Just the Right Time for A Pro-Life Witness

Belinda didn’t want to go for an abortion in the first place because as a Christian she knew it was wrong. However she felt like she had no choice because her boyfriend, the father of her child, refused to help her in any way as he wanted her to have the abortion. If she didn’t go through with the abortion she would be  homeless almost immediately. 

She postponed her appointment by a day and then got up as late as possible, hoping against hope she would miss her abortion. She made her way slowly to the abortion centre, alone.  She asked a few people for directions to the abortion place, all of them told her not to go there, to keep her baby instead. When she arrived, Lorraine, one of Good Counsel's counsellors met her at the gates of the abortion centre. Belinda was grateful for the offer of help but decided to go inside anyway. Inside the abortion centre was extremely busy, there were lots of women waiting for their abortion. Belinda was shocked by the large numbers, and thought about how many babies lives were going to be ended that day. She decided that she would accept Good Counsel's help and that her baby was not going to die that day.  She

went back out and spoke to Lorraine, who told her that the Good Counsel Network could help find her accommodation and help her financially, she was very happy when she heard this and decided to come to our centre to find more about the help that was available to her. She turned up homeless with her suitcase at our centre. Here we placed her in temporary accommodation and helped her financially throughout her pregnancy and well beyond it. When her son was born she moved into a flat we helped her to find. Belinda found part-time work while her son was small. She now works full time. Her son is a practising Catholic, doing well at school and is hoping to go to university to become a lawyer.

Lorraine pointed out to Belinda that if she had attended her original appointment on the previous day or if she had come on time on the day of her new appointment she would have missed meeting Lorraine who would not have been there at those times. But God had another plan for Belinda and her son!

Help us reach out to Mother’s like Belinda with prayer, help and support by attending the 40 Days for Life Vigil near you.

The vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am until 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday 29^th March. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Hill and Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book please call Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

Preaching the Gospel of Life through Prayerful Witness

 

At the 40 Days for Life vigil in Brixton on Thursday one of our vigil volunteers had a positive interaction with a passer-by on the street. He was a young man who had noticed our volunteers standing quietly in prayer and had stopped to ask what they were doing and why. He reacted so positively to the explanation that he was given that the vigil volunteers invited him to join them in prayer. They said the Our Father together, he explained that he was non-denominational, he then offered up a lovely prayer asking God to bless us and our work, it was beautifully sincere and heartfelt. That moment really cheered up our volunteers. This blessed moment helps remind us why we stand at these vigils in the first place. Unexpected conversations, shared prayers with strangers are all powerful signs of hope. We are a reminder to the world that the unborn child is human and that their lives matter.

Join us at  Brixton for the 40 Days for Life Brixton Vigil

The vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am until 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday 29th March. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be a great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Hill and Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please call Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

English Archbishop Leads Public Pro-Life Witness

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live - Deuteronomy 30:19, The reading from the Mass today.

This morning we were blessed to have the Archbishop of Southwark The Right Reverend John Wilson celebrate Mass in Corpus Christi Church across the road from where the vigil takes place. He offered this Mass for the 40 Days for Life campaign in Brixton, London and all the volunteers involved, a beautiful reminder that the Church is with us, praying and offering Masses for us.

We were then joined at the prayer vigil by the Archbishop and three priests - Fr Matthew O' Gorman, Fr Godfrey Ogwang and Fr Philip Andrews who led us in prayer. As the vigil continues throughout Lent the opening of this morning’s vigil should give all of us hope that many graces and blessings will be given to all who volunteer in the pro-life movement. The reading from the Mass today reminds us why we attend these vigils, this verse shows that God calls everyone to protect life and future generations. By taking part in these vigils we are helping people to choose life for their children and therefore protecting future generations.

The vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am until 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday 29th March. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be a great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Hill and Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please call Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

Rose

Bishop David Waller also came to the vigil on Shrove Tuesday

Your Presence at the 40 Days for Life Pro-Life Vigil Matters!

This Lent we have a 40 Days for Life campaign in Brixton, London. 40 Days for Life is a global movement to end abortion through prayer, fasting and peaceful prayer vigils for 40 days held outside or near abortion clinics. At these vigils at least two people will always attend; one hands out leaflets offering help to mothers while the other prays. People unite all over the world in prayer during this time and countless lives are saved. With the current number of abortions sky high, it is time for us all to take action and be involved in the end of abortion in this country and the whole world. Attending a prayer vigil is a public witness to show we believe every human life has value.

Who knows, you may be the reason a mother chooses life for her baby; your presence matters more than you may ever see.

Just remember you are not alone. People are attending 40 Days for Life vigils worldwide and we are united to them in prayer. It is not meant to be easy, but we do it for the unborn babies, mothers and fathers. Let us ask God to close the abortion clinic in Brixton this Lent, for with God nothing is impossible - Luke 1:37.

The vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am until 8pm, seven days a week from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday. If you could spare an hour or more to come and pray with us, it would be a great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Hill and Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please call Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

[Photo of Bishop David Waller leading the prayers on Shrove Tuesday]

Rose

Should We Bother to Pray Near Abortion Centres?

You might well wonder what is the point of attending a prayer vigil outside an abortion centre, especially since the buffer zone law came in a year ago. What purpose does it serve to stand 150 metres away from the centre? You’ll see so many people walking past and so few actually going into the centre. Would those attending the vigil receive a lot of abuse? These were all my thoughts as a new intern before attending my first vigil.

To answer my first question, yes, most of the people passing by are not heading to the abortion centre but it is 100% worth being there even though you may never know what good you have done. Attending a vigil really makes you realize the power of prayer as you can never change hearts without it. I admit it can be hard standing on the pavement in the pouring rain and everyone refuses the leaflets you try to offer but you never know what’s going on behind the scenes, it could be that a woman sees the sign we display at the vigil and realises someone cares for her and her baby and she might never turn up to that abortion appointment. It could even be that the leaflet that someone grabbed off you and threw on the ground further down the street might get into the right hands and help a mother in need! God has a plan with everything.

To talk about the abuse received, I find it is not nearly as bad as I expected, generally passersby just walk past and pay no attention. However there are always a few exceptions to this, a few people will hurl insults as they stride past. I find it helpful to remember in these cases that there is no knowing what this person has gone through in their life, many of these people have probably been directly affected by the horrors of abortion and they take their anger out on those of us who oppose it.                                    

Rose

WAYS TO DONATE TO HELP OUR LIFE SAVING WORK

Donate by Bank Transfer to: The Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Sort Code: 40-06-30   Account Number: 13994678

By Credit Card over the phone:

Call 0207-723-1740   Monday to Friday 10.30am-6pm

Via Paypal: Paypal.me/SaveLivesGCN

Moments of Grace: How Your Prayers & Financial Support Help Mothers Choose Life

As you can see in the picture,this little boy is about to receive the grace of baptism. His Mother came to us in her pregnancy when her son’s Father abandoned her and told her to abort him. Thankfully, she found Good Counsel through a friend, and she spoke to us on the phone instead. Although she was in a very distressed state, crying and wondering how she would survive without any support, she was eager to accept the basic help we offered: food vouchers and help to find accomodation through her pregnancy and beyond, while helping her to sort out her situation and gradually become independent again.

Thankfully this year we have helped over 50 Mothers do likewise.38 of them have had (or will have) their babies this year. Others are expecting their babies in 2026. Without your regular financial commitment, we cannot offer the help and support that some expectant Mothers really need.

Geraldine went for an abortion in 2021. Although she received a leaflet from us at that time, she was not sure we would be able to help her and she had the abortion. In 2024, her neice became pregnant in difficult circumstances and Geraldine found the leaflet we had given her offering help. She brought her neice to see us and she chose life for her baby instead of abortion. 6 months later Geraldine herself was pregnant again, this is not unusual for women who have already been through an abortion they did not really want, but which they could not see a way out of. This time she had decided that she would not have an abortion again for any reason. And so pulling out her Good Counsel Help Leaflet once again, she called us and chose life for her baby. Keeping this baby has cost Geraldine everything, she lived in a homeless shelter for part of her pregnancy but before the birth of her baby we were able to part-fund a place for her to stay. Now we are helping her get support to become independent and support herself as her baby grows up. Despite the tragic loss of Geraldine’s first baby’s life, it is a grace to see her change her mind forever on the issue of abortion. And two babies lives saved by one leaflet is also a grace. These are the kind of graces your prayer and financial support can help us obtain every day in 2026. Please consider committing to a regular (e.g. monthly) donation of whatever you can afford.                        Clare

WAYS TO DONATE TO HELP OUR LIFE SAVING WORK

Donate by Bank Transfer to: The Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Sort Code: 40-06-30   Account Number: 13994678

By Credit Card over the phone:

Call 0207-723-1740   Monday to Friday 10.30am-6pm

Via Paypal: Paypal.me/SaveLivesGCN

Serving Christ in the Mothers We Help

One of my tasks as a new intern has been to spend a day at the office shadowing our Mother’s Help Co-ordinator, Michelle. My role helping her, involves a wide range of things such as sorting through baby clothes, helping her with admin work, or sitting in on her counselling sessions.

My greatest privilege on these days is sitting in on Michelle’s counselling sessions with the women. Michelle works to provide practical support to the mothers, after they have decided to keep their baby.

Through these sessions, and learning more about the different women they currently help, I have been amazed to see the extent of the practical help which The Good Counsel Network offers to women.

They never just say no to someone. For example, even if the mother is not currently considering an abortion, they will not just turn her away saying, ‘We only deal with abortion-vulnerable women.’ Rather, they will carefully and compassionately assess every woman’s individual situation to understand exactly what help she needs and how they can best assist her. Even if they cannot directly help her on certain issues, they will try and direct her to places where she can receive support in the specific area, providing her with references if needed. No woman will leave the office without being offered real help (or being directed towards it) that will better her present circumstances.

The Good Counsel is charity in action. Here, I have witnessed how each woman is truly treated as Christ come knocking at the door. With every woman they strive to see how they can best serve Him through her.

The women arrive with visible distress written on the faces and in their body language but, as the session progresses and they are offered real, practical offers of support, they slowly begin to relax, sitting more comfortably in their chair and beginning to make more eye contact. By the time they leave there are smiles upon their faces and they thank you repeatedly – and you can see they really mean it. Through you, Christ has given them a glimmer of light in the face of such great darkness: ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12).                                                                                                                                                                           Jacinta

WAYS TO DONATE TO HELP OUR LIFE SAVING WORK

Donate by Bank Transfer to: The Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Sort Code: 40-06-30   Account Number: 13994678

By Credit Card over the phone:

Call 0207-723-1740   Monday to Friday 10.30am-6pm

Via Paypal: Paypal.me/SaveLivesGCN