Chicago, January 18, 2021 — The Pro-Life Action League is mourning the death of founder Joseph M. Scheidler, widely known as the “Godfather of Pro-Life Activism.” Joe began his life’s work fighting abortion in 1973, shortly after the Roe v. Wade decision, and founded the League in 1980 to recruit and equip pro-life Americans to be a voice for unborn children in their own communities throughout the country and the world. Countless pro-life volunteers and leaders alike credit Joe with having inspired them to join the movement.
Joe was born on September 7, 1927, in Hartford City, Indiana. After serving in the U.S. Navy as a military policeman at the end of World War II, he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications at the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s Degree at Marquette University. He spent eight years in religious life, studying for the Catholic priesthood at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. After discerning that God was not calling him to the priesthood, he served as a teacher at Mundelein College, during which time he chaperoned a group of students on a pilgrimage to march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
“It’s fitting that my father died on the day when Americans remember the legacy of Martin Luther King,” said Eric Scheidler, Joe’s oldest son, who serves as the League’s executive director. “Seeing the impact that regular Americans could have by taking action against racial injustice inspired my father to mobilize Americans in the same way in the fight against the injustice of abortion.” That story and many others from his five decades of pro-life activism are recounted his 2016 memoir Racketeer for Life: Fighting the Culture of Death from the Sidewalk to the Supreme Court.
Joe’s career as a pro-life activist took him to every state in U.S. and countries on four continents, as well as through countless court battles, including the notorious NOW v. Scheidler RICO case, the longest case in U.S. federal court history and the only one to make three trips to the U.S. Supreme Court, including 8-1 and 8-0 rulings in 2003 and 2006 that fully vindicated him. His 1985 book CLOSED: 99 Ways to Stop Abortion, a centerpiece of the NOW v. Scheidler trial, became the manual for pro-life activists throughout the world.
In addition to his pro-life work, Joe was a devout Catholic and daily Mass attendee, history buff with a particular interest in Abraham Lincoln, an accomplished coin collector, and very proud citizen of his adopted city of Chicago, where lived since 1963.
Full press release at Pro-Life Action League.
It would have broken his heart to see what “Catholic” Biden and the Democrats are going to do soon to dismantle 40 years of prolife work and codify abortion as a federal right. The national prolife movement is dead. The symbolism and timing here are striking.
Kevin, look at the general youthfulness of the prolife movement, as in last year’s March for Life and Walk for Life West Coast.
Check out LiveAction: https://www.liveaction.org/
Or 40 Days for Life, Students for Life, the Susan B. Anthony List or other prolife organizations.
Look at survey results, particularly among young Americans, more people are becoming prolife.
Look at prolife legislation that has been passed in several states in the last few years and the, generally, decreasing numbers of abortions.
See Marjorie Dannenfelser’s book “Life is Winning.”
Don’t believe that “the national prolife movement is dead.”
As Twain might say, reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated.
May we continue to work to protect life as Joe Scheidler so faithfully gave us good example. May his soul rest in the peace of Christ.
I think you’re naive about the heavy hand of evil that Democrats in government aligned with Big Tech are about to bring down on America in all sorts of ways, not just regarding abortion. If it won’t be outright illegal to express fundamental Catholic truths about the evil of abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism and marriage, failure to comply with the leftist groupthink on those issues and others will likely make it hard for someone to find or remain in gainful employment or have access to social means of communication. It’s already begun, and it’s intensifying. When you finally realize what’s happening in our country and how pervasive and successful the evil is, you’ll ask like me, “What is God doing for his people?”
Kevin, I don’t think I’m naive about the Democrat Party (my former party), Big Tech or even the “news” media. Are dark days coming? Sure.
Maybe I have a different perspective. I’ve been in the battle for life since Roe v. Wade, when I was in high school. We’ve seen darker days for the prolife movement in the past. You ask, “What is God doing?” He is infinitely greater than Biden, Harris, the DNC, the RNC, Soros, Gates, Jack Dorsey, Pelosi and more all put together. In addition to what He has already done, which I mentioned above, think of the Sisters of Life, Pope Saint John Paul II, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta and more.
What I am sure God will not do: violate our free wills.
“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live,” says the Lord in Deuteronomy 30:19.
What I am sure He will do: judge us all.
Do not lose heart, my friend!
Once again, thank you Deacon Craig for your wonderful and wise response. I also thank Kevin T for his thoughtful comments, and I recognize myself in him, I believe that faith is not an absence of struggle; even the great saints asked the deepest and most difficult questions about the existence and nature of God, and of suffering and salvation. Blessed John Henry Newman stated that, “10,000 difficulties do not make one doubt”. I have to always remind myself of that.
That was a beautiful reply to Kevin.
Kevin T. Read Psalm 2.
Thank you for this profile of Mr. Scheidler. I see they have the book on their website. May he rest in peace.
The pro-life movement is actually very strong. As usual, its greatest, most effective enemies are those within the Church. Where else would Satan try his hardest to gain adherents? I remember seeing the great Joseph Scheidler at the National Right to Life Convention in Anaheim in 1980. Thanks, sir, for all you have done for the babies.
Everything in the world passes, good or bad– and in the end, Good will truumph over Evil! God will win against Satan! For the first three or four centuries after Christ’s death and resurrection, generations of new Christians valiantly gave their lives as martyrs for the Faith. They never gave up! And so, through much suffering, and countless martyrdoms, Christianity survived, all through the centuries, to this very day! We are so blessed! Eventually, with persistent prayer and pro-life work, led by God– God will work His miracles, and people’s hearts will change. And abortion will once again be outlawed. Because that is what our Loving God wants– a culture of life, love, kindness, goodness, and Christian morality, among His children, and obedience to His Divine Loving Will. Human beings are so small, weak, and powerless! But with God on our side, led by Christ, we can do all things, we can overcome all sin! We all have to work hard for Christ, to our dying day, in every era, and combat the evils of the era! That is what heroic Joe Scheidler did! As St. Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” (Phil.4:13)
If Joe Biden and Fr. James Martin end up in heaven without repenting I will be very angry. Universal salvation seems to be the creed of our clergy today, which is why they do nothing faithful nor effective in ministry. Why should they? If everyone goes to heaven anyway, then nothing we do matters and the Church doesn’t matter. This life doesn’t matter. It’s all a cruel joke.
Josh, none of us, lay faithful or clergy, will get to heaven without repenting. Universalism may well be the de facto creed of some clergymen today, but, not all. It is a heresy that also seems widely held by many other Catholics as well. You may want to read Dr. Ralph Martin’s book, A Church in Crisis – Pathways Forward. He addresses universalism (as well as other issues facing the Church today). And, please pray for me that I might, by the grace of God, do things both faithful and effective in ministry.
Josh – how will you know who goes to heaven, and where will your soul be when you are “truly angry?” Please focus your energy on your own salvation.
His funeral Mass is on Youtube.