Enter Bethany…

Erika was only 16 when she found out she was pregnant.

Her friends immediately scheduled an abortion for her at the nearest clinic. She was, after all, only a Junior in high school. She had so much against her in this situation and her whole life ahead of her.

But, when she told her parents, they told her that they would never want her to abort her child, and that they would help her raise him.

With this support, she chose not to have an abortion.

She chose life.

As a 16 year old junior in high school, Erika gave up so much for her baby, but she courageously chose to stand up to anyone who said she could not or should not take care of a baby.

Leading up to my trip to the March for Life, I found myself thinking about Erika and her baby in the womb constantly. She was due on January 23, so all day on January 22 I kept thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool if he was born on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade?”

The day passed with no news, but I still couldn’t get them off my mind.

On Friday morning, as we drove into DC, I found out that Erika was in labor. This was my third March, but for the first time, there was a real, individual face – a young mother – in my life who I was marching for.

Walking in the cold, I couldn’t think about anything or anyone else. I was there for one young girl from my hometown who chose life.

The next day, during the SFLA conference, I was able to access facebook, where I was finally able to see pictures of Erika’s baby Steven. He was born on Friday, January 25 at 2:37 pm, during the 40th March for Life.

Having the names and faces of Erika and Steven, real examples of the people we fight for, made the experience of the March for Life and the pro-life movement so much more powerful for me.

In choosing life for her baby boy, one 17 year old girl changed my life.

—

Thank you, Bethany, for sharing this story!

Warren Marching for Life with the Capitol building behind him.

Today’s post comes from Warren D’Souza of University of Illinois. Warren is a freshman and is the treasurer for his pro-life group, Illini Collegians for Life (ICFL).

ICFL is growing to have a greater influence on campus and we are looking forward to great things from Warren! Here is his story from this year’s March for Life trip.

Enter Warren…

We!
Are!
The Pro-Life Generation!

The thunderous chant began in front of the Supreme Court building and echoed all the way down First Street. Thousands of young people from across the country marched together peacefully just days after the 40th anniversary of legalized abortion in our country.

We bore only smiles and optimistic cheers proclaiming the glory of life; not a single mournful or enraged face could be seen in the crowd despite this being the week that marked the death of 55 million unborn children in our generation.

From the beginning of the rally we were told that all of us were survivors: These 55 million could have grown up to be our friends, spouses, siblings, coworkers… many of them should even have been marching alongside us. But though we mourned our lost brothers and sisters, we could not keep from celebrating the beauty of life that we were given, and our desire to defend that gift for every human being.

When I told my dorm friends I was heading to Washington, D.C. for the weekend with fellow pro-life students of the University of Illinois, the response I seemed to get most often was, “What’s the point of marching? It won’t make abortion illegal.” It’s a fair question. I pondered it myself on the 14-hour bus ride to D.C. with all my pro-life friends.

But then I arrived at the March for Life, and the answer immediately became clear to me.

The word of the day was solidarity.

We were not marching merely to garner attention from the Supreme Court justices or the pro-choice politicians. We were marching for ourselves, for our mothers, for our sisters who are targeted by the abortion machines of today, for those who were taken by abortion too soon to be marching at our sides, for all those who say they are pro-life but don’t yet have the courage to march with us.

It’s true; simply walking down the streets of D.C. will not be enough to end abortion. But the March for Life is an absolutely necessary element in building solidarity among the pro-life movement – solidarity between the generations, between the genders, between the social classes, between the living and dead.

It’s hard not to be proud and vocal about your pro-life stance when you are surrounded by over 400,000 passionate, screaming young adults around your age who are all fighting for the injustice to end.

Returning from the March, I am more confident than ever that we will see the end to abortion in our lifetime. I refuse to believe that such a nationally united movement will ever collapse, and no matter how long of a fight we must endure, we will persevere together. After an entire 40-year generation has suffered through abortion before us, it is time for the pro-life generation to arise.

—

Thank you Warren for your insight and your commitment to life!

To everyone reading, how can you foster solidarity among the pro-lifers around you?

Post your suggestions below!

Above is a screenshot of the Daily Northwestern article highlighting the growth that Northwestern Students for Life (NSFL) has experienced.

This article is not the result of a public relations push by the pro-life students. They didn’t send out a press release. They didn’t lobby friends at the paper. None of that.

They grew in number and impact on campus and it was noticeable. So noticeable that the Daily Northwestern decided to assign a reporter to write a story on it!

The headline – seen above – “Northwestern Students for Life sees increased attendance” shows that the wider campus has taken note of the great work that Northwestern Students for Life is doing!

We are very proud of all the pro-life students at Northwestern for all of their hard work and outreach on campus!

We are thankful to Diana Martinez took over the group and gave it new life when it was about to die out a few years ago after attending the Students for Life of Illinois leadership retreat.

In the Fall of 2011, the SFLI Campus Mentor Program began mentoring the NSFL leadership.

We are thankful to past president Laura Rollick who welcomed our campus mentor. We are thankful to David Young, the outgoing president and past SFLI intern for his great leadership in building momentum on campus!

David and his team have done a great job in gaining traction on a difficult campus. As David graduates and moves on, Will Garrison is taking over as President of NSFL and we know that he will continue that momentum!

Northwestern Students for Life is a part of our Campus Mentor Program. They have been very open to our help and guidance. The combination of our Campus Mentor Program and the students’ hard work is a formula for success!

I’m not just tooting the SFLI horn here. Outgoing NSFL President David Young agreed when he posted this story on facebook:

You can be a part of this success by helping us continue to grow the campus mentor program!

Click here to make a donation now.

Work alongside our Campus Mentor Program Director to build up the pro-life movement through events, media, fundraising support, and networking with pro-life students.

If accepted, you will make a real impact on the direction of the pro-life movement in Illinois, while also gaining invaluable experience in the non-profit sector.

Here’s what David had to say about his experience last year:

“The summer internship with Students for Life of Illinois is a wonderful opportunity to continue developing as a pro-life leader while contributing directly to the student pro-life movement at the state level.

Having completed the internship I feel significantly more prepared to begin the year as President of Northwestern Students for Life. I know that the facts I learned about the pro-life movement and the skills I learned to support them will stick with me the rest of my life.”

• Requirements: Motivated, Proactive, Organized pro-life college student
• Duration: Part-time unpaid position (15-20 hrs/week)
• Start Date: No later than June 17th, dependent on accepted applicant’s school year
• End Date: Approximately 2 1/2 months after start date
• Application Includes: Cover letter, Résumé, and Application Questions
• Submission: Submit complete application to Kevin Grillot at Kevin@ProLifeIllinois.com.
• Application Submission: April 26th, 2013 at the latest
• Questions? Contact Kevin at 309.696.8071 or Kevin@ProLifeIllinois.com

Summer 2013 Chicago Internship Application Questions

In a separate document, please complete the following questions to the best of your ability. Send your application questions, résumé, and cover letter to Kevin@prolifeillinois.com by April 26th at the latest.

1. What are the primary driving factors that has led you to apply for an internship with SFLI? (Answer in 300 words)
2. Describe a time in which you took the initiative to organize an event and how you grew from the experience. (Answer in 300-500 words)
3. Describe ways in which you have reached out to your peers both to
   1. Motivate them to attend events or do an activity
   2. Spread the pro-life message (Answer in 300-500 words)

Director of Operations

In your role as Director of Operations you will have the responsibility of implementing, maintaining and improving the Operational Systems that keep SFLI running.

The ideal candidate for this position is…

• Passionate about building a larger pro-life movement
• Extremely organized and proud of it
• Very good at planning – events, tasks, processes
• Proactive. Must be able to be disciplined and work with limited oversight
• Willing to take ownership of SFLI operational systems and their improvement
• Willing to learn and adapt to our philosophy and methods
• Able to see and value the vital need for operational support of our life-saving mission.

Your role will be to run, maintain and improve current SFLI business and operations processes in order to support the organization and the Campus Mentor Program.

Operational Systems include:

• Financial record keeping, payroll, expense reports, etc.
• Web Communications
• Mailings
• SFLI Employee Policies
• Office Procedures
• Supporting Campus Mentor Program
• Supporting SFLI fundraising systems
• Planning and Coordinating SFLI events – Conference, Staff Retreats, etc.
• SFLI Operations Calendar

Some fundraising will also be required, but you will not have to raise your salary at this time.

This is a full-time, salaried position. You get to work with a passionately pro-life staff who are working to change the world, help women in need and save lives.

Location: Students for Life of Illinois headquarters in Champaign, IL is preferred but the Chicago area is an option.

To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to johnpaul@prolifeillinois.com

Be sure to include names and phone numbers of two references, one professional and one personal. Please indicate which position you are interested in.

Questions can be directed to johnpaul@prolifeillinois.com as well.

Start Date: Late May
Application Deadline: April 19th

Campus Mentor

In your role as Campus Mentor you will be a pro-life missionary to college campuses. You will mentor the pro-life students specifically on 3 campuses in Illinois. A Campus Mentor builds relationships with students to develop leadership skills, educate on life issues, and call them to use their gifts to build a culture of life on their campus.

The ideal candidate for this job is…

• Passionate about building a larger pro-life movement
• Very good with people, relationship building and community building
• Willing to learn and adapt to our philosophy and methods of campus outreach
• Extremely organized and able to plan ahead
• Proactive. Must be able to be disciplined and work with limited oversight.

This is not a 9-5 job, you will work on college schedule and will be expected to be present when student events are happening (often on nights and weekends). Responsibilities are centered around building relationships with students, it is not a desk job.

Some fundraising will also be required, but you will not have to raise your salary at this point.

This is a full-time, salaried position. You get to work with a passionately pro-life staff who are working to change the world, help women in need and save lives.

To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to johnpaul@prolifeillinois.com

Be sure to include names and phone numbers of two references, one professional and one personal. Please indicate which position you are interested in.

Questions can be directed to johnpaul@prolifeillinois.com as well.

Start Date: Late May
Application Deadline: April 19th

Location: Chicago Area

Here is her story:

Enter Kaja…

Before going to the March for Life this year, I spent four months studying abroad in Bonn, Germany where my previous pro-life involvement at DePaul was forgotten and pushed aside.

At least to my knowledge, the Bonn campus did not address the issue, which made me question whether abortion actually existed in the “ultra-tolerant” and “democratic” country of Germany. However, my temporary carefree and almost indifferent attitude towards the issue cannot in any way be excused by my preoccupation with the ‘study abroad experience’. Even when I came back to Chicago, I felt disconnected from the Respect for Life group at DePaul, and it was not until the March for Life that I became re-inspired for real.

It would be a huge mistake to try to pinpoint a single event during the march and the conference that caused the major change in my attitude. However, I do remember a few moments that always stick out when I recall my experience there.

The two events occurred during the march itself: seeing the brutal and painful images projected on a screen on one of the sidewalks through which we marched and later experiencing pro-choice protestors’ aggressive signs and shouts in our direction.

The images stirred in me a strong feeling of disbelief at the enormous violence inflicted upon innocent babies, and although these images were awful and gruesome, I could not pull my eyes away. I wanted to imprint those images upon my heart so as to never stop fighting for life and human dignity.

The confrontation with pro-choice protestors also shook me, especially when a pro-choice female with a sign that called women bitches approached our group. In response to her terribly vulgar and sad poster, all of the girls in our group (Loyola, DePaul, Dominican, Northwestern, and UIC) began to chant “Women deserve better”. Guys in the group joined in right away, however that moment became particularly significant to me as a woman fighting for better choices and conditions for young mothers (and all women in general).

The conference the next day also proved to be amazing and extremely insightful. All throughout the conference, inspired and touched by speakers and activists, I often could not hold back tears. It was a beautiful environment in which I became acutely ashamed of my previous indifference. It was an environment which exposed everything I ignored in Germany and then pushed it to another level. I realized I wanted to fight for the pro-life cause for good this time.

And so after coming back to DePaul, I have rejoined the group as a board member with a position of Outreach Coordinator. So far I have contacted several groups on campus which might express interest in supporting our main goal for this school year: installing changing tables in women’s bathrooms on campus. In addition to that, all of the board members, including myself, coordinate bi-weekly meetings where education and conversation regarding the topic of life and especially abortion take place.

On a more personal note, I work hard to establish my own pro-life identity by educating myself on the topic from different perspectives, by speaking up (although that is by far the hardest!) when the question of life is being trivialized and misunderstood by some of my friends, and by seeking aid from helpful and much stronger people than myself in times of crises and feelings of hopelessness, such as Kevin (SFLI’s Campus Mentor).

Everyday I make sure my passion for abolishing abortion and spreading the message of life does not die down, and as of now I am fully dedicated to this beautiful cause.

Love Life,
Kaja :)

–
Thanks Kaja!

I think it’s impressive that Kaja is able to see that she really needs to establish her own pro-life identity. This is an important realization. If you do not invest in your own knowledge and passion, you will not be much help in advancing our cause.

Kaja knows this. Do you?

What are you doing to invest in YOUR pro-life identity?

Joe’s story can inspire many of us who are pro-life but have had our passion wane. There are a lot of pro-lifers out there who need to be inspired just like Joe was at this year’s March for Life!

Enter Joe…

Raised in a pro-life household and inspired by the example of my mother, who runs a pro-life ministry at our church, I was always an unwavering supporter of life. Seeing the film Silent Scream in high school particularly galvanized my commitment to the pro-life cause. However, this commitment was essentially limited to voting for pro-life politicians and wearing a pro-life button on my backpack.

I must confess that in the back of my mind, I viewed the fight against abortion as a losing battle; the die had been cast in 1973, and it didn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. My commitment would always remain, but I wondered if justice would ever truly be restored for the unborn.

Going on the March turned my dismal thoughts upside down.

I joined more than half a million people on a freezing hike through our nation’s capital and despite a bitter chill in the air, the enthusiasm was joyful and electric.

As we approached the Capitol building, I realized the true magnitude of our statement: we had come (in droves!) to call on our leaders to respect the rights of the voiceless. And seeing the enthusiasm and hope in others on the March inspired hope within me that someday abortion will be illegal, and unborn life— and pregnant mothers — will be given the respect and protection they deserve.

I found my pro-life voice on the March.

In a culture that is too shallow, distracted, and just plain afraid to talk about serious issues of right and wrong, I found my voice, and I will no longer be silent.

I will no longer be a passive member of this movement, but an active one—spreading the pro-life message with conviction, grace, and charm. As we chanted in Washington, “We are the pro-life generation!” And we have a voice!

[image credit, nytimes]

After this powerful March for Life experience, Dominican students raise money to help women in need.

Today, we have a reflection from Molly Dettmann of Dominican University who has already started making an impact on her campus. After being inspired by the March for Life she sought out the help of SFLI Campus Mentor, Kevin Grillot to learn how to turn that inspiration into meaningful action.

Enter Molly…

Ever since I was little, the issue of abortion has been very real to me. I grew up in a pro-life family and my parents taught me at a young age the importance of life and how sacred this special gift is.

However, the March for Life was always some giant exciting event that seemed very distant and far away. I would hear about it occasionally, but the opportunity to attend seemed more like a bucket list item than an actual reality. It wasn’t until I got older and started college that I became much more aware of the importance of being up to date with the current issues in our country.

I attend a small private liberal arts college and while I was sitting in seminar last semester, my professor started giving a litany of her political beliefs and views on abortion which radically differed with my pro-life values. Before I could even find the courage to voice my opinion, the whole class was agreeing with my professor and I soon realized the uphill battle I would be fighting in the tolerant world we are living in today. I was outnumbered, upset, and felt alone in my beliefs about life.

However, great moments are born from great opportunities. I soon saw an advertisement on campus for the March for Life!

Was it a risk?

Yes.

Was I nervous?

You bet.

But did I answer the call to attend the March? Yes I did and it was an experience that changed my life and inspired me in more ways than one.

From the moment I met up with the other students from the Archdiocese of Chicago for the March, there was an incredible sense of a family, love, and hope. Fear was replaced by courage, anxiety replaced by excitement, and loneliness in my beliefs replaced by the vibrant spirit of thousands of students my age who were coming together to stand for life!

At the actual march, I will never forget the moment when our group of about 60 students turned the corner on a street in D.C and the sight of over 500,000 people of all different ages, races, and backgrounds, guys and girls, babies and grandparents, children and students, moms and dads, completely filled the streets and all you could hear were chants and cheers for life!

I will never forget that moment.

It was then were I realized that I wasn’t alone, I was supported beyond my belief and that I was apart of the largest social justice movement since the movement for Civil Rights. Now that’s awesome!

The next day at the Students for Life of America “Be Courageous” conference, I along with over 2,000 other students like me received the information, inspiration, and the tools we would need to be advocates for life on our campuses and to spread the message of life while encouraging others to be silent no more.

One of the speakers said, “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself”. This quote hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t be silent anymore while trying to not hurt anybody’s feelings about abortion or to not cause conflict; I have a duty to the 55 million who never got the chance to speak up because abortion silenced them forever. I would spread the message of life through words and works of love.

Today, I am proud to say that I am no longer afraid to spread the pro-life message to those around me.

Our pro-life group, Stars for Life, has many great events planned for this semester and I have already had multiple students approach me about learning more about what they can do for the pro-life cause and just wanting to learn the truth about abortion.

It is an unbelievable feeling to know that just through talking with others and standing up for what’s right, that I can play a role in saving the lives of innocent children. It is never easy to be a voice when everyone else is silent and fear is always knocking at the door, but courage is not the absence of fear; but the willingness to act in spite of fear.

–
Thank you, Molly for your willingness to act in spite of fear!

For those who want to keep up with the great work of the pro-life students at Dominican, go here:

Dominican Stars for Life Facebook Page.

Enter Zac…

January 22, 1973.

On this day 40 years ago, abortion was legalized in the United States of America.

The number 40 holds significance in several regions of life. In Judaism, rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights and the people wandered in Exodus for 40 years. In Christianity, Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert, and 40 days were said to have passed between Christ’s resurrection and ascension. In Islam, the prophet Muhammad was 40 years old when he first received revelation from the angel Gabriel, and the Quran states that a person is fully grown only when they are 40. This is consistent with secular thoughts today: people say “life begins at 40,” and just recently a film was released titled “This is 40,” which seems to define being middle-aged.

It takes 40 years for a new generation to rise up.

In the past 40 years, we’ve witnessed more than 50 million reported abortions. 50 million children torn from the womb, 50 million mothers pushed to the fear and anxiety of an unexpected pregnancy, who felt abortion was there best option. 50 million fewer fathers; 50 million fewer siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. 50 million fewer first days of school.

There are more than 50 million reasons to stand up for life, but I argue that we need only one.

We only need to focus on one friend or roommate or co-worker hurt by the tragedy that abortion brings. We only need one instance of the anxiety that a woman feels when she’s shocked by a pregnancy test. We only need to witness one birth of a child to see how beautiful our gift of creating life truly is.

So here we stand today.

Solemnly acknowledging the passing of 40 years since the legalization of abortion in the United States of America. The gravity of the situation leaves many questions to be answered.

This is our generation’s response:

“We are sick of the culture of death. We’re sick of seeing our peers suffer from more abortions. We’re sick of missing brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, Godsons and Goddaughters. We’re sick of seeing single moms struggling without any resources.

Together, we are screaming: ‘We are here. We have value; so do you and so does everyone else. Let’s treat each other as such.’”

As important and essential as they are, our first steps as the pro-life movement cannot be to sidewalk counsel in front of an abortion clinic, or to march on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Our first steps must be in the way we treat the very people close to us.

I believe much truth is found in declaring, “nothing you say to anyone matters, unless they know you love them first.” We cannot change minds and hearts exclusively, and we have a responsibility to make ourselves available to anyone should they ever seek help in dealing with a crisis pregnancy.

We cannot escape the last 40 years, but they do not shackle us. Abortion will end. We need only one reason to stand up for life, but we need far more than one person to do it.

There is a story from the desert mystics that teaches us an important lesson.

Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, “Abba, as far as I can I say my Little Office. I fast a little. I pray. I meditate. I live in peace and as far as I can. I purify my thoughts. What else am I to do?” Then the old man stood up, stretched his hands towards heaven and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire, and he said to him, “If you will, you can become all flame.”

We stand at this vigil with the flame from our candles as well as the flame within us. If we will it, we can become all flame; the flame that fuels the fire our cold culture of death so desperately requires. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Our movement needs each of our flames. We need the lawyers to fight in the courts, the people in the medical field to save lives, the mathematicians to provide statistical analysis on abortion, etc. etc. We must find ways to use the gifts and talents we have to save and better lives. But consistent through all gifts and all vocations, we find the call to love. Love is our most valuable weapon in this war on life.

Share with everyone you encounter the joy of the pro-life movement. We will and must take time to enter into solemn silence to remember the countless heartbreaks from abortion. But in-between those times we must take every opportunity we can to celebrate life.

The purpose of a vigil, at least taking the root of the word, is to keep watch. Tonight we keep watch and bear witness to the tragedy of the last 40 years. But we must move from watching to action. We cannot let the issue of abortion become an intellectual playground for debate. We must make this issue personal. We must do everything we can within the bounds of love to end this.

I conclude with the words from the second inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln: who also faced a nation who found itself severely polarized in regards to an issue of severe destruction to human dignity.

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

—

Thank you Zac for your inspiration and leadership at Loyola and with Students for Life of Illinois!

Should we stop doing pro-life displays?

Absolutely not.

The truth must get out there.

But, instead of looking on the perpetrators with anger, we should look on with pity that they are trying to cover up the immense dignity of the unborn child. They probably need healing…

Here’s the story:

The DePaul University Young Americans for Freedom chapter hosted a Flags for Life Project to mark the 40th anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. YAF club members set up 500 flags at 7:00AM Tuesday morning on the DePaul campus (half blue, half pink) to symbolize just some of the lives lost every day due to the injustice of abortion in our nation.

At about 5:00PM Tuesday evening the DePaul YAF chairman, Kristopher Del Campo, along with other executive board members, went to remove the flag display. But what they found was startling; the flags had been removed and stuffed into trash bins inside and outside the entrance to the DePaul library.

Del Campo contacted the DePaul Public Safety, who are reviewing videotape evidence that 3-4 females removed the flags around 4:30PM. The incident is still under investigation.

“It is a sad thing to see that liberal minded students aren’t more tolerant, and don’t respect the views of those who respect the lives of the unborn”, stated Del Campo. “Especially on a campus of one of the nation’s largest Roman Catholic institutions, such as DePaul University.”

Despite being 40 years since Roe, the abortion culture is still alive and well. Let’s get back to work defending the dignity of all people and spreading the truth about abortion!