Saturday's Vigil for Nascent (or Embryonic) Life Must Not be Ignored

Here follows John Smeaton's List of Events for the Vigil for All Nascent(or Embryonic) Human Life, called by Pope Benedict XVI, for SATURDAY 27th November 2010. Please attend one and if you absolutely can't please go to the link at the end of this blog and download one of the simple prayers from the US Catholic Bishops website for the Vigil and pray them with family or privately at home:

Catholic archdiocese of Westminster
27 November: Archbishop Nichols will preside at a Vigil at Westminster Cathedral that evening. Texts for the vigil, together with a reflection from the Archbishop.
Also
Sat 27 Nov: vigil, 4pm, St Theresa's church, 27 Boniface Walk, Harrow HA3 6PU.

Catholic diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
27 November, 4-5pm: Vigil of prayer for unborn life before the Blessed Sacrament, St Mary's Cathedral. Scripture Rosary for life and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Catholic Diocese of Hallam
Bishop John Rawsthorne will lead a Vigil Service for all Nascent Human Life on Saturday 27 November following the 6.30 pm evening Mass at the Cathedral Church of St. Marie, Norfolk Row, Sheffield, S1 2JB.

Catholic Diocese of Leeds
Vigil for all nascent human life will be held in the presence of the missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Leeds Cathedral, Great George Street, Leeds, LS2 8BE, on Saturday, 27th November, from 12.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. followed by Saturday vigil Mass at 6 p.m. celebrated by Bishop Arthur Roche

Catholic archdiocese of Liverpool
Sat 27 Nov: Holy Hour after the 6.15pm Mass, St William of York church, Edge Lane, Thornton, Liverpool.

Catholic diocese of Middlesbrough
Invoking the Lord’s protection over every human being called into existence. 3pm on Saturday 27th November at St Mary’s Cathedral with Eucharistic Adoration and Sacrament of Reconciliation
6.30pm Mass Bishop Terry Drainey will preside

Catholic diocese of Motherwell
Sat 27 Nov: all-night vigil from 7pm Sat until 9am Sun, in the Adoration Chapel of St John the Baptist church, Uddingston. In the same church on Sun 28 Nov: Rosary and Benediction, 4pm. Sister Roseanne Reddy of the Sisters of the Gospel of Life will speak at all weekend Masses.

Catholic diocese of Nottingham
Sat 27 Nov: Bishop Malcolm McMahon will celebrate Mass at 12noon in Nottingham cathedral.

Catholic diocese of Plymouth
Sat 27 Nov: Rosary and Vespers, 4pm, Cathedral of Ss Mary and Boniface, Plymouth.

Catholic diocese of Salford
Parishes of St. Kentigern, Fallowfield & St Edwards Rusholme, Manchester: Vigil for Life, Saturday, 8.30 pm - 9.30 p.m. using the US bishops' material, vespers, supplications and Benediction
Also in Salford
27 November: Terence Brain, bishop of Salford, is asking all churches in Salford diocese to have a period of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; and for those churches which have a Sunday vigil Mass to have a special prayer of intercession for all nascent human life.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)website has several packaged options for churches wishing to hold a vigil, in either English or Spanish. The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales recommend these resources here.

Pope Benedict XVI's Vigil for All Nascent Human Life: Extraordinarily Important says Dr John Wilkes

Pope Benedict’s call to every diocesan bishop worldwide to simultaneously lead a Vigil for All Nascent Human Life has been recognised by leading pro-lifers to be extraordinarily important.
“Strong support for Pope Benedict’s appeal to the world’s bishops could not be more important," Dr John Wilkes said recently at the International Right to Life Federation meeting in Ottawa. Dr. Wilkes has authored several pro-life books, among them ‘Handbook on Abortion’, which is considered a classic pro-life text. ‘Handbook on Abortion’ is one of the bestselling books against ‘legal’ abortion ever published.
“Given the scale of the worldwide crisis, no-one could possibly argue that the vigil cannot be supported because of other priorities or because of other events being held in support of life at other times of the year” said Dr Wilkes. Dr Wilkes put side by side the carnage of World War II and the massacre of innocents by abortion. “According to one calculation, 55 million people were killed during the second world war...Tragically; these killings in the most deadly war in human history were a mere prelude to the tragic drama played out for the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st.” The Guttmacher Institute currently estimates about 42 million abortions take place annually.
Dr. Wilkes has encouraged all Catholics and pro-lifers across the globe to support the vigil: “Let all who believe in prayer, pray for a great outpouring of grace on our bishops which impels them to respond generously to this call.”
A new website called “Yes! For Benedict” gives us the opportunity to send a message to the Pope in our own language. You can participate by clicking here. http://www.yes-for-benedict.net/

Mary O' Regan