Candlelight Vigil Marks Five Years Since Opening of Controversial Aurora Planned Parenthood
Strong Pro-Life Presence Remains, Prayerful Gathering Set for Monday Evening
Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-403-1333, tc@tcpr.net; On-site contact: Eric Scheidler, 773-251-8792
AURORA, Ill., Sept. 28, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- In October 2007, Planned Parenthood opened what was at the time the largest abortion facility in the country in Aurora, Illinois, under a cloud of controversy and protest.
In the preceding weeks, there was an impromptu "40 Days for Life" prayer vigil (that ended up lasting 54 days), massive protests drawings upwards of 1,000 people, packed City Council meetings lasting as long as seven hours, court hearings, candlelight vigils, and nationwide news coverage.
In response, Steve Trombley, then-CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said that once the facility opened, the pro-life protesters would all give up and "go back to their normal lives."
Trombley was wrong.
Five years later, there is still a strong pro-life presence there: praying, protesting, and offering compassionate help to women seeking abortions at Planned Parenthood in Aurora, urging them to choose life-affirming alternatives to abortion.
"For the past five years, pro-lifers of the Fox Valley have tirelessly reached out to abortion-bound women at Planned Parenthood's huge abortion center in Aurora, helping them choose life for their babies," noted Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League. Scheidler led the initial protests of the Aurora facility and continues to coordinate the pro-life outreach there. He vowed, "We will continue to oppose Planned Parenthood through all peaceful means until they stop killing children in our community."
The Pro-Life Action League is hosting a Candlelight Vigil on Monday evening, marking the fifth anniversary both of Planned Parenthood's opening in Aurora, and of the steadfast pro-life outreach there.
- EVENT: Candlelight Vigil at Planned Parenthood, Aurora, Illinois
- WHEN: Monday, October 1, 2012 at 7 p.m. (Central)
- WHERE: Aurora Planned Parenthood, located at 3051 E. New York St. (New York St. and Oakhurst Dr.)
- DETAILS: prolifeaction.org/hotline/2012/auroravigil
According to Scheidler, the Monday evening vigil will consist of prayers, hymns and reflections offered by clergy and pro-life advocates who continue to oppose the abortions occurring at Planned Parenthood in Aurora.
About the Pro-Life Action League
The Pro-Life Action League was founded by Joe Scheidler in 1980 with the aim of saving babies from abortion through direct action. Not content to await a political or judicial solution to abortion, the League seeks to stop the killing of unborn children right now through all available peaceful means, including public protest, sidewalk counseling, education, youth outreach, and national leadership. www.prolifeaction.org