Pro-Lifers Rally for Women Betrayed by Planned Parenthood

The Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia hosted a “Women Betrayed” Rally at Planned Parenthood at 12th and Locust on July 28th, two weeks after undercover footage was released to the public revealing the disturbing truth about Planned Parenthood. The Rally was part of a nationwide effort spearheaded by Students for Life and Pro-Life Future.

Planned Parenthood in Center City commits over 5,000 abortions every year and is a site of the upcoming 40 Days for Life Campaign in Center City Philadelphia. Despite the hot and humid conditions, 200 pro-lifers came out for those betrayed by Planned Parenthood.

 

Pro-Lifers began the rally with prayer. Edel Finnegan, Executive Director of the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia, opened the event with alarming stats about Planned Parenthood. She begins reminding everyone in attendance of the shocking revelation of Planned Parenthood’s selling of aborted baby parts and boldly states that “women have been deceived by the lies of Planned Parenthood for decades and do not care about women and their children” she reminds us that the pro-life movement is here so that women can  choose life.

Patrick Stanton asked everyone to pray for those who work at Planned Parenthood “that they may turn away and accept life”. Pat brought up the parable of the good seed which those who plant good seeds will prosper. “Why choose death over life?” Pat inquire.

 

Maria Malone, Co-founder of Adoption is a loving option, spoke about how can we help changing hearts and encouraging women to choose life. She reveals that Planned Parenthood refers mothers 1 adoption out of forty nine abortions which they “make money on abortion by betraying women and not educating them on all options available. Birth mothers have the right to contact adoptive parents on their child’s growth.”

 

The crowd would later lead a defund chant.

Jewels Green, a former staff member of Planned Parenthood in Allentown, shared about her experience that ultimately led to her conversion. In 1989, she was pregnant and in an abusive relationship. She visited a Planned Parenthood and got an abortion which haunted her for the rest of her life. Her son would have been twenty six years old. She would work for the facility until one day it was enough and walked away.

“Abortion fails the need of women. I was never told of the repercussions of an abortion or become complicit” Jewels reflected. “To those who work at Planned Parenthood, there’s time to walk away.”

 

One testimony of the extraordinary work of Pro-Life Union is told through Kendra Outterbridge, mother of six. When she was considering an abortion ten years ago she contacted the pregnancy hotline (610-626-4006) staffed by Pro-Life Union volunteers and the “facts that I was presented help me convert. I remember working at an abortion facility and I realized two things. One the doctors there had no compassion. Two they ran the place like a chop shop.”

 

The Pro-Life Union has helped Kendra with her education as she studied to be a nurse and supports her and family.

 

Catie Payne, a missionary for the Culture Project, shared her vision of how we can cultivate a society where all life is respected from the bottom up.

“We dream of a society where human life is valued in not just laws but in our relationships with others” Catie explains.

With talks geared towards young people, the group “talks about the importance of sexual for men and women”.

 

“Young people have great power and want to do what’s right which is heroic and it starts with us. Women deserve better than abortion and need our help. Continue to stand up for life and invite others to do the same.”

 

The rally closed with a time of singing and prayer. Father Chris Walsh, pastor of St. Raymond’s and spiritual advisor of the Pro Life Union, led the final minutes of the rally to call everyone to prayer. He paralleled the mass killings of the holocaust to what happens at Planned Parenthood facilities everywhere.

 

“There’s no difference between the two. It’s time to stop the killing” Father Walsh declares “Pregnancy is not an illness.”

Father Walsh would continue with a reminder of the story of John Grace’s conversion after being a slave trader. Grace realized “his love for God was everlasting. Many people would swallow the lies they believe and would take years for many of them to see the truth. God has a better plan for us and we must carry it.”

Those gather would join in singing “Amazing Grace”, This Little Light of Mine” and five minutes of silence for the 5,000 babies killed at Planned Parenthood in Center City.