Praying for life at the Women’s Choice Center

By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger

BETTENDORF — Pro-life supporters recited the rosary, sang praise music, prayed, watched videos, and then most headed outside to pray silently to mark the 43rd anniversary of Roe v Wade that led to legalization of abortion in the United States.

The Women’s Choice Center hosted the event in the center’s upper-level conference room.
Father Jerry Logan, pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Mary parishes in Rock Island, Ill., led the rosary, reflecting on the joyful mysteries.

Following the rosary, a choose life video was shown. The evening included prayers by various ministers, praise music and another video.

The evening closed with a silent procession down the stairs where people picked up a candle and continued outside to the sidewalk of Planned Parenthood across the street. After supporters were done praying in the chilly outdoors they returned inside for refreshments and socialization.
Campaign update

The Women’s Choice Center capital campaign is nearing an important milestone and organizers want to encourage people who believe in the pro-life center’s work to provide the additional support needed to reach the goal.

“We are focused on saving babies and helping families,” said Vicki Tyler, the center’s executive director. “Through this campaign, we have been blessed by hundreds of people who believe in our work and who have pledged nearly $1 million.”

However, Tyler said, the campaign needs to reach $1.2 million to fully fund the initiative envisioned when the fundraising effort kicked off last October.

The campaign aims to support a five-year plan focused on purchasing and staffing a mobile medical unit, the first of its kind in the Quad Cities. The unit would travel throughout the Quad-City region to expand access to information and services of the Women’s Choice Center.

“This is an important initiative to help save unborn children,” Tyler said. “We meet women and their families at a critical time in their lives and offer support and information. To make an informed choice, women and families need medical information, pregnancy testing, obstetric ultrasounds, counseling, referrals and support.”

Because some women cannot travel to the Bettendorf Center, the mobile medical unit would regularly bring ultrasound equipment and professional staff at no charge to locations throughout the greater Quad-City area.
“We are thankful for the support we have received,” Tyler said.

For more information, or to provide support, call Development Director Jessica Ricke at (563) 332-0475. Individuals can also make a pledge with a PayPal account on the center’s website at www.WomensChoiceCenter.com