Internationally-renowned among pro-life activists, Pro-Life Action League founder Joe Scheidler, 93, was laid to rest last week after fighting for the unborn for decades. Scheidler passed away on January 18, 2021 of pneumonia at his Chicago home, surrounded by family. The funeral mass was held at Saint Cantius Church in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side.
Scheidler founder the Pro-Life Action League in 1980 with the aim of saving unborn children through non-violent direct action. Joe first became involved in the pro-life movement in 1972, when at the urging of his wife Ann. he took the family to a pro-life leafleting day in downtown Chicago. A picture of a baby aborted late in pregnancy reminded him of his son Eric’s baby picture, and the abortion issue became personal for him. Shortly after the Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade, Joe became a full-time pro-life activist.
Nearly 7000 people have viewed the funeral mass online. It can be seen in this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/ww6a4LWomew
As the funeral hearse left the church, groups formed formed a line in the street for a send off holding signs like “life is a gift” and “Thank you Joe.”
A group of young people from the church held a banner saying, “Life is Beautiful.”
