Planned Parenthood in Fitchburg closes

A Catholic doctor who actively opposed the Planned Parenthood facility in Fitchburg is rejoicing that it has closed.

Dr. Mark J. Rollo, a family physician from Fitchburg and a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish there, said he and others protested the opening of the facility in 2010 and have picketed in front of it ever since.
Surgical abortions were not performed there, he said, but he didn’t know whether medical ones were.

“I personally feel like it was picketing, prayers and persistence that closed them down,” he said. “It’s a small victory, but a victory nevertheless … to see their footprint contract instead of expand,” especially when people in Massachusetts are pushing for passage of the ROE Act to expand abortion.
“They had a sign on their window for two to three months saying they were having trouble with their heating,” but the sign was still up in June, he told The Catholic Free Press Wednesday.
He said he talked to city officials, who thought the facility had closed, then confirmed that it had. Within the last week a sign appeared in the window saying it was closed, he said.
“We’re still putting a little indirect pressure on the landlord to take down the awning” that identifies the place, he said.  
“Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) has decided to permanently close its Fitchburg Health Center,” says the website www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-massachusetts. “We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.” Clicking on a button offering more information, one finds a letter dated June 7 which says resources will be allocated to “our other health centers.”
The letter says, in part: “PPLM will continue to serve patients living in Central Massachusetts with the same scope of high quality sexual and reproductive health care services. We have doubled the hours of Marlborough Health Center which is now open six days a week and our Worcester location continues to be open six days a week as well.”