Can Prayers Tip the Scales to Shut Down Planned Parenthood Permanently? TFP’s Midwest Caravanners Think So

Prolifers worldwide were disappointed when the defunding of Planned Parenthood was significantly weakened in the “Big Beautiful Bill.” The original version would have forbidden Medicaid reimbursements to facilities like Planned Parenthood that offer abortions for a period of 10 years. The final version lowered the period to one year. Even this weakened version would close dozens of abortion clinics. The fate of the bill now rests on a federal injunction that has put it on hold. Never has the prolife movement been this close to shutting down Planned Parenthood.

David the Prolifer versus Goliath the Abortion Provider

The actions of pro-lifers over the years are like that portrayed in a video where a small domino knocks over a slightly larger domino. Many dominoes later, the last one to fall was a thousand times bigger than the first one.

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Planned Parenthood is the undisputed behemoth and champion of the abortion movement—the biggest domino. Its affiliates can account for most abortions done in the United States. It is threatened by the smallest domino, the rank-and-file prolifer, that tries to overturn it.

The momentum toward this fall has already begun. From 2020 to 2024, there was a 5% decline in abortion clinics in the U.S, a total of 42 clinics. This year alone another 33 were closed. Planned Parenthood Action Fund warned in May that 200 abortion clinics may have to shut down if it is defunded.

A Novena of Rosaries, Suffering and Public Witness

At the end of July, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) launched a summer caravan¹ consisting of a large team of volunteers protesting at the largest abortion clinics in the Northern Midwest. The goal is to do a novena of rosaries and campaigns with the conviction and confidence that it will help tip the scales to defund and shut down Planned Parenthood once and for all.

For nine days straight, a total of 20 young men traveled through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan, praying rosaries in front of 22 abortion clinics. The volunteers stood under the blazing sun, in sweat-soaked suit jackets, with limited water, engaging the traffic with honk signs, or discussing the issue with passersby. They slept in people’s basements or on the floor of an abandoned convent without central air conditioning. Several were sunburned and sometimes suffered mild dehydration, something almost impossible to prevent when being very active during days with a high-heat-index warning. Their voices went hoarse from shouting prolife slogans, like “Smile! You survived abortion,” and singing Marian hymns loudly.

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Some were pepper-sprayed in the face by an irate counter-protester. The opposition weren’t content with obscene gestures or shouting profanities from afar; some came right up to the pro-lifers’ faces. Everyone faced the scorn and ridicule of pro-aborts. They endured the blank-faced indifference of so many. The worst was the hatred and physical threats.

It was nine days full of prayer, suffering, discomfort, and activism in the public square.

Beyond Politics, A Battle for Souls

What value does this action have compared to the passing of a bill or other pro-life activism?

Legislative efforts are as vital to the pro-life movement as the person-to-person encounter of sidewalk counselors. However, the pro-life movement’s true power lies in God’s intervention.

Political victories can be fleeting, as seen in the stripped-down defunding bill and the federal injunction. However, God’s work in human hearts is long-lasting. The pro-life movement’s goal must not merely be to change laws or convince one individual at a time but to restore the conscience of a whole nation, making abortion unthinkable to every single American. This is only possible with Divine intervention.

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Our Lady of Fatima offered this solution to mankind in 1917 when she repeatedly asked that the faithful pray the rosary and offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners, which would result in obtaining peace in the world and the triumph of her Immaculate Heart.

If the prayers and sacrifices of three shepherd children can change world events, then the prayers and sacrifices of twenty done in the same spirit are effective ways to help stop abortion.

Clarifying the Issue on Women’s Health Care

Yet, TFP caravanners did not rely solely on prayer. They also engaged in many discussions, refuting the argument that Planned Parenthood alone can provide for women’s healthcare.

In reality, Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics have a long history of failing to care for the health of the baby and mother.

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In contrast, the pro-life movement has done a better job providing quality care to both mothers and babies. Treatments are often free or cheaper because many are run by caring volunteers. Many offer the same non-abortive health care to women as Planned Parenthood. Women were surprised to find out that defunding Planned Parenthood will not deny health care to women. It will redirect federal resources to life-affirming and more cost-effective alternatives.

If more women knew that pro-life women’s health centers were better options than Planned Parenthood clinics, then it would help tip the scales even faster.

A Culture of Life Begins With a Culture of Faith

The pro-life movement stands at a critical juncture, where small acts of faith can yield monumental change. If one of the intermediary dominoes is missing, however, the whole sequence fails. Only God can make sure every step falls successfully. The three Fatima seers changed history forever because they followed Our Lady’s instructions. Only a culture of faith can defeat the culture of death. Life begins with conception, which means life starts with God. So, everything must always begin with Him.

Sidewalk counselors must continue their valiant efforts day in, day out. Pro-life politicians must continue to push for laws that will uphold the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, and the defunding of abortion clinics. The faithful, above all, must increase their rosaries and sacrifices to obtain Mary’s triumph. America is on the brink of making abortion unthinkable. Prayers, sacrifices and actions can all help tip it over once and for all.

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