The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality

The Catechist says they have the right to tell your child about sex. A teacher in a Catholic school says that the Government says we must show pornography to your 5 year old. The Bishop says his hands are tied, and the experts have said it is okay. Thank God that as Catholics we can look to Christ's Vicar on Earth in Rome, when things seem so dark. The Vatican document, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, is a good place to start. There's no replacement for reading the document yourself (and no excuse for Catholic parents not to), but on Thursday 26th May at 8pm there will be a 30 minute programme on EWTN (sky 589 or online) about this document - maybe it would be a good place to start.

Stuart McCullough

Furniture Needed in Uxbridge to Help House the Unborn!

As we have blogged recently, we have had a great increase in girls coming to us. Many of them are very set on abortion originally, but many have gone on to choose life for their children after offers of moral support and practical help. Thanks be to God.

We have also written before on the scandal of homeless pregnant women who are not entitled to benefit (foreign students and workers for example as well as others) being left to sleep on the street. A growing problem for us here in London.

Our Mother's Home in North West London is always kept full, so we were delighted to find we have been offered the use of a property - not too far from Uxbridge, West London - where we hope to house a further 3 or 4 expectant and new Mothers and their children. A generous supporter has offered this and it is a great help at present, while we have many Mothers in urgent need of housing. However, it is offered on a temporary basis and we can be given 12 weeks notice to quit at any time. Therefore we would like to furnish it QUICKLY in as decent, but also as cheap a fashion as we can!

That's where you come in. Can you provide any of the following items or do you know anyone who can? If possible we are looking for help from people who live near that area or who can deliver to that area. The requested items are :


Single beds
A sofa bed
A couple of arm chairs
A couple of hard chairs
Bedside tables/cabinets
Portable Heater
Single Duvets
Bedclothes
Net curtains and heavy curtains: sizes needed -1 pair 10 foot wide and minimum 6 foot drop
2 pairs 8 foot wide and 7 foot drop. 1 pair 5 foot wide and minimum 5 foot drop. 3 matching pairs 2 of which are 5 foot wide and minimum 6 foot drop.
Child safety gate
Bedside Lamps
Pictures
Pots and pans for the kitchen


We also welcome anyone in the area who could do a spot of painting or gardening and if you know of a good local electrician or plumber that would be very helpful too.


We also have Mothers who have just moved in to accomodation in North London and East London who would welcome some help with furniture too.


Please get in touch if you can help: 02077231740 or info@goodcounselnetwork , and please, please spread the word.
St Rita, patroness of hopeless causes, on your feast day, pray for us!

Clare McCullough

In the end my Immaculate Heart will Triumph: Pro-Life Vigil & Consecration to Mary, Central London 28th May 2011

In case anyone doubts the words of Our Blessed Lady at Fatima that if her instructions were not followed, "various nations will be anihilated", Monsignor Reilly's comments at his recent brilliant talk in London, that there have been 400 million forced abortions in China. A beautiful answer to the current worldwide abortion situation is the Pro-Life Vigil organised by Daniel Blackman involving a Consecration to Our Lady and offered in reparation to her Immaculate Heart coming up next Saturday in London. Here are the details:

Pro-life vigil in honour of Our Lady
28th May 2011

Consecration and reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary & prayers for an end to abortion, in May the month especially dedicated to Our Lady & to honour the work of Blessed Pope John Paul II in building a culture of Life!

Prayer vigil outside BPAS abortion clinic 26-27 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HP
Start 8.30am. Ends 1pm.

Full police cooperation.
You may join for all or part of the vigil.

Contact Daniel Blackman: daniel-40days@hotmail.co.uk

"The best talk I have ever heard" John Smeaton

Monsignor Philip J Reilly, has just given what John Smeaton, described as, "The best talk I have ever heard." And to be honest, I would be hard pushed to say he was wrong. If you were unable to be at Spanish Place last night, do contact the Helpers of God's Presious Infants as they were filming the talk. John's blog will no doubt cover the talk in detail.

Photo of Monsignor & John chatting at the end of the talk.

Stuart McCullough

Most important Pro-Life talk in England so far this year, will be on Wednesday

Monsignor Philip J Reilly, the founder of the Helpers of God's Precious Infants will be in London on Wednesday. He will be giving a talk at St James' Church, Spanish Place, 22 George Street, London, W1U 3QY, on Wednesday 18th May 2011 at 7.30pm.

The number of babies, as well as Mothers & Fathers saved from the horrors of abortion by God's Grace, through this Priest is amazing. Should we go to the abortuary and pray? What should we do when we are there? Do Bishops and Priests need to go? Will me going really make a dfference? Over years I've heard Monsingor answer all of this and much more besides.

Stuart McCullough

Friday night in the centre of London

Friday nights in Central London, often involves large crowds standing outside pubs drinking too much. How nice it was to see this crowd of youngsters spilling out onto the road in Maiden Lane last Friday, as they have just left Church after Mass for Good Counsel. There is an Old Rite Mass offered for Good Counsel on the 2nd Friday of each month, at 6.30pm at Corpus Christi Church, Maiden Lane. Juventutem (a Catholic Youth Group) then go out for dinner together, 18-35 year olds welcome.

Pro-Life talks on CD

If you missed the Family Life International Conference on Saturday 7th May, you can order some or all of the five Pro-Life talks on CD from FLI or telephone; 02088579950.

Here is a 30 second clip of Hugh Owen speaking, taken with my phone.

Pro Life Mass Friday 13th May

There will be an Old Rite Mass organised by the Latin Mass Society, on Friday 13th May at 6.30pm at Corpus Christi Church, Maiden Lane, London. This Mass is offered for the work of the Good Counsel Network.

Edified by his Example, Pope Benedict on Pope John Paul II

The final words of Pope Benedict's homily at the Beatification of Pope John Paul II:
Finally, on a more personal note, I would like to thank God for the gift of having worked for many years with Blessed Pope John Paul II. I had known him earlier and had esteemed him, but for twenty-three years, beginning in 1982 after he called me to Rome to be Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, I was at his side and came to revere him all the more. My own service was sustained by his spiritual depth and by the richness of his insights. His example of prayer continually impressed and edified me: he remained deeply united to God even amid the many demands of his ministry. Then too, there was his witness in suffering: the Lord gradually stripped him of everything, yet he remained ever a “rock”, as Christ desired. His profound humility, grounded in close union with Christ, enabled him to continue to lead the Church and to give to the world a message which became all the more eloquent as his physical strength declined. In this way he lived out in an extraordinary way the vocation of every priest and bishop to become completely one with Jesus, whom he daily receives and offers in the Eucharist.

Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God’s people. Amen

One Million Rosaries for the Unborn this weekend

On May 6th, 2011 a 3-day spiritual battle begins for an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn human persons. It is anticipated that people from various places throughout the world will be praying the Rosary for this intention. (Last year, people from more than 40 nations registered for the ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES.)

Within the last 50 years, hundreds of millions of unborn human persons have been killed surgically and non-surgically. No other group of people has ever suffered such a massacre.

Please, do for the unborn babies that which they can not do for themselves: Pray at least one Rosary from May 6th - 8th for the intention listed above. ( You may register by clicking here. Remember: Each Rosary you register will get us one Rosary closer to the goal of one million Rosaries.)

Also, please help get the word out so other people will know about the ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event.

Stuart McCullough

Pharmacists Forced to be Agents of the Culture of Death

H/T to Fathers Stephen and John Boyle for this article from The Pharmaceutical Journal. It's a great article and a little miracle that it got printed by PJ.

More sex please! We’re pharmacists
Wed, 27/04/2011 - 13:41
RoseMary Baker, pharmacist from Wirral, Merseyside

Chocolate bars on the medicines counter? I think not. Cigarettes next to the nicotine replacement therapy? No way. Wines and spirits on the gondola next to the waiting area? I hardly think so. Lottery tickets? Perhaps.

As pharmacists we have an obligation to uphold lifestyle standards appropriate to good health. We are urged not to sell confectionery. Why? Do our customers not have the right to choose to become obese or loose their teeth? Many people eat chocolate sensibly and sometimes sweets may be a necessity for someone with diabetes and yet pharmacists consider it a professional responsibility to protect those who would abuse the situation.

Everyone knows the dangers of smoking and no pharmacist would want to sell tobacco products. The supply of reefers as part of addiction treatment is an ethical dilemma many would wish to avoid. Pharmacies throughout Britain make a great contribution to the anti-smoking campaign and there can be few people in Britain who are not aware of the possible consequences of smoking.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society recognises that some pharmacies do sell alcohol but advises that those who do so must provide educational information on alcohol abuse.

So, all in all, you might well say that pharmacy as a profession does a good job in educating the public on the interface between pleasure and health.

Quite right, too. We are health professionals with a duty to encourage our customers to live healthily. We provide lots of leaflets on giving up smoking, eating sensibly and keeping within the recommended limits of alcohol consumption. We are happy to spend time counselling on nicotine replacement or healthy eating. We think up new ways of encouraging people to take more exercise or cut down on fats; we warn people of the likelihood of developing diabetes if they are overweight; we terrify them with statistics on cardiovascular problems and cancer.

But what about sex? Well now, that is different. Oh yes, we do display leaflets on how to have safe sex or where to go if you need an abortion. In Wales we can provide post-coital contraceptives free of charge without the necessity of obtaining a prescription from a doctor. Are we being as fair to the public about sex as we are about smoking or eating sweets or drinking alcohol? Do we highlight the failure rate of contraceptives or do we couch the true failure rate in terms like “if used effectively”. Do we shout from the rooftops the fact that many progesterone only pills are likely to fail if the dose is more than three hours late? Have we fought for a Government health warning on condoms which says “this product is likely to fail if you have never used a condom before and you are fumbling around in the dark at the back of the youth club”? Do we help to punch home the truth that sexually transmitted infections really are transmitted sexually, are highly unpleasant and often lead to infertility later in life?

Truth
If we as pharmacists really want to contribute to the sexual health of the nation we should be fighting for greater truth to be told regarding contraceptive failure and the consequences of that failure. We should be spreading the news that there is some chance of failure with all contraceptives and that failure leads to a baby for life or an abortion, the memory of which will surely stay for a lifetime. Survey after survey has shown that pharmacists are considered to be accessible and respected for their knowledge of health matters, so why are we failing the public, especially the young public, in the area of sexual health?

Why are we as a profession going along with the lie that postcoital contraception is not abortifacient. Someone, and I do not know who, decided that pregnancy does not begin until an embryo is implanted in the lining of the uterus. How can that be? As scientists we should recognise, that a new life form, genetically distinct from either parent, comes into existence when the sperm and ovum fuse. Once that new life form exists, call it what you will, to destroy it is an abortifacient action. Some may not consider that important but we should be telling people the facts so that they can make their own ethical decision.

We tell people half-heartedly about sexually transmitted diseases but encourage wider availability of postcoital contraception and kid ourselves that such supply does not encourage irresponsible behaviour. When passions are running high would not the prospect of buying a tablet in the morning seem more acceptable than breaking the mood while a condom is applied?

Pharmacists who oppose the availability of post-coital contraception over the counter are branded as, at best, kill-joys and more often, religious bigots. In actual fact these pharmacist are the ones who have their minds tuned to the reality of the situation.

The teenage pregnancy statistics for the UK are terrifying. What are we as a profession doing about it? We just find ways of making the morning after pill ever more widely available instead of spreading the word that sex, far more than chocolate and alcohol, needs to be treated with restraint and respect.

London Pro-life Conference Saturday 7th May

If you are concerned about the moral decline of our society and feel powerless to change things YOU MUST attend this Pro-Life Pro-Family Event.

Fydor Dostoyevsky once said: “If God is not; then nothing is impermissible”

The purveyors of death are trying to eclipse God in the eyes of our Nation, so that they can promote an atheistic creed and moral world view.

We live in a society where the killing of unborn children is normal. Babies are killed in the very hospitals and clinics where doctors work to save the lives of accident victims. This horrendous situation does not revolt our society.

Family Life International, through our programmes are turning the tide among our youth. This coming year’s conference will highlight the dangers and what we can do as faithful Christians.

The FLI 2011 Conference is planned for Saturday May 7th 2010 again at Westminster Cathedral Hall.

Bring family and friends
Speak to family and friends about attending the conference. Why not organize a group in you parish. Speak to your Parish Priest about promoting this coming event. Register online early and help us to promote this events, if you need further information e-mail us.

Speakers
Fr Linus Clovis - Secularism; A Failure to Evangelise
Fr. Clovis holds a PhD in Mathematics from London University and studied Theology and Canon Law at the Angelicum University in Rome before he was ordained a priest by Pope John Paul II in 1983. He single handedly took on the St. Lucia Government in the fight against the legalisation of abortion, with the support of almost 20% of the adult population who signed a petition against the killing of the preborn. Fr Clovis is the Spiritual director of FLI and has spoken at various conferences around the world.

Andy Pollard - The Sins of the Fathers (Europe’s Demographic Winter)
Is a Management Consultant and advisor on the effects population control has on the economy and the market. Andy has spoken in a number of forums around the world on the catastrophic effects of depopulation and an ageing population. Andy is among the first academics to predict the devastating impact the ageing population would have on the UK economy and the high cost it would impose on our children.

Patricia Morgan - The Abolition of Marriage (Same Sex Marriage)
Is a Senior Researcher Fellow in the Family at the IEA Health and Welfare Unit, Patricia is a sociologist specialising in Criminology and Family Policy and is a prolific writer with titles such as “Farewell to the Family” and “Are families affordable?”. Patricia is a frequent contributor to radio and television programmes and has given evidence before the parliamentary Social Security Committee.

Hugh Owen - Evolution and the Culture of Death
Is the convert son of Sir David Owen, a former Secretary General of International Planned Parenthood Federation. Hugh directs the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation which provides a forum for Catholic theologians, philosophers, and natural scientists throughout the world. The Kolbe Center is dedicated to make available to Church leaders and to the laity the evidence for and against the theory of evolution.

Dr Claude Newbury - Mortal Combat Against The Culture of Death
Together with his wife Glenys, has devoted 35 years to propagating and defending the Culture of Life. They have together given more than 6000 talks. Claude founded The Catholic Doctors Guild of Southern Africa and served as National President of Pro-Life South Africa for 25 years and Human Life International for 15 years. In 1992, Fr. Paul Marx, in an HLI Award designated them “The couple who had done the most to defend human life around the world”.

To book or for more information click here

Stuart McCullough

Kate's Modest Wedding Dress - Get Yours Here

A Return to Modesty?

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Well it's always good to see a bit of promotion of Marriage and I think we have had a good bit of that with the royal wedding. Nice to hear a few good bible readings and sermons on the subject.
Perhaps it is a bit churlish to say it's always good to see a cohabiting couple put things right, but it's true. And in this case, we can always hope that it will nudge a few hundred thousand couples in the right direction!
But the absolute moral triumph of the day was the dress! I'm not saying it was perfect (because if I did someone would no doubt correct me!) but it had a top - I mean one that went all the way up to shoulders! A skirt that didn't split to the waist, anywhere. A back. And - wait for it - sleeves! Sleeves! Men, you won't understand how hard it is to get wedding dresses with sleeves on them, but it is ridiculously near impossible. And if you do find one it is sure to be a ludicrous colour or style.

I found a blog by Ashley (a homeschool graduate) girls guide to home life who spotted early on the day that the dress bore a striking resemblance to Grace Kelly's (having blogged on her dress before).

Mind you, as the photo, below, of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace with her bridesmaids et al shows, the dress is by no means identical.

Hat tip to Ashley for digging up some great pictures and for kindly giving us the Vogue pattern number for Princess Grace's dress (V2979 - over at their USA site ) so we can make our own! It's close enough to make an exact copy of Kate's dress with only minor adjustments to the pattern. So anyone preparing to marry who liked Katherine Middleton's dress check it out here!

The Vogue Pattern

Let's hope Kate's dress influences bridal fashion heavily for some time to come - a royal wedding gown can change the face of bridal fashion for a decade or more. It certainly needs some modest influence! As one priest said recently after a wedding, "What with the backless bridesmaid's dresses and the strapless bridal gown, I scarcely knew where to look!".

Clare McCullough

Our Lady Mother of Good Counsel 26th April

Though it won't be celebrated this year, this being Easter Week, today the 26th April is usually the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
The picture shows the original miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Counsel, with baby Jesus holding on tightly round her neck and also onto the neck of her dress. The many beautiful copies usually share these features
A powerful intercessor and guide, Our Lady Mother of Good Counsel has been a particular patron of many Popes.
Pope John Paul II once advised his listeners to pray to the Mother of Good Counsel to be able to interpret the signs which the Holy Spirit places in our life.
She has indeed been a Mother of Good Counsel to the Good Counsel Network.
In 1968 Our Lady's feast day, the 26th of April was the last day in England and Wales before legal abortion came into force on 27th April.

Prayer to Our Lady, Mother of Good Counsel

O, Holy Virgin, to whose feet we are led by our anxious uncertainty in our search for and attainment of what is true and good, invoking thee by the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel we beseech thee to come to our assistance, when along the road of this life, the darkness of error and of evil conspires towards our ruin by leading our minds and our hearts astray.
Do Thou, O Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, Enlighten the doubtful and the erring, that they be not seduced by the false appearances of good, render them steadfast in the face of the hostile and corrupting influences of passion and of sin.
O Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from Thy Divine Son a great love of Virtue and, in the hour of uncertainty and trial, the strength to embrace the way that leads to our salvation. If Thy hand sustains us, we shall walk unmolested long the path indicated to us by the life and words of Jesus our Redeemer; and having followed freely and securely, even in the midst of this world's strife, the sun of truth and justice under Thy Maternal Star, we shall come to the enjoyment of full and eternal peace with Thee in the Haven of Salvation, Amen.

Clare McCullough

The Resurrection - For the Born and Unborn

A happy and Blessed Easter to you!

Celebrating the miracle of the Resurrection and the opening of the way to eternal life is always an incredible time to be involved in pro-life work.

Although they had seen Him raise others from the dead, and He had promised that they would do greater things than He had, none of the apostles expected Jesus to rise from the dead Himself.

We too are often doubtful of Christ's ability or willlingness to give life back where it has ended.

I mentioned recently in a blog how many women we have seen lately with incomplete abortions.

One of these, Una, came to us some time ago with her boyfriend asking for an abortion.

"I don't want to do it, if he would support me I would keep the baby" she said.

We hoped that education, encouragement and support could change her boyfriend's mind, but no. He had raised a couple of families already, thank you. And no part of the truth was going to get in the way of getting rid of this one!

Prayer didn't seem to effect the desired for change on him either (although of course we never know what prayer HAS done...).

We became Una's allies, planning the support she would need, and trying to protect her from the negative influence of John. But despite all prayer - and there was much - we suddenly lost contact with Una, just for 48 hours, she turned off her phone and gave in. She took the abortion pill. She soon called us again telling us what she had done and how remorseful she felt, how much it had affected her relationship for the worse.

Then suddenly came another call -a scan showed that she was still pregnant and 2 weeks further along than the abortuary had told her - perhaps this was why the abortion pill failed? - or perhaps it was because they are always tampering with the appointed times for giving the pills, to try and save on their costs, the abortuary had given her the two pills on the same day. An alert went out to our praying members.

We brought Una in with John again. This time we showed him a graphic DVD of what would happen in the abortion, with his permission and at Una's request. He left ranting and raving about the troubles of raising a child. He seemed unmoved. But Una was changed. She left the room to cry while the DVD was finishing and came back determined to keep her baby, boyfriend or no boyfriend.

We took her for another scan. I sat beside her, praying the St Michael prayer, as we often do at scans where the baby's life is in the balance and the doctor who kindly printed her about 14 scan pictures, assured her the baby looked healthy and said "The baby is due on 29th September" - which of course is the Feast of St Michael!

Una still has a long way to go. Her baby's state of health won't be clear for some time, though we have seen healthy babies born after the abortion pill has been taken. And John, though now supporting her, still wants her to give the baby up when it's born - not something she intends to do, so prayers are still needed. But for Una, it feels like a second chance, like a real resurrection and she is both repentant of her past mistakes and hopeful for her and her babies future.

Clare McCullough

Bishop Hopes is a True Shepherd of the Pro-Life Movement

Bishop Hopes is a True Shepherd of the Pro-Life Movement, here he is (in black next to the 2 Friars)leading the prayers at the Twickenham abortuary on Saturday 16th April. For information about other vigils at abortuaries see here or here.

Stuart McCullough

Botched Abortion Driftwood

Perhaps its because we are meeting more women immediately after their abortions through both our own Whitfield St abortuary Vigil and the Forty Days for Life Vigil at Bedford Square, but it suddenly seems as though we are meeting more and more victims of botched abortions. These women are like driftwood washed up on the shore. No-one seems to know what to do with them, the abortuary fobs them off, the NHS seems embarrassed - and no wonder since they are in bed with bothe BPAS and Marie Stopes. Sadly there is no bank of Pro-Life doctors or nurses, surgeons or gynecologists to turn to for help. Though there are some good pro-life doctors out there, they have usually avoided gynecology and obstetrics in order to avoid abortion and so few if any are specialists in the fields we need them in.

Just recently we have seen a number of these women in special need. Una who took the abortion pill but found herself still pregnant - perhaps because the scan done at the abortuary was 2 weeks out in dating her baby. Sandra who had a surgical abortion but was told by the abortuary that it was a "missed abortion" - i.e. she is probably still pregnant. Pamela who had an abortion, was told by the abortuary a fortnight later that everything was gone, but who later had to have a suction "procedure" to remove tissue from the womb.

Additionally complications of abortion arise when women are not offered all the facts and real life-giving choices beforehand. Kate, a victim of rape who was shuttled through an abortion at the speed of light without an offer of any alternative help, panicked after taking the first pill, recognised that abortion is wrong and changed her "choice" - she is still waiting to see if her baby will survive.

These are just a handful of the women we have seen recently. How many more are coping with these horrible situations, without good medical care and without support?

Please pray for these women - the driftwood remains of a holocaust - their suffering is tremendous. May God save the lives of their babies where there is still a chance of this, and the souls of the Mothers and those who performed the abortions on them.

Clare McCullough

C.S. Lewis on Masturbation

I nicked the following quote from the Porn Effect's excellent blog which you can find here. It is such a perfect explanation of why masturbation is wrong and soul-destroying. And this is one of the many things no-one wants to talk about today. Priests? yes not them either, but parents particularly are shirking these subjects today I find, with devastating results for marriage, family life and the unborn. That selfishness which Lewis talks about here, once it takes root, bears the rotten fruit of the culture of death.

"For me the real evil of masturbation would be that it takes an appetite which, in lawful use, leads the individual out of himself to complete (and correct) his own personality in that of another (and finally in children and even grandchildren) and turns it back; sends the man back into the prison of himself, there to keep a harem of imaginary brides. And this harem, once admitted, works against his ever getting out and really uniting with a real woman. For the harem is always accessible, always subservient, calls for no sacrifices or adjustments, and can be endowed with erotic and psychological attractions which no woman can rival. Among those shadowy brides he is always adored, always the perfect lover; no demand is made on his unselfishness, no mortification ever imposed on his vanity. In the end, they become merely the medium through which he increasingly adores himself…After all, almost the main work of life is to come out of our selves, out of the little dark prison we are all born in. Masturbation is to be avoided as all things are to be avoided which retard this process. The danger is that of coming to love the prison." -C.S. Lewis

3 Women, 14 Abortions.

As we have blogged about recently, we have had a great increase in clients in the first quarter of this year. Many have come to us very set on abortion, but by God's grace we have already seen many "turnarounds" this year, where girls have opened their heart to their baby and chosen life instead. Add to this the girls changing their minds at our Whitfield St abortuary Vigil and then the turnarounds from 40 Days for Life at Bedford Square abortuary and you will see why we are run off our feet!

In the last week we have seen a lot of very broken women. 3 girls that we spoke to had between them a total of 14 previous abortions. It takes something to move from that lifestyle to one of acknowledging the sanctity of their baby's life. These ladies can be absolutely terrified to face their pregnancy and the baby it will bring them, because they know it will force them too deal with the previous abortions too and the thought of that is simply overwhelmingly unbearable.

Please keep these ladies in your prayers. And please remember our appeal for babygoods and newborn clothes. We especially need boys clothes 0-6 months and light buggies but ones which are suitable for newborns (i.e. they lie flat). We need 2 twin buggies at present - the one in front of the other tandam type, not side by side twins as women can't get them on the bus - their main form of transfer. For more information on what we need click here, and please spread the word.

Lastly, if you or someone you know are suffering after an abortion, click here to call us for one-to-one counselling or to get a number for ARCH telephone counselling or Rachel's Vineyard weekend Retreats.

Clare McCullough

Abortion or Not? That is The Question?

Since Advent last year Good Counsel has been counselling and praying outside the marie stopes abortuary at 108, Whitfield Street, London, W1T 5EA. We started with 4 mornings a week and are now there 9am-1.30pm Monday to Friday each week. It is hard to say what impact this has had, how many women have just gone home when they see us?

Eddie started talk to a young women, 'Sam' who looked quite upset. While arranging someone to bring her to Good Counsel in a cab she wandered off, but came back and came to our centre. She has many problems, not least the fact that she has not been in the Country very long and she has reason to believe that her Husband who came here ahead of her, is having an affair!

She left our centre planing to return to the abortuary for her consultation. She does not know what she will do and neither do I. But I do know that if no one was there to offer her help and if no one was there praying for her she would have just gone straight in! Please keep 'Sam' in your prayers.

God bless all of you who pray and/or counsel at this abortuary or any other.

Stuart McCullough