Judy Forsthoefel, President

             131 Clover Four Rd.

              Celina, OH  45822

                                                                                                  November 2009

Meeting Date:  Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, our next meeting will be Thursday, December 3rd, 8:00 PM, Coldwater Community Hospital Meeting Rm. Election of Officers will be held during this meeting and we will need to finalize our Rally plans.  We have a lot to do!  Why not come and see how and what you can do to help!

ELECTION OF OFFICERS: It’s hard to believe that another year has rolled around and its Election time for our Organization.  Our current President, Judy Forsthoefel, has done an Outstanding job!  Judy - Take a well-deserved Bow, you’ve earned it!

During the December meeting, Marleen Evers, St. Henry will become our new President.  Marleen and her husband Dan are Dairy Farmers just west of Burkettsville.  They have three daughters; one in college and the other two attend the St. Henry school system.  In addition to helping with the chores around the farm, Marleen is also a CCD teacher at the Catechetical Center in St. Henry and is a Teachers Aid sub for St. Henry Schools.  Marleen is going to have some big shoes to fill, however, we know she will do a great job.

At the present time, Marleen has a ‘person of interest’ that just might be willing to serve as her Vice President, however, as of this writing, no commitment has been made.  If – after reading this, you say to yourself, “I might like to take on this job”, give Marleen a call, 375-2475.  Maybe it’s your time to get involved.

20^TH Annual National Night of Prayer for Life at Spiritual Center

            The 20^th annual Night of Prayer for Life will be held at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein.  The hours of Eucharistic Adoration will be from 9:00 PM Tuesday, December 8^th  (the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe) to 1:00 AM Wednesday, December 9^th.  The hours include exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction, the Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet, hymns and silent meditation. You may come for the entire time of adoration or at anytime during the hours indicated above.

We are at a spiritual battle to combat abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, and all sins against life.  Therefore, we need to fight the good fight in a spiritual sense too.  One of the most powerful ways is to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration in reparation to beg Our Lord for His mercy on our country. .  Please join us and over 700 churches and chapels nationwide for this holy night of prayer to regain the culture of life. We seek miracles today.   For more info, contact Marge Will at 375-4352 or Lorena Vagedes, 678-2801. Everyone is Welcome!

CHOOSING LIFE PREGNANCY & RESOURCE CENTER

            Enclosed in this months Newsletter, is a sheet of Raffle tickets.  Choosing Life Pregnancy is hosting their first ever fundraiser with the help of many.  A quilt was made and donated to them by the Friendship Quilters of Coldwater.  The quilt will be on display at various locations including: Coldwater Library, Celina Library, Ft. Recovery Library, St. Henry Library, Gross Furniture, Tin Cupboard, D & L Woodworking, People’s Bank in Celina & Coldwater and Citizens National Bank.  Many Thanks to all of these places, and these will also be selling tickets for us, as well.  Each ticket cost $1.00 or 6 for a strip of $5.00.  Please follow the instructions on the ticket.  The drawing will take place after the first of the year.

            Also – Due to the Mercer County RTL’s financial support, Patty & Barb Thees were able to     attended a two seminar at Heartbeat International in Columbus designed especially for centers & directors three years old and younger – that’s them!  According to Patty, “We learned it takes a lot of patience and hard work but the outcome is very rewarding.  We appreciate the RTL’s financial support.”

            At the present time, they have 27 clients and growing daily.  Since July 4^th, they now have 7 new additions to their family.  Patty has expressed that there are several items that Choosing Life Pregnancy & Resource Center is in need of:  Car seats, both toddler & booster, (Please check the dates on them); cribs – slats cannot be more than 2 3/8” apart; Pac-n-plays and diapers, size 4,5, & 6.

            Choosing Life Pregnancy’s Board members are Homer & Carol Brunett, Joyce Albers, Paulette Strine, Dixie Russell, Fr. Barry Stechschulte, Patty Thees and Barb Thees.  If you are interested in receiving their newsletter, please provide them with your e-mail address.  Their address is: choosinglife@bright.net or call 419-733-4847.  Their web site will be up and running soon: choosinglife.u.s.  Check it out!

OHIO RTL ANNUAL SWEEPSTAKES WINNERS

            The Sweepstake Winners were announced:

1^st Place Prize - $1,000 - Richard Brickner, Putnam County RTL

2^nd Place Prize -   $500 - Cletus Grieshop, Minster-New Bremen RTL

                             $500 - William Schneller, RTL of Greater Cincinnati

3^rd Place Prize -    $250 - Teresa Humphrey, RTL of Greater Cincinnati

                             $250 - Joseph & Molly Smith, Cleveland RTL

4^th Place Prize -    $100 - Allan Colson, Mercer Co. RTL

                           $100  - Patrick Schmitmeyer, Mercer Co. RTL

                           $100  - Dennis & Barbara Latini, Western Reserve RTL

                           $100  - Charles DePree, Dayton RTL

                           $100  - Rosemary Cooper, Minster-New Bremen RTL

Many Thanks to all who purchased  the Ohio RTL Sweepstake tickets.  It should be noted that Patrick Schmitmeyer donated his winnings to Mercer Co. RTL.  For that – we Thank him!

NEWSPAPER SIGNATURE AD CAMPAIGN

To commemorate the 37th Anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion, our Chapter will once again purchase a full-page ad in both the Daily Standard and the Mercer County Chronicle.  Janet Hemmelgarn and her daughter Kate will once again chair this project.  (Anyone having any new suggestions as to how they can make the Newspaper Ad more ‘eye appealing’, let them know.  They are eager for new ideas!)

            For a $5.00 donation, your name, along with several hundred others, will be included in the pro-life ad.  If you wish to participate in this years Ad Campaign, please fill out the form below and return it to Project Chairperson, Janet Hemmelgarn, 3056 St. Rt. 119, St. Henry, OH  45883 by January 9^th.  Please don't wait until the last minute to turn in your name.  Mail early or give Janet a call, 678-3291.

Signature Ad Form ============================================================

A $5.00 donation will get your name, (ex: John, Mary, Susie & Bill Smith or The John Smith family) in both the Daily Standard and the Mercer County Chronicle.

Name ___________________________________________________________________________

(As you wish it to appear in the Newspapers)

Signature ______________________________________________ Mail to address above by 1/9/10

MERCER COUNTY RIGHT TO LIFE SEND-OFF RALLY, 1/21/10

            January 21^st the Mercer County Right to Life will hold our Send-Off Rally on Thursday evening, January 21st, 6:00 PM at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Coldwater.  Guest Speakers will be Angie Crider, Celina and Eric Hirschfeld from New Bremen.  Fr. Barry Stechschulte will give the Opening & Closing Prayer.  The annual ‘Friend for Life Award’ will be presented during this service.

Three buses are scheduled to leave from our area after the Rally.  Everyone is welcome to come and wish those traveling to Washington D.C. a safe & successful trip.  (The Coldwater K of C’s will be giving each one making the trip a goodie bag.)

MARCH FOR LIFE – WASHINGTON, D.C. 37 YEARS

January 22^nd, 2010 will mark the 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion on demand.  Most individuals under the age of 30 have never known a day without legal abortion.  This years Rally & March should prove to be very interesting since we now have a pro-choice President.

            The National RTL Committee is still in the process of finalizing their plans for the annual March for Life, which will be held at our nation's Capital on Friday, January 22, 2010.  The Rally will begin at NOON with the  March to the Supreme Court building following around 1:30.

                At the present time, we have three buses reserved. Gary Borger, Coldwater 678-8538 and Dave Kaiser, St. Henry 678-2569, have again graciously agreed to coordinate the Washington March for Life trip.  We are asking that those wishing to join us to please fill out the registration form below and return it to Gary Borger, 806 S. Dogwood Dr., Coldwater, OH  45828 before January 1, 2010 in order to reserve a seat.  Payment can be made at a later date. 

On Thursday evening, January 21^st, the buses are scheduled to depart from the Parking Lot at Holy Trinity Church in Coldwater immediately following the Send-Off Rally and travel thru the evening. 

For several years, our plans were to attend the Youth Rally Mass for the unborn at the Verizon Center.  Unfortunately, we always arrived to late and had to go to another church, instead. This year, tickets for the event can be obtained on line.  As of this writing, plans are to reserve 165 seats at the Verison Center.  We realize that some traveling with us may not wish to attend this Youth Rally Mass, and we will make other arrangement for them and meet up with them at the Rally site, as we have in the past.

A sack breakfast will be furnished to all making the trip. The buses will travel thru the night, making several stops along the way.  However, we do plan to arrive in D.C. very early and will have plenty of time to eat.

At noon, our entire group will meet up at the National Rally point where we will hear from many congressional and spiritual leaders, sharing their thoughts of wisdom before making the long March towards the Supreme Court building.  At that time, our group plans to visit with several legislatures before taking the subway trip to our final destination, dinner and the long bus ride home.        

                The cost for the trip will be $65 for adults and $50 for student.  As always, we rely heavily on contributions from individuals and organizations to help defray the cost of this trip.  Your past generosity has enabled many students from our area the opportunity to participate in a very powerful pro-life experience. We would like to see a good crowd from this area make the trip, however, if you personally cannot join us, please consider helping someone else go in your place.

=====Please return your Registration Form early to assure a seat =========================== 

Name _____________________________________ Age ____________ Phone ___________________

Address _____________________________________________________________________________

_____ I wish to reserve a seat for the March for Life 2010.  Make check payable to March for Life

_____ $65 for adults

_____ $50 for students under 19

           _____ Payment will be made later.

_____ I am unable to participate in the March, however, I wish to make a contribution of $________ to                       help defray the expense of others.

I absolve the Mercer Co. Right to Life, Inc. of all responsibilities en route, during & returning from the March.                

                           Signature ______________________________________

Parent/Guardian of student ______________________________________  Even though this is not an official School Function, students are expected to follow the same policies as if it were (no drugs, alcohol or tobacco, etc. permitted.)  Parents are ultimately responsible for student’s actions and behavior.  This is NOT a party trip.

 =============================================================================

HEALTHCARE REFORM

            Because of all the hard work that pro-lifers did over the past few weeks, a specific exclusion of abortion was voted at the last minute into the final health care bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives late Saturday, Nov. 7^th.  240 members of the House voted for the Stupak-Pitts amendment to block government funding abortion through health care.  The amendment would bar the new government insurance plan from covering abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother is in danger.  The amendment will also prohibit people who receive new federal health subsidies from buying insurance plans that include abortion coverage. 

The battle over health care reform has now moved from the House of Representatives to the Senate.  Pro-life Democrats flexed their political muscles in the House and forced a vote on funding abortion in the health care – and prevailed. 

            The Senate has yet to vote on their version of the health care bill and so far, the Senate version includes NO abortion funding restrictions.  There is also No conscience protection for doctors and medical professionals.  Planned Parenthood and the rest of the abortion industry and their allies in Congress are now furiously mobilizing abortion advocates in an effort to force YOU to pay for abortions in the health care bill. 

            The fight goes to the Senate next.  Then – if the bill is passed, both the House and Senate will go into conference to deliberate what will go into the final health care bill.  At any point along this process, the Stupak-Pitts amendment could be stripped from the final bill – and YOU could be forced to pay Planned Parenthood to perform even MORE abortions that the 305,310 they performed last year. 

            Please keep up the good work.  Now – contact your Senators, even if you’ve contacted them before, and let them know that abortion is NOT health care and that they must explicitly exclude abortion from any health care proposal or bill.   The next few weeks are going to be critical in stopping the abortion mandate.

            Something to ponder on:  President Obama recently addressed the issue of funding abortion in health care reform.  During a TV interview with ABC News Jake Tapper, he said, “We’re not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars not used to subsidize abortion.”  But in the same interview the President said, “there needs to be some more work” on the health care bill and indicated that he opposed the Stupak amendment restricting abortion funding.  This left everyone confused.  His statement clearly conflict.

            Also, this is the President who doesn’t let facts get in the way of a good political argument.  Just months into office, his administration released a memo warning Americans that pro-lifers – quoting the words of the memo, those “dedicated to opposition to abortion” might be “domestic rightwing terrorists.”

            Then, when an individual shouts “Allah-u-Akbar” (God is great) before slaughtering 13 patriots (and one unborn child) at Ft. Hood – the same individual who repeatedly e-mailed radical Muslim leaders who advocate suicide bombs to take out Americans soldiers – the President says we shouldn’t “jump to conclusions” by calling him a domestic terrorist.  Both of these statements by Pres. Obama were contrary to the facts, but it still didn’t deter him from making his political points.  Therefore, pro-life Americans need to be ready when the President says he’s opposed to funding abortion in health care reform, but then does all he can to make it possible. 

MESSAGE TO SENATE:

            Communicate with your Senators on a regular basis between now and the ultimate vote.  Abortion is not our only concern.

Some key points one should convey: Clear wording must be included to prohibit funding of abortion in any health care reform legislation.  The Stupak amendment in the House version must also be included in the Senate; Ask the Senators to oppose any bill that doesn’t protect the conscience of medical professionals.  Doctors, nurses or pharmacists could be forced to participate in abortion or other morally objectionable procedures; Our elderly and chronically ill must be protected against rationing of health care to prioritize budget considerations of a government-controlled health care system.  This would give way to wide scale euthanasia. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, says the Senate version will not include funding of abortion.  However, Reid, who is himself opposed to abortion, is already facing a revolt among Democratic moderates over the government-sponsored health plan that liberals want to incorporate in the legislation as a competitor to private insurance companies.

We are in a battle and we must do all we can to protect the most weak and defenseless among us.

SKIN CREAM THAT CONTAINS FETAL PROTEINS

A pro-life organization is blasting a Switzerland-based cosmetics manufacturer whose website openly admits some of its products were developed from the tissues of an aborted baby.  Children of God for Life

is a non-profit organization focused on the bioethics of embryonic tissue use in medicine and manufacturing.  One of its current campaigns includes petitioning pharmaceutical companies to produce safe, effective alternatives to vaccines derived or cultivated from aborted fetal tissues.

However, the organization’s attention has been turned to Neocutis, a company with offices in San Francisco, has developed a line of anti-aging products that include an ingredient the company has trademarked as Processed Skin Cell Protein, or PSP, developed from skin cells harvested from an abortion.  Their website for Neocutis explains that its research began years ago when scientists discovered fetal skin’s unusual ability to heal without scarring.  Scientists at the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland, then created a process to extract protein from fetal cells in the attempt to obtain an optimal, naturally balanced mixture of nutrients.  The scientists then infused those nutrients into a line of cosmeceutical anti-aging products: Neocutis skin cream, Journee day cream, Lumiere eye cream and Bio-Gel bio-restorative hydrogen.

            Neocutis website openly explains the history of its PSP ingredient: “A small biopsy of fetal skin was donated following a one-time medical termination, and a dedicated cell bank was established for developing new skin treatments.  Originally established for wound healing and burn treatments, today this same cell bank also provides a lasting supply of cells for producing Neocutis’ proprietary skin care ingredient Processed Skin Cell Proteins.”  “No additional fetal biopsies will ever be required.”

            What the Children of God for Life is concerned with is the fact ‘how many other fetuses were involved before they perfected that one cell line?’ Children of God for Life is actively calling for a boycott of all Neocutis products, beginning a campaign to contact the company’s investors and even offering free publicity to companies that will certify in writing their products are free from ingredients derived from aborted babies.  Children of God for Life’s spokes person states,  “We know there are companies using moral sources for collagen and skin proteins.  We intend to publicly promote these other cosmetic companies competing with Neocutis that are willing to step forward and contact us.” 

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VISIT US AT OUR WEBSITE.   www.mercerlife.org  Larry Laloge,WebMaster.

Officers: President: Judy Forsthoefel, 268-2911                   Newsletter:  Janet Gels & Sharon Hibner         

Vice President: Marleen Evers, 375-2475                                     Folding & Sorting:  Ann Schroyer, 678-4785

Secretary: Lisa Homan, 419-375-2515                         Sorting & Labeling: Deb Huelskamp & Volunteers

Treasurer: Frank Mohlman, 678-3788                                          Mailing: Carol Ranley

Catholic Social Services, 800-521-6419                                    Choosing Life Pregnancy Center: 418-733-4847

Mercer Co. RTL, Phone/FAX: 419-678-1348                          Elizabeth Pregnancy Service: 419-586-9029