Also, on Thursday November 19th , a young woman who gave her name and then later introduced me to her partner and her young baby who was in a stroller approached me when I was standing with my sign asking about my sign and also if it was some organized effort, and
if it was alright , in the case that they may come to stand there with their child (one of them... the oldest 2 and a half years, I believe was the age).They had their 5 month old son with them. They said they would come next week. She is also pregnant now with their third child.
We shared a lot, and she told me her mother had had 5 abortions and her mother (who had a drug problem), had wanted her to have one when she first became pregnant.
Instead, this beautiful sweet girl, wise in ways not many are these days, went ahead and had her child, and oh, what a beautiful testimony she went on to give.
She spoke to me about how hard it is for teenage women when they decide to keep their children, and even the pressure of them being pregnant. She also said she wished more teenage women would be there as well.
I agreed. She told me that although it was not easy , she never would have taken the life of her child.
She said she knew what the baby goes through in an abortion. I had already spoken about the silent scream.
We talked and talked and I ended my part of the dialogue, by telling her and her boyfriend, that she was such a Blessing to me from God, and that her witness to God's Truth in how she courageously went and did the His Will was music to my ears.
Also, Friday, when I went down to stand with my Silent No More sign I met some other wonderful people, and I witnessed a turnaround !
I saw a woman after she looked over at my sign, go in the door of 65 Bank.
She was walking very quickly and was very serious looking. Almost immediately after she went in the door, stood there for a minute, she turned around and walked very quickly out the door and quickly down the street.
I thanked God and Mother Mary for what appeared to be a turnaround by the circumstances.
- F.
2009/11/19
Ground Zero report - Nov. 19th
This is the first time I've gone back out to the vigil site since the end of the 40 Days. I arrived at 7:30 am, and there were already two vigilers who had been praying since 7 am.
The vigiler schedule was filled today except for one hour, from 10 to 11 am.
Thanks to all who prayed for the little ones and their mothers today, whether you were at the site or wherever duty called.
This has been an encouraging day. It started out pretty much the usual way. Most women going in ignored us. I noticed one woman in particular who looked rather sullen on her way towards the abortuary. She was a few paces in front of her boyfriend. They were not speaking. They both refused the literature I offered them. They first went in the door at 71 Bank. A few minutes later they came out again and this time C., the other sidewalk counsellor, who was standing on the other side of the door, offered them some information. Again they refused. About 30 minutes later, not long enough to have had an abortion, she came out crying, with him following, trying to keep up with her. I again offered our help, but he simply said "No thanks". It does appear that she changed her mind, or maybe they both did. Please keep them in your prayers that God may guide this young couple to welcome this new human being, this child of theirs.
At about 12:45, a pretty young woman accepted the brochures I offered to her. She seemed relieved at the news that there were places she could go to for help. I explained to her the services they offered. She mentioned that both she and her boyfriend didn't really want to go through with an abortion, but that they had no money. I encouraged her to pray for guidance and she readily accepted the rosary I offered her. She even chose her own color. I proceeded to explain to her that she really needs to rethink what she's about to do, as this is an irreversible choice. I pointed to F. and her "I regret my abortion" sign and told her about the women I know who do regret their abortions. She then pointed to the telephone and said she would like to phone one of the crisis pregnancy centres. But still, she entered 65 Bank St.
Msgr. Reilly teaches that this is no reason to panic. He doesn't mind if the women go in. In fact, it helps them to see the stark reality of abortion. He has had more turnarounds after the women have gone in than otherwise. I was hoping to go home at around 1pm, but I decided to wait for her to come out. About 30 minutes later, a young French-Canadian man walked by and started chatting with me. He asked me if it was a private clinic. I explained that abortion is covered by OHIP. His response was "That's monstrous!" I agreed.
At about 2pm, a couple in their mid to late twenties went in. She was hiding her face in her scarf. Five minutes or so later, they came out slowly, both staring at F.'s "I regret my abortion" sign. I offered our brochures and the man took them. As they walked away towards Queen St. they read through all of them, all the while, their pace quickening. Was it that their decision to keep their child was getting stronger with each step? I pray that it was so.
I kept waiting for the young woman who had spoken to me to come back out of the clinic. I waited almost two hours, as long as I could stay, but I still didn't see her come out.
As I left, I went across the street to thank the vigilers who were there praying. F. said she saw the young woman leave the clinic as I was speaking to the young man. I hope it really was her.
I was quite an eventful day, very encouraging after the intensity of the spiritual battle during the 40 Days for Life campaign. I ask all of you to pray for these three women, and the fathers of these babies, that they all do indeed embrace and welcome these new human beings. May our Lord turn the hearts of these parents towards their children.
We must also not forget the babies who were left to die there today. We entrust them to the mercy of God. As for their parents, may they receive the grace to repent and to be reconciled to God.
The vigiler schedule was filled today except for one hour, from 10 to 11 am.
Thanks to all who prayed for the little ones and their mothers today, whether you were at the site or wherever duty called.
This has been an encouraging day. It started out pretty much the usual way. Most women going in ignored us. I noticed one woman in particular who looked rather sullen on her way towards the abortuary. She was a few paces in front of her boyfriend. They were not speaking. They both refused the literature I offered them. They first went in the door at 71 Bank. A few minutes later they came out again and this time C., the other sidewalk counsellor, who was standing on the other side of the door, offered them some information. Again they refused. About 30 minutes later, not long enough to have had an abortion, she came out crying, with him following, trying to keep up with her. I again offered our help, but he simply said "No thanks". It does appear that she changed her mind, or maybe they both did. Please keep them in your prayers that God may guide this young couple to welcome this new human being, this child of theirs.
At about 12:45, a pretty young woman accepted the brochures I offered to her. She seemed relieved at the news that there were places she could go to for help. I explained to her the services they offered. She mentioned that both she and her boyfriend didn't really want to go through with an abortion, but that they had no money. I encouraged her to pray for guidance and she readily accepted the rosary I offered her. She even chose her own color. I proceeded to explain to her that she really needs to rethink what she's about to do, as this is an irreversible choice. I pointed to F. and her "I regret my abortion" sign and told her about the women I know who do regret their abortions. She then pointed to the telephone and said she would like to phone one of the crisis pregnancy centres. But still, she entered 65 Bank St.
Msgr. Reilly teaches that this is no reason to panic. He doesn't mind if the women go in. In fact, it helps them to see the stark reality of abortion. He has had more turnarounds after the women have gone in than otherwise. I was hoping to go home at around 1pm, but I decided to wait for her to come out. About 30 minutes later, a young French-Canadian man walked by and started chatting with me. He asked me if it was a private clinic. I explained that abortion is covered by OHIP. His response was "That's monstrous!" I agreed.
At about 2pm, a couple in their mid to late twenties went in. She was hiding her face in her scarf. Five minutes or so later, they came out slowly, both staring at F.'s "I regret my abortion" sign. I offered our brochures and the man took them. As they walked away towards Queen St. they read through all of them, all the while, their pace quickening. Was it that their decision to keep their child was getting stronger with each step? I pray that it was so.
I kept waiting for the young woman who had spoken to me to come back out of the clinic. I waited almost two hours, as long as I could stay, but I still didn't see her come out.
As I left, I went across the street to thank the vigilers who were there praying. F. said she saw the young woman leave the clinic as I was speaking to the young man. I hope it really was her.
I was quite an eventful day, very encouraging after the intensity of the spiritual battle during the 40 Days for Life campaign. I ask all of you to pray for these three women, and the fathers of these babies, that they all do indeed embrace and welcome these new human beings. May our Lord turn the hearts of these parents towards their children.
We must also not forget the babies who were left to die there today. We entrust them to the mercy of God. As for their parents, may they receive the grace to repent and to be reconciled to God.
2009/11/12
The fruit of the Helpers' perseverance
The following is taken from Msgr. Reilly's newsletter to the Helpers of God's Precious Infants - August 20, 2008
The Helpers apostolate in Ottawa is itself the fruit of the prayers of others. A small but dedicated group of people have already been maintaining a prayerful presence not only at the Bank St. abortuary, but also at the Civic Hospital. They've been at it for years, long before the first 40 Days for Life campaign in the fall of 2008. Let us now join with them and by multiplying their prayers continue to bring the Gospel of Life to those who are broken by this culture of death. We'll be surprised in turn at the fruit of our prayers.
The Grandeur of God
We are called to remain faithful even when we don’t experience success. I think of many prayers, alive and deceased, who for the past twenty years publicly sowed countless prayers for life outside of abortion mills in our country and around the World but did not see visible results. Today there are many signs indicating God seems to allow us to reap a new harvest of life. What are these signs? In the Western world all the countries including the United States, fell below the replacement level of 2.1 However the birth rate in the United States keeps going up, so that we are back at replacement level. At the same time, fewer politicians, publicly proclaim abortion to be something positive, especially with the polls showing the majority of Americans are now pro-life. In New York City, twenty years ago, more than 115,000 abortions were performed annually It is now down to 80,000 a year. With a drop off of at least 35,000 abortions each year, obviously, in New York City, abortion ‘clinics’ large, like Eastern Women’s, and small, like the Court Street clinic, keep closing. In the early 90’s Ellen Soppe asked me to assist her, Frank Samoylo, Therese Bierne and others to start the Helpers in Rockland County. Recently Father Frank Samoylo offered a Helpers’ Mass of Thanksgiving, with the closing of the sixth and final abortion mill in Rockland County.Source : http://www.helpersny.org/news6.htm
For more than fifteen years, the Helpers prayed and counseled outside the 12 abortion mills in Dallas, Texas. With the recent closing of the abortion mill, Aaron Women’s Health Center, there are only four left in Dallas. After more than fourteen years of the Helpers praying outside the abortion mill in Camperdown, Sydney, Australia, it closed. After many years of Helpers Prayer Vigils, three of the five public hospitals in the City of Bratislava, Slovakia, have stopped abortions. We must persevere and keep praying in this culture of death with the hope of seeing again the culture of life by remembering the lines expressed by the English Bard, Gerard Manley Hopkins, when he wrote: “The World is charged with the grandeur of God It will flame out, like shinning from shook foil:..Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;…And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs …Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! Bright wings.”
The Helpers apostolate in Ottawa is itself the fruit of the prayers of others. A small but dedicated group of people have already been maintaining a prayerful presence not only at the Bank St. abortuary, but also at the Civic Hospital. They've been at it for years, long before the first 40 Days for Life campaign in the fall of 2008. Let us now join with them and by multiplying their prayers continue to bring the Gospel of Life to those who are broken by this culture of death. We'll be surprised in turn at the fruit of our prayers.
2009/11/10
Helpers of God's Precious Infants (Ottawa) - Sign-up calendar is now online
The Helpers of God's Precious Infants will be out on Bank St. in Ottawa to pray for the unborn and their mothers starting Nov. 19th.
If you're interested in coming out to pray at the abortuary, sign-up here :
http://helpersottawa.org/en/31_vigil.html
If you're interested in coming out to pray at the abortuary, sign-up here :
http://helpersottawa.org/en/31_vigil.html
2009/11/05
Is God calling you to be a sidewalk counsellor?
What's stopping you from coming to the sidewalk to share Christ's love to a broken world?
If you live in Ottawa and if God is calling you to step forward, see our volunteer page for more information. We'll provide training.
2009/11/04
Why keep showing up at abortion mills to pray?
A message from Msgr. Reilly on the 20th Anniversary of the Helpers of God's Precious Infants.
May I encourage all, to say each day, from Wed. Oct. 7th to Sat. Oct. 17th, a special Rosary of Thanksgiving for the many blessings God has granted to the Helpers and their Apostolate for the past twenty years. Thanksgiving must be given to God for the countless thousands of unborn babies that have been born; for the mothers who have chosen life; for the abortionists and staff members who have left the abortion business because of the Helpers prayerful presence;, for the hundreds of abortion clinics that have closed because of your public witness, at these modern day Calvaries; for a new generation of young people, who are overwhelmingly pro-life, and are actively, fearlessly involved in the public square and outside of abortion chambers of death for their youngest brothers and sisters. Thanks must be given for the peaceful prayerful movement from the streets, of God’s People for Life across America and indeed around the World. Yes, the plea of the late great Pope John Paul II, in Section 100 of the Encyclical the Gospel of life is becoming a reality.
(Source : http://www.helpersny.org/news.htm)
May I encourage all, to say each day, from Wed. Oct. 7th to Sat. Oct. 17th, a special Rosary of Thanksgiving for the many blessings God has granted to the Helpers and their Apostolate for the past twenty years. Thanksgiving must be given to God for the countless thousands of unborn babies that have been born; for the mothers who have chosen life; for the abortionists and staff members who have left the abortion business because of the Helpers prayerful presence;, for the hundreds of abortion clinics that have closed because of your public witness, at these modern day Calvaries; for a new generation of young people, who are overwhelmingly pro-life, and are actively, fearlessly involved in the public square and outside of abortion chambers of death for their youngest brothers and sisters. Thanks must be given for the peaceful prayerful movement from the streets, of God’s People for Life across America and indeed around the World. Yes, the plea of the late great Pope John Paul II, in Section 100 of the Encyclical the Gospel of life is becoming a reality.
“A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassionate plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer.”Yes there is reason to hope and believe that a new Culture of Life is being reestablished, and no politician, no bias media or misled intellectuals or population control fanatics can stop it, because the pleas of God’s People and the intercession of the Mother of God to our Father and her Divine Son is being heard as they are sending and will continue to send the Holy Spirit to renew the face of the Earth. Paradoxically tremendous goodness and holiness is rising up out of this culture of evil and death. We know in faith that otherwise God would not permit such an evil.
(Source : http://www.helpersny.org/news.htm)
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