Countdown to 40 Days for Life

September 22nd - October 31st

• Next 40 Days for Life campaign runs from September 22 to October 31.
• Ottawa Campaign for 12 hour periods, 7 am to 7 pm each day of the campaign.
• Most visible component - peaceful payer vigil across from Ottawa's abortion facility at 65 Bank Street.

Key dates:
September 21^st - 7:00 pm -St. Patrick’s Basilica

Kick-off Mass - St. Patrick’s Basilica at 7:00 pm followed by a candle-light procession to Abortion facility at 65 Bank Street (Ground Zero).

October 14^th - 7:00 pm - Ground Zero

Mid Point Rally at Ground Zero starting at 7:00 pm.

October 31^st - 7:00 pm - Ground Zero

Closing Rally - Celebrate another successful 40 Days Campaign… starts 07:00 pm at Ground Zero – more details to follow.

For more info or to help contact Campaign Life Coalition at 613-729-0379.

Ottawa Web site: http://www.40daysforlife.com/ottawa/

More general info on 40 Days for Life: http://www.40daysforlife.com/

Now's the time to be thinking -- and praying --
about how you can be a part of this life-saving/ culture changing effort.

September 22nd - October 31st Next 40 Days for Life

September 22nd - October 31st

Next 40 Days for Life campaign runs from September 22 to October 31.

Ottawa Campaign for 12 hour periods, 7 am to 7 pm each day of the campaign.

Most visible component - peaceful payer vigil across from Ottawa's abortion facility at 65 Bank Street.

Monday September 13th at 7:00 PM: Information Session in the Scavi (basement) of Saint Patrick's Basilica (corner of Kent and Nepean)

Tuesday September 21st at 7:00 PM: kick-off Mass at St. Patrick's Basilica - followed by a procession to the abortion facility on Bank St.

For more info or to help contact Campaign Life Coalition at 613-729-0379.

Ottawa Web site: http://www.40daysforlife.com/ottawa/

More general info on 40 Days for Life: http://www.40daysforlife.com/

Now's the time to be thinking -- and praying --
about how you can be a part of this life-saving/ culture changing effort.

Crossroads Walkers in Ottawa

I received the following information from Campaign Life Coalition :

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Crossroads - Taking Steps to Save Lives

Walking across Canada for Pro-life – a group of six young Catholic adults

Beginning on May 22 in Vancouver BC. Arriving in Ottawa on the weekend of August 14th

Welcome them on Parliament Hill on Sat. Aug. 14, noon – at the flame

Welcome Reception - Meet them at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish, 95 Somerset Street West, in the basement hall at 1:30 pm

Come and support these courageous champions for LIFE

For more information on their schedule while in Ottawa, call Campaign Life Coalition at 613-729-0379

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They will also be at the abortuary at 65 Bank St. on August 13th at noon for some time of prayer. Please join them and the Helpers who will be present praying and sidewalk counselling.

Ottawa abortionist disciplined by CSPO

From the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons.
http://www.cpso.on.ca/docsearch/details.aspx?view=3&id=%2062857

It appears the abortionist working at the abortion clinic at 65 Bank St. in Ottawa, Krzysztof Janusz Fabisiak (CPSO#: 62857), has been disciplined by the CPSO for the following reasons :

"Allegations of Dr. Fabisiak's professional misconduct and incompetence have been referred to the Discipline Committee of the College. It is alleged that Dr. Fabisiak failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession and is incompetent in his care and treatment of Patient "A", Patient "B" and 23 patients. "

The disciplinary measures imposed are practice restrictions. From the CPSO website :

"As from May 31, 2010, the following is imposed as a term, condition and limitation on the certificate of registration held by Dr. Krzystof Janusz Fabisiak in accordance with and undertaking and consent given to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario by Dr. Fabisiak:

Effective immediately, I, Dr. Krzystof Janusz Fabisiak, will practice only at the prescribed family planning clinics in Ottawa or Toronto or at a setting approved by the College, and I have voluntarily relinquished my prescribing privileges with respect to the following drugs, substances and preparations: narcotic drugs, narcotic preparations with the exception of Tylenol 2 and Tylenol 3, controlled drugs and benzodiazepines/other targeted substances under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. "

I just have one question for the CPSO: if you have reason to believe this gynecologist should not be practising in other settings, why is it OK for him to continue performing abortions?

Choice... but not too much

Last Saturday, as we were three sidewalk counsellors present, I went back across the street to pray (we try to keep our numbers to two counsellors at one time). From there, I watched as our newly trained counsellor stood as a sentinel on the sidewalk. Unseen by her, however, there were two abortion workers sitting on the steps to 63 Bank. As one client of the abortuary came out, our sidewalk counsellor handed her a Rachel's Vineyard flyer, telling women about healing after abortion. As the woman reached out to take it, one of the workers jumped to her side, put her arm around her and ushered her back into the building. They stayed inside until a man (maybe her father?) arrived to pick her up. By the time the woman and her father left the building, the workers had gone back upstairs. As they left, our sidewalk counsellor offered the flyer once again. This time, unhindered by the staff, they took it.
And I thought it was all about choice. "Trust women" they say. Apparently, by becoming the client of an abortuary, a woman loses the choice to obtain information from someone other than an abortion worker.

"It just wasn't meant to be"

On Thursday, N. and I were on the sidewalk, from 8:45 to 12:15. As the women started trickling in, we approached them with words of encouragement to choose life and offered them our information pamphlets. It was like talking to a brick wall. They ignored us as they walked past, only a few accepting our brochures.

During the first hours we were there, there were a few lone prayer warriors on the opposite side of the street. At one point, a couple went in. She was wearing a sweatshirt, and I could see the bulge in her belly. She was already showing. This one would probably be a "dilation and extraction". I caught the eye of the vigiler praying across the street and signaled to her to pray hard. I spent the early part of the morning praying with more urgency as each woman walked past us with a firm resolve to "get it over with".

Later in the morning, as the women started coming out, the group of vigilers had grown to about five. We noticed a difference in the attitude of the women as they left the abortuary. They were more open to us. One young woman, obviously shaken from the experience, stood there for a while. N. went over to talk to her. The young woman said she was waiting for her husband. N. told her about Rachel's Vineyard and gave her a brochure. She told the young woman that Jesus loves her. The young woman replied that she had accepted Jesus the night before. Then tears welled up in her eyes. N. offered her a hug, which she accepted. Then she sighed and said "I guess it just wasn't meant to be".

This young woman was obviously conflicted about her abortion. I have to wonder how much of the "choice" was hers. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be"... She sounded so passive, so resigned. as if she felt powerless to have made another choice. We know of many other women who have felt the same way. Many have abortions because they simply cannot rely on the father of the child to come through for them. ( see http://www.theunchoice.com/News/FatherPlaysKeyRole.htm)

A few minutes later, the young woman in the sweatshirt came out, only this time, the sweatshirt fell flat on her belly. No bulge, no baby. N. offered her a Rachel's Vineyard leaftlet which she refused. I went over and offered her a rosary, saying "If you start praying, you won't have to come back here again." With an emphatic "yeah", she took the rosary, put it in her pocket and then left. I pray that she will indeed start praying and turn her life over to Christ, who loves her more than she can know.

Please pray for these women. A special thank you goes out to the prayer warriors who came out on Thursday and to the spiritual helpers who prayed even if they couldn't be physically present.

Helpers' vigil extends to Saturdays

I was doing a little bit of research on the Web and came across this information: http://ottawa.cioc.ca/record/OCR0599?UseCICVw=13. It looks like the abortuary on Bank St. is now doing abortions one Saturday a month. We have therefore extended our vigil hours to cover Saturdays. You can register online for the vigil here.

I cannot stress enough the importance of our presence there. If the followers of Jesus Christ won't stand up for the unborn and for their mothers, who will? Our Lord commands us to help the weak and the helpless. Abortion has taken root in this country because too many of us have been indifferent and it will maintain its grip on our nation unless we finally decide to stand up and be counted on the side of life.
A Priests for Life brochure explains the importance of taking the pro-life issue to the streets :

Those who support abortion will sometimes say that they defend our right to "have different beliefs" and "express our views publicly." Aside from the fact that the actions of most pro-abortion groups contradict that assertion, the point is that our presence on public streets and sidewalks is about more than expressing beliefs and viewpoints. It's about saving lives. It's about stopping bloodshed. It's about intervening to save a victim who is about to be killed. When violence is being committed, victims do not simply need people who will "express their belief" that the violence is wrong. They need someone who will come to save them. While much needs to be said (and is said here) about our First Amendment rights, pro-life activity has an even firmer foundation than the First Amendment. The foundation is the fundamental obligation that human beings have to care for each other and, insofar as possible, intervene to save one another. (Source)

Your presence is requested

In his August 2009 newsletter, Msgr. Reilly, the founder of the Helpers of God's Precious Infants, reminds us of the importance of our presence at the abortuary.

...the most important thing to happen outside of an abortion clinic is for people to be there in prayer. When a pregnant woman in difficulty approaches the abortion clinic and she sees people praying outside the mill, whether as part of the large prayer Vigil or in a follow up prayerful presence or as individual counselors praying, the pregnant woman immediately, consciously or subconsciously thinks of God. God is made present through your prayerful presence. And the existence of her hidden unborn baby, the potential victim, whose existence our society forgets or denies, is also made present through your prayerful presence. Moreover your prayers are obtaining from God for the frightened mothers the trust and courage to choose life for their unborn children. To be effective the prayers and the counselors also need each other and should act as one.
(Source : http://www.helpersny.org/news8.htm)

This little one needs you!

How badly do you want to see the end of abortion? Are you willing to sacrifice an hour each month, or even each week, to come to the killing centre to pray and take a stand against the Culture of Death?
One distinctive element that set the early Christians apart from the pagans was the fact that they would rescue babies who were left out to die. They took on the responsibility of raising the children that were unwanted by their pagan neighbours and in a few generations, changed the culture around them.
In our day, the children are not left to die where we can find them. They are killed in their mothers' wombs. Yet, we are not powerless. We can be there, offering hope and love to these mothers. We are maintining a prayerful presence on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Please consider giving up one hour of your time and register for this most important prayer vigil at : http://helpersottawa.org/ (just click on the "Vigil registration" link).

The Helpers activities since November 2009

Here is a breakdown of the Helpers activities since we officially launched this apostolate in Ottawa in November :

From mid-November to mid December :
There were 5 possible turnarounds. I say possible because we can't really be sure these women didn't go back at a later date. For most of them, we witnessed them going in and then leaving so soon that it wouldn't allow enough time for the abortion to have happened. For some, we saw them apparently change their minds before even going up to the abortuary.
All in all, 4 counsellors shared a total of 54,5 hours of sidewalk tim (an average of about 4 hours each per week) and 24 different people stood vigil for a total of 60 hours.

From mid-January to mid-February :
Three possible turnarounds, 69 hours of sidewalk counselling between 4 counsellors. 22 vigilers spent a total of 31 hours at the site.

Overview of the Helpers' impact around the world

The Helpers of God's Precious Infants have been active all over the world since they were first founded in Brooklyn by Msgr. Reilly over 20 years ago, in 1989.
Their prayerful presence at abortion sites has made a difference. Below is a short (and incomplete)overview of the impact that the Helpers have had over these years.
(Excerpted from various newsletters at the Helpers of God's Precious Infants of Brooklyn website : http://www.helpersny.org/newsarch.htm )


Brooklyn, NY
The Helpers were founded in 1989 by Msgr Reilly in Brooklyn. At the time, there were 43abortuaries. In 2008, 18 are left. (Source : August 2008 Newsletter)

Rockland County, NY
The Helpers were started there in the early 1990's. In 2008, the 6th, and last, abortuary closed. (Source : August 2008 Newsletter)

Dallas, TX
Fifteen years of prayer outside 12 abortuaries, brought their number down to 4 in 2008. (Source : August 2008 Newsletter)

Sydney, AUS
In 2008, an abortuary in Camperdown was closed after 14 years of prayerful presence by the Helpers. (Source : August 2008 Newsletter)

Bratislava, Slovakia
After many years of Helpers Prayer Procession, 3 of 5 public hospitals had stopped committing abortions by 2008. (Source : August 2008 Newsletter)

Seattle, WA
In 2007, after many years of prayer by the Helpers, an abortuary closed after having been in operation for 34 years. (Source : April 2007 Newsletter)

Houston, TX
In 2007, an abortuary was closed following many years of the Helpers prayerful presence. (Source : October 2006 Newsletter)

Queens, NY
In 2006, a business man, moved by prayer vigils, bought a building in which an abortuary was located. He evicted the abortionist in order to put the building to better use. He then invited the bishop to come and bless it. The bishop led the faithful in prayer in the very room where the abortions used to take place. Later on, Msgr Reilly celebrated mass in that same room. (Source : April 2006 Newsletter)

Possible turnarounds

A regular vigiler with the Helpers sent in this email :

I witnessed something very positive today, whilst standing with my "I regret my abortion" sign and praying my Rosary in the accompaniment of at least four
other Faithful prayer warriors.

I was standing to the left of the them, and I know two of them saw two young girls looking at me for some time, across the street , and talking to each other.
They were in front of the restaurant beside the clinic, and after a few minutes,
one of them moved forward as if she was going to come over and talk with me. She was looking right at me. Instead she moved back, but continued to speak to her friend. Her friend then got out her phone and made a call.

After a minute or two on the phone, she and her friend went over to the clinic door and went upstairs. They were only there a few minutes, because we all were surprised and elated when they came out the door, holding some kind of pamphlet, and walked quickly away. I'll never know for sure but , God has let me see what sure looked like it may have been a change of heart-For Life!

Thank You Lord.

Friday's experience was a tad different, yet all too familiar concerning the
confused youth when they are in the throes of darkness whilst undergoing the
evil of abortion and its mind games.

A young man came across the street whilst I was talking with W. and quite aggressively started berating me for "making " him guilty and others too, and that I was a pretty awful person for doing so, and so on and so on...
I tried to get a word in whist he ranted, just to say that first I was there to help not to "make" him "feel" guilty, but it was of no use, he was not hearing anyone, but himself, nor did he want to. I have witnessed this before it is what I call present abortion trauma anxiety while the abortion is taking place, and he was very obviously feeling the current of darkness descending on him,
receiving , only a touch of what the baby was feeling and the Mother, and what will yet come.

.{ No further comment, except to say he at least has a conscience about what he and his girlfriend were undertaking to
a certain degree and that is good, because it may bring them to repentance and God's Mercy soon, and I could only continue praying for God's healing to begin.

I did want to say though when he said that they were moving on with their
lives because they had careers and such and that he stressed they had
NO CHOICE, that yes...in fact they did have other choices beginning with adoption.
I never got to say that though, cause he was too angry and just
wanted to vent it and blame me for his misplaced confusion.

God help them both, and of course their child who is now in God's loving arms.

- F.

A few weeks ago, I also witnessed a turnaround. A pretty young woman was approaching the clinic. As I offered her our brochures which list the crisis pregnancy centres in the city, she exclaimed "I'm so glad to see this. I didn't know these places existed. My boyfriend and I don't really want to have this abortion, but we didn't know what else to do. We have no choice." She then said she would call the crisis pregnancy centre from the abortuary. I offered her change so she could make the phone call from the phone booth nearby. My initial hopes of a turnaround were beginning to diminish as she walked through the door at 65 Bank. I told her I'd be right there if she needed help.
As a was praying for her, a young man walked by and asked me what I was doing. When I showed him our brochures, he said "Oh, this is about the babies!". How right he is. I waited for some time and I still didn't see the young woman come out. I went across the street and asked the vigilers if they had seen her leave. They said that she did while I was speaking to the young man. I was sorry I didn't get to see her leave, but at least I know she left that day. Please keep her, her baby and the child's father in your prayers.

A change of heart

On Friday Jan 22nd, I was standing across the street from the clinic holding My "I regret my abortion" sign and alternately showing the other side of it which reads "50 million killed, I choose life" and shows the two pictures of a baby intact before an abortion and a baby after an abortion, I noticed a man looked over at my sign and then wheeled a double stroller ( with 2 seat in the front part ) into the clinc. He had trouble getting the stroller in the door as it was broad.

As he was struggling with it my prayers from my heart cried out. Oh please don't take your children up there and don't put them through the horror of missing their sibling(S?) if an abortion were to happen.
I could see him move away as far as he could once inside the door, facing the elevator and he waited. Then a woman came walked down the street and entered the clinc and I knew they were together, because I could see them talking. They stayed there for awhile, I continued and praying and pleading with God to speak to their hearts, and not to long after they all came out, looked over at me again and walked and wheeled the stroller away.

I can only hope there was a Miraculous change of heart there, since I don't know for sure, but I hope so.

F.