365 for Life Update

Pro-lifers are on the move! The March for Life drew hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers to Washington D.C. while the Walk for Life in San Francisco drew a record 50,000 people.

Here in Madison, faithful prayer warriors braved sub-zero temperatures for a Novena of the Stations of the Cross the nine days up to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Volunteer Mary Ann shared with us this encouraging story from the novena vigils: "I saw a 5 year old little girl come two days in a row during the Novena. She willingly got up at 4:45 a.m., got herself dressed, put her coat on and pulled on her boots. She walked to the car in the frigid weather. I saw her kneel in front of the fourth Station as she looked up at the image. The headlight she was wearing illuminated the picture and I saw her hands clasped in prayer. I will never forget that image."

On Saturday, the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, Fr. William Vernon led about 70 people in prayer as we remembered the 53 million babies lost to abortion since 1973. As Fr. Vernon prayed exorcism prayers, the temperature seemed to drop suddenly and, crows began making noise. Be assured that the powers of evil and darkness do not like our prayers, fasting, witness and faithfulness. Let us remain steadfast in Christ!

Sign-ups needed for next week for the "365 for Life" initiative

We are in need of volunteers for the "365 for Life" initiative on the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood next Wednesday and throughout the month of February. We are especially looking for people willing to make a monthly commitment. If you do make a monthly commitment before our sidewalk counseling training on 02/11/11 and 02/12/11, you will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Abby Johnson's fantastic book "UnPlanned"! Please contact Laura Karlen (608-445,2064 or laura@vigilforlife.org) or visit http://reitzinternet.com/vfl to sign-up.

Sidewalk Counseling Training: 2 Identical Sessions at St. Peter's in Madison

We have two identical sidewalk counseling trainings upcoming in Madison, both at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Madison (5001 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, WI 53704). Please plan on attending one of these sessions:

Friday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m. (at St. Peter's)Saturday, February 12 at 10:00 a.m. (at St. Peter's)

These trainings will be provided by representatives from the Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Rachel's Vineyard. Free will donations will be accepted for the training.

The time is now: Let's end abortion in Wisconsin‏

This Friday, we were privileged to attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. The march marked the 37th anniversary of Supreme Court decisions that decriminalized abortion in America--costing more than 50 million lives and countless broken hearts.

The day was dominated by an overwhelming sense of hope and solidarity as more than 350,000 people of all ages gathered to send a powerful message: We will no longer tolerate the scourge of abortion in America.

Instead of relying on the courts or politicians to end abortion, pro-lifers are going to their own hands, feet and--most importantly--knees. The results are unmistakable. Nationally, the pro-life movement has stalled efforts to federally fund abortion. Locally, we've kept abortion out of the Madison Surgery Center for over a year. In fact, 40 Days for Life National Director David Bereit asked us to present to a conference in Washington on Thursday because YOUR efforts have been so effective!

Not since the Civil Rights movement has our nation seen anything resembling this groundswell of prayer and witness. The flood waters are rising, and deep cracks now appear in the culture of death. We couldn't all be in Washington last week, but each of us can help build a Culture of Life here in Wisconsin. Join us!

1. Wisconsin's Second Annual Defend Life Rally will take place on Saturday February 6 at noon on Library Mall (the 700-800 block of State Street in Downtown Madison). Plan to attend and bring a friend. Spread the word at your church. Print and share the flier. Post it and invite friends on your Facebook page!
2. 40 Days for Life-Madison: Spring 2010. We're only a few weeks away. Click here to view the calendar and sign up for hours! We urge you all to sign up for a weekly time slot and to commit to bring a friend. The first two weeks of each campaign tend to be the hardest to schedule. If you're not ready to commit to a weekly hour, please consider taking some time early on to help us out! If you have technical problems, call 608-445-2063 with your desired hours.