PA STATE REP SPONSORS TRANS BILL

Philadelphia City Council member Kenyatta Johnson. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

The following is from an email sent out by PA Family Council regarding HB 300 which is currently in the PA state house.

If you haven’t heard about the threat to religious freedom and rights of conscience in the bill being fast-tracked by PA House Democratic leadership, please read this full post. While some claim it’s a simple bill, the reality is a host of negative consequences.

Here are just three of those consequences, as said by co-sponsors of the legislation.

1. HB300 could require certain medical professionals to prescribe puberty blockers or perform “sex-reassignment” surgeries, or face penalties for “discrimination.”
2. HB 300 would force women’s shelters to accept biological males who identify as women.
3. HB300 would “redefine freedom” by punishing people for not using someone’s preferred pronouns.

Sadly, these are not the only harms HB300 would cause. Laws like this proposed bill have removed a significant number of freedoms in other states. Here are three more areas that are threatened by House Bill 300: 

Religious schools and ministries face lawsuits for hiring based on their shared mission. It’s already happened to a Catholic school in Massachusetts due to an HB300-type law. Here in Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia targeted Catholic Charities based on Philadelphia’s HB300-type law.

Women and young girls are forced to share women-only spaces with biological males, including locker rooms, dorms, and overnight accommodations on school trips. 

Force creative professionals to communicate messages that go against their beliefs. People like cake artist Jack Phillips are being targeted for lawsuits because of laws like HB300.

Some of your elected leaders understand what’s at stake and oppose the bill. BUT WE NEED YOU TO TAKE ACTION: Contact your State Representative and State Senator TODAY and respectfully ask them to vote NO on Rep. Kenyatta’s House Bill 300. Click here to email.

Gosnell Effect: 10 Years Later

Ten years ago, on May 13, 2013, Kermit Gosnell was convicted of first-degree murder for crimes carried out at his state-licensed “House of Horrors” abortion mill in West Philadelphia.

Ten years later, what have we learned? What are the challenges we still face as a state and nation? Join us for an evening, joined by experts in various fields, where we will discuss life since Gosnell’s uncovering and conviction.

Saturday, May 13, 2023
Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, Independence Mall, Philadelphia
11AM – 2PM

Tickets: $15. Each ticket includes lunch and a complimentary tour of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center.

Speakers will include:

• Ann McElhinney, Producer, Gosnell Movie & Co-author of NYT Bestseller Gosnell, The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer
• James Woods, Former Lead Detective, Philadelphia Police Department
• Judge Cheryl Allen, Retired, Of Counsel – PA Family
• Brooke Nearman, Executive Director, AlphaCare
• Michael Geer, President, PA Family

Forum sponsored by PA Family Institute, AlphaCare, and Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia.

Visit this link for more information

PRO-LIFERS TAKE PART IN ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY IN PHILADELPHIA

40 Pro-lifers took part in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 12th.

The weather was perfect with spring-like temperatures. Those who marched wore green scarves. This has been an annual tradition going back to the leadership of the late John Stanton.

Even many of the attendees cheered on pro-lifers along Market Street.

It was a day to honor a great saint who emphasized the trinity with the shamrock and ensured the pro-life message was spread to the thousands who were in attendance

CAN YOU HEAR US NOW? GOOD

The following is from Dr. Monique Ruberu. Hours are still needed to be filled. Visit 40daysforlife.com.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

[We have] such an awesome story to share…at 777 the pro-abortion escorts often play music to drown us out as we try to speak to the moms going in. That music is often demonic, or crude…rarely tolerable and nice… So by the grace of God working through a donor, we purchased a nice speaker and mic so we could share Christian music and speak to the moms over their noise. 

I knew the moms on the sidewalk could hear us, but Marlene, Pat, and I prayed that the moms could hear us inside as well… well today the officer told us that Lynn (elderly pro-abortion escort) was complaining about the loudness of our music => the officer pointed out that the only reason we have music playing is that they started playing music and he had observed the interaction for the past few months… then she said – “Yes but their music is disturbing them INSIDE” 

SO PRAISE GOD!!! The moms can HEAR US INSIDE!!! – I told the officer I’d be happy to stop our music if they do t play music… I’ll just use it to talk on my mic – directly to the women inside 🙂 

Guys when we show up to do this work for God it is very important that we first feed our souls in preparation for this work… please do spend time daily in mass, in prayer, in scripture, in meditation on Jesus, in adoration… in the Word of God especially …the closer you allow yourself to get to Him… the more you allow Him to fill you…the better your work will be. 

OPEN LETTER TO PARISH PRIESTS: BE BOLD

A local pro-lifer has been a format that all pro-lifers are encouraged to send to their pastors. The time for passiveness is over. We need more heroic priests who are willing to preach the truth from the pulpit without sugarcoating it.

Thank you for your priesthood. I encourage you to read the article below and pray and act.

I realize the USCCB writes and emails those of us who subscribe to great material on pro-life with action items like prayer and more.

I ask you to do more. Please speak from the pulpit often against the atrocity of abortion. Please speak this not only during weekday daily mass but during all Sunday liturgy.

Are you aware that now somewhere in the state of New Mexico has a new satanic Temple with an abortion facility in it?

I will go as far as to say our current President of the USA who is obviously all for proclaiming the destruction of innocent human life in the womb is then a Satanist whether he realizes it or not. Furthermore, he proclaims to be a good and practicing Catholic. He needs to be denounced and informed he has excommunicated himself from the Church by his actions and words.

I am personal friends with and a ministry partner to Mark Houck and the Catholic Vote chapter leader of SWFL.

Your flock needs to hear from you on this. I ask you to reach out to Mark Houck to thank him. Mark is a hero. I ask you to speak publicly from the pulpit denouncing our current political administration’s weaponization in unjustly abusing great Catholic men and pro-life leaders like Mark Houck with intimidation tactics and more. Wasting taxpayer dollars for ridiculous arrests like this.

I ask you to proclaim from the pulpit that the Church has had enough and that abortion is a grave sin and to explain we now have more pregnancy centers of life rather than abortion centers of death and to find one if in need. I ask you to explain that if anyone has been involved in abortion to seek forgiveness in the sacrament of confession and healing in Rachel’s vineyard.

We need to hear all this often and publicly from priests and bishops.

The time has come and it’s now!

I pray for you daily and ask you please pray for me.

Please ask your congregations to no longer give any business to CVS/Walgreens/Rite Aid and any pharmacy or organization that dispenses abortion pills or that supports abortion.

I have copied in my pro-life friends and asked you to write a similar message as this to all your clergy members.

Pro-Life Leaders React to the 2023 State of the Union

MARK HOUCK RETURNS TO THE SIDEWALK, PRO-LIFERS JOIN IN SOLIDARITY

After beating bogus charges from the FBI and Biden Administration Department of “Justice”, Mark Houck returned to the sidewalk of Planned Parenthood.

In addition to his son, his whole family joined him. Moreover, two dozen pro-lifers throughout the surrounding area and region joined him for witness and prayer.

It was a sense of calm yet one of awareness of what a peaceful presence can mean in the fight to build a culture of life.

Those gathered even prayed over Mark and his family as he returns to pro-life activism. He also intends to sue the FBI for violating his rights.

Lent 2023 40 Days for Life

Pro-lifers are asked to come out as we are approaching another Lenten campaign. All that it entails is peaceful, loving people willing to sacrifice two hours or more a week to help save lives, change hearts and minds, and just be present

Sign up today at 40daysforlife.com

PA Abortions Increase, Pro-Life Efforts Increase

THE FOLLOWING IS A RELEASE SENT BY EMAIL FROM TOM STEVENS, PRESIDENT OF THE PRO-LIFE UNION OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA

In 2021 there were 3% more abortions in Pennsylvania than in the previous year. The total, 33,206, is the highest number of abortions reported in the past ten years. Half, 16,542, of those abortions occur right in our backyard, the five-county Philadelphia area.

To help understand the sheer magnitude, imagine 16,542 moms or dads pushing a baby in a stroller in a single file. It would be a line that stretches nearly sixteen miles! Imagine one of them being your grandchild or child, nephew or niece.

This is why the Pro-Life Union believes that we can’t protect the right to life as a single organization. Instead, we need to support our associate member organizations, work with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and independent churches, and anyone who will join us in the effort. Pregnancy resource centers like Hope Pregnancy and AlphaCare are part of the solution.

The Pro-Life Union and Catholic Social Services partnership at the Cenacle in Frankford serving more than one thousand vulnerable families is part of the answer. Adoption is a Loving Option, Culture Project, Students for Life, and other groups reaching out to students are a significant part of the effort. Forty Days for Life, Sidewalk Servants, and others organizing volunteers to serve in front of abortion centers are rescuing babies (and women) in another way.

Chester County Pro-Life Coalition and their March for Life and sponsorship of the name? ‘TOB for young women’ is another part of the prevention. You can meet many of these resource providers on April 1st at the Life Advocate Resource Conference. Many churches working together to provide solutions will also be present.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5

MARK HOUCK FOUND NOT GUILTY ON BOTH COUNTS

After a week of testimonies and a deadlocked jury, Mark Houck was found not guilty of violating the FACE Act. This comes after a horrifying scene in September 2022 when the FBI raided Mark’s home for violating federal law and causing trauma to his wife and seven children at his home.

In a press release from the St. Thomas More Society, Peter Breen stated that they are “thrilled by the outcome” of the blockbuster case.

“Mark and his family are now free of the cloud that the Biden administration threw upon them. We took on the Goliath – the full might of the United States government – and won. The jury saw through and rejected the prosecution’s discriminatory case, which was harassment from day one. The Biden Department of Justice’s intimidation against pro-life people and people of faith has been put in its place.”

Even Ashley Garecht, a spokeswoman for the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia, stated that pro-lifers, “rejoice and celebrate that Mark Houck has been found not guilty on all counts.”

“This case was always about a father’s right to protect his son, and never had anything to do with the FACE act,” she said. “We are grateful to the judge for his integrity, and to the jurors for their thoughtful deliberations. We are grateful to Mark’s attorneys who labored so diligently in his defense. And we are grateful for all of those who surrounded and supported Mark and his family in prayer through this challenging ordeal.”

“Most of all we praise and thank God for his protection and provision,” Garecht added. “To Him be all the glory.”

Defense attorney Brian McMonagle, who is working in tandem with the Thomas More Society, also told the jury during his Friday closing argument that Houck had “a right to be on that sidewalk” and argued that the case centers around the First Amendment.

Even McMonagle told the jury that the case was all about politics after waiting one year after the altercation occurred and was twice dismissed by the municipal court.

Even Fr. Frank Pavone celebrated the monumental victory.

“Congratulations, Mark, congratulations to the entire pro-life movement, congratulations to the St. Thomas More Society for the legal defense, Peter Breen, Tom Brejcha, and all our friends there,” Pavone said.

“Forward we go to more victories,” he added.

Indeed, let us march on to more victories.

Students for Life Hosts Summit Day After March for Life

Students for Life of America will host its annual conference in DC on Saturday, January 21st. This will be the first following the Dobbs decision.

The conference will feature Trent Horn, Kristan Hawkins, Seth Dillon, and Allie Beth Stuckey. It is for high school, college, and pro-lifers from all walks of life. This is an opportunity to network and connect with fellow pro-lifers and to better engage our culture through politics, media, education, medicine, and even law.

To register, visit here.

2023 Pro-Life To-Do List

Happy New Year!

We tend to create a list of things to accomplish during the year. For the pro-life cause, it is no different. Here is a list of things to do in 2023.

• Attend the March for Life
• Take part in prayer vigils in your area
• Ask your pastor to host monthly Holy Hours for an end to abortion
• Donate maternity items to pregnancy resource centers
• Have a birthday fundraiser benefit a pro-life charity
• Learn CPR
• Give blood
• Write to your representatives holding them accountable when they don’t vote on issues that protect life from womb to tomb
• Create signs that promote And Then They Were None for the workers and volunteers to see
• Chalk pro-life messages on the sidewalk
• Listen or watch pro-life interviews
• Host a pro-life movie night at your parish or campus
• Host a fundraiser for a pro-life group
• Attend a pro-life dinner
• Give food, clothing, or shelter to those without a home
• Attend pro-life conferences
• Write a pro-life op-ed
• Make a movie with a pro-life message
• Write a pro-life short story
• Read up on pro-life apologetics

Make 2023 a life-saving year