Jordan, MN -- Several women in Jordan who are part of pro-life organizations are putting their efforts to spread pro-life messages in their local communities.
Janet Robling, of Christian Life Ministries (CLM), Deb Krzmarcik, along with Jeanette Robling and Helene Schmit from Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), Debbie Pauly and Elise Vollbrecht from A Community Caring for Life (ACCL), have worked together to support Alpha Women’s Center and Maternity Home in Prior Lake, which are a pro-life Christian ministry.
Christian Life Ministries
Janet Robling of St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church’s CLM informs of pro-life issues and of pro-life outreach groups to her fellow church members. CLM’s mission is to help individuals in crisis and educates children and families about what the scriptures teach about sanctity of life issues, covering abortion, infanticide, suicide, birth control, family strength and unity, physician-assisted suicide, human genome research, STD prevention, premarital abstinence, and so on.
"It's not just pro-life – the babies – that benefit from the CLM program," said Robling.
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life
Debbie Krzmarcik, Jeannette Robling and Helene Schmitt are three representatives of MCCL. They attend community fairs and hold information booths to deliver pro-life messages. They also run fundraising booth each year at Jordan’s Heimatfest.
"We don't actually have meetings," said Krzmarcik, who is also St. John's liaison to Alpha Women's Center. "We just make it our job to stay visible, offering information and a source for educational materials about development stages and pro-life action."
Krzmarcik also spreads pro-life messages through newspapers informing current issues to the community and reaches out to students who are working on school projects relating to pro-life issues.
"We are so fortunate that our president is a pro-life Christian," said Krzmarcik.
A Community Caring for Life
A Community Caring for Life is a program of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis' Respect Life office. Its mission reflects the words of Archbishop Harry Flynn: "No woman should feel so alone that abortion seems her only alternative. No man need feel so trapped or fearful that he believes there is no other answer…Come to any Catholic parish in this archdiocese and you will find help. Pregnancy should be the joy and responsibility of the mother, the father, and the entire community."
Debbie Pauly is St. John's ACCL representative. ACCL is a program of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Respect Life, whose mission reflects the words o Archbishop Harry Flynn: "No woman should feel so alone that abortion seems her only alternative. No man need feel so trapped or fearful that he believes there is no other answer…Come to any Catholic parish in this archdiocese and you will find help. Pregnancy should be the joy and responsibility of the mother, the father, and the entire community."
Pauly works with members of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church to increase awareness of pro-life issues among women and to give financial support in the case of unplanned pregnancies. She also plays the role as the organizer of baby clothes or items donation to Alpha Women’s Center or other pro-life organizations.
"Father lets me know when he learns of a woman who is pregnant and afraid," said Pauly. "Then I work with the mother who is seeking support."
Local ACCL representative Elise Vollbrecht heads a cooperative program of ACCL, St. John's, and Alpha Women's Center called Spiritual Adoption. Vollbrecht job is to connect people who want to adopt a baby and mothers who are considering adoption.
"Those who want to adopt a mother/baby couple choose a numbered white folder from the display, and then name their baby and mother," said Vollbrecht. "No real names are used."
Then the "adoptive parents" pray on a regular basis for their mom/baby couple.
"They ‘name' the moms and babies by writing names they choose on a white heart and attaching it to the display," said Vollbrecht. "When the baby is born, the heart is taken down and a birth announcement is attached to it with information about the sex of the baby and basic health status of mom and baby. "
Vollbrecht started the Spiritual Adoption program last fall. Eight mother/baby couples have been adopted since that time. Vollbrecht says there is no cost for the program, the only cost is the time it takes to pray. Vollbrecht sees prayer as the best gift that can be offered. "It's a cool feeling to find out that someone you don't know has been praying for you," she said.
Organizing the Spiritual Adoption program took time and devotion, but Vollbrecht wants no credit for her efforts. "This is just what I do," she said. "We need to make the pro-life effort more visible."
She finds it most distressing when feminists claim abortion is “every women’s right.” "The more correct thing to say would be that women must be responsible, and for us to teach consequences of choices that we make," she said.
However, Vollbrecht expressed joy that the act had been signed by President Bush. "I'm proud of him for saying that we're a country that believes in life."
