapter.

______________________________________

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Starring Ben Stein

Opened in theaters on April 18. It is an outstanding movie that every high school junior and senior along with every college student needs to see – with their parents.

Ben Stein does a remarkable job exposing the prejudice and closed-mindedness of some of the world's top scientists, educators, and philosophers. What do they refuse to consider? The fact that science has demonstrated that life, even at the cellular level, is so complicated that it couldn't evolve by random chance and natural selection.

You'll see and hear two of the world's most honored evolutionary scientists testify to their belief that life as we know it originated either on the backs of crystals, or was brought here by highly evolved aliens. Does this sound like New Age mumbo jumbo and science fiction? It is.

Ben Stein, a Jew, goes for the jugular in this film as he traces the Darwinian roots of the Nazi genocide and super race breeding programs. He shows that Nazism's worst acts were applications of "survival of the fittest." Mr. Stein goes a step further and warns us that eugenics is still with us thanks to Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood. I applaud Mr. Stein for standing up to Planned Parenthood so boldly in the film. When's the last time you've seen something from Hollywood that did that?

The movie interviews scientists, professors, and journalists who have been fired, some just for mentioning or reporting on intelligent design.

Darwinists are frantic to keep intelligent design from the American public, especially students. Darwinism is nearing the end of its unchallenged reign in academia and the media. I don't know if it will take 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years, but Darwin is going to be deposed. Science is ready to expose Darwinism for what it is, a frantic fossilized movement.

Therefore, I am optimistic about the future of the intelligent design movement. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed should help crack the dam that is blocking an intelligent debate from taking place in the classroom and the city square.

I am concerned about theistic evolution once Darwinism becomes an irrelevant and outdated theory. For the past 150 years, theistic evolutionists have exchanged the timeless Christian understanding of origins for one heavily influenced by Darwin. These well-intentioned theistic evolutionists thought that they were making the faith relevant for the modern world by hitching their intellectual wagon to Darwinism. If they maintain this unhealthy symbiosis, they will eventually appear as some type of extinct species a generation from now. Tragically, the young people influenced theistic evolutionists may end up thinking theism is a myth along with the fanciful evolutionary theories.

I took one of my daughters, a student at a Catholic college, to preview Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. After the movie I asked her if intelligent design was ever mentioned as an alternative to Darwinism in her Catholic college biology class. She said, "Nothing else but evolution was mentioned. Evolution was simply taught as a fact."

Catholic high school and college students desperately need the supplemental education this film offers. Check online and in your local newspapers for show times. To learn more about the movie, go to: http://www.expelled themovie. com/

Teen "Life Principles" talk by Camille DeBlasi-Pauley on Sat. May 10!

2008-04-30T12:57:00.001-07:00

Hey YFLers (and parents)! This is an e-mail from Julie Thrasher about a great opportunity to learn about the pro-life movement in a more in-depth way. Take a look!

Note: the talk will go from 1:00-5:00 pm with a social time afterwards at the Thrasher's house from 5:00-9:00 pm.

(Also, be aware that if you want to help with the STM Purity retreat, this talk will be going on a the same time.)

SIGN-UP NOW! CAMILLE DEBLASI-PAULEY IS DOING A SPECIAL CLASS FOR OUR TEENS. PLEASE RSVP TO JuThrasher@aol.com TO SAVE SPOTS FOR YOUR KIDS. REMEMBER, IT IS FOR TEENS ONLY, 13-18. LOCATION IS: MARY QUEEN OF PEACE PARISH ON THE SAMMAMISH PLATEAU (1121 228th Ave SE, Sammamish, WA 98075)

CAMILLE WILL BE USING A BRAND NEW HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM, DESIGNED BY HER, FOR TEENS. CAMILLE WILL ACTUALLY BE USING THE INTERVIEWS OF OUR TEENS, TAKEN AFTER CLASS, FOR HER FUTURE TRAINING VIDEOS, SO TELL YOUR KIDS TO DRESS NICELY. THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE INTERVIEWED, BUT IF YOU ALLOW THEM, THEY WILL NEED TO BRING A CONSENT FORM. EMAIL ME FOR THE EMAIL COPY TO BRING, SIGNED, TO THE CLASS.

ALTHOUGH THIS IS A FREE CLASS, I AM SUGGESTING EACH STUDENT TO OFFER A DONATION OF $15.00-20.00, OR $25.00 PER FAMILY. CAMILLE SPEAKS TO GROUPS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND VERY BUSY WITH HEALING THE CULTURE AND HELPING FR. SPITZER WITH HIS BOOKS. IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE HER DO THIS FOR US.

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS BELOW:

Title of the Class:
LIFE PRINCIPLES: Student Leadership Training

Brief Description:
Being pro-life is not only compassionate, it's also intelligent! This engaging half-day seminar trains high school students to understand the basic philosophy behind pro-life ethics, using great thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Bartolome de las Casas, Francisco Suarez, John Locke, and Thomas Jefferson.

Our amazing journey will explore the objectivity of moral truth, the definition of a human person, the basis for human dignity, the theory of inalienable rights, and the meaning of human happiness, success, quality of life, love, suffering, and freedom. The entire course will build a solid foundation for being pro-life, and will provide answers to questions related to abortion and euthanasia.

THANK YOU, JULIE THRASHER
RSVP TO JuThrasher@aol.com
(425)260-5517

American Life League Special Report

2008-04-25T15:04:00.001-07:00

St. Thomas More Purity Retreat Needs Your Help!

2008-04-24T13:37:00.001-07:00

St. Thomas More Parish in Lynnwood has some great people organizing a purity retreat for the 7th and 8th graders from their school and other Catholic schools in the area! They need help, however, from teens and young adults. If you would like to help with this retreat, and maybe even give a testimony about your own experiences with purity, read the information below.

What: "Break Free" Purity Retreat for 7th and 8th graders
When: May 9 & 10 (overnight) (not sure of the exact times)
Content: Working in small groups, watching DVDs, and listening to mini-lectures you will:

learn God's plan for your body and your future as told to us in our Catholic faith, in Scripture, and by Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body.
Study the messages our culture sells us thru TV, magazines, and music.
Contrast the 7 deadly sins and the 7 life-giving virtues.
Discover the saints' choices.
Realize your power to devote yourself to yourself and to God.
Understand our ability to love in many different ways leading us to our ultimate love for God in the Eucharist!
This overnight retreat concludes with sacraments of Confession and Eucharist followed by inspirational lectures from nationally renowned pro-life speakers.

Additional information: contact Christina Moynihan at bkind2all@gmail.com and/or attend the informational meeting at St. Thomas More Parish (6511 176th St. SW, Lynnwood, WA 98037) in the Adult Ed Room on May 1 at 6:30 pm.

New Calendar of Events

2008-04-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

We now have a calendar of events to keep track of the many pro-life activities going on in our area. You can find it by scrolling down a little ways on this page or by clicking on "Calendar of Events" in the sidebar under the YFL mission statement. Enjoy!

Gospel of Life Institute's Pro-Life Update

2008-04-18T18:15:00.001-07:00

In addition to all the events and information in the last pro-life update, here is the pro-life news you need to know.

Pope Benedict XVI and Human Rights
As a boy of fourteen, Joseph Ratzinger had a cousin who had been born with Down's Syndrome, only a bit younger than himself. In 1941, German state "therapists" came to the boy's house and probably informed the parents of the government regulation that prohibited mentally handicapped children from remaining in their parents' home. In spite of the family's pleas, the representatives of the Nazi state took the child away. The Ratzinger family never saw him again. Later the family learned that he had "died," most likely murdered, for being "undesirable," a blemish in the race and a drain on the productivity of the nation. This was Joseph Ratzinger's first experience of a murderous philosophy that asserts that some people are disposable. (Catholic Exchange)

Prayers are desperately needed for Europe, especially Malta, Poland, Ireland, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino :
STRASBOURG, April 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has passed a resolution to declare unlimited legal abortion an unconditional right. The Assembly passed the resolution with 102 to 69 votes with 14 abstentions. Amendments seeking to make the resolution less extreme in its promotion of abortion were rejected.

West Seattle Junction Street Fair
Human Life of Seattle has been invited to participate in staffing a booth at the West Seattle Junction Street Fair, which will occur on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 11, 12, and 13. This would be a new activity for them.

About ten years ago, there was a right-to-life booth in that street fair, but that was stopped in later years after complaints. In recent years, though, both Planned Parenthood and NARAL have had booths. Apparently there has been a change in management of the fair. There is support for a booth from the West Seattle Ministerial Association (which includes the pastor of Holy Rosary Church) and from Healing Hearts, a Protestant group with a mission similar to that of Project Rachel. The plan is, though, for any booth to be under the "Human Life of Washington" banner.

Ted Nutting, President of Human Life of Seattle, is canvassing to see if there is enough interest for Human Life to support this endeavor. The affiliate is already extended by its booth in the Fremont Fair in June, and Ted is seeking some outside support for the West Seattle Junction Fair.

He notes that his affiliate, though secular, has a membership that is predominantly Catholic. For years they have wanted to reach out to other pro-life organizations, but they haven't had much success. This could be an opportunity to do that.

If you might be interested in helping staff the booth, please contact Ted at theodorenutting@msn.com.

The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide
Please visit the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide and make a donation to this organization to help them defeat I-1000. As Rita Marker recently shared, "Everyone who opposes assisted suicide is a Washingtonian for the next year." (Celebrate Life, March-April 2008, p. 32) Let us show our country that we value human life and that killing people (via assisted suicide) because they are sick or disabled is never acceptable.

Dawn Eden
Fr. Sean Raftis is bringing a chastity speaker, Dawn Eden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_Eden) to the Seattle area. After working as a rock-n-roll historian and living the associated lifestyle as a single woman in New York City, Ms. Eden underwent a dramatic faith conversion. She is the author of the book, The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On.

On her blog The Dawn Patrol, she frequently critiques the organization Planned Parenthood and other pro-choice organizations from a pro-life standpoint, as well as exploring topics related to her religious faith (she was received into the Catholic Church in 2006) and her personal interests.

Itinerary:
1) Seattle University: Friday, May 16, 7:00 p.m. Bannan Hall, Room 102. Audience will be 18 years of age and older.

2) Book Signing: Holy Family Parish hall, West Seattle, 9622 - 20th Ave SW Saturday May 17th; after 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Masses. Book signing Sunday, May 18, after 8 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 11 a.m. and 12:30 Masses.

3) Sunday, May 18, St. Stephen the Martyr Parish, Dawn will address young adults 16 years of age and over; 13055 SE 192nd St., Renton, WA 98058; 6:30 p.m. (after 5:30 p.m. Life Teen Mass).

Fr. Thomas Euteneur
Please mark your calendars for May 23 and May 24. The Helper's of God's Precious Infants are bringing Fr. Thomas Euteneur to the Seattle area. More information will follow.

"Pope's Visit Renews Abortion Debate"

2008-04-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Click on the post title above to see the original on-line article. Thanks to ALL for alerting us to the article.

By JOSEPHINE HEARN & RYAN GRIM | 4/15/08 4:47 AM EST

In June 2004, as prominent Catholics in the United States debated whether Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry should be allowed to receive Communion, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger weighed in with what appeared to be an unequivocal opinion: No.

If a politician who supports abortion rights attempts to receive Communion, Ratzinger wrote, “the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.”

Ratzinger is to arrive in Washington on Tuesday as Pope Benedict XVI, and his visit to the nation’s capital is already pitting anti-abortion-rights activists against Roman Catholic lawmakers who support abortion rights, reviving an issue that has received scant attention in Congress or on the campaign trail in recent months.

The conflict could come to a head Thursday, when the pope is scheduled to celebrate a Mass at the Washington Nationals’ new ballpark. The Vatican has invited all Catholic lawmakers, and many abortion-rights-supporting Catholics — including Kerry and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — are expected to attend.

In ads placed in The Washington Times and Politico this week, the anti-abortion-rights American Life League is urging the pontiff to “protect the body of Christ from the bloodstained hands of pro-abortion ‘Catholics’” by denying Communion to politicians who support abortion rights.

Michael Hichborn, ALL’s media director, said his group is the largest anti-abortion advocacy organization in the U.S. “What we expect is that there will be pro-abortion Catholics who are going to try to receive Communion when the pope holds Mass,” he said. “We’re also hoping that his advisers have fully briefed him on those politicians who may attempt to receive Communion. I don’t know how well-prepared he’ll be.”

Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said she knows of no plan to deny Communion to particular lawmakers Thursday.

“You presume that everyone there knows the rules of the church and follows them,” she said. “No one is policing that. People go to church and people go to Communion if they feel in their heart they are prepared to receive Communion.”

Abortion-rights-supporting Catholic lawmakers on the Hill seemed reluctant Monday to discuss the issues raised by the pope’s visit. Representatives for several members said their bosses were traveling and couldn’t be reached or were otherwise unavailable for comment.

Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, offered a one-line statement: “The speaker receives Communion regularly and expects to receive it on Thursday.”

Kerry spokesman David Wade said his boss also intends to take Communion on Thursday.

A spokesman for Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), one of the lawmakers singled out for attention in ALL’s ads, said that Durbin won’t be attending Mass because of floor and committee schedules but that he will go to a papal reception at the Italian Embassy on Wednesday.

“Sen. Durbin’s religion is a private matter, and we’re not going to comment beyond giving scheduling information,” said spokesman Joe Shoemaker.

Ratzinger’s 2004 opinion appeared in a memo that was sent to then-Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and first reported in the Italian magazine L’Espresso. In the memo, which did not mention Kerry by name, Ratzinger said: “The church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion, even among Catholics, about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not, however, with regard to abortion and euthanasia.”

McCarrick later told Catholic News Service that the memo didn’t reflect “the full message I received,” but he refused to release what more there might have been.

Benedict has not softened the position expressed in the memo. Aboard the papal plane in 2007, he discussed a threat by Mexican Catholic leaders to excommunicate politicians who supported abortion.

According to a Reuters report, the pope supported the proposed excommunication.

“Yes, this excommunication was not an arbitrary one but is allowed by Canon law, which says that the killing of an innocent child is incompatible with receiving Communion, which is receiving the body of Christ,” he said.

The Mexican church leaders “did nothing new, surprising or arbitrary. They simply announced publicly what is contained in the law of the church,” he went on.

Walsh said that while the pope supported the Mexican church leaders’ right to excommunicate lawmakers who support abortion rights, they eventually chose not to do so.

Catholic lawmakers in the United States have periodically come under attack for failing to follow all of the Vatican’s teachings in their politics, particularly on abortion rights.

When the pontiff made his comments about Communion and abortion in the context of the Mexican political debate last year, some Catholic House Democrats, led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), responded by issuing a statement in which they stressed their efforts to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in the first place.

“Advancing respect for life and for the dignity of every human being is, as our church has taught us, our own life’s mission,” the lawmakers said in a May 2007 statement. “Each of us is committed to reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and creating an environment with policies that encourage pregnancies to be carried to term.”

Calendar of Events

2008-04-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our calendar of events! If you see an event you want more information about, simply click on the event to open an information box. To get even more information, click on "more details." The events are color-coded to make them easier to find. (Note: CAAS stands for the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide)

Blue: Local Pro-life Prayer Vigils
Orange: Local Pro-life Events, such as a speaker, conference, or pregnancy center auction
Green: National Pro-life Events, such as National Pro-Life T-shirt Day or Life Chain
Red: Youth for Life Events, like our meetings and retreats

President Bush interviewed on EWTN -speaks of life issues

2008-04-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

An e-mail from a friend of the Gospel of Life Institute:

Your readers may also be interested in viewing Raymond Arroyo interviewing President George Bush. I saw it last evening and it is very good. They do address life issues.

You can watch it on TV or online via - EWTN's live streaming: http://www.ewtn.com/audiovideo/index.asp

Here is the schedule for the repeat:

Raymond Arroyo, host of The World Over, has obtained an exclusive interview with U.S. President George Bush. The interview touches on the President's personal appraisal of this Pope, the status of the persecuted minorities in Iraq, and whether the President will attend the Beijing Olympics.

Encores:
Sun 4/13/08 4 PM ET & 1 PM PT
Mon 4/14/08 10 AM ET & 7 AM PT and 11 PM ET, 8 PM PT

Archbishop Brunett to Discuss Assisted Suicide on radio again on April 13th

2008-04-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

The program will be rebroadcast on Sunday, April 13 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. You can listen online by going to www.sacredheartradio.org if good reception is not available where you live.

You can also write to Archbishop Brunett thanking him for taking this very public leadership role in opposing euthanasia in our state.

Most Reverend Alex J. Brunett

Archdiocese of Seattle

710 Ninth Avenue

Seattle WA 98104

Gospel of Life Institute Pro-Life Update

2008-04-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

Weekly Prayer Vigil in Bremerton
As a result of Kitsap 40 Days for Life, the Bremerton Prayer Vigil has extended its hours. They now pray on Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please visit Kitsap 40 Days for Life to sign up to help them fill these hours.

SHOW THE TRUTH WASHINGTON'S Cross State Tour
Show the Truth has scheduled its annual "Cross State Tour." The adults and teens (the teens really do a great job) will tour from April 21 to April 25. They will visit colleges/universities and abortion mills from the Olympia area to the Spokane area. Donations for fuel and educational handout materials would be greatly appreciated and are tax deductible.

All are invited to participate who are pro-life and pledge to treat all they meet with respect. In four plus years, Show the Truth has not even had a traffic ticket! At the same time, it is very effective in changing hearts and minds. Call Ed Sauley for information: (360) 480-9329.

National Pro-Life T-shirt Day
American Life League's National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day is April 29, 2008. Visit their store to order your t-shirt.

One Million Rosaries for Unborn Babies
On Saturday, May 3, between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. the ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event is scheduled to take place. Please register for this prayer event by visiting Saint Michael the Archangel Organization.

PRAYER REQUEST
Please continue to pray for Ken VanDerhoef, Human Life of Washington's Chairman of the Board.

Archbishop Brunett to Discuss Assisted Suicide on radio April 10th

2008-04-10T13:53:00.001-07:00

Hey YFLers,

Last night we talked a lot about the Assisted Suicide Bill that is being considered in Washington. The Gospel of Life Institute was kind enough to send out the following e-mail about another opportunity to learn more about this issue. The e-mail also contains some more facts about the Assisted Suicide Bill in Oregon. We talked about these last night, but they're written down now in case you forgot them. Remember to tell everyone about this!

Archbishop Brunett will be live on Sacred Heart Radio (1050 AM) today, April 10, from 4-5 PM.
His topic will be the Assisted Suicide Bill that is being considered for our state. Sr. Sharon Park of the Washington State Catholic Conference will be his guest. Please listen and call in with your comments or questions. (1-877-792-9108)

- Oregon is the only state in our nation that currently has legal assisted suicide. Some facts from Oregon:

- The Death with Dignity law contains no penalties for doctors who do not report prescribing lethal doses for the purpose of suicide.

- Not one patient was referred for a psychological evaluation or counseling before receiving a prescription for assisted suicide in 2007.

- A restriction of the law is that patients must be within 6 months of death. According to a doctor on the board of Compassion & Choices of Oregon, "..We can easily be 100 percent off, but I do not think that is a problem. If we say a patient has 6 months to live and we are off by 100 percent and is it really 3 months or even 12 months, I do not think the patient is harmed in any way.." (How can a patient be harmed any more than killing him?)

- Oregon officially reports 9 assisted-suicide requests based on financial concerns, but there is no way to know the actual number.

- No family notification is required before a doctor helps a loved one commit suicide.

- Recipients of suicide drugs must be residents of Oregon, but it is up to the doctor to decide whether the person is a resident.

- Pain control has become increasingly inadequate in Oregon, according to Sue Davidson of the Oregon Nurses' Assoc. "The inadequacy of meeting patients' pain needs had increased up to 50 percent even though the emphasis on pain management has remained the same.." (What will the future hold if the government is everyone's insurance company?)

- The law creates no new rights for patients, only legal immunity for doctors. (Why would we want that?)

- The state has no way to investigate botched assisted-suicide attempts.

- The Oregon medical records used to compile assisted suicide statistics are then destroyed. (Why?)

Our local Church is leading the charge against this insidious practice being legalized in Washington. PLEASE show your lively interest in this vital matter by calling your very own Archbishop. Ask him about one of these facts (to help get the word out) or at least thank him for the courage to step forward into the political arena! He is very moved by calls. This is a very real way to support him, to hold him up in his efforts.

Please call into the Archbishop's hour radio program today (Thursday) between 4 and 5 pm at 1-877-792-9108.

Meeting Tomorrow

2008-04-08T13:27:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that the April Youth For Life meeting will be held
this Wednesday, April 9. As usual, we will start at 7:00pm with the
Rosary. Our guests will be Ted Nutting, Teresa Dion, and Terrence
Brown.

Volunteers Needed on 12th and 13th at Blessed Sacrament Masses

2008-04-07T20:24:00.001-07:00

The Blessed Gianna Molla Society of Blessed Sacrament needs volunteers for this coming weekend's Baby Food and Clothing drive to benefit Angelorum. This is the weekend of the 12th and 13th, which was not originally scheduled. Here's some more information:

When: All five Masses on the weekend (15 minutes before Mass and 1/2 hour after. The table will need to be set up and taken down. [Louis will] provide instructions on how to do that with the table.)

Contact: louisclausen@hotmail.com or 425-442-8579

"Vietnam Man Runs 'Abortion Orphanage'"

2008-04-06T13:46:00.001-07:00

This story was published online at ABCNews.go.com on March 29.

Sitting cross-legged on a straw mat in the middle of the living room, Tong Phuoc Phuc sings a soothing Vietnamese lullaby. For a moment, his deep voice works magic, and the tiny room crammed with 13 babies is still.

Phuc giggles like a proud papa. He's not related to any of them, but without him, many of these children likely would have been aborted. And to Phuc, abortion is unimaginable.

The 41-year-old Catholic from the coastal town of Nha Trang has opened his door to unwed expectant mothers in a country that logs one of the world's highest abortion rates. In 2006, there were more than 114,000 abortions at state hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City — outnumbering births.

Most pregnant, unmarried Vietnamese women have few options. Abortion is a welcome choice for many who simply cannot afford to care for a baby or are unwilling to risk being disowned by their families.
The communist government calls premarital sex a "social evil." Abortion, however, is legal and performed at nearly every hospital. And unlike in some Western countries where the issue is hotly contested, the practice stirs little debate here.

But shelters for women who want to keep their babies are rare. Phuc promises them food and a roof until they give birth, and then cares for the children until the mothers can afford to take them. In the past four years, he's taken in 60 kids, with about half still living in his two houses.

"Sometimes we have 10 mothers living here ... sleeping on the floor," says Phuc, a thin man with dark, weathered skin and teeth stained brown from years of smoking. "The problem is that a lot of young people live together and have sex, but they have no knowledge about getting pregnant. So they get abortions."

Phuc says he made a deal with God seven years ago when his wife encountered complications while in labor with their son. He vowed that if they were spared, he would find a way to help others. As his wife lay recuperating after the difficult birth, he recalls seeing many pregnant women going into the delivery room but always leaving alone.
"I was wondering, 'where are the babies?'" he says, cradling an infant in each arm. "Then I realized they had abortions."
Phuc, a building contractor, started saving money to buy a craggy plot of land outside town. He then began collecting unwanted fetuses from hospitals and clinics to bury in graves on the property. At first, doctors and neighbors thought he had gone mad. Even his wife questioned spending their savings to build a cemetery for aborted babies.

But he kept on, and now some 7,000 tiny plots dot the shady hillside, many marked with bright red, pink and yellow artificial roses.

"I believe these fetuses have souls," says Phuc, who has two children of his own. "And I don't want them to be wandering souls."

Vietnam was ranked as having the world's highest abortion rate in a 1999 report by the U.S.-based Guttmacher Institute, which tracks the statistics. More recent reliable data for both public and private clinics are unavailable. Aid agency Pathfinder International says abortions remain high in Vietnam but appear to be declining slightly.
Dr. Vo Thi Kim Loan has run her own clinic just outside Ho Chi Minh City since 1991. She says the number of young, unmarried women seeking quick, discreet abortions has increased with more teen girls having sex before marriage. She also still sees a steady stream of married women coming in for repeat abortions because their husbands disapprove of contraceptives.

Preference for boys is another factor. Vietnamese women with access to ultrasound sometimes terminate pregnancies after discovering they're carrying girls in a country where couples are encouraged to have just two children.

Phuc isn't sure why so many Vietnamese choose abortion and says more women need to understand safer forms of birth control are available.

He says word of his unusual graveyard eventually spread, and women who had undergone abortions started visiting to pray and burn incense. Phuc urged them to tell others considering the same option to talk with him first.
Phan Thi Hong Vu looks lovingly at her chubby 7 1/2-month-old baby boy sucking on a pacifier surrounded by all the other babies on Phuc's floor. She shivers at the thought of how close she came to losing him.
"I actually went to the hospital intending to get an abortion, but I was so scared," says Vu, who was 3 1/2 months pregnant at the time. "I decided to go home and think about it. Two weeks later, I met with Phuc."

She moved into the 904-square-foot house soon after and remains there with seven other new or expectant mothers. They spend their days washing, feeding, burping, changing and playing with the babies — all but one are under a year old. The constant chorus of crying, coughing and cooing fills the living room, which is lined with pink and blue cribs and adorned with a crucifix, the Virgin Mary and a photo of the late Pope John Paul II.
It's a full-time operation that involves Phuc's entire family. His older sister manages the chaos, mixing vats of strained potatoes and carrots and preparing formula for bottles, while shushing crying babies and chasing crawlers. The entrance to the single-level cement house tells the story: rows of bibs, booties, jumpers and spit rags hang drying in the sun.

It costs about $1,800 a month to care for all 33 babies and the women. Phuc gets donations from Catholic and Buddhist organizations and from people who have heard about his work. On a recent day, a local family dropped by with an envelope sent from their daughter in California who had read about Phuc on a Vietnamese Web site. Two years ago, he even got a letter from Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet praising him for caring for women and children scorned by society.

Health authorities say they support what he's doing, but also keep a close eye on him to ensure everything is legitimate in a country where baby selling and child trafficking are a problem. Some people accuse Phuc of condoning premarital sex.

Phuc's operation is not a registered orphanage, which means he cannot put any of the children up for adoption. But even if he could, he shakes his head and says his goal is to reunite each child with its mother or to raise them as his own. So far, 27 babies have gone home.
"I will continue this job until the last breath of my life," he says. "I will encourage my children to take over to help other people who are underprivileged."

You too can receive daily pro-life news from ALL

2008-04-04T22:53:00.001-07:00

A message from Michael Hichborn, director of Media Relations for American Life League

Recently, I started sending out a daily e-newsletter that summarizes three top pro-life stories and also includes a message from Judie Brown. I would like to extend the opportunity to you to receive our daily e-newsletter. Simply [e-mail mhichborn@all.org] by saying, "please add me," and I will add you to the list. Without that response, you will not receive the daily, called "ALL Pro Life Today."

Thanks so much for your help and support!
--Michael

Blessed Sacrament Saint Gianna Molla Society Needs Your Help!

2008-04-03T22:16:00.001-07:00

A message from the SGM Society:

Greetings friends of the SGM Society! We just recently learned that we have need of a number of people to help out with our Baby Supplies drive for Angelorum. We're looking for people who can help run a table after Mass to collect donations and answer questions. If you can help out, please let us know which weekends and which Mass times you're available for.

This approaching weekend is the first weekend we will need help. After that we'll need help on the weekends of the 19th/20th and 26th/27th of April (no help will be needed the 12th/13th). I understand that this is awfully short notice for this coming weekend, and we appreciate anything you can help with.

Also, even if you aren't able to help out after one of the Masses, please consider bringing a donation anyway! I've copied the full announcement below, which contains information on what Angelorum will take (diapers are key, along with baby and maternity clothes)

In summary: Weekends of April 5th/6th, 19th/20th, and 26th/27th for each of the Masses.

Baby Supplies Drive to Benefit Angelorum
Weekends of: April 6th, April 20th, April 27th

The Knights of Columbus and Saint Gianna Molla Society will be collecting baby clothing and supplies after each Mass during the above weekends (in the back of the church). These supplies will be going to Angelorum Pregnancy Services to help pregnant women and women with infants.

Supplies Needed:

· Diapers (especially size 4 & 5)

· Baby Wipes

· New or "Gently Used" Baby Clothes sizes Newborn through 24 Months

· "Gently Used" Maternity Clothes of all styles and sizes

· Baby Books

· Parenting Books

Gospel of Life Institute Pro-Life Update

2008-04-03T22:12:00.001-07:00

News
After suffering the loss of their 36 1/2 week old infant in the womb, Jack and Taylor Arthur decided to open a fund dedicated to "young mothers struggling to believe that there are options for their unborn children." Their vision "...is to partner with existing ministries such as New Beginnings Home and Tacoma Rescue Mission and help give new moms choosing life a 'leg up' in the scary new beginning stages of motherhood. This may mean helping them buy a car seat, a crib, or other basic necessities that every mother needs and many go without. You may make your donations at any Bank of America to the CALEB JOSHUA ARTHUR MEMORIAL FUND. 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you'." (Jeremiah 1:5)

Planned Parenthood Report
WASHINGTON, DC, March 28, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The newly released Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) 2006-2007 annual report shows that the abortion behemoth has increased the number of abortions it committed from 264,943 in 2005 to 289,650 in 2006. Total revenue amounted to over one billion dollars, with the organization's profit margin - "excess of revenue over expenses" - soaring from $55.7 million in 2005 to $112 million in 2006. Taxpayer dollars played a major role in that profit with the report acknowledging the organization received over $336 million in government grants and contracts...

The PPFA annual report proudly includes on its last page that the organization was "Founded by Margaret Sanger in 1916 - more than 90 years ago - as America's first birth control clinic." That is the same Margaret Sanger who once stated, "We do not want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population."

The entire news story can be found here. Additional information on Planned Parenthood's report can be found by visiting Human Life of Washington.

Assisted Suicide
Please read Joel Connelly's article I-1000 campaign seeks to sell voters on death, visit the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide and make a donation to this organization to help them to defeat I-1000. As Rita Marker recently shared, "Everyone who opposes assisted suicide is a Washingtonian for the next year." (Celebrate Life, March-April 2008, p. 32) Let us show our country that we value human life and that killing people (via assisted suicide) simply because they are sick or disabled is never acceptable.

Physician-Assisted Suicide: What it would mean to you and your family
Hosted by the Pro-Life Group at St. Mark
Presented by Rita Marker, Executive Director International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

Rita Marker has been the executive director of the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide since it began in l987. She was among the first to be profiled in the American Medical Association's American Medical News during its series on "people making news in an era of dramatic change in medicine." Her writings have appeared in numerous publications. She is a practicing attorney. Marker is a former adjunct professor of Political Science & Ethics at the University of Steubenville, Ohio. She has made presentations and debated in Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, France, Belgium, England, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Switzerland, Slovenia and the United States.

Monday, April 7, 2008
7:00 - 8:30 PM
St. Mark Parish Gym
18033 15th Place NE
Shoreline, WA
206-364-7900
Freewill donations accepted.

SHOW THE TRUTH WASHINGTON'S Cross State Tour
Show the Truth has scheduled its annual "Cross State Tour." The adults and teens (the teens really do a great job) will tour from April 21 to April 25. They will visit colleges/universities and abortion mills from the Olympia area to the Spokane area. Donations for fuel and educational handout materials would be greatly appreciated and are tax deductible.

All are invited to participate who are pro-life and pledge to treat all they meet with respect. In four plus years, Show the Truth has not even had a traffic ticket! At the same time, it is very effective in changing hearts and minds. Call Ed Sauley for information: (360) 480-9329.

Bound4Life: The Mercy Seat
This Passover season, on Saturday, April 26, Bound4LIFE is gathering Christians around the nation to pray and fast at supreme courts in all 50 states, along with Washington, D.C.

Our justice system legalized abortion, and on April 26 we will gather at those courts in prayer to cry out for mercy and apply the blood of Christ to the doorposts of our national guilt.

WHAT: The Mercy Seat
DATE: Saturday, April 26, 2008
TIME: 9 AM - 4 PM
WHERE: Supreme Courts across America

Will you join with thousands as we cry out in united prayer?

The event is free, and everyone is invited to attend in whatever way their schedule allows. Come for a part of it or the whole day! Groups will be gathering at every supreme court from 9 AM to 4 PM. Leaders and arrangements for each location are already in place.

For detailed information on your court please register at: www.bound4life.com/themercyseat

2008 could very well be a year that something extreme is required of America. If that's true, then let it be that God's people moved en masse to plead the blood of Jesus.

Thanks again for your willingness and heart to be a voice for the voiceless. I believe this is a key moment for the Body of Christ to stand together in intercession on behalf of the nation.

National Pro-Life T-shirt Day
American Life League's National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day is April 29, 2008. Visit their store to order your t-shirt.

One Million Rosaries for Unborn Babies
On Saturday, May 3, between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. the ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event is scheduled to take place. Please register for this prayer event by visiting Saint Michael the Archangel Organization.

PRAYER REQUEST
Please continue to pray for Ken VanDerhoef, Human Life of Washington's Chairman of the Board.

Helping Women in Crisis Pregnancies - Tonight!

2008-03-26T13:16:00.001-07:00

Join the Saint Gianna Molla Society for a presentation by Kathy
Gipson, the director of Angelorum Pregnancy Services. She will be
talking about the challenges women face in unexpected pregnancies and
what we can do to help.

Presentation: Wednesday, March 26th, 7:30 PM, Parish Hall at Blessed
Sacrament Parish in Seattle

Knights of Columbus Baby Clothes and Supplies Drive on Following Weekends

Angelorum Prayer Request

2008-03-24T13:49:00.001-07:00

Please pray for a woman in her 30s, who called Angelorum and who is worried she is pregnant. She was so worried I asked her if we could pray for her and she said yes. She doesn't know what she is going to do. Thank you.

Prayer Request

2008-03-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

This e-mail is from a former YFL member. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Last Wednesday my family got the exciting news that my brother and sister-in-law are expecting identical twin boys. But one of the twins, Gabriel, is acardiac, which means he is really underdeveloped and, as far as they can see from the last ultrasound, doesn't have a heart. But the twins' blood flow is connected and right now little Gabriel's brother, Patrick, is keeping him alive. Doctors have said that little Gabriel has no chance and that Patrick is at risk for heart failure because right now his heart is beating for two. My family is devastated, but not without hope.

[The parents] are awesome Catholics and have gotten great pro-life advice from some wonderful doctors, but the solution is still undecided and ultimately in God's hands. And God's will be done, but I'm definitely letting Him know what I want and praying my heart out for a miracle for both of my beautiful little nephews. [They're] going in for another ultrasound this Tuesday and my family is praying a novena to Bl. Stanislaus (one of the miracles leading to his beatification was a little unborn baby regaining his heartbeat and being born healthy after ultrasounds showed that his mom had miscarried).

Gabriel and Patrick are the first grandkids for my parents, and I promised my brother that I will be the best aunt they could ever have. I'm praying so, so hard and am asking for your prayers, too. Little Gabriel, Patrick and [their parents] really need them.

Everett Holy Week Vigil - Updated Times

2008-03-18T13:27:00.001-07:00

Here are the hours we need people to fill:

Wednesday
11-Noon Need 1 or more
Noon-1PM Need 2 or more

Thursday
5-6PM Need 1 or more

Good Friday (Of all days, being the day of crucifixion, and the
innocent unborn bearing a special likeness to Christ, all are
encouraged to come to this modern day Calvary as we commemorate the
death of our Lord)

9-10AM Need 1 or more
10-11AM Need 2 or more
11-Noon Need 1 or more
Noon-1PM Need 2 or more
1-2PM Need 2 or more
3-4PM Need 2 or more

Saturday

1-2PM Need 2 or more
2-3PM Need 2 or more
3-4PM Need 2 or more

Whether you fill one of the above hours or decide to come when others
are scheduled, please let us know. We would like to have an idea of
how many are coming. E-mail: everett40days@gmail.com.

Holy Week Outside of the Everett Planned Parenthood

2008-03-14T20:56:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends of Life,

The Helpers of God's Precious Infants and the organizers of Everett 40 Days
for Life (fall 2007 and fall 2008) will be holding a prayer vigil outside
the Everett Planned Parenthood during all of the business hours of
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Holy Week.

Below is an update on the schedule for Holy Week. Please contact the
Helpers ASAP (go to this link), if you can help. The Helpers ultimately want to fill the
sidewalk throughout the days. Below is where they stand so far:

(Note: It's a priority to fill where you see "need 1" so that nobody is
there alone.)

Wednesday (8-4)

8-9 Need 1
9-10 Covered
10-11 Covered
11-12 Need 1
12-1 Open
1-2 Open
2-3 Open
3-4 Open

Thursday (10-6)

Covered (?)
May still need help from 5-6

Good Friday (9-5)

9-10 Open
10-11 Open
11-12 Need 1
12-1 Open
1-2 Open
2-3 Open
3-4 Open
4-5 Open

Saturday (9-4)

9-10 Covered
10-11 Covered
11-12 Covered
12-1 Open
1-2 Open
2-3 Open
3-4 Open

Prayer Request

2008-03-12T14:40:00.001-07:00

Along with the prayer request from Angelorum below, please pray for a
girl who is a friend of friend of a YFL member. She was planning on
having an abortion and her parents don't yet know that she's pregnant.
Please pray that she chooses life. Thank you!

Angelorum: Prayer for a client

2008-03-12T14:38:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I am asking for prayer for a 17 yr old that had a positive pregnancy
test this afternoon. She said her boyfriend is really pressuring her
into having an abortion. They have a two year old son together
already. She has an appointment for an ultrasound at 11am on
Wednesday at Life Choices and I spoke with her at length about the
agencies that will provide help during and after the baby is born. In
fact, today I was able to give them all kinds of things they needed
for their son, including one of the Easter baskets from Holy Rosary in
Edmonds. This generosity shocked both of them! She is in favor of
adoption but her boyfriend said he would rather she had an abortion
because he doesn't want someone else to raise his baby. She is a
Mormon and he is a Catholic! This client really does not want to have
an abortion but out of desperation, late this afternoon she called me
and asked me if I would take her to the hospital so they could just
take the baby now. I spent more time with both of them and they both
agreed that they would wait until the ultrasound so they knew how far
along the baby is and then they would decide what to do. There were
lots of tears pouring out of both of these parents today, me too when
it was safe.

Please, everyone, your prayers are powerful. Let's pray for our
Lord's intercession on behalf of this little life.

Chris Haag on EWTN-CANCELLED!

2008-03-05T18:57:00.001-08:00

CANCELLED! Sorry for the inconvenience!
You will have an opportunity to hear one of our very own, Chris Haag, interviewed on the radio concerning youth in the pro-life movement this Thursday (3/6) from 6-7PM Pacific time! David Bereit will be talking about the 40 Days for Life first, and Chris will be brought on around the middle of the show to talk about youth in the pro-life movement and his involvement in the 40 Days for Life. After this, they'll probably open up the phone lines for questions. If you aren't able to tune in, the shows are archived. You can listen on your local EWTN radio station (AM 1050 KBLE), or you can listen online (as well as find the archives) at the following address:

http://www.nextwavefaithful.com/Nextwaveliveradio.asp

Chris asks for prayers for guidance of the Holy Spirit in his words and in the hearts of those listening!

I-1000 Ballot Title Changed!!!

2008-03-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

The old description was: This measure would permit terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents who are medically predicted to have six months or less to live, voluntarily to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician.

The new description is: This measure would permit terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents who are medically predicted to have six months or less to live, to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician.

The word "voluntarily" has been removed from the original description. "The description that came from the attorney general's office would have misled voters into thinking that the so-called safeguards mentioned in the proposal actually offered any protection. In fact, the law allows persons who are depressed to receive assistance in committing suicide, without notification of next of kin or evaluation by a mental health professional," said Shane Macaulay, a medical doctor who is also a member of the coalition.

Here is the rest of the article from the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide explaining the title change.

"40 Days for Life" National Leader brings powerful Pro-life message to Tacoma

2008-03-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

40 Days for Life Tacoma has the privilege to announce that Shawn Carney, a member of the National Board of Directors of 40 Days for Life, will be visiting Tacoma this Thursday, March 6th, to pray with us and to share news about what has recently become an international campaign.

Shawn is the executive director of the Coalition for Life, a pro-life organization in Bryan / College Station, Texas, consisting of 60 churches and thousands of people. His leadership has contributed to a dramatic drop in abortions in his town. Shawn helped to lead the first-ever "40 Days for Life" campaign in College Station, Texas, and has helped to coordinate "40 Days for Life" campaigns in dozens of other communities across America. Shawn is a popular pro-life speaker and regular media spokesperson on pro-life issues. He is the executive producer and host of the new EWTN television series, being HUMAN.

Shawn is an energetic, enthusiastic speaker with a powerful and uplifting pro-life message. This will be a great opportunity to spread the word about 40 Days for Life throughout our community. Please feel free to forward this announcement and extend a personal invitation to your friends, family members, clergy, or anyone else you feel would be interested in learning more about this incredibly successful and growing campaign.

Schedule of Events
10:00 - 10:20: Shawn joins us in prayer at vigil site (Planned Parenthood, 813 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma)

10:30 - 11:30: Shawn speaks on 40 Days for Life Campaign (St. Rita's Catholic Church, Parish Hall, 1403 S. Ainsworth Ave., Tacoma)

Please join us at either or both of these events!
Everyone Is Welcome!

For more information please e-mail: tacoma40daysforlife@gmail.com.

KCTS Poll on assisted suicide

2008-03-01T22:45:00.001-08:00

Courtesy of the Gospel of Life Institute

Please take the poll on assisted suicide.
Subject: KCTS Connects Poll

Please go and take the poll and encourage everyone you know to do so also.
Thank you.

http://www.kcts.org/poll/

I-1000 Ballot Title Court Hearing Tomorrow, Friday 29 at 9:00 AM in Olympia

2008-02-28T21:49:00.001-08:00

Courtesy of the Gospel of Life Institute

Please make every effort to attend this important hearing tomorrow (information below) and encourage your family and friends to do the same. In addition, if you have not already signed up and/or made a donation to the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide, please do so by visiting http://www.noassistedsuicide.com

Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 3:13 PM

Subject: I-1000 Ballot Title Court Hearing Tomorrow, Friday 29 at 9:00 AM in Olympia

Coalition Against Assisted Suicide
No to I-1000

What: Superior Court to Decide Ballot Title for Initiative I-1000
When: Friday, Feb. 29 at 9:00 AM
Where: Thurston County Superior Court, Olympia, Washington

We'd like to encourage all of our supporters to attend the hearing tomorrow to show support for the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide, when Judge Wickham hears our challenge to the ballot title. The hearing begins at 9:00 am and could last for a couple of hours. Directions to the Courthouse are below.

The Coalition will also be having a conference call, tomorrow afternoon (2/29/08) at 2:00pm to discuss the results of the hearing. All are invited to attend. The conference call number is: 1-888-279-8209, Password 8282.

The Attorney General wrote a ballot title that we feel does not clearly show that the proposed measure legalizes "assisted suicide." We are seeking to have that language in the title of the initiative. During the 3 weeks this case has been pending, the proponents have not been able to print petitions or begin signature gathering.

If you have any questions, are able to attend, or need more information, please call the Coalition at: 206-337-2091

Thurston County Courthouse
2000 Lakeridge Dr. S.W.
Building Two
Olympia, WA 98502

Driving Directions
Take I-5 South bound
Take the 2nd Ave. exit 103
Stay straight to go onto N. 2nd Ave. S.W.
Turn left onto Custer Way S.W.
Turn right onto Boston St. S.E.
Turn right onto Deschutes Way S.W.
Deschutes Way S.W. becomes Deschutes Parkway S.W.

Detailed Building instructions for after you arrive:
Enter the building and look for the white board on the left with the hearings listed and the room number. The Coalition hearing is before Judge Wickham, and the room number will be listed on this whiteboard. The attorney for the Coalition will arrive at approximately 8:45 a.m.

David's Stone: Personhood

2008-02-27T18:19:00.001-08:00

By Michael Hichborn

The ongoing effort to save preborn babies from the culture of death is akin to the epic battle between David and Goliath. While the pro-life movement struggles just to maintain its grassroots support base, the massive and powerful culture of death has access to all of the money, political power and propaganda it could ever want.

At least David had the nerve to show up for the fight. Right now, in Colorado, a 20-year-old law student has taken up David's sling and is prepared to throw the deadly stone while some self-professed pro-life leaders, politicians and clergymen cower because they believe that "now is not the right time."

In November 2007, Kristi Burton, founder of Colorado for Equal Rights, won an important victory in the state supreme court allowing her to move forward with Proposed Initiative 36. The initiative simply states that "the terms 'person' or 'persons' shall include any human being from the moment of fertilization." This initiative is the lynchpin for restoring the right to life for all preborn babies, because in the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, Justice Harry Blackmun wrote, "If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment."

Over the past 35 years, nearly 50,000,000 preborn babies have been legally butchered in their own mothers' wombs. The most we have to show for our effort to stop this carnage is an alleged ban on the heinous practice of partially delivering a baby, stabbing him or her in the back of the head and then sucking his or her brains out. Hailed by some as a pro-life victory, the so-called ban on partial-birth abortion isn't truly a ban because the Supreme Court decision itself included instructions permitting doctors to circumvent the ban by injecting the baby with poison before completing the grisly procedure. What is so completely baffling, however, is that organizations like the National Right to Life Committee will pop a champagne cork for a ruling that won't stop a single abortion, but will not support or will even directly oppose the personhood initiative – which would directly end all abortions – because they claim that "now is not the right time."

Some may ask, "If now is not the right time to save babies, when is?" But it's more appropriate to ask, "Why not now?' What do pro-life leaders, politicians and clergymen have to lose by acting now instead of waiting for "the right time"? If the initiative fails, do we admit defeat, tell the babies we're sorry we couldn't do better, pack up and go home? How many amendments and legislative measures are voted upon only once before being passed? The answer is less than one percent! If the initiative fails, you start over and try again and you keep trying until it works. It is hard, tedious and frustrating work, but when compared with the suffering of innocent preborn children who face dismemberment and death, the decision is an easy one. Only those locked in their lofty ivory towers, comfortable with merely drawing a salary to do "pro-life" work, remain silent or oppose real pro-life measures while they wait for "the right time."

There is no "right time." David went into battle against Goliath without military or combat training and without a sword, shield or helmet. He carried only a sling and some rocks. He was a mere boy and the timing was as much against him as his size and strength. But his courage and faith in God led to victory. In truth, the victory over the culture of death will not be ours to claim, just as the timing is not ours to decide. Kristi Burton heard the call from God to defend human life and answered it without question, without waiting for "the right time" and without compromise. Her leadership brings to mind the words of a shepherd who slew a giant:

You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will leave your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field; thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God. All this multitude, too, shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves. For the battle is the LORD'S, and He shall deliver you into our hands. (1 Samuel 17: 45-47)

When doing the work of God and calling on people to support the defense of babies, can timing really be an issue? While pro-life leaders, politicians and clergymen stand idly by, waiting for "the right time," Kristi Burton puts it all in God's hands, stands in the arena, takes careful aim and throws.

Michael Hichborn is American Life League's media relations director.

Pro-life Jobs Available!!!

2008-02-26T19:00:00.001-08:00

From the Desk of Fr. Frank Pavone, M.E.V.

February 25, 2008

Dear --, I need your help to recruit some top-notch staff as Priests for Life continues to grow as the largest Catholic organization in the world dedicated exclusively to ending abortion and euthanasia.
At Priests for Life, we believe that because the defense of life is the most important work on earth, it should be carried out with the highest professionalism and dedication. We are therefore always looking for men and women who want to combine their professional skills with the deep satisfaction of saving lives and advancing the Culture of Life.
As you know if you run a business or organization, however, it isn't always easy to find the right people! I need your help to do so. Could you be on the lookout for me?
Some of our best current employees, among our team of 50, came from recommendations of people like you who understand something about the Priests for Life mission and want to see us succeed.
Following are some specific positions currently open in the Staten Island, NY office only. Would you please "keep your eyes and ears open" and pass along this information to those whom you think might qualify?
For anything you can do to help, you have my deepest gratitude.
Sincerely,

Fr. Frank Pavone

Standard requirements for all positions
1. We are looking for people who can relocate to Staten Island, NY.
2. Applicants must be highly organized and efficient, have good "people skills," have a high-energy level, and be detail-oriented. Our office is a high-paced work environment that demands the ability to juggle multiple tasks and to meet critical deadlines.
3. Applicants must be very familiar with Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Access.
4. Those who apply should email resumes to jobs@priestsforlife.org and should include three references.

Specific positions available at this time:

Executive Assistant
For this position, three to five years of experience as an upper level management Administrative Assistant is mandatory. Excellent communication skills required. Proficiency in Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook is absolutely essential. Excellent salary/benefits. Please do not apply unless you have requisite experience as an Executive Assistant.
Tasks include but are not limited to the following: day to day management of scheduling and appointments for top level management; interaction with pro-life, government, and Church leaders regarding joint projects, and assisting the communication between such individuals and Priests for Life management; reading through and summarizing various documents for Priests for Life management; writing drafts of responses to such communication and making recommendations; specialized filing and cataloging; research assignments; assisting in the preparation for retreats and conferences, managing incoming and outgoing phone calls, letters, and emails and various errands; some transcribing, proofreading, scanning and faxing.

Executive Scheduler
The Pastoral Team of Priests for Life is committed to a constant schedule of meetings and speaking engagements throughout the nation. Our team of about 15 speakers average about two trips per week. Our Executive Schedulers manage these trips according to a detailed "Travel procedure" which includes but is not limited to the following tasks: keeping track of incoming invitations via the travels database; strategizing with travelers and Priests for Life management regarding the best use of opportunities presented by the invitations; handling all communication between Priests for Life and the inviting groups; preparing detailed itineraries for the traveler and reviewing upcoming trips and invitations via weekly meetings with the traveler; working to maximize the impact of trips by looking for opportunities for media outreach and other forms of publicity; communicating with our travel agency regarding the booking of flights, hotels, and transportation. This position requires three to five years of experience as an executive or political scheduler.

Human Resources Manager
This position requires three to five years of experience managing the day to day needs of office staff, including such tasks as the following: being available to staff to handle problems that may arise in communication or the proper execution of their duties; communicating suggestions or problems from the staff to the Administration; communicating expectations from the Administration to the staff; keeping track of staff schedules, requested time off, and attendance records for payroll purposes; managing staff briefings.

Correspondence - Public Outreach Associate
Our correspondence and public outreach associates respond to inquiries from the public about Priests for Life, our resources, or various aspects of abortion and euthanasia. Along with the other requirements already mentioned, this person must be a good writer, be knowledgeable about the pro-life movement, and have a good phone presence. All correspondence and phone calls must be answered within one business day of being received, according to a detailed correspondence procedure that insures the consistency of messages from Priests for Life to the public on a wide range of topics.

Pro-Life Update

2008-02-22T16:27:00.001-08:00

Courtesy of the Gospel of Life Institute

The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide
The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide is in need of donations to help defeat Initiative Measure No. 1000 (assisted suicide). Please visit their website and make a donation today. It could help save your life!

Pro-Life T-shirt Day 2008
American Life League's National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day is April 29, 2008. Visit their store to order your t-shirt.

It's About Life Conference sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
Don't miss the 4th annual It's About Life Conference this Saturday, February 23, 2008 (TOMORROW!) at St. Joseph's Parish in Kennewick. The conference will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end around 5:00 p.m. Fr. Pavone will concelebrate 5:30 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph's, immediately following the conference. Speakers include Fr. Frank Pavone, Georgette Forney, and Wesley J. Smith.

Call 509-586-3820 to register.

40 Days for Life
If you haven't already done so, make time to pray at the 40 Days for Life nearest you! The prayer vigils are going well; in Bellingham, they had a save on the first day! The 40 Days will go until Palm Sunday, March 16 of 2008, and there are six communities in our area participating. Across the country, 53 other cities in 31 states are also participating. People of faith across America are praying that this effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion.

Here are the Washington State 40 Days for Life vigil locations and contact information:

Bellingham - Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood, 1530 Ellis St., Bellingham, WA
www.bellingham40daysforlife.com
bellingham@40dfl.com

Issaquah - Planned Parenthood, 75 Dogwood Street #B, Issaquah, WA 98027
www.40daysforlife.com/issaquah
issaquah40days@aol.com
(425) 214-4512

Kitsap County - Planned Parenthood, 623 NE Riddell Rd, Bremerton, WA 98310
www.kitsap40daysforlife.com
kitsap@40DFL.com
(360) 329-4985

Olympia - 402 Legion Way, Legion and Adams (Second Floor), Down Town Olympia
www.40daysforlife.com/olympia
oly40daysforlife@aol.com
(360) 480-9329

Spokane - Planned Parenthood, 123 E. Indiana Ave., Spokane, WA
www.40daysforlife.com/spokane
elizabeth.life@yahoo.com

Tacoma - Planned Parenthood, 813 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, WA
www.40daysforlife.com/tacoma
Tacoma40daysforlife@gmail.com

All of the local 40 Days for Life locations need more people to participate on Saturdays. Please sign up by visiting one of the above websites.

3rd Annual Couples for Christ Pro-life Conference
The 3rd Annual Couples for Christ Pro-life Conference is March 29, 2008 from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. This year's theme is Celebrate Life! "Because Life is Precious!" The conference will be held at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Shoreline, Washington. Speakers will include Camille De Blasi Pauley and Michael Pauley. Please visit www.cfclifeusa.com for more information and to register.

PRAYER REQUEST
Please continue to pray for Ken VanDerhoef, Human Life of Washington's Chairman of the Board. He has been diagnosed with a lymphoma cancerous tumor in his stomach. Please keep him in your prayers. We pray for a complete healing.

Prayer Request from the West-Sound Rachel's Vineyard Team

2008-02-18T18:52:00.001-08:00

I know this is late notice on this prayer request, but please pray for this retreat, even if you can't say the whole novena.

We will be eternally grateful if you will begin praying this novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe for the upcoming Rachel's Vineyard retreat, Feb. 22-24.

God bless you,
The West-Sound Rachel's Vineyard team

Dearest Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the True God, Fruitful Mother of Holiness, teach us your ways of gentleness and strength.

O Mary, you are the daughter of God the Father, Who is the Source of all mercy, love, and healing.

Help all those who have had abortions to trust that He desires to heal them even more than they desire it themselves.

Intercede for them, that the Holy Spirit will open their hearts to receive His healing presence.

Through your intercession, O Blessed and Glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of all tenderness and our Mother, strengthen their faith in Him.

O Lady of Guadalupe, hear our humble prayer, offered with heartfelt confidence.

We beg you to intercede for this favor: that the Holy Spirit will descend upon all Rachel's Vineyard retreats, especially this one, that all those

participating will experience true joy and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, pray for us! Amen.

New American Life League Video Report

2008-02-15T17:44:00.001-08:00

Click here for a special American Life League Report.

Issaquah 40 Days for Life Needs Your Help!

2008-02-14T12:24:00.001-08:00

If you can cover any of the hours between 11 and 6 at 40 Days for Life
in Issaquah today, Thursday, February 14, please call Maria at
206-391-5042.

Thank you!

Please share this request with other pro-lifers.

Conscience Rights Go To Court

2008-02-12T20:03:00.001-08:00

A message from the Gospel of Life Institute...

Conscience Rights Go To Court! Please come in support!

A hearing is scheduled for this Friday Feb. 15, 2008 at 9:30 a.m., Courtroom B with Judge Leighton in the United States District Court in Tacoma. There are currently several conscience-related motions pending before the judge. Your presence will be important to show interest in this matter as well as silent support for the right of conscience that is currently threatened. Relief from this unjust threat is being sought through the legal process.

Dress: courtroom-appropriate attire such as dress pants or skirt and shirt/sweater. A suit is optional. No t-shirts please and no signs or any kind.

Duration: uncertain though most likely it will be shorter than the Oral Arguments you may have attended in September; perhaps 60 to 90 or even 120 minutes.

No special preparation is necessary as nobody will be called upon to give testimony (in contrast to several of the Board of Pharmacy meetings that you may have attended.)

If you are given to prayer, please pray for the legal team and their plaintiffs who are defending the right of conscience in court and that their efforts Friday--and subsequently--will be fruitful.

Parking: this is available nearby but please note that some of the parking is 1-hour maximum. Try to arrive early enough to find a spot where you can stay for at least 2 hours, longer if possible. ***Also, if possible, please try to arrive early enough to get a seat in the visitors galley downstairs so that our silent, respectful conscience-rights support is very evident.***

Location: 1717 Pacific Avenue, downtown Tacoma near Pacific and 17th St, near the U-W-Tacoma campus.

Directions:
From points South of Tacoma:

I-5 North toward SEATTLE.

Take the I-705 N / WA-7 S exit- EXIT 133- toward CITY CENTER.

Take the exit on the LEFT toward CITY CENTER / TACOMA DOME.

Merge onto I-705 N via the exit on the LEFT toward CITY CENTER.

Take the S 21ST STREET / WA-509 N exit toward PORT OF TACOMA.

Turn LEFT onto S 21ST ST / WA-509.

Turn RIGHT onto PACIFIC AVE.

End at 1717 Pacific Ave
Tacoma, WA 98402-3234

From points North of Tacoma:

I-5 South toward TACOMA.

Merge onto I-705 N via EXIT 133 toward CITY CENTER.

Take the S 21ST STREET / WA-509 N exit toward PORT OF TACOMA.

Turn LEFT onto S 21ST ST / WA-509.

Turn RIGHT onto PACIFIC AVE.

End at 1717 Pacific Ave
Tacoma, WA 98402-3234, US

Meeting on Wednesday

2008-02-10T21:34:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder that this month's Youth For Life meeting will be this
coming Wednesday, February 13th at 7:00pm. Our guest speaker will be
Catholic author Mark Shea. Hope to see you there!

40 Days for Life Comin' Up!

2008-01-31T21:34:00.001-08:00

I got this e-mail from Seattle 40 DFL co-leader. Take a look -

Hey everyone,

I hope you have all been well the past three months. There has certainly been a lot going on with Thanksgiving, the Holiday Season and the Anniversary of Roe vs Wade. The season of Lent is fast approaching and with this season of preparation comes another opportunity to pray for an end to the slaughter of the unborn.

40 Days for Life - Spring 2008
This Lenten season six communities around the state are holding 40 Days for Life campaigns as part of the National Campaign that starts on February 6th. I hope that you will each take the time to join in prayer, fasting, vigil and outreach this Lent!
Vigil Locations:
Issaquah - website - email

Kickoff Rally - Sun, Feb 3rd - 6:30-8:30pm @ Issaquah City Hall (Eagle Room) - 130 East Sunset, Issaquah (map)

Kitsap - website - email

Kickoff Rally - Tue, Feb 5th - 6:30-8:00pm @ Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Bremerton (map)

Bellingham - website - email

Kickoff Rally - Tue, Feb 5th - 10pm-12:30am @ Assumption School Gym, Bellingham (map)

Tacoma - website - email
Olympia - website - email
Spokane - website - email
For more information on any of these locations, please checkout their websites or visit the national website to find out more about 40 Days for Life
Make one of these campaigns part of your Lenten tradition this year

Operation Rolling Thunder - more information - website
This is a prayer movement that is focused on bringing constant prayer (sound familiar?) to the churches around our state. Their kickoff is at Seattle Revival Center from Feb 7-10 and one of the intentions of this campaign is the pro-life movement. There's something going on with this and I don't believe in coincidences. I'll be speaking during their Saturday events. I am hoping we will all find a good deal of synergy between these two movements. Please consider participating in this prayer movement this lent as a means to grow both the pro-life as well as the spiritual community in the Seattle area.

Ongoing Prayer on Thursdays and Saturdays in the U-District
Can't make it out to one of the six 40 Days locations with any regularity but you still want to be more involved? Good news! We're still going out to the clinic in the U-District (on 9th Ave at 45th St.) every Thursday from 6am-Noon and on Saturdays after the 8AM Mass at Blessed Sacrament.

Reminder - Sarah's Secret

2008-01-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

Remember that the play "Sarah's Secret" will be performed on February 3 at St. Mark's!

Here is the original post with all the info. See you there!

More Info: Assisted Suicide and Caucuses

2008-01-30T23:04:00.001-08:00

The International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide has provided a detailed Analysis of the Washington Assisted Suicide Initiative. Please take the time to educate yourself about this issue! Additional resources are available at Human Life of Washington.

Also, if you are interested in attending your party's caucus to elect candidates for the presidency, here is some more information about that:

For Republicans:
You can find out where your precinct caucus is being held here:
http://www.wsrp.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=6885

For Democrats:
You can find out where you precinct caucus is being held here:
http://www.wa-democrats.org/caucusfinder

You can help decide who your party's nominee is by attending your caucus on February 9. The caucuses start at 1 PM. It is recommended that you arrive early. If you are late, you may not be able to participate. If YFL parents want to go, it is recommended that you get a sitter for the day, though you can bring children if you need to. You might find it distracting to care for little ones and concentrate on the process simultaneously. If both spouses cannot attend, perhaps just one of you can do so. The caucus can last anywhere from one to a few hours.

At the caucuses, you will elect delegates to the county convention, where they will elect delegates to the state convention, and they will elect delegates to the national convention. The delegates who attend the national convention will play a critical role. Be sure you can trust them.

For voter's guides addressing life issues, please visit American Life League and Catholic Answers.

(Thanks to Life of the Party for the caucus information!)

Youth's Prayer for Fortitude

2008-01-28T21:59:00.001-08:00

O Holy Spirit who descended upon the twelve as they stood in anxiety, come unto me in my youthful endeavors. Banish from my heart all timidity and false pride; strengthen my soul to avoid all sin, to practice virtue, and to prefer ridicule to the denial of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let not the goodness of purity, obedience and charity be obscured in the face of adversity. Instill in me the virtue of Fortitude so that I may courageously profess and practice my holy Catholic faith. Open my eyes, O Holy Spirit, that I may recognize my state in life. Give me the confidence to embrace it and the strength to live it as a son of God. I pray that Your guidance, protection and consolation may be with me now and throughout my life. Amen.

Help the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide

2008-01-28T21:50:00.001-08:00

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your interest in Initiative 1000, the proposed Washington law to legalize assisted suicide.

I am writing to you today because it is literally a matter of life and death. If Initiative 1000 becomes law, for the first time doctors would be prescribing poison to their patients.

It is based on the law in Oregon, the only state in the nation that has legalized assisted suicide. The proposal would allow patients who are "terminally ill" to request a doctor to give them lethal doses of drugs.

A broad-based group, Coalition Against Assisted Suicide, is forming to fight the initiative: including leaders in the disability community, hospice workers, doctors, nurses, minorities, elected officials, and religious groups.

Washington voters rejected a similar initiative in 1991, 54% to 46%. But Gardner, scion of a wealthy timber family, has millions to put into the effort and has already hired competent p.r. advisors, who are busy sugar coating this poison pill.

We mobilized quickly and have launched a p.r. offensive of our own. We were at Gardner's press conference, explaining why doctors and folks with disabilities oppose the law. We have contacted editorial boards, sent out press releases and set up this website: http://www.noassistedsuicide.com.

We have justice on our side along with compassion for the living and vulnerable. But they have literally hundreds of thousands of dollars already in the bank. That's why I'm turning to you. We need your contribution … whatever you can afford to give large or small. Five dollars is not too little to help get the word out and $50,000 is not too much to defend life. We will need to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to combat them.

You can contribute online at the website http://www.noassistedsuicide.com or by sending a check to the campaign.

This is not just a Washington state issue. Rather, Washington was chosen to be a stepping stone as the proponents of euthanasia push their campaign wherever they can. In Michigan they tried and failed; in Maine they fought and were defeated. In all, twenty-five states have stood up to the death peddlers and said "no." Even now, they are working to pass laws through the Legislature in Arizona and Wisconsin.

Their national group once proudly called itself the "Hemlock Society" but now has become so media-savvy as to wear the moniker "Compassion and Choices."

This new law gives doctors new legal authority for a special type of prescription. But unlike the prescriptions approved by the FDA, no panel of scientists have reviewed this prescription. No double-blind studies have been published to assure that patients are not harmed.

Oh no, the point of this special prescription is to kill. The doctors prescribing these drugs are not following the Hippocratic Oath, to do no harm, but the hypocritical oath, to turn a blind eye to depression, financial distress, vulnerability and suicide.

Yet if this law is a tool for doctors, it is one they do not want. The Washington branch of the AMA, the Washington State Medical Association, opposes the initiative. The state hospital and hospice associations do not support assisted suicide.

They know that our for-profit health care system often delivers unequal treatment, with minorities and low-income patients receiving the lowest quality care. They know how vulnerable patients can feel pressured to "not be a burden."

This initiative comes to the ballot just six months after Jack Kevorkian was freed from prison after serving eight years in Michigan for second-degree murder. He said his parole prevented him from any more killings …

But, Kevorkian said, "I'm going to work with activist groups trying to get it legalized. And putting my voice in with theirs to legalize it whenever I can. Either through legislatures or through courts if possible."

It's literally a matter of life or death.

Please take the time to contribute today. Most of the money for the proponents has come from out-of-state. But we have no one to turn to but you.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

DUANE FRENCH

P.S. An national movement to legalize euthanasia has chosen Washington state for its next battle ground. But if you love life like I do, then please take a minute to contribute today to stop these assisted suicide proponents. You can contribute online at noassistedsuicide.com or by sending in a check today.

Pro-Life Update

2008-01-26T10:59:00.001-08:00

From the Gospel of Life Institute:

Assisted Suicide in Washington
Your help is needed to prevent assisted suicide from being made legal in Washington! A ballot initiative was filed recently in Olympia and signature gathering (to get it on November's ballot) is expected to start soon. What you can do to help stop this:

1. Go right now to the website of the broad-based Coalition Against Assisted Suicide and sign up. You will get periodic email updates on the campaign against assisted suicide and your name will appear on the website as opposing assisted suicide. www.noassistedsuicide.com

2. If at all possible, please contribute financially to the Coalition as it will be very expensive to defend against this dangerous and misguided attempt to bring assisted suicide to Washington. No donation amount is too small (no amount is too large either! Unlike with campaigns for elected office, there is no dollar limit on contributions pertaining to ballot initiatives.)

3. If you pray daily, please add the efforts of those fighting against assisted suicide to your daily intentions and don't forget to pray for those people who are fighting for it.

4. Spread the word!

An urgent message from the Human Life Political Action Committee

It is very important for all pro-lifers to attend their party caucuses on Saturday, February 9 (and vote in the presidential primary on February 19). Republican's will choose half the state's presidential delegates from the caucuses and half from the primary election on February 19. Democrats will choose their delegates only from the caucuses. The caucuses begin at 1:00 p.m. for both the Republicans and the Democrats. The pro-abortion groups are urging their supporters to attend the caucuses. Let's outnumber them.

The following candidates who stand a chance of making it to the national convention and who hold pro-life positions are (in order of the strength of their views):

Mike Huckabee

Mitt Romney

John McCain

(Sorry no Democrats hold pro-life views)

It is highly likely that a front runner will not be determined before the national conventions so it will be a wide open convention. Give the pro-life candidate of your choice some delegates from Washington State!!! This PDF file will give you in detail where all the candidates stand on the life issues -- both Republicans and Democrats. The Gospel of Life Institute and Human Life PAC do not endorse any of these candidates; however, we feel it is important for people to go to their caucuses and vote for the candidate of their choice.

March for Life Videos

Thank you to Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, the priests and religious, the McEntee family, and everyone who participated in the 30th Annual March for Life in Olympia. Video clips are available on www.GospelofLifeInstitute.org If you would like to share your photos of the March for Life with the Gospel of Life Institute, please email them to info@gospeloflifeinstitute.org, along with the photographer's name.

Life is Sacred Conference 2008

The first annual Life is Sacred Conference will be held this Saturday, January 26, 2008. Conference doors open at 8:00 a.m. Speakers include Fr. John Amsberry, Dr. Lynne Bissonnette, Bill Diss, Lori Eckstine, David Hugh MacDonald, Dr. Thomas M. Pitre, Esther Ripplinger, Bobby Schindler, and Jill Stanek. Tickets can be purchased from TICKETSWEST via their website, www.ticketswest.com, or by phone, 503-224-8499 (Event: Life is Sacred). Please see the flyer and visit Life is Sacred for more information.

40 Days for Life... Again!

During the season of Lent leading up to the celebration of Christ's resurrection, from Ash Wednesday, February 6, to Palm Sunday, March 16 of 2008, communities in our state will be uniting with 53 other cities in 31 states for a large simultaneous pro-life mobilization - the nationwide 40 days for Life campaign. People of faith across America are praying that this effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion. 40 Days for Life invites each one of you, and your families, to join with them in this exciting, non-denominational, grass-roots effort.

To sign up to participate in a local vigil, or to find out how else you can "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves", please visit one of the following websites: Bellingham, Issaquah, Kitsap County, Olympia, Spokane, and Tacoma.

It's About Life Conference

Don't miss the 4th annual It's About Life Conference on February 23, 2008 at St. Joseph's Parish in Kennewick. Speakers include Fr. Frank Pavone, Georgette Forney, and Wesley J. Smith.

Please see the flyer for more information.

Directions are available via the Event Map.

Clients of Angelorum

2008-01-23T17:11:00.001-08:00

This is the message received today:

Please pray for an abortion minded client that came to Angelorum with
her boyfriend and simply said she can not have a baby at this time.
She left our office in a hurry and I am really praying she will come
back to talk some more.

Also, one of our return clients is due in two days and she was just
here and requested we pray for her delivery and healthy baby.

Also, one of our clients that is about 4 months along now is having
some major medical problems and on the 25th she is going to the
hospital for an operation and the doctors told her it was her life or
the baby's life. She is so upset. It is really devastating to her
and her boyfriend. They find little comfort in the fact that they are
both young enough to have another baby. I am so sad about this. I
have been working with this couple from the beginning.

Also, a young client that has a history of running away and had
warrants out on her and then became pregnant, a very complicated case
to say the least. The family has been working towards reconciliation
and bonding and the client was arrested and while in detention, she
had a miscarriage. It is a very hard time for this family, so please
pray for them also.

It's so comforting to know that we have so many prayers being said for
these women and families. Thank you so much, you are all in our
prayers also.

Funeral Mass for Kathy

2008-01-16T22:44:00.001-08:00

Vigil and Rosary: St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 7112 S 12th St., Tacoma, WA
Date: Friday, January 18, 2008
Time: 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Funeral Service: St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 7112 S 12th St, Tacoma, WA
Date: Saturday, Jan 19, 2008 11:00 a.m.
Time: 11:00 a.m.

Please bring a single rose.

News Tribune Article: Kathy McEntee, founder of Washington State March for Life, dies

A Book of Memories can be signed here.

On November 2, 2007, Kathy McEntee's husband told approximately 100 people that he and Kathy were hoping 7000 people would participate in the March for Life in Olympia on January 22, 2008. As a tribute to Kathy and her thirty plus years of dedication and service to the pro-life movement and the babies, let us make the McEntee's dream a reality!

"If you would be quiet, you'd learn something."
- Kathy McEntee, responding to hecklers at the March for Life, January 2005

"Sarah's Secret"

2008-01-15T22:34:00.001-08:00

Everyone is invited to attend the play "Sarah's Secret" on Sunday,
February 3 at 7:00pm.

Event: "Sarah's Secret" - "Broadway Comes To St. Mark"
What: A Play!
When: Sunday, February 3 at 7:00pm
Where: St. Mark Catholic Church

This event is open to all teenagers, Catholic or not! Bring anyone and
everyone! See you there!

Two Prayer Requests from Angelorum

2008-01-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

These were sent out on January 8.

- - -

Please pray for an Angelorum client who didn't want an abortion, but
whose mother did want her to have an abortion. If the situation has
not been resolved, please pray that the baby lives and the mother and
daughter can reconcile their differences.

- - -

Please pray for another mother and daughter. The daughter is (was?)
pregnant, did not want an abortion, but would not follow through on
any appointments with doctors or Angelorum. She is in trouble in many
ways, and her mother is very worried about her. Please pray for this
girl, her baby, and her mother that God will heal the girl, help her
deliver a healthy baby, and bring peace to her mother.

Kathy McEntee Has Died

2008-01-12T20:02:00.001-08:00

This is the message received today:

Kathy McEntee, founder and president, March for Life of Washington,
died this afternoon (Jan.12) around 3 PM. After suffering a massive
stroke, she never regained consciousness. They removed life support
after tests showed all brain activity had ceased.
Please remember her and her husband, their children, grandchildren,
and extended family in your prayers.
Please also pray that her efforts for the cause of life will continue,
and hopefully soon they will achieve the success for which Kathy and
so many others like her, have strived for years to achieve, with
little support, often facing ridicule and hardship for their efforts.
But she, no doubt, would say that it was worth it, for the cause of
God's little ones.
I believe she received quite a welcome home today:
"Well done, good and faithful servant!"
Rest in peace, Kathy. You've earned it, dear!

As far as I know, the March for Life will continue.

Pro-life News for January

2008-01-11T22:58:00.001-08:00

We had another stellar meeting on Wednesday with an amazing speaker! I'm sure we'll remember his words of wisdom for a long time to come.

Here is the pro-life info for this month.

March for Life - Olympia
The March for Life will be on a Tuesday this year. St. Mark's and St. Cecilia's Churches have buses going. Contact either one to get a seat.

Life is Sacred Conference 2008
Please mark your calendars for January 26. The conference will be held in the Portland Expo Center and speakers will include Bobby Schindler (brother of Terri Schiavo) and Jill Stanek, a labor and delivery nurse who exposed her hospital's anti-life actions and policies. The event is being sponsored in part by St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Camas, WA. Visit their website for more information.

It's About Life Conference
Don't miss the 4th annual It's About Life Conference on February 23, 2008 at St. Joseph's Parish in Kennewick. Speakers include Fr. Frank Pavone, Georgette Forney, and Wesley J. Smith. Please contact the parish for more information.

Assisted Suicide in Washington State
An initiative has just been filed for assisted suicide in Washington state. An organization has been formed to fight this bill. Visit their website for more information: Washington Coalition Against Assisted Suicide.

Prayer Requests
Please pray for Virgil, a man who was very active in the pro-life movement in Washington. He went home to God on January 5. His funeral will be at St. Rita's Catholic Church (Hill Top area, 1403 South Ainsworth, Tacoma, 98405) on Monday, January 14 at 1:00 pm. Everyone is invited.

Please also pray for Kathy McEntee, the President of the March for Life in Olympia and previous YFL speaker. She had a severe stroke on January 11. Let's ask God to keep her and her family close to Him during this time. Updates will follow as they're received.

Meeting

2008-01-05T15:31:00.001-08:00

Our January meeting is coming up on the 9th. Our speaker will cover character and the pro-life movement. See you there!