Courageous Pro-lifer walks 184 MILES to save lives!!!

David Aron, a young Catholic from Bristol, is soon to complete his 184 mile journey along the Thames Pathway. This Journey starts in the Cotswolds, not far from Cirencester, and winds its way to the the Thames barrier in London encompassing a number of towns and cities including Oxford, Reading and Windsor. He has decided to attempt this 8-day walk to raise money for The Good Counsel Network in a sincere hope that his efforts will help to save more unborn lives. Please help him do this by sponsoring him today. Please also leave a message of support to encourage and thank him for the sacrifice he has made and remember to pray for the success of his walk.

We expect to meet David at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Maiden Lane tonight at 6.30pm where he will attend our Mass organised by the Latin Mass Society.

We will have pictures soon to show he has completed his arduous journey.

You can also make direct donations

Pro-Life Fundraising Ball

Good Counsel would like to invite you all to our Annual Fundraising Ball. Last year this was an amazing success, raising us lots of money to help more Mothers choose life for their children and a very good night out for all. This year we have a wonderful location in the heart of South Kensington where we will provide a 3-course meal, live music and a great night for all.

It is being held at Ognisko, 55 Exhibition Road, London SW7 2PN on Saturday 19th November, starting at 6.30pm. Tickets are £70 each with discounts for tables of 10 or 12. Please see our website for full details.

Last year we sold out and had to turn people away, so please book as soon as possible. It is essential that if you have any dietary requirements that you let us know in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Conor Carroll

Food For Mothers

Dear friends and supporters, Once a month we hold a "Mother's meeting" in central London which is open to any of the Mothers whom we support currently or have supported in the past. It is an opportunity for them to meet other people in a similar situation, to make friends and relax a little. Their children can play together for the afternoon. During this time, we normally have a talk aimed at helping them either practically or explaining aspects of morality or faith. We have Mass, followed by Lunch, which we provide each month. At the end of the meeting we normally distribute baby goods and catch up with the Mothers to ensure we are providing the best support possible.

In order to try to cut our costs, thus helping us to be able to help more Mothers, we are looking at ways to get the lunch donated to us by local food shops. If you have any links with a restaurant or food store etc. who might be willing to donate food (near to but not past the sell by date is ok) please contact Conor on 0207 723 1740. or email info@goodcounselnetwork.freeserve.co.uk.

Many Thanks in advance. Conor Carroll

The Chair of St Peter

Today (in the Traditional calendar) is the feast of The Chair of St Peter. I think this is a good reason to remember and pray for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today.

Pope Benedict has recently been in the middle of a media storm where he was being attacked from all sides, although he is probably quite used to being in this position by now. We as Catholics have a duty to stand by him and support him as best we can. If he is strong enough to stand up to secularism and atheism, then we have to be as well. Last Friday he again re-stated very strongly the Church's position against homosexual acts and partnerships, against Abortion, against contraception, against Euthanasia and for putting the protection of families at the forefront of the Catholic Church's teaching. Pope Benedict is teaching true traditional Catholic teaching with strength and vigour and he asks us to do the same in our own lives through our example to others.

Conor Carroll

The Example of the Holy Family Calls Us to Holiness in Our Family Lives

This is a really great sermon about the family, contraception and natural family planning. A very rare thing to hear from the pulpit...

Sermon given by Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP (pictured) on the feast of the Holy Family,
Sunday 9th January 2011




In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

INTRODUCTION: Dear Faithful,
As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we
give thanks to God Who chose to become Man in a family. The first Adam was
created by God without any human intervention. That is, the first Adam was
created by God not in a family, by definition. God could have done for the
New Adam – Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ – what He had done for the first
Adam – Eve’s unfortunate’s husband. The second Person of the Blessed Trinity
could have become a man like Adam did, that is, without parents. On the
contrary, God chose to be conceived and born and educated as part of a human
family, in which He actually spent 30 years of his life on earth out of 33,
briefly in Bethlehem and in Egypt, and mostly in Nazareth. God could not
have given us a more convincing proof of his esteem for the institution
called ‘a human family’. We will see how spouses are called to share in
God’s creative power, then how parenthood leads through suffering to joy,
and lastly, how spouses can use sexuality saintly.

PART ONE: SHARING IN GOD’S CREATIVE POWER
If God loves families so much, what does He actually expect of them? God
expect families to imitate Him. Now what do we know of God, that our
families may imitate Him? God is a substantial communion of fecund love
between several Persons – God the Father eternally begets God the Son; God
the Son is eternally begotten by God the Father; God the Father and God the
Son eternally spire God the Holy Spirit; God the Holy Spirit eternally
proceeds from God the Father and God the Son.
Furthermore, God is good by essence, and good diffuses itself – ‘bonum
diffusivum sui’. God created, in order to grant other beings the good of
existing in his grace, which is the supreme good. What does this tell us
about families then? In God’s plan and with God’s help, families are
analogically a communion of fecund love, like the Blessed Trinity. Marital
union between husband and wife is designed to diffuse the good of existing,
at the image of God.
This is possible only because it has pleased God to endow human beings with
the incredible privilege of sharing in his own creative power through sexual
fecundity, as we read in the Holy Bible: “And God created man to his own
image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.
And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and
subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air,
and all living creatures that move upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28).
“Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his
wife: and they shall be two in one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). “And Adam knew Eve
his wife: who conceived and brought forth Cain, saying: I have gotten a man
through God. And again she brought forth his brother Abel” (Genesis 4:1-2).
Who will tell the incomparable dignity of procreators, a divine prerogative
which God shared with us human beings only, not even with his holy angels?
Is there anything more extraordinary and more worthy of praise and honour as
to allow God’s own creative power to work about new rational creatures
endowed with immortal souls? Our Blessed Lord Himself praised this sublime
mission when he said: “When [a woman] hath brought forth the child, she
remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world”
(John 16:21).

PART TWO: PARENTHOOD, THROUGH SUFFERING TO JOY
Those among us today who are parents, but also the others, know well that
the original sin has made life very difficult for all men, and in particular
for parents. If the conceiving of a child is easy (for those couples at
least who have been spared the distress of sterility), his bringing up is
difficult and often painful. It requires constant sacrifices on behalf of
the parents and of the family.
By comparison, mere beasts fulfil parenthood when begetting their children
to natural life and raising them according to natural instinct. But human
beings are rational animals. Unlike beasts, human beings have an
intellectual and immortal soul, designed to know God and to unite with Him.
Consequently, begetting children to natural life and natural instinct will
not be enough for human parents to fulfil parenthood. The husband and wife
are father and mother inasmuch as they educate their children as children of
God, as children “of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom all
paternity in heaven and earth is named” (Eph 3:14-15).

Dear Friends, let us not think for one second that God, Who has made some of
you pro-creators in his image, would ignore or despise your psychological
and moral pangs and your heroic sacrifices as parents. Indeed, for your own
sake, that same God has delivered his own beloved Child, as St Paul
stresses: “[God] that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for
us all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all things?” (Rom 8:32). So
God knows very well what it means to suffer as a parent. But He also knows
that parents’ sufferings work about redemption and eternal life, when
accepted in union with his adorable Will, and when trusting in his tender
Providence.

Let us not however imagine that family life and parenthood in particular are
essentially painful. No, children are a blessing and a source of joy already
in this life, and forever in the next with God’s help. The prophet Isaiah
thus describes fecundity as a cause for exultation: “Give praise, O thou
barren, that bearest not: sing forth praise, and make a joyful noise, thou
that didst not travail with child: for many are the children of the
desolate, more than of her that hath a husband, saith the Lord” (Isaiah
54:1). Parents are called and appointed by God to share in his creative
power on earth so as to populate heaven with numerous saints! God who is
good and holy will make this sublime vocation also a joyful one, if only we
trust in Him; and if with his grace we tackle daily the obstacles of our
selfishness and of our pride – until they melt away.

PART THREE: PRACTICAL APPLICATION: SAINTLY USE OF SEXUALITY
In the meantime, the Church with all her power supports parents in their
very meritorious battle for life both natural and supernatural. Holy Mother
Church helps her children to welcome their own children and thus to fulfil
their vocation as fathers and mothers. She enlightens them and strengthens
them against the easy temptation of contraception – not to mention abortion
here.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that if: “For just reasons,
spouses may wish to space the births of their children. It is their duty to
make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in
conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood”
(2368).

2370 Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on
self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the
objective criteria of morality. These methods respect the bodies of the
spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favour the education of an
authentic freedom. In contrast, "every action which, whether in anticipation
of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its
natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render
procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil.”
I should add here that as such, these actions must be accused in confession.
The Catechism reads further: “Thus the innate language that expresses the
total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through
contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not
giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive
refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of
conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality.
2371 “Let all be convinced that human life and the duty of transmitting it
are not limited by the horizons of this life only: their true evaluation and
full significance can be understood only in reference to man's eternal
destiny.” [End of quote].

In good faith, parents who meritoriously refuse contraception may wonder
when periodic continence is licit. The following guidelines [cf Husband and
Wife, TAN Books & Publishers, Inc, by Rev. Paul Wickens] may help:
1. There should be a serious reason for practicing it, for example, grave
physical or mental health problems or some economic catastrophe.
2. Both parties should mutually agree to abstain from the marriage act
during the designated times.
3. There should be no serious danger of incontinence for either partner.
4. There should be no lessening of faith or trust in God’s wisdom in sending
children.
5. The periodic abstinence should be practiced only for the duration of time
that the serious reason exists.
6. To be completely certain, couples should also seek the advice and counsel
of a priest whose doctrine they can trust.

Not quite as a last guideline, but rather as a constant condition for
virtuous behaviour, spouses should also pray God, and his tender Mother the
Blessed Virgin Mary and St Joseph, the Holy Angels and all the saints to
guide them and fortify them daily.

CONCLUSION: Our Lord Jesus Christ has elevated marriage to the dignity of a
sacrament. In the Holy Bible, God even made the sacrament of matrimony an
icon of his own love for every soul and for the Church. God’s love is
fecund, bringing forth countless saints, radiant children of Holy Mother
Church immaculate. Similarly, human marriage calls for a generous openness
to life. This is what we pray for on this feast of the Holy Family. We pray
to that intention during this Mass – if not all of us as parents, then,
fraternally, as baptised children of the Church. Our intercession is made
more confident by the words of Our Lord’s beloved Apostle St John who wrote
in his third letter: “I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my
children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4).

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Posted by Conor Carroll

The Fundamental Need for Family

Family is not a thing of the past.

Last Sunday in the traditional Latin Mass' liturgical calendar was Holy Family Sunday, and a couple of weeks ago in the normal church calendar. As a soon to be father I begin to realise more and more the necessity of the family as a unit. This unit and fundamental part of society in general is needed so much in the world of today as the papal encyclical Familiaris Consortio(on the role of the family in the modern world)taught. It is the institution of the family which this world lacks, a child without a strong loving Mother who (as is inevitably the case) sacrifices all for his or her sake; or without a strong Father who leads by example and provides all the necessaries and instills discipline and love for their Mother, is a child missing out. There are of course many more things parents provide, these are just examples. We see today a world full of broken families, often broken because of not following the teaching of Christ's one, true, holy Catholic Church.

With this in mind I think it is time to remember the value of those family members around us, ensure they know the love we feel for them and to show the world the need for families again.

Conor Carroll

Carol Singing for The Good Counsel Network in Advent

I want to thank everyone who attended our St Raphael's Credit Crunch Ball recently. I was very glad that it was so well attended, so well attended that the hall could not have had any more people inside!!! Thank you for supporting The Good Counsel Network in this event which we hope to run again next year.

Our next big fundraising event is our annual Advent Carol Singing in tube stations. This year we have four dates booked. find the details at the bottom of this blog.

This is one of our most popular events, which everyone enjoys. Do not worry if you feel you cannot sing, people of all ages and abilities help. If you do not want to sing at all you can still help by holding a collecting bucket.

Please be aware that Carol Sheets will be provided, so please do not bring your own as we will not be able to use them.

The dates are as follows:

Wednesday 15th December: Baker Street Tube Station
Monday 20th December: Oxford Circus Tube Station
Wednesday 22nd December: Green Park Tube Station
Thursday 23rd December: Waterloo Tube Station (Not the mainline Station)

Teas, coffees and soft drinks provided. We normally go for a drink together afterwards as well.

Please contact Conor to let him know when you can come on 0207 723 1740 or info@goodcounselnetwork.freeserve.co.uk

Conor Carroll

St Raphael's Ball - At Credit Crunch Prices

The Good Counsel Network is organising a St Raphael's Credit Crunch Ball on Saturday 30th October 2010, with all the money raised going directly to saving more unborn lives. Please see the details at the bottom of this e-mail and why not join us in the pre-ball novena to St Raphael for happy meetings.

It's a credit crunch ball for the recession era, with great food - a two course meal - and live music. We've cut the price but not the quality of the food or entertainment.

Tickets: An amazing £40 per person, £70 for a couple, group of four £130, group of six £200.
Date: Saturday 30th October 2010
Time: Arrive at 7pm. Finish at 11pm
Location: St James' Spanish Place, Catholic Church Hall, 22 George St, London

Nearest tube: Baker St and Bond St stations.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to come, and if anyone is coming with you, by email at info@goodcounselnetwork.freeserve.co.uk , by phone on 0207 723 1740, or by post to The Good Counsel Network, P.O. Box 46679, London, NW9 8ZT.

Please make cheques payable to 'Good Counsel Network'

We need to know by at least 27th October to book your ticket.

It's A Baby When I Say It's A Baby

Today I stood outside of Marie Stopes Abortuary in Whitfield Street, where the 40 days for Life is being held. While I was there, a passing pregnant lady stopped to discuss why we were there. She was in favour of the massacre occuring inside the Abortuary up to the 'legal' limit (24 weeks), but felt that it should not be allowed after that.

When asked about her own pregnancy, although she was only a few weeks pregnant, she called her unborn baby a baby.

I found this all such a contradiction. She also could not explain why suddenly at 24 weeks a baby becomes a baby for other people (although not for herself, because her baby was already a baby in her eyes.) It just reminded me of how illogical and unfounded the pro-abortion lobby's argument is. I found it encouraging to remind myself of this.

This lady went away knowing she did not have a compelling argument and maybe when she opens her heart to the truth, the conversation today may come back to her and have an impact on her opinion.

Conor Carroll

The Post Papal Visit Era

We are now in the aftermath of the Papal visit.

I was not born when Pope John Paul II came to these shores, but even now people still talk about it. I am very sure that in 30 years time I will still remember this visit. I feel it is a duty for us to remember it, to take from it all that Pope Benedict XVI came to give us. He came to call us all to be saints, to stand up for what we believe. To stop the ever incresing tide of aggressive Atheism and Secularisation of England, which is, after all, Our Lady's Dowry. When he was at Westminster Abbey he very deliberately spoke of St Thomas More who died for the faith, At Hyde Park he told us we must all follow our Vocation to sainthood and at Cofton Park he extolled the virtues of Cardinal Newman. Now I say it is time to take up the banner once and for all. To fight the persecution which is, sometimes subtly, all around us. To stop abhorrent practices such as Abortion, Euthanasia and contraception, to be united in our Faith and be proud of it.

Who's with me?

Conor Carroll

Turnarounds at Abortuary Gives Us New Hope

I have just had my first few hours at the 40 days for life prayer vigil which is outside Marie Stopes' House. I was acting as a pavement counsellor while a small group of people prayed for the girls and their unborn children who entered the Abortion Mill. As it always seems to be when I am at an abortuary the weather was horrible, raining for most of the time I was there and cold throughout. I prayed as consistently as I could, tried to speak to as many of the girls as possible and offer them whatever support I could. I was there for nearly three hours and not one Mother changed her mind. When I left I felt a bit dejected. My efforts had no apparent effort. I was wrong.

When I arrived back at our office there was a call. It was from the counsellor who had taken over from me. She was calling to bring in a Mother who had changed her mind. She is being counselled as I write this. I did not directly speak to this woman, but my prayers and small sufferings and those of the counsellor who took over from me and the group of people praying, all offering this up the God - that changed that Mother's mind and has given the possibility of life back to her child. I now feel re-invigorated to return as soon as I can to help save many more babies' lives. I really hope you will be willing to do so too. I look forward to seeing you there. For more details please see http://www.40daysforlife.com/london/

Conor Carroll

Canal Walkers - You can still sponsor them.

Above. L-R: Pio Hendrickx seeing off Gaelle Hendrickx, Charis Willey, Michael & Johanna Hendrickx, Lorenzo, Anuli, Maria Burne, Julian, Rose Burne as they set off on their sponsored walk

for Good Counsel.

Left: Johanna and Gaelle, the organisers of the walk demonstrate the art of being a bridesmaid...you've obviously been out in the sun a bit too long ladies if you think that's how to hold a bouquet!

Last weekend, Saturday 21st August, some of our supporters successfully completed a sponsored 20 mile walk along the Grand Union Canal. They were aiming for £4,000 in sponsorship. So far they have brought in around £2,000.

Let's all congratulate them upon their efforts.

It is still not too late to sponsor them. The easiest way to sponsor them is to go to www.justgiving.com/gaelle-hendrickx who was the leader on the day. But if you prefer to post them you can send cheques and postal orders made payable to The Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel, To: 15 Maple Grove, London, NW9 8RD. Many thanks in advance if you can sponsor them.

Conor Carroll

Here are Gaelle and Johanna's comments on the walk:

On the 21st August, nine merry troopers set out for a brisk 20 mile walk along the Grand Union Canal, to raise funds for the Good Counsel Network. We started from Watford Metropolitian Line Tube Station and walked into the park. We got a good pace going and marched with our heads held high. We skillfully dodged a near constant stream of walkers, bikers and joggers. It must be said that by 12.30 we had all sped up, enticed by the prospect of food - a yummy lunch of J20's and rather squashed sandwiches!

Our route back seemed ever reaching and never ending. Our despondency, however, was lifted by a recitation of the Rosary, and an energetic performance of the group's collective repertoire of Christian songs. This lively recital enabled us to take our minds off our feet, and march on homewards, towards the promise of pizza and rest!

At 5 o' clock the whole group of tired and no doubt smelly walkers stumbled into Cassiobury Park, grateful we'd made it alive, yet thankful for the opportunity to have done it. Knowing that our hard work enabled us to raise money to help save the lives of countless unborn babies made the pain and suffering we experienced completely worth it.

Gaelle and Johanna Hendrickx

Evangelium

A recent weekend (6th - 8th August)saw the Evangelium conference held for the third consecutive year, and for the second time at the Reading Oratory Boys School. I can only say that it was a particularly wonderful weekend.

I was there with my wife running a stall for the Good Counsel Network in order to publicise our work and spread the pro-life message.

The speakers were of the highest standard ranging from regular stalwarts like Joanna Bogle speaking about Catholic heroines and Pope Benedict XVI, to equally entertaining American speakers such as Steven Ray and Roy Schoeman who gave their own testimony.

We were fed better than I have ever been fed at any Catholic meeting. The Oratory school provided as much hot and tasty food as even the largest stomach could take for every meal and we were in large open grounds with far reaching views in all directions which could be explored in free time while meeting good like-minded people wherever you looked.

Possibly the most important part of the weekend was the reverence and beauty of all the prayer and Masses. We had the Schola Gregoriana from Cambridge leading the chant for all the Masses and all the priests involved celebrated Mass in a beautiful manner.

I can recommend that if you are looking for a good, sound Catholic conference to go to next year, Evangelium is the place to go!

Conor Carroll

Keeping Things Safe at Our Lady's House

I went to visit Sisters Chinedum and Mary Joseph at our Home for Mothers in West London. I was going there as part of our ongoing commitment to support Mothers. Some of the women who live there are some of our most needy Mothers. If it were not for your support, these women would have nowhere to live.

There were a few things to do. Some of the children are getting a little bit bigger and have started to crawl around. Up until now most of the babies that have lived there have been small enough that they would need to be carried everywhere. It has now become necessary to make some adjustments. We had already done a few things, including installing a new door closer for the kitchen. One of the Mothers needed a cot put together for her baby and some stair gates needed to be put up, one at the top and bottom of the stairs. The stair gates proved to be more difficult than you would imagine. The house is Victorian and the stairway is wider than average and has an ornamental handrail.

All in all it is quite a satisfactory feeling to have completed it all. I then had the treat of an African style rice and fish dish cooked by Sr Mary Joseph.

Conor Carroll

Be There to Support the Pope!

The Papal visit is now just over 6 weeks away. I haven’t seen any real mention of it in the secular media for a little while. Perhaps it is the calm before the storm. We have to expect the “storm” to come and be ready for it. This is the time to witness to our faith, and the time to become modern day martyrs in defence of our faith and our spiritual father, Pope Benedict XVI.

In the next couple of months friends and work colleagues will naturally talk about the Pope coming. They will probably complain about the cost of his visit and possibly bring up the abuses and blame the Pope for (as the media have portrayed it) trying to cover them up. This is possibly the best natural opportunity to evangelise and witness to our faith that we may ever get. Let's make sure we do not miss out. Take advantage of these conversations. Let your colleagues know your beliefs and why you have them. Defend the Pope and Catholicism. Invite them to listen to, or watch, the Pope, or at least try to convey his message to them yourself.

But most importantly show your support for the Pope. Go and see him and listen to him. This is the first time in 28 years a Pope has been to England, and the first State visit to England of a Pope ever. It doesn’t happen very often, so let's make sure we can look back with good memories, because we have done our bit to make his trip as successful as possible.

Conor Carroll
(P.S. There are still parishes with spare tickets. Ask around before they are all gone! Editor)

An Insight into Why People of Today are Sold on the Idea of Contraception

Why do young people so totally and unquestionably accept contraception? This is something that must be understood if we are to attempt to turn back the tide of secular hedonism which says you can do what you like without any consequences.

A number of my friends have no faith at all. I do not blame them for this, their parents had no faith and so did not pass on even the smallest understanding of any faith or that a God may even exist. Some of them have girlfriends and openly admit that they use contraception on a regular basis.

From what I can see there are a few reasons for this. Firstly there is a lack of commitment in the first place. People today, particularly the younger generation are not able to take in the idea of giving their whole life to another. They need to be with each other for 5-10 years, living with them for a large part of that before they could even consider Marriage. This lack of commitment and fear of things not working out is why they see having children as the last thing they would want to happen, but at the same time they want to be living the life of a married couple and having sex comes as a normal thing.

The second reason that I see as to why our current generation use contraception
is that they see children as something they will 'do' later in their life. They want to have fun and do all the things they have ever wanted, and children would - in their view -get in the way of that. They see children as “ruining” their life and stopping them from doing what they want to do.

This mindset is engraved upon the mentality of today’s culture. Until we change this we will never stop contraception in this country. There are many other reasons why contraception is used, but I think that until we can change the mindset of fear young people have contraception will be widespread. When people again understand the importance of Marriage and bringing new life to the world and the joy that both of these bring they will never understand why they shouldn’t use contraception.

Conor Carroll

Please help me raise money for the guild of our lady of Good Counsel in the fight against the mass slaughter of unborn children.
Join me: http://www.everyclick.com/conorcarroll

Openness to Life

As those of you who read this blog regularly will know, I very recently got married. I have just got back from honeymoon last week. It was most certainly the happiest day of my life to date and I would like to thank anyone who prayed for me and my lovely new wife. I’m sure it helped to make everything run so smoothly.
As a newly married man and woman, children was at the forefront of our minds. Are we ready to have children? When should we have children? Are we in a position to have a child? And support it? While these questions naturally came to mind these are all negative questions. We also thought of the wonder of having children. I have seen nephews, nieces and cousins growing up and can't wait to have my own. We would both love to have our own children to cherish as soon as possible.
I am aware that some would say we need to be sensible, but we have decided to leave things to God. Some think that in the future we will need to look at our circumstances and evaluate whether God would like us to have more children, but for now I know that we do not need to have the biggest or nicest house, a sports car, live close to the best school or even feel a little petrified that I might do something wrong for my first child. I believe children do not need perfection, they need their Father and Mother around them to love and to look after them and teach them the faith. The rest come as a matter of course. I will pray and trust in God and I know that He will provide.

Conor Carroll

The Difficulties of Being A Priest

I realised last weekend the difficulties of being a priest one weekend when visiting a parish for a collection for Good Counsel's work.

The Parish Priest is very supportive and is involved with our work. The appeal was mostly very well received.

At the end of the Second Mass of the day I was standing at the back of the church thanking people for contributions which they put in the collecting plates and handing out leaflets when I and the volunteers with me were approached by a man who told us he thought the Church needed to change many of its teachings even though he went Mass every Sunday. It was very difficult to speak to him, but I feel, and I hope, that by the end of the conversation we had explained our side of the story and he might one day come to reconsider his views. We must pray for him.

While I was getting ready for the next Mass I noticed a couple sitting outside the Church in the sunshine. I thought that they were just taking a break from wherever they were walking to. It turned out that they were not. After a short while they approached me to ask when the priest would be finished his sermon. After realising they wanted to speak to him, I informed them that the Mass would probably be about another half an hour. The man informed me that he needed to get married to the lady with him, he then went on to say that he already lived with her and that he was not practicing, although she was a Catholic.

I don’t know which is harder, to speak to someone who has a deep wound and is very hostile towards you and all you stand for or someone who is very blasé about things but living a life which is against the teachings of the church. Whichever it is, both of them are examples of the many people that your priest has to deal with along with helping all the God-fearing Catholics who are living out their lives as the Church teaches to come closer to God.

The year for priests has now come to an end, but we must remember to continue praying for them. Now, more than ever, they need it!

Conor Carroll

Paris to Chartres Walk May 2010

Just over a week ago I set off in the direction of Paris with a sleeping bag, a few changes of clothes and small provisions with one of the most joyful groups of Pilgrims that you will find. We met at 7am to have Mass celebrated in Westminster Cathedral Crypt which finished with a rapturous version of the French hymn “Chez Nous Soyez Reine” which was to be heard many times during the course of the Pilgrimage.

I was with My Fiancée, Madeleine Readings who I wrote about recently on this blog because she had decided that she would try to raise sponsorship for The Good Counsel Network for completing the Pilgrimage.

Madeleine was attempting to complete the Pilgrimage for the 16th time. She first completed it when she was only 7 years old. She was the youngest person to ever complete the Pilgrimage, a record she still holds(as far as we know.) She has painted a vivid picture for me of her finishing doubled over almost but defiant she would get to Chartres without any assistance.

Now 23 Madeleine not only completes the Pilgrimage but is the “Chef de Chapitre” (chapter leader) of Juventutem which is the English Youth Chapter, which makes her journey twice as hard. I have seen first hand just how hard it can be to keep everyone going at the end of any of the days, especially the second day (which is the longest in terms of walking), when we have been walking for 12 hours and have completed approximately 30 miles. People are really struggling and she has to find a way to keep them going and a way to keep the group together.

The Pilgrimage itself is 72 Miles of walking from Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris to Notre Dame Cathedral, Chartres mainly through woods and fields. This year we were blessed with fine weather which if anything was too hot! We had 30 degrees from start to finish once the sun came up. Hardly any food is provided, so we are left mainly with as much food as we can carry on the day.

The nights are meant to be a time of rest, but are actually just as difficult as the day in its own way. We are all in very large plastic communal (single sex) tents which are extremely cold and lie on uneven and stony ground and often have uncut grass up to our knees when standing.

Madeleine and I both successfully completed the Pilgrimage and, for the first time in her memory, we were privileged to get seats inside of the Cathedral in Chartres. The English group have previously been inside, but never had seats, and last year (my first time) we didn’t even manage to get inside.

Madeleine has so far raised close to £1,900 (with gift aid) which is really great news. There is still time to donate towards her sponsorship if you would like to at www.justgiving.com/madeleinereadings . We had set a target of £2,500 which is now within touching distance. If you can dig deep and support my very brave fiancée to support our life-saving work.

Conor

No-one Knows the Effects of Our Prayers

The experience of praying outside an Abortion "clinic" can be very difficult or can be very encouraging. I have stood at Bedford Square, outside of BPAS's Abortion centre quietly saying my rosary for the souls of the babies and their Mothers who would be passing through the doors, which I was standing opposite to, on my own.
I have also stood outside Mattock Lane Abortuary in Ealing when the vigil was led by Monsignor Reilly where he was joined by more than 100 people.
I did not know if we had been successful in saving even one life on either of these days.
It can be discouraging to see women, young and old, sometimes with boyfriends, one after another going into the clinic. But I always remember when this happens, no one knows what effect my prayers and those around me have on each of those Mothers. No one knows what effect our witness has. No one knows what the sacrifice of taking one, or maybe two, or even more hours of our day to try to offer these women an alternative to killing their baby by offering the real support they need.
I remember that it is not my humble efforts that will change the mind of the women walking past me who are in such desperate circumstances, but God using me as His instrument to reach these women.
Let us take courage in the knowledge that God is working through us and remember that we have to take a leap of faith for God to be able to use us.
If you would like to come and pray, the Helpers of God's Precious infants have numerous vigils at London clinics please look at www.hgpi.co.uk for more information. Also, The Good Counsel Network organise a vigil at Bedford Square in Central London every Wednesday from 11am -1pm and often have extra ones during the week. Please go to http://www.goodcounselnetwork.com/ and sign up to get updates about when and where future vigils will be held.

Conor Carroll