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Turnaround At Philadelphia Women's Center
By Erin Maguire, The Bulletin
On the coldest day of the year so far – reaching just 10 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill that felt like 1 degree, two pro-lifers held vigil outside of the Philadelphia Women’s Center (PWC) at 8th and Appletree streets in the early hours of Friday morning. They stood praying the rosary and offering pamphlets to mothers seeking abortions who were escorted by four yellow-aproned center volunteers into the facility. The Bulletin observed the scene from 7 to 8 a.m.
The pro-lifers were part of the group Helpers of God’s Precious Infants that holds vigil in front of PWC every Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Last Friday about 10 women went into the facility for abortions within the hour The Bulletin observed. Of the women who entered the center, eight were black, one was Hispanic and one was white – these demographics support statistics on the disproportionate number of minorities who obtain abortions in the nation and in Philadelphia.
Scene at the Center
The Women’s Center door faces an alley. Escorts stand in front or next to the door while pro-lifers stand on the sidewalk across the street. Mothers entering the facility are either dropped off in front of the door, or walk in from either end of the alley with boyfriends, husbands, girlfriends, parents, or alone.
Escorts and pro-lifers walk to meet the women, in a steady, but concerned pace almost as a subtle race to see who will get to them first. The escorts place themselves on the right side of the women to block them from the pro-lifers who stand either next to the escort or behind the women trying to get a word in edgewise.
The mothers’ left sides are close to the wall of the building as they walk down the sidewalk to the door.
“Good morning, Mom,” one pro-lifer said to a black mother walking with her white boyfriend. “Take this,” she said offering the woman a pamphlet.
“I know this is a difficult decision for you to make, but we have resources to help you keep your baby,” she continued as the mother put her hand out in denial. “We support you; we love you and we’re out here praying for you.”
While the pro-lifer spoke, the escort also talked to the woman telling her, “You don’t have to take anything they give you; you don’t have to talk to them; you don’t need that. Take the elevator to the seventh floor, get off and turn left.”
“It’s not too late to turn around,” the pro-lifer said in one final attempt as the woman walked through the door. A few minutes later, the woman’s boyfriend came out and returned to his car.
Between women entering the facility, the pro-lifers continued to pray as a couple of the escorts jumped up and down to keep warm. The morning continued with women denying information as the one pro-lifer encouraged them to make different choices while the other pro-lifer kept constant prayer and the escorts told the mothers not to listen to the pro-lifers.
Halfway through the vigil, one pro-lifer started to pray and sing in Latin. Then, he began the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a rosary-based Catholic devotion derived from the visions of Polish nun, Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska. And the scene changed – women and men entering the facility began to take information.
Throughout the morning, a few moments stood out.
One white mother who was visibly upset – with watery eyes and a furrowed brow, walked with her boyfriend and parents down the alley. The pro-lifer began her typical greeting, “Good morning, Mom; I know this is a difficult decision for you…”
The teenager’s mother turned to the pro-lifer and said loudly, “Stand back. We don’t need that crap. Stay away.” The escorts led the family into the facility while the pro-lifer told the mother she would support her with prayers.
A few minutes later, a Hispanic mother quietly led her daughter into the facility. The two stopped without saying anything as the pro-lifer explained resources that are available for the woman to keep her baby; the daughter took information from the pro-lifer.
A black woman dropped off her Muslim friend and her husband at the facility. The Muslim mother left her sleeping daughter in the backseat of her friend’s car as her husband escorted her into the facility before the pro-lifer was able to give her information.
The pro-lifer approached the car and gave pamphlets to the driver instead. She explained the financial, spiritual and emotional resources that are available to help the mother keep her baby; the driver accepted the information and thanked the pro-lifer.
Later, the father came out of the facility and the pro-lifer talked with him. He took the pamphlet she offered into the facility with him as he went back to wait with his wife.
While these people took information, two other mothers entering the facility laughed at the pro-lifer who tried to dissuade them; one held a pornographic magazine as her boyfriend pulled her ahead.
Right before the pro-lifers left to go to work, they experienced a moment of triumph.
Two sets of parents left the facility, including one who was considering abortion. The mother who had previously entered on the verge of tears came out and the pro-lifer approached her father, who took the information she offered.
“She decided to keep the baby,” he said.
The pro-lifers hugged each other in excitement over the turnaround and said “good-bye” to the escorts, who did not return the salutation, as they walked to their car.
Abortion Awareness
According to the Guttmacher Institute, minority women constitute only about 13 percent of the female population ages 15-44 in the United States, but these women obtain about 36 percent of the nation’s abortions. In Philadelphia, 50 percent of black pregnancies end in abortion. While PWC does not publish the number of abortions it performs, the Pennsylvania Department of Health does keep statistics on abortions in Pennsylvania.
In the latest 2007 report, 20032 Pennsylvania abortions were performed on white women, 14462 on black women and 2167 on women of other races. That same year, there were 19856 abortions in the five county area including 1080 in Bucks, 961 in Chester, 1090 in Delaware, 458 in Montgomery and 16267 in Philadelphia.
Abortions at PWC are performed up to 21.6 weeks of gestation, at which point the Pennsylvania Department of Health documents that a fetus has a 66 percent survival rate if he or she were delivered.
Erin Maguire can be reached at emaguire@thebulletin.us
The pro-lifers were part of the group Helpers of God’s Precious Infants that holds vigil in front of PWC every Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Last Friday about 10 women went into the facility for abortions within the hour The Bulletin observed. Of the women who entered the center, eight were black, one was Hispanic and one was white – these demographics support statistics on the disproportionate number of minorities who obtain abortions in the nation and in Philadelphia.
Scene at the Center
The Women’s Center door faces an alley. Escorts stand in front or next to the door while pro-lifers stand on the sidewalk across the street. Mothers entering the facility are either dropped off in front of the door, or walk in from either end of the alley with boyfriends, husbands, girlfriends, parents, or alone.
Escorts and pro-lifers walk to meet the women, in a steady, but concerned pace almost as a subtle race to see who will get to them first. The escorts place themselves on the right side of the women to block them from the pro-lifers who stand either next to the escort or behind the women trying to get a word in edgewise.
The mothers’ left sides are close to the wall of the building as they walk down the sidewalk to the door.
“Good morning, Mom,” one pro-lifer said to a black mother walking with her white boyfriend. “Take this,” she said offering the woman a pamphlet.
“I know this is a difficult decision for you to make, but we have resources to help you keep your baby,” she continued as the mother put her hand out in denial. “We support you; we love you and we’re out here praying for you.”
While the pro-lifer spoke, the escort also talked to the woman telling her, “You don’t have to take anything they give you; you don’t have to talk to them; you don’t need that. Take the elevator to the seventh floor, get off and turn left.”
“It’s not too late to turn around,” the pro-lifer said in one final attempt as the woman walked through the door. A few minutes later, the woman’s boyfriend came out and returned to his car.
Between women entering the facility, the pro-lifers continued to pray as a couple of the escorts jumped up and down to keep warm. The morning continued with women denying information as the one pro-lifer encouraged them to make different choices while the other pro-lifer kept constant prayer and the escorts told the mothers not to listen to the pro-lifers.
Halfway through the vigil, one pro-lifer started to pray and sing in Latin. Then, he began the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a rosary-based Catholic devotion derived from the visions of Polish nun, Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska. And the scene changed – women and men entering the facility began to take information.
Throughout the morning, a few moments stood out.
One white mother who was visibly upset – with watery eyes and a furrowed brow, walked with her boyfriend and parents down the alley. The pro-lifer began her typical greeting, “Good morning, Mom; I know this is a difficult decision for you…”
The teenager’s mother turned to the pro-lifer and said loudly, “Stand back. We don’t need that crap. Stay away.” The escorts led the family into the facility while the pro-lifer told the mother she would support her with prayers.
A few minutes later, a Hispanic mother quietly led her daughter into the facility. The two stopped without saying anything as the pro-lifer explained resources that are available for the woman to keep her baby; the daughter took information from the pro-lifer.
A black woman dropped off her Muslim friend and her husband at the facility. The Muslim mother left her sleeping daughter in the backseat of her friend’s car as her husband escorted her into the facility before the pro-lifer was able to give her information.
The pro-lifer approached the car and gave pamphlets to the driver instead. She explained the financial, spiritual and emotional resources that are available to help the mother keep her baby; the driver accepted the information and thanked the pro-lifer.
Later, the father came out of the facility and the pro-lifer talked with him. He took the pamphlet she offered into the facility with him as he went back to wait with his wife.
While these people took information, two other mothers entering the facility laughed at the pro-lifer who tried to dissuade them; one held a pornographic magazine as her boyfriend pulled her ahead.
Right before the pro-lifers left to go to work, they experienced a moment of triumph.
Two sets of parents left the facility, including one who was considering abortion. The mother who had previously entered on the verge of tears came out and the pro-lifer approached her father, who took the information she offered.
“She decided to keep the baby,” he said.
The pro-lifers hugged each other in excitement over the turnaround and said “good-bye” to the escorts, who did not return the salutation, as they walked to their car.
Abortion Awareness
According to the Guttmacher Institute, minority women constitute only about 13 percent of the female population ages 15-44 in the United States, but these women obtain about 36 percent of the nation’s abortions. In Philadelphia, 50 percent of black pregnancies end in abortion. While PWC does not publish the number of abortions it performs, the Pennsylvania Department of Health does keep statistics on abortions in Pennsylvania.
In the latest 2007 report, 20032 Pennsylvania abortions were performed on white women, 14462 on black women and 2167 on women of other races. That same year, there were 19856 abortions in the five county area including 1080 in Bucks, 961 in Chester, 1090 in Delaware, 458 in Montgomery and 16267 in Philadelphia.
Abortions at PWC are performed up to 21.6 weeks of gestation, at which point the Pennsylvania Department of Health documents that a fetus has a 66 percent survival rate if he or she were delivered.
Erin Maguire can be reached at emaguire@thebulletin.us
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mnc wrote on Jan 19, 2009 10:10 AM: