Faithful of the Diocese of Allentown will have a chance to see how the horror of abortion ultimately turned the heart of a Planned Parenthood clinic director to embrace life when “Unplanned” hits theaters in this area Thursday, March 28 through Sunday, March 31 at the AMC Center Valley 16 at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.
Mary Vigilante of 40 Days for Life in the Diocese said the movie, based on the book, is about Abby Johnson, who was a director at Planned Parenthood in Bryan Texas, the college town of Texas A&M.
“This is the location where 40 Days for Life was first conceived, initially done as a one-time event in 2004,” Vigilante said.
Vigilante is also coordinator of Helpers of God’s Precious Infants in the Allentown Diocese.
She said years before, the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life had invited Monsignor Philip Reilly to help them close down the Planned Parenthood that had moved to their town in 1998.
Monsignor Reilly trained them on the mission of the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants: trust God, love, pray and fast. 40 Days for Life was based on this foundation.
“After years of perseverance in prayer and fasting by the Coalition for Life, Abby Johnson converted,” Vigilante said. “She eventually wrote a book, which has now been made into a movie. It is a profound and pivotal story in our fight to end abortion in this country.”
All Johnson ever wanted to do was help women. As one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the nation, she was involved in upwards of 22,000 abortions and counseled countless women about their reproductive choices.
Her passion surrounding a woman’s right to choose even led her to become a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, fighting to enact legislation for the cause in which she so deeply believed – until the day she saw something that changed everything, leading Johnson to join her former enemies at 40 Days for Life, and become one of the most ardent pro-life speakers ever.
“God has planned the timing of this film perfectly, as he does with all things,” said Vigilante.
“The pro-abortion forces have shown their hand in the recent laws in New York and Virginia and the defeat of the Born Alive Child Protection Act in the United States Congress. With this legislation people are starting to realize that pro-abortion advocates are not for abortions just being safe and rare.
“However, not everyone is tuned into the current news. Seeing the movie can poignantly reveal that ‘what an abortion is’ has not been conveyed by the culture with transparency and honesty.”
Although it has an R rating, she said, “we have been assured that it is appropriate for even teenagers to watch.”
Check unplannedtickets.com or the AMC Center Valley 16’s website for show times.
