Sarcasm and "anti-choice *****" God deepens our understanding at the abortuary vigil.

I was outside marie stopes one day, handing out leaflets that give info on the help available to women who will, with God’s help, decide to choose life instead of abortion. Sometimes people think that we are there to condemn and judge the ladies that are coming to the clinic which, I might add, we definitely are not there to do. So people sometimes shout abuse at us while
passing by, or tell us that they don’t like what we are doing, even though they don’t take the time to ask about what we are doing!
So anyway, I tried to hand a lady who was passing by a leaflet and she promptly told me that she didn’t want any of my “anti-choice ***** ”. That we were “out of order” being there. So I told her we were pro­-life. She argued that we were not so I asked her when she thought life began. To which she answered “At birth”.
I then told her that medical scientists & biologists largely agreed that life begins at conception. She disagreed with this fact and told me she thought it was untrue, as she worked for the Department of Health .
I then made the mistake of asking her, sarcastically, if she was a scientist or a biologist, to
which she replied that she was and then walked off!
We are taught to see the person of Christ in all the people we meet while we are outside the abortuary, (especially the ones who are nasty to us). So instead of being sarcastic, what I
should have done was pray for God’s blessing on her. But while we are doing the vigil, God reveals things like that to us all the time.
Later while I was praying a few things came me; While looking through one of the leaflets, I noticed there were plenty of choices in it- just not the one option of killing a baby in the womb.
My thoughts and prayers also came around to the horrible murder of pregnant Nikitta Grender and her unborn daughter who she had already named Kelsey Mae
May they rest in peace. It had been all over the news that
the perpetrator of this horrendous crime would also be charged with child destruction and rightfully so.

The lady who said that she worked for the health deptartment might not agree but thank God, in this case, the Crown Prosecution Service does.

Eddie Bauer

I thought she had had the abortion...

We were praying at abortuary as usual. While I was kneeling on the pavement and saying the rosary, a young woman approached me. I didn’t recognise her straight away. Then I remembered that I spoke to her two weeks ago. She was not sure what to do because her boyfriend had left her and she was scared and alone. I had seen her one other time, a week ago, going in to the abortuary and I assumed that she had had an abortion.

I was over the moon when she showed me an ultrasound scan photo of her 9 week unborn baby. She said that she wants to keep the baby. She was so happy that she came to us to share this great news. The friend who was with her was pregnant too, so hopefully they will support each other. I wonder how many other women changed their minds because of our prayers and presence at the abortuary at Whitfield street.

Justyna Pasek

Hope and Generosity

I have been attending the prayer vigils and counselling outside the Marie Stopes abortuary in Whitfield Street for the last week and a half, with Justyna, Eddie and several other supporters of the Good Counsel Network. Unfortunately there have been no turn-arounds at Whitfield Street as far as we know during this time, but we can hope and pray that some of the leaflets that we handed out, or the conversations we managed to have with women who went in might have had a “delayed action” effect and they might have changed their mind. This can be disheartening and I might be tempted to think that this method does not work, but last Saturday a couple chose life for their baby at another abortuary in Ealing after having talked to a volunteer. “That’s my baby”, said the father, showing the scan. And we know that God hears all the prayers we direct to Him, so we have to keep knocking on the door, like the friend that came late at night asking for bread.
Good Counsel needs donations to make it’s work possible. This morning something quite extraordinary happened. When Justyna and I were praying while Lorraine was counselling, two homeless Polish men saw the “exhibit for life” on the pavement, approached us and one of them tried to give us some money. We explained what we were doing there and that we were not asking for money. But these coins were really the “widow’s mite”, an example of generosity
that puts all of us to shame.

Jesus Gonzalez Nicolas

Christians V Barbarians in Bedford Square

Nice to see the proponents of "choice" were out last night to deny us our right to free speech. It was a powerful vigil, especially as lent moves on towards Holy Week, as so many of the prayers and meditations referred to the ridiculing of Christ and of the rejection of Him. It was all very relevant to our society's rejection of the unborn.

It was a blessing to have the Bishop there. One that BPAS and their supporters had been deeply disturbed by. Even now we should write and thank Bishop Hopes who will certainly have got a lot of flack for coming, both from outside and probably from inside the Church, sadly.

There was something beautiful about standing and kneeling together in a dignified and peaceful, prayerful presence, while something sounding like the fighting Uruk-hai bawled and banged away next to us.

Oops sorry I meant...

If aliens landed in Bedford Square last night they would have instinctively stood with the pro-lifers, the other side looked like they would probably eat them.

I was proud to be standing with the Bishop and my fellow pro-lifers last night.

Oh and one last thing, if the pro-abortionists outnumbered us 2 to 1 last night, most of them must have been pregnant!

Clare McCullough

BPAS Campaign of Intimidation Against Bishop Hopes - or Theology 101 by BPAS

NO BISHOPS WANTED. BY ORDER OF BPAS.

The following comment appeared in The Evening Standard on 14th March. My comments are in bold.

"A major protest is now planned for March 30 at the clinic and campaigners claim it will be led by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Westminster, Alan Hopes.
BPAS said there was “no moral justification” for bishops to get involved in such a campaign."
BPAS talking about moral justification? The mind boggles.
"Abigail Fitzgibbon, policy manager for the 'charity' [my inverted comma's], warned that “vocal” anti-abortion MPs were also stirring up protesters.
She told the Standard:
“I can quite understand that people want a debate on abortion but it’s another matter when they’re haranguing and intimidating women and staff.“If bishops are getting behind this then I can’t see how it’s morally justified especially when women have already made up their minds.”
While it's nice of Abigail to be so understanding. I don't want a debate on abortion personally. I want every woman considering abortion to be given really good other options. I also want abortion to be made completely illegal.
Regarding her belief that there is no moral justification for a Bishop to support his flock in rescuing those who are being dragged to death, try Proverbs 24:11-12 Alison, it may clear this up for you somewhat.
Since January 2011, over 40 women who "had already made up their minds" according to BPAS were given leaflets outside abortuaries and came to Good Counsel to talk about keeping their babies and to obtain the help and support necessary to do so. Many of them complained about having the help leaflets taken from them by abortuary staff if they went into the abortuary and had to ask pro-lifers for new copies when they came out. Groups like The Helpers of God's Precious Infants and 40 Days for Life would be there if 1 woman had turned around, or indeed if none had.

Does anyone get the feeling that BPAS and their hoards are still reeling from the shock of about 200 people - yes that's 200 people - turning up to pray at the new Stratford abortuary a week ago with over 10 priests and religious joining them? No wonder they are desperate to stop Bishop Hopes attending.

The Guardian and it's pro-abortion cronies as well as the Standard were raging at 40 Days last week when someone turned up at the Vigil and filmed parts of it. The pro-death lobby were concerned that any woman may have been filmed. Yet a few days before this a group turned up to film Good Counsel's peaceful prayer vigil at Marie Stopes abortuary in Whitfield St. Volunteer, Justina was actually filmed while speaking to one of the expectant mums approaching the abortuary. Those doing the filming went in and out of Marie Stopes abortuary and chatted with the staff. Strange that the abortionists think that was ok.

Please pray for Bishop Hopes and please support the 40 Days vigil especially on 30 March when the Bishop attends. Please pray for Good Counsel's Whitfield St Vigil too and attend any day if you can Mon-Fri 9-1.30 and Wed 1.30-5.30 also.

Clare McCullough

NINE babies saved from abortion at one London abortuary during June! Support the Vigil so we can offer help to many more.

Our vigil at marie stopes abortuary, 108 Whitfield St, London W1T 5EA (nearest tube Warren st or Great Portland St) is just over seven months old now and God is blessing this type of work and witness because in June alone there have been sixteen turn arounds from abortuaries across London, nine of these have been at the daliy Vigil at Whitfield St. These women chose life for their children after speaking to a person and witnessing people praying outside the modern day Calvary of the abortuary . These woman would have just walked in and aborted their child if there had had been no prayer supporters or counsellor present at the abortuary.
One couple changed their mind by just seeing the supporters praying, they went into the "clinic" after less than five minutes they came back out and came over an shook each of the supporters hands, thanked them and told to keep up the good work. the couple both had tears in their eyes and left very happy.
It was a moving experince. It is essential that type of peaceful Pro-life Vigil continues. We are managing to do this with the help of a small number prayer supporters who come regulary. But it would really help if we could get more people to commit to some slots between 9am-1.30pm Mon-Fri even if it was only for fifteen minutes (approx. the time to say one Rosary) once a week this would really help. If you cannot commit to anything but are in central London between 9-1.30 you would be more than welcome to join us, even if it's only to say a decade of the Rosary. Also, could you pray that we get enough people to continue the vigil. Please tell all your friends and family. Here is a link that has contact details, address etc. of the vigil.
Thank you,God bless, Eddie Bauer

Whitfield St Abortuary Vigil Re-starts for 2011

Now that the Christmas break is over, the Whitfield St abortuary vigil resumed today Monday 10th January 2011. I will be counselling outside of marie stopes abortuary, 108 Whitfield Street, London W1T 5EA every week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 9am and 1.30pm. The nearest tubes are Great Portland Street and Warren Street. I need people to come and support me in prayer at these times. If you are able to join me in prayer either email me at info@goodcounselnetwork.freeserve.co.uk or phone the Good Counsel office on 020 7723 1740. Please promote this vigil far and wide, especially to your friends. Without God's grace we cannot succeed and Mothers may not choose life for their babies.

During Advent the vigil took place and I know of at least one Mother who kept her baby. A friend of the Mother in question received a leaflet from one of our counsellors outside of marie stopes abortuary. The friend passed on the leaflet to her, and the Mother consequently came to our centre to receive help. If she hadn't received the leaflet she would have aborted her child.

On another occasion during advent when i was counselling outside of the clinic a man approached me and wanted to talk. He told me that his girlfriend some time ago had an abortion. I asked him whether she had received any post-abortion counselling. He said that he did not know as they were no longer going out. I asked him if he wanted counselling, he said he was ok but he would like a rosary if we had one. One of the prayer supporters at the clinic gave him their rosary and I told him I would pray for him. I also gave him a leaflet and told him if he ever felt he needed counselling to get in touch.

Please come to the vigil, and if you are unable to come due to work commitments then please at least offer the day for the intentions of people standing outside the clinic.

James Coulborn

God, The Weather and The State of The World

I once heard a talk about how abortion was legalised in St Lucia. The pro-life movement had organised a huge rally. Celebrities and singers and young speakers were ready to preach the pro-life message. They hoped to reach the young people especially and to influence them. On the day of the rally, there was a terrible storm. The rain poured down, bridges were broken, transport broke down and instead of the tens of thousands they had expected, about 2,500 people turned up. Although these people did make a sacrifice to attend, many thousands couldn't or didn't when the weather turned rough. The rally did not make the intended impact on the young, or on the government. Eventually abortion was legalised in St Lucia.

It reminded me of a discussion I had a few years ago with a pro-family campaigner on the anti-divorce side in Ireland. On the day of the divorce referendum, he said, what mattered was that people from the rural areas (generally more moral) went out and voted. If the weather was good, the rural people would come out, but if it was bad they would stay at home, whereas the Dublin folk and other "townies" (generally more liberal) would probably come out to vote good or bad weather. The percentage of rural people voting was seen as a key issue in getting a "No" to divorce in the vote. The day of the vote was a bad day- wet, wild and windy. The country people stayed at home. Divorce was legalised.

Are you getting the picture?

Back a couple of years ago we held a 9 day novena of prayer outside Bedford Square BPAS abortuary. In December. Bearing in mind the above stories, we made a commitment that if it rained or the weather turned bad we would send out some of our staff to cover the Vigil, so that if it rained we would actually have more people there than if it didn't. The vigil was cold but was blessed with dry weather, except for two short periods of fine misty rain.

Now we are holding a vigil four days a week at marie stopes abortuary, Whitfield St. It's December, it's freezing. it's snowing! But unborn babies are still being killed daily there. Their mothers and the abortuary staff are dilligent enough to get to the abortuary even in the snow. Can you join us in being as dilligent?

It would be hard to one day have to say to God "Well the weather was just too bad..."

If you do come, please wear a hat, a VERY warm coat or two, good gloves and thick soled shoes or boots with warm socks or two pairs. Several people have had to go home to get shoes, hats or gloves this week. The picture above shows some hardy volunteers just as it started to snow.

But don't be put off. The weather may be a trial, but it is supposed to be!

Clare McCullough

Join The Regular Vigil at Marie Stopes, Whitfield St From Monday 29th November Onwards

Here at The Good Counsel Network, we are intending to increase the weekday pro-life presence outside Marie Stopes Abortuary, 108 Whitfield Street, W1T 5EA.The nearest tubes are Great Portland Street and Warren Street. The week commencing Monday 29th November 2010, I will be there pavement counselling from 9am-1.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. We hope to have prayer supporters, counsellors and Priests to cover all of these times.
The Holy Father has asked all the faithful to have a Vigil of Prayer for Nascent Human Life, during the first week of Advent. As we prepare for the coming of Our Saviour’s birth, and as we meditate on Our Lord developing in the womb of Mary, and recall His vulnerability and how He was born in the humble dwelling of a stable, the flight from Herod’s tyranny to Egypt, and the putting to death of the new born Innocents, I invite you to come to the abortuary and pray. What a wonderful opportunity to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child during Advent. Any turn around that happens outside an abortuary is due to God's grace granted through the peaceful prayerful witness of Priests and lay faithful.
If you can’t come for the whole four and half hours, I encourage you to do two hours.
Whatever time you can spare is much appreciated, and will help save many children, through God’s Grace from the tyrannical clutches of the new “Herod”, and save many Mums and Dads from anguish and despair.
If you are unable to come, due to infirmity or ill health, please find time even for a short while to pray, and fast if you are able, while we are there, so that hearts may be changed and despairing souls transformed and illuminated through the Merciful Heart of Christ.
If you can't stand for long periods of time, feel free to bring a fold up chair.
If you are able to come for the whole of, or part of the vigil, please email me at info@goodcounselnetwork.freeserve.co.uk or call me on 0207 723 1740. I look forward to seeing you there. Without your prayerful presence, mothers may not choose life for their children.

James Coulborn

Editor's Note: We still urgently need praying people to be there to support this Vigil on Monday 29th November

The Nasty Irony: How Abortuary Executioners Treat People Who Help Them Kill, And How They Treat Pro-lifers Who Help Women

Outside of my work for Good Counsel, I work as a journalist, and recently I was formally interviewing a type of social worker. I was trying to get a picture of how this woman helps the mothers and babies on her caseload. Her answers were all very unclear and when I would ask something like, ‘so what do you suggest to girls who think that they might be pregnant?’ She would waffle and say, ‘oh it would depend on the type of girl. How I would advise each individual girl on how to find out if they are pregnant is not a matter for discussion.’
‘Right. But if they are pregnant, do you recommend abortion?’ I asked this very polished woman who was immaculately dressed in a suit.
‘Well...I mean...I shouldn’t answer that’
‘It’s a general question, is the answer yes or no?’
‘Well...But! It’s not as if I tell them to have an abortion. I might take them to the clinic and help them through it. If they don’t want that child, I will help them...not to be pregnant anymore...’ She told me that she doesn’t want her family or friends to ever know that she cajoles girls into abortion. She forced a smile and told me that the staff at the abortuaries welcome her when she accompanies a pregnant mother to their killing chambers.
This in itself also pinpoints a nasty irony. Abortuaries become possessed with anger when pro-lifers stand outside their buildings and offer an alternative to abortion. One unfounded accusation is that pro-lifers are trespassing. But abortuaries are very welcoming when anyone sweeps a girl into an abortuary and sweet-talks the girl through an abortion. Why isn’t the smooth-talking social worker (who I interviewed) ever called a trespasser?

Mary O'Regan

July, A Month of Grace outside London Abortuaries

July was a very special month at the prayer vigil outside the abortion mill where a few of us pray and do some pavement counselling on Saturdays. Thanks be to God for His intercession and Graces, there were three Christian couples who turned around because they believed there was a sign from God when they saw the prayer vigil. They then spoke to some of the pavement counsellors who advised them properly that abortion was wrong and to put their trust in God instead. One Christian couple had come a long distance and they noticed the picture of the 12 week old baby developing in the womb and stood talking about the baby and God to my colleague Mary for a good half hour.

They booked an appointment with our Centre the next day but then phoned to say they did not need to come for help and that they had definitely decided to keep their baby and that they had realised that it was a sin to abort their baby.

When I was on holiday one following Saturday my friend Gabi texted me to say that another Christian couple had changed their minds. She had spoken to them outside the abortuary. They sent an e-mail to one of our friends afterwards, who had given them his e-mail address, to say that they had set off that day very unsure about what they were doing but decided to go along to the abortuary with abortion in mind, while trusting that when they got there, if it (the abortion)was the wrong thing to do, that there would be a sign from God. They realised that the prayer vigil outside was that sign from God not to go ahead with the abortion.

The third couple whom Mary spoke to had come all the way from Malta and had Catholic parents but were not married and were in difficult circumstances. They were very upset at the thought of abortion and really wanted to stay and talk about it for over an hour. The young lady took a prayer card from me which I offered her from Padre Pio because she was very fond of him and I told her to pray ‘The Sacred Heart Novena’ which was on the prayer card for help and told them that if they put their trust in God that He would help them through their difficulities. Somebody at the vigil also gave this lady a Rosary Prayer Card which she was happy to take. They told us they could not go ahead with the abortion and they went inside the abortuary to tell the staff who queried them why they had changed their minds. The evening before this Saturday we had had all night Adoration at our Centre and somebody told me there was a lot of Adoration going on in different areas around the UK at that time.

All praise and thanks to God for His intercession.

Lorraine Coyne