My Life Was Changed Forever By Pro-Life Vigils

 

What effect does a 40 Days for Life Campaign have?

My answer is a rather roundabout one, and it is threefold; a bus ride, two pairs of skates, and a notebook!

***

                I think we were going home from a party – but I’m not sure, it was when I was such a young child that it merges with other memories from around the same time. All I know is that myself and Isaac ended up on the longest bus ride of our lives, going to my house. It was one of those charming single-decker buses that are going out of fashion now. It took a very peculiar route, because it should have been a journey that took at most half an hour, if one went in a fairly straight line from there to our home, but this bus route had clearly not been designed with a ruler in mind, or direct connection of locations as a priority. It meandered down back streets, the little nowhere neighbourhoods that fill the gaps between the major places-to-be in London, and did not appear to care when it finished its journey. Another thing that may have a made it feel so long was that we were sitting down together, but were unable to play. At the age of four or five, vocabulary is thin and there is not enough of it to fill an hour or two with conversation.

What I do know is the freedom that we received upon getting off the bus filled us with a joy that arriving at home does not normally cause, and at last our inability to play much on the bus and the silence that had resulted was replaced by wildly energetic rampaging in our back garden. The longer the wait, the more the light at the end of the tunnel is appreciated.

***

Slicing through the thick, glassy mass of frozen water, also known as a skating rink, I proudly surveyed my success in my newly discovered hobby. There were definitely skaters on the rink who were worse than me. I had barely fallen over once. Well, maybe once. Not more than that, anyway. Another friend had joined me – let’s call him Ben – and he had fallen over a lot more than me. That may have possibly been because I stayed very close to the edge and had my hand out, ready to grab the handrails if a tumble seemed likely. Ben, on the other hand, went for a bolder style of skating, impetuously going out into the middle and falling over a lot, of course, but learning from his mistakes. I’m not sure who was the better skater in the end. Perhaps there is something to be said for both points of view. My mother still laughs at the video of me falling over that one time.

***

When you are around the age of seven, there are few gifts more exciting (in my opinion) than a notebook that has never been used. There is endless potential for filling the notebook, and even the thought of it, and the plans you can make of what to put on the pages, are enough to fill many happy hours. This was what happened to Colette, a friend of mine, when we were both staying in the same house. We created worlds together. Colette – being the younger by some years -would dictate her stories to me, and I would write them down on the left-hand pages of her notebook. The right-hand side was kept for all of the brightly coloured pictures of the characters that the pair of us would draw, long before the page of writing that was meant to accompany each one was finished. Our story’s plot may not have been the most logical, nor the deepest, but it had its good points: A pleasant enough family came into difficulties when discovering a poorer family, and one of the older girls made up her mind to help them. Perhaps it was a stereotypical plot, but to us it felt like the most original story written since the early days of literature. It provided more than enough entertainment for many a rainy afternoon (and one particular occasion when Colette had a minor accident and couldn’t run around too much) and deepened our friendship through our shared creative experience.

***

                What does all this have to do with a 40 Days for Life vigil? Well, quite simply, it was prayer vigils like 40 Days coupled with the work of the GoodCounselNetwork.com that caused these events to happen. If history was re-written, if no-one had ever gone and prayed outside an abortion centre, what difference would it make? Now this is a question that is very easy to answer:

                There would have been no little boy named Isaac on the bus that day ten or twelve years ago; that pair of skates Ben was wearing as he fell over so many times would have been empty; and the pages in Colette’s notebook would all be blank, untouched, devoid of the colourful lives of the characters she invented to fill them with,

– because none of them would have lived to do any of those things.

All three of those friends – Isaac, Ben, and Colette – were the children of women who turned around at the gates of the abortion centre thanks to vigils just like 40 Days for Life and received help and support from Good Counsel. They chose life for their baby, some of them in very difficult situations, which took a lot of courage. They were, however, provided with genuine help and support (Have a look at Good Counsel’s blue leaflets at the vigils for just a small example of the help we give!) that made a reality of what had seemed impossible – motherhood.

                Maybe you’ve never been to a 40 Days for Life before, maybe you’re a regular volunteer, maybe you used to come but times have changed and something’s holding you back from returning. Whoever you are, it can be very easy to wonder why we should bother to keep on running 40 Days for Life every year no matter what, especially with the news for pro-lifers so decidedly disheartening right now. Is praying on a street corner, 150 metres away from an abortion centre any use? Of course it is! We have to do the best we can do to save lives, and if 150 metres away is the closest we can get, that is the best we can do. If Ben, Isaac, and Colette were the only children to be saved by all these years of pro-life vigils in England, Wales, and elsewhere, wouldn’t it still be worth it? Isn’t that hour of public prayer, as little as once a week or as often as thrice a day, worth it once you think about every little moment, like the three I’ve recorded here, that will make up a tiny part of a whole life, thanks to your witness? Isn’t every little snapshot of life, every little scene that make up the drama of human life, infinitely precious? It is for me.

                That is the effect of a 40 Days Vigil; a bus ride, two pairs of skates, and a notebook.

Nathanael

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The Prayer Vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 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 of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

Sign Up Now to Avoid Disappointment!

Every year after the 40 Day's for Life vigils end, on Palm Sunday, somebody will ask, "What time's and hours do I need to come and cover a slot praying at the vigil?" So, it really is a good thing to avoid disappointment, by booking early and booking often. 

So far this Lent there has been one Archbishop, a Bishop, four Priests and dozens of the faithful at the vigil to pray for the women going to the abortion centre in Brixton, and to offer them leaflets, which show them the real practical help and support that is available to them during their pregnancies and beyond, irrespective of their circumstances.

Since 40 Days for Life was founded in 2007 we  have seen 184 abortion centres close down, 275 abortion workers stop working in the abortion industry, as well as seeing 26,214 Mother's continue their pregnancies. 

That is 26,214 people walking around alive today, because someone just like you signed up to spend an hour or more praying in public!

The Prayer Vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 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 of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here

"When I attended the 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton..."

When I attended the 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton last Sunday morning I was struck by the peace and quiet there compared to other days. People trudged past with their shopping or ran past on their morning exercise. I thought to myself that people seemed so oblivious to the evil of the place just up the road from them, the abortion centre. If only our society realised that there are 277,970 babies missing in England and Wales from 2023 alone, 277,970 mothers hurt by abortion. What a different place the world would be if people only realised the humanity of the unborn. That’s 277,970 reasons for you to come join our 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil in Brixton!

Help us to raise awareness about the greatest evil of our time by joining us. Imagine being at a vigil and then hearing from a mother who received help to keep her baby because of people at such a vigil offering help and support. The Prayer Vigil in Brixton will run for 12 hours a day, 8am to 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 of great help. The vigil takes place at the corner of Brixton Water Lane, London, SW2 5BJ. For more details or to book to attend please contact Gabriella on 07745711064 or 02077231740

For details about 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils in Reading, Ealing, Southend, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bournemouth and Sheffield see here and for the rest of the World see here.

Did you just phone to book to attend? Or did you click on one of those links to see which vigil you will attend? No? Please do, you may make all of the difference.

You Don't Have To Be An Archbishop, Bishop Or Priest To Witness To Life

You don't have to be an Archbishop to show publically that you care about unborn babies and their mothers. Archbishop John Wilson leads three Priests and the faithful in prayer near the abortion centre in Brixton.

You don't even need to be a Bishop, to offer practical help and support to mums in difficult pregnancies, but thank you Bishop David Waller for joining us in this important work.

If you are not a Priest, you are still very welcome to come and say some prayer for those in most need. And many thanks Father Andrew for joining us.

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

For other vigils around the Country see here and for the rest of the World see here

At The Pro-Life Vigil We Are There To Offer Help And Support

Yesterday at our 40 Days for Life vigil in Brixton, Gabriella, one of our staff members spoke with a mother who is 8 weeks pregnant. She shared that she feels confident in having her abortion, though her heart seems set she did accept one of our leaflets that offer help. At the 40 Days for Life vigil we are there to stand peacefully, offering help and prayers for both mother and child. Please join us in praying for this mother as only God can change hearts. 

Heavenly Father, we cry out for your mercy and ask You to remove the scourge of abortion from our land. Use us as your vessels, Lord, to bring the light of truth to our nation once again.

Pregnant? Find help and support.

Come and pray at our vigil in Brixton or one of the other vigils around the Country.

For vigils outside the UK see here.

"Please Keep Going"

One of the Pro-Life vigil volunteers gave the following  testimony, at the recent 40 Days for Life launch event in Brixton. Please read it, share it and then decide if you should come to the vigil as well.

First of all, I want to say thank you. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for standing faithfully, often quietly, and sometimes in very difficult circumstances. Many of you will never fully see the impact of what you do—but I am here today as living proof that your presence matters more than you may ever know.

 

Who I Am & Where I Came From

I grew up in a practising Catholic home. At 21, I immigrated alone to Spain. At 22, I married in the Church.

I was young, far from my family, in a new country, trying to build a life and a marriage with faith and hope.

 

Pregnancy & Sudden Crisis

When I found out I was pregnant, I was about eight weeks along. Despite everything else that was going on, I was filled with joy. There was joy in my heart because I loved my baby. At the same time, my marriage had become unsafe. The man I had married—someone I loved—had bipolar disorder, he stopped taking his medication, and our home became unbearable and frightening. What should have been a time of protection and care became a time of fear. I felt shocked, confused, alone—and deeply ashamed to reach out to my family.

 

Turning to the System for Help 

Eventually, I reached out to social services and a local women’s organisation. I remember feeling relieved. I truly believed these people would help me and my baby. Around the same time, I went alone to my first routine pregnancy check-up. I was filled with fear and uncertainty.

As I sat there, I noticed pamphlets everywhere—about gestational diabetes, pregnancy complications, and abortion. I remember thinking, “Oh no… I am alone in this. How would I ever get through this?” And yet—even in all that fear—abortion never crossed my mind.

 

Abortion as the Default Response

During the appointment, I shared my situation with the doctor. She handed me pamphlets I had already seen. Among them was one for social services, and I thought, “Good. They will help me with my baby.”

What happened next shocked me. When I went to social services and explained the domestic violence I was experiencing, every professional involved in my case was quick to offer abortion. I kept hearing the same sentence, again and again: “You know you have a choice. You are only 8… 10… 12 weeks.” Not one person asked me what I wanted. Not one person asked if I wanted to keep my baby. Not one explored what support might make that possible.

Erosion of Confidence & Hope

After hearing this repeatedly, I began to doubt myself. My confidence disappeared. The little hope I had left began to fade. For the first time, the thought of abortion—something completely against my values—started to feel like a possibility. Not because I wanted it, but because of the fear I was being fed. Abortion no longer felt like an option. It felt like the only way forward.

I felt ashamed. I lost my sense of who I was. I felt like a puppet—being referred from one place to another, always with the same offer: abortion first, and support later.

 

Second Medical Visit & ‘Easy Pills’

To clarify, in Spain women are often referred to specialised abortion clinics later in the first trimester. So my second check-up was still at a regular GP, this is often where the abortion pills are offered. I was told, “It’s simple. Just pills.” I didn’t accept. I said I needed time to decide. Inside, I felt shattered. Conflicted. Weak. Helpless.

 

Encounter with Pro‑Life Presence: The Turning Point

As I walked out of the GP, I saw a small group of men and women outside. One was praying the rosary. They were handing out leaflets quietly. As I passed them, one handed me a leaflet. It showed a mother and her baby and said, “We are here to help.” At first, I thought it was another abortion leaflet. But on the bus, I read it carefully.
It said: ADEVIDA – “We are here to listen. We can help. No to abortion.” My heart skipped a beat. It was a light in the darkest days of my life.

 

Support, Restoration & Community

I got off the bus, crossed the road, and caught the bus back—hoping they would still be there. They were. I spoke to them. The next morning, I went to their centre. ADEVIDA is an organisation like the Good Counsel Network. They offered practical support, counselling, and a community of other mothers. For the first time, I felt listened to. Seen. Supported as both a woman and a mother.

Their presence outside that abortion centre was the voice I had been longing to hear. The voice that restored my strength. The voice that restored my hope.

 

Why Your Work Matters

This is why what you do matters. You offer presence where there is pressure. Support where there is silence. Hope where fear has taken over. Please know that your quiet faithfulness reaches further than you will ever see.

 

Encouragement & Commissioning

Thank you for believing that women are strong.
Thank you for believing that babies matter.
Thank you for being the voice that says, “You can do this—and you don’t have to do it alone.”

Please keep going.

The 40 Days for Life 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

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