500 Participate in Kick Off Rally for 40 Days for Life Canada on Parliament Hill
By Richard Marchack
OTTAWA, September 24, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Last evening in Ottawa 500 people gathered on Parliament Hill for the Kick Off Rally to start 40 days of prayer and fasting for life in Ottawa, part of the international 40 Days for Life effort. Organizer Nicole Campbell commented that she was impressed by the serenity and support of all those who came and says she has great hopes that the campaign marks the beginning of the end for abortion in Ottawa. Participants were treated to Christian music by Joe Zambon and heard presentations by organizer Nicole Campbell of Campaign Life Coalition, web page registrations coordinator John Pacheco, Angelina Steenstra from Silent no More and Faytene Krysko from 4 My Canada. After the gathering on Parliament Hill a candle light procession went to Bank Street in Ottawa, ending in front of the Morgentaler abortuary. The procession was led by an empty baby rocker, driving home the fact that abortion is creating a society with an empty future.
Once the procession arrived at the site of the abortuary participants spontaneously started recitation of well know prayers. Uplifting Christian songs broke the silence of the otherwise quiet downtown street.
The 40 Days for Life campaign in Ottawa has received the support of Ottawa Archbishop Terrance Prendergast. Anyone in other cities can join in the Ottawa-based campaign by committing to prayer and fasting for the next 40 days (September 24th to November 2).
It is hoped that the 40 Days for Life effort will also inspire people to renew their enthusiasm to stand up for life at next year's March for Life on May 14, 2009 in Ottawa. The theme for next year's March is Exodus 2009 and marks the 40th year since the law was changed in Canada to permit abortion. Exodus will include a pilgrimage to Ottawa leading up to the March for Life and prominent guests in recognition of the significance of the 40 years of abortion in Canada.
Last night's Ottawa rally was attended by numerous priests and religious as well as lay people who were inspired to come to start the prayer campaign. For the next 40 days there will be a constant prayer presence outside of the Morgentaler Ottawa abortuary. There is hope that the prayer will be able to be maintained every hour of every day outside of the abortuary. The signup sheet is filling rapidly, with many people calling the Campaign Life Coalition office in Ottawa (613-729-0379) to ask when they can go and what hours need to be filled.
To check up on when and where prayer partners are needed please check the web-site at http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/%3Ca href=http://www.40daysforlife.com/Ottawa%3Ehttp://www.40daysforlife.com/Ottawa%3C/a%3Ehttp://www.40daysforlife.com/Ottawa
Ground Zero Report - Day 1 [09.24]
I attended the vigil tonight at 6PM with Jennifer and another friend and was surprised to see so many people there. I think there were about 15 or 20 people and at 7 when we left a group of youth came by to pray. Wow what a turnout. It was truly beautiful! - Maureen
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I finished my 8-10 pm shift and it was quite peaceful being with others sharing in silent prayer. We started at 8 pm with about 10 people and it dwindled down to about 6 when I left at 10 pm. Nice to see a steady stream of people coming and going. I feel something extraordinary is going to happen with this event. - Sue
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Just got back from the abortuary...I'm overwhelmed with the number of people that are coming out. People are just showing up...there were about 12 people this evening...even at midnight, there was 5 people! Praise God! - Nicole
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I checked out 63 Bank St on the internet on the web this morning to see if it was what we thought it might be. The description below confirms it -- I suppose we shouldn't be that surprised. The negativity that exists from the mill probably acts like a magnet for other harmful behaviour. The size of the spiritual battle at that location seems to be much wider in scope than we initially thought. - Andy
Sauna 63
Ottawa's newest bathhouse is located on the forth floor above Edge nightclub and lounge. Featuring modern, spacious rooms. Clean, safe and fun are rules of the game.
Phone: 613-237-BATH
Address: 63 Bank St
Hours: Open 24 hours.
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I was standing close to the curb, praying and looking up at the abortuary. Two other ladies where standing with me, too. These 3 guys approached me and asked if there will be another candlelight procession because they saw it the night before and was quite impressed at how many people were there. I said no, that was a kick off rally to start the 40 Days for Life Campaign but we will be there 24 hours everyday until November 2, praying and fasting for the end to abortion and there are others who are also praying and fasting in their homes and churches. They asked why we chose that site. I told them that on the third floor of the building we are facing is an abortion facility. They were surprised to hear that. I told them it is named after Morgentaler, the main protagonist of the legalizing abortion in Canada, but I do not know if he owns it. They asked a few more questions about 40 Days for Life. One of them said we should this again next year. I said we will do this every year until all abortion facilities are closed in Ottawa. As they were saying good-bye and good luck, I ask them to come by everyday and stand there with us for a few minutes. They said they will. I was there from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. A few women and a man came out at different times. None of them looked our way. There were quite a few of us there so it would be difficult not to notice. I'd say they are very aware of our presence. Praise be to God. - Nora
Ground Zero Report - Day 2 [09.25]
Just thought I would share an experience for Day 2 in the 6-8 pm time slot. We encountered persecution from a tormented woman who not once, twice but three times came back to give us a tongue lashing for our stance on pro-life. However, shortly after, along came a Mother and daughter who stopped to ask us what we were all about. After telling them about the 40 Days for Life campaign, they told us that they were visiting from Calgary looking for Universities for her daughter who wants to major in political science. Her daughter went on to say that she was pro-life and a speaker for "Silent Day of Solidarity. Her Mother, then asked us if we would like to her her daughters 7 minute speech she made at her high school on this topic. Of course, we encouraged her to go right ahead. It was wonderful to hear this young woman of 17 years speak as well as she did about the sanctity of life. It was as though the Lord sent in a special messenger to lift our spirits and to let us know that we are not alone to fight this battle. After her short speech, her Mom whispered in my ear that her daughter wanted to enter politics. This grade 11 student's name is AA from +++ High School in Calgary, and her Mom's name is MA.... I told her that Ottawa could certainly use a future politician who was pro-life. In fact, my gut feeling tells me that AA will be a name that we will be hearing again in Canada's political future. I felt truly blessed tonight to have met these wonderful pro-life people, who joined our campaign and signed the register as participants of the 40 Days for Life in Ottawa. - Sue
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There was a man eating his McDonald meal quietly on the bench outside of 65 Bank door. After he finished, he came over and said he likes what we are doing. I invited him to join us anytime but he said he is busy.
A young man who looks like he is in his mid-teens came and asked questions. Sue told him that the DNA at conception stays the same throughout that person's life. He did not know that. He stayed awhile to talk. - Nora
Ground Zero Report - Day 3 [09.26]
I arrived at the abortion mill around 8:30 am and there were already 6 people praying. Before long, a couple entered the building and seemed to be having a lively discussion. The woman pointed to us a few times. They went into the elevator. A few minutes later, the man left the building alone. It seemed quite obvious they were going to the clinic. During the two and a half hours I was there, I saw 4 other couples enter the building and take the elevator. There was also a group of three women who went in, looking around nervously, as if to make sure they were at the right place. Two of the three later left the building. A bit later, a young woman, looking nervously at us, practically ran into the building. Then, three other women came, also checking around to see if they had the right place. One of them actually openend the door to the bath house at 63 Bank. They then asked a passerby, and went into 65 Bank. A few minutes before I was to leave, the two women from the first group came back to the clinic. After a bit, they came out and sat on the bench just in front. As I left, I felt I just couldn't go without saying something, so I went over and mentioned to them that their friend was going to need a lot of support, that abortion causes great distress and that we were there to help. One of them was quite receptive to what I told them. I hope I am wrong, but from what I saw, 8 babies might have been aborted this morning. We need to pray! Thanks for all your hard work! God bless! - Doris
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I wanted to let you know about three things which happened during our watch this afternoon (3:45 - 5:15). Before I do, I suspect you know there are more people showing up at times than are scheduled - which is great. When we arrived, there were an estimated 10 others and this number varied down to about 4 at one point and then rose again before we left. It certainly is nice having the extra company. First pleasant occurrence was a lady walking by who said 'Thank-you' in our direction several times. Second, a young man stopped at the edge of the road and began a conversation with one of the vigil keepers sitting on the bench. He indicated his partner had had an abortion and he was feeling some discomfort/guilt. After they chatted for a minute or two, she took him to Fr. McEvoy who happened to be keeping vigil at the time. The young man and Fr. McEvoy spent 30-40 minutes together. Fr. McEvoy said the man spoke and he listened.Third, a gentleman approached us and addressed Fr.McEvoy (as he was with his collar and black suit). He wanted to know what we were doing. He had spotted us from the McDonald's restaurant. He was from Elliot Lake and his wife was a Catholic school trustee attending a national Catholic trustee conference at the Crowne Plaza hotel. He was excited to hear what were doing and said he would tell his wife and come back to spend some time with us. His wife was also head of the local Right to Life group. He also asked about the March for Life which they missed this year (first time in several years). He and his wife have organized the Life Chain in Elliot Lake for 17 years. A few minutes after he departed, a couple approached and sat down with us. She was a Catholic trustee attending the conference and her husband was with her. They were from Edmonton. They asked about what we were doing, asked if there was a buffer zone around the abortion mill (as there is in Edmonton), where else the 40 Days campaign was taking place, and so on. They were very supportive and, I believe, impressed.That is a lot of activity to pack into 90 minutes! God was working His wonders. - David
Ground Zero Report - Day 5 [09.28]
PRO-LIFE WITNESSING
My vigil hour in front of the Morgentaler abortuary was scheduled for eight o'clock this morning. As I approached Bank Street after leaving the Queensway, there were a few dozen police officers standing on the sidewalk. Their motorcyles were parked on the road nearby. I did what people generally do when they see police - I slowed down. Immediately, after I drove by, I thought, "Wow! I hope all the police officers read my pro-life bumper stickers!" In white lettering on a bright green background, the two signs read as follows: (1) "Abortion kills babies, wounds Mothers, and hardens hearts"; (2) "Real men don't pressure women to abort". Located at a higher level on my hatchback door, was the pro-life sticker, "40 Days For Life".
At approximately twenty minutes before nine, many pollice vehicles passed by the "40 Days For Life" witnessing area. There were cars, vans, and buses transporting police officers. Where were they going? They were on their way to Parliament Hill to pay tribute to their comrades who died in the line of duty. As the police officers stood on Parliament Hill, I wondered how many of them remembered the aborted babies who have died, not as victims in the line of duty, but as victims of convenience. - Sister Pamela Bennett, CSJ
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Congratulations to whoever wrote on the back of the large (old) Family Coalition Party sign "65 Bank Street is a Abortion Facility". I have been doing the night shift at the Vigil these past few days, but today, Sunday, my wife and I went up in the afternoon for an hour. I held that sign and many who read it stopped and looked for the number 65 after reading it. The Forty Days for Life Vigil is certainly drawing attention to what is going on a block from the Parliament of Canada.
Today was also the Annual Memorial Police Service on Parliament Hill (which in past years I have participated in). However, this year I decided to save my energy for the 40 Days for Life and was very proud after some of the Police Service Officers passing the Vigil gave us the thumbs up sign. - Frank
Ground Zero Report - Day 6 [09.29]
Sisters and brothers, I was at Ground Zero at 3 00 am Monday, and met Chris form CLC Who had been there from 1 30. As Chris left at 4 00 Albert A. arrived ready for business. Albert had a board with holy cards and flyers. To me, Albert is Mr Pro Life. He told me he passed out over 100 cards at the opening rally, has spent over $8 000.00 on flyers etc. to promote the pro life cause. I was impressed with his faith. He said,"Mary will crush his head." I drove past when I left at 4 30, and Albert was on his knees. I expected nothing to happen, but I met two wonderful people. I already knew Chris from CLC, and got toknow him a little better, and I was blessed to meet Albert. - Mike
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I am not sure if anyone reported the wonderful gift sent to us last night (Sep. 29) at the vigil located at 65 Bank St. at 7:45 pm. My friend, Bishop Reynald Rouleau from the Diocese of Churchill Hudson Bay was passing through Ottawa yesterday and he invited me to have dinner with him. I told him all about the 40 Days for Life campaign in Ottawa and its purpose and I gave him a pamphlet. He was very interested in the campaign and feels that his Diocese might benefit from such a wonderful event. I told him about our 40 day, 24 hour vigil in front of the abortuary from Sep. 23-Nov. 2. He was surprised to hear that such a place still existed and humbled at the courage and devotion shown by the volunteers. I then invited him to come to see the abortuary for himself and to give a special blessing to all there that night. As the Bishop is to have a hip replacement on October 8, I parked my car right in front of the group on Bank St. To my surprise, the Bishop got out of my car and walked up to the 10 people praying and greet the warriors. They were all very receptive and joyful to have his presence with them and he gave them much praise for their courage to stand to defend life in public with our Rosaries in hand. He then asked all to hold hands and make a circle where he said a wonderful prayer thanking the Lord for sending prophets to stand up for life and then asking the Lord to put an end to abortion and to help all those suffering the effects of abortion, especially mothers who feel there is no other solution and feel pressured to get the abortion and he prayed for fathers as well. He went on to pray for the conversion of all abortionists and those participating in this profession. He called upon the intercession of our Blessed Mother to help our campaign and then he prayed for blessings for all our families, children and grandchildren. Right when he finished the prayer, the Bishop was overcome with emotion at what we were doing and began to weep. We wept with him. Right then another group arrived from St. Maurice and Bishop Reynald repeated the same prayer in a circle with all the new group and blessed all of them. Once again he was overcome with emotion. I told everyone to keep Bishop in their prayers as he was to have hip replacement surgery in Winnipeg on October 8. A woman stepped up and said why don't we all pray over the Bishop and so we made a circle around him and prayed for him. After our prayer, Bishop asked all us to please pray for the Inuit who do not have the resources that we have to fight this battle. Needless to say, this is a night that I believe something extraordinary happened in this campaign for life in Ottawa. When I dropped Bishop Rouleau off at the Residence at St. Paul University, the Bishop told me that he will never forget what he witnessed that night and thanked us for making him a part of the 40 Day for Life Campaign. Monday was the Feast of St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael and I know that all of them were present with Bishop Reynald Rouleau in his special blessing as I could feel the presence of many angels that night in prayer with all us. I believe that this Bishop's presence today on this great Feast is a grace sent to us by the Almighty God Himself, letting us know that He is watching and receiving all our prayers with great joy and sending us all the troops we need to win this battle. Thank you Lord. Allelluia! - Sue
Ground Zero Report - Day 8 [10.01]
We were at the mill doing sidewalk counseling this morning. The manager came up to us and said, "i want to see what you're giving out"...I showed her gladly and she asked for a package. I gave her one and she walked into the building. I left for Mass but a couple of my friends stayed...and what happened next is pasted below! I believe a life was saved today! I asked St. Therese to save a life, I really think she has! Woo hoo!! We are going again tomorrow morning and Friday. - Nicole
Hi there pro lifers,
For all those who are experiencing discouragement and thinking why bother and for all, I have a story for you that will bring encouragement. When I woke up this morning, I almost didn't show up for the vigil due to physical illness, but I did say a little prayer and asked Blessed Mother to take away any ailments that would prevent me from attending the vigil this morning. I started feeling better and went to Bank St for sidewalk counseling. The first couple I met where looking for the abortuary and I think I asked them their situation, cannot remember. We ended up having a lengthy discussion about their situation, different options, what the abortion procedure actually is, etc. In the end, they ended up going inside. After a couple of hours, they both came out and she was so upset. I thought she went through the procedure, but she didn't. She spoke with a counselor and decided to wait and think about it some more.
PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is hope. I knew in my heart and I saw it in her eyes, they don't want to have an abortion, but felt there was no other choice until after. They know there are other options and there is help and people do care. Please still keep them in their prayers in case they end up having outside pressure to go thru with the abortion. Thank you so much Nicole and all who work so hard at bringing this 40days to life. If it wasn't for you guys, this could not have happened. There is a life saved now due to this campaign and I ask and pray that all of you do not give up and do not let anything stop you from attending the vigil. Let's keep it up. God will use all of us for His purpose and help out these girls in distress and shut down the abortion mill.
Peace, Love and Blessings to you in Jesus thru Mary - Rosalie
Ground Zero Report - Day 9 [10.02]
I was at the vigil from 7-9 pm and could not help but be mesmerized by the fact that there was man washing the outside walls of the building at 65 Sparks using a mechanical fork lift and power hose that would take him to the top of the building wall and then back down again. He sprayed and scrubbed the walls of the building many times. He then took a break and then starting this procedure over again from top to bottom. It seemed as though the walls would not be cleaned and so he had to keep repeating the cleaning over and over again. The symbolism of his actions reminded me of the movie Passion of the Christ when Mary tried washing the stones full of blood after Jesus scourging but could not get all the blood out of the pavement so she scrubbed more and more. When I watched the water dripping down from the building, I was imagining it to be the blood of the thousands of little innocents who have lost their lives at this abortuary. I want to also say that there were many men at the vigil tonight. In fact they outnumbered the women 2 to 1. I felt safe in the presence of these men who were passionate and were unafraid to stand up for life and to show respect for women. I thank all of the men for their courage and strength in participating in the vigil.
This is the video I had thought of when I saw the man washing the building.
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/the-passion-of-mary/196495300
- Sue
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Linda and I were not scheduled for today, but we decided to put in a bit of time tonight because I was downtown anyway for dinner with friends. I arrived at the vigil site at 9:05 to find six others. It is so encouraging to arrive to find other people keeping watch. There was a workman on a power platform washing the side of the building where the abortion mill is located. As I watched him working, scrubbing the stone of the building, I could not get the thought out of my mind that he was trying to wash away the blood of the little ones who had lost their lives on the other side of the stone facade. He kept taking breaks, coming down to ground level and looking up to the areas where he was washing. It was as if he was not satisfied that he was getting rid of the stains. I hope he never succeeds. I noticed several people took long looks at the signs and us as they passed by. They notice. They wonder. When we left shortly after 10:00, there were three people standing guard. God bless them for their dedication and may they be warmed by God's radiance as there was a raw north wind blowing down Bank Street. - David.
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I wanted to share my perspective from this morning....When we arrived at 6 a.m., there was already a woman across the street, sitting on the bench right in front of the abortuary. There was a bitingly cold wind and she was huddled down on the bench, with a hat on and her collar up, with not much more than her eyes exposed to the elements. She sat silent and motionless and I wouldn't have even known she was a vigil participant, if I hadn't noticed the Respect for Life sign that was propped up on the bench beside her. She merely sat there, praying. A gentleman came out of the 65 Bank St. door - to tell her to leave or he would call the police. He told her that she could not be there, and that she MUST be on the other side of the street (he is wrong about that. In Toronto and Vancouver, perhaps. But here in Ottawa, we are allowed to be right outside the door). At any rate, she did not respond to him. He came back out a second time to tell her again. Quite obviously her silent prayer vigil was a great distraction to him. To his intense displeasure, she did not respond to him nor acknowledge him. She merely continued her silent prayer until her vigil hour was over. What was so tremendously heartening was to see how obviously upset he was merely on account of her silent prayer. At 6:30 a.m. there was almost no traffic on the street, few people on the sidewalk, and essentially "no one" to take note of her vigil. But the mere fact that she sat there, praying, caused him obvious distress. It bothered him. Because he KNOWS the power of prayer! For anyone who thinks that "just" being there, just praying, with or without holding a sign, without necessarily an "audience" -- for anyone who thinks this is irrelevant or benign? Think again! For those whose hearts require a conversion - the power of your prayers are felt very strongly indeed. And uncomfortably. And that's a good thing. - Cynthia
Ground Zero Report - Day 10 [10.03]
Our family arrived at the vigil site at 7 pm. We immediately took notice of the gentlemen still washing the walls of the building (as referred to in previous posts today). Automobile and pedestrian traffic was dwindling as evening approached. Every now and then, some passerbys took notice of the sign on the sidewalk which pointed out 65 Bank St. as the Morgentaler clinic and they turned their gaze across the street to see for themselves. A young man on a skateboard passed by on our side of the street, yelling at us, something about women's right to choose, and telling us to "go home already". He did some more yelling on the other side of the street on the way back from his errand. Shortly after, an agitated woman came by, picked up and threw the sidewalk sign into the flower bed behind us and proceeded to rip some prolife posters that had been put up around a tree. One of the women present at the vigil had an opportunity to talk to her, but her words fell upon deaf ears as the pro-abortion woman continued to argue and swear. All we could do was pray to her guardian angel to help her. Despite these two incidents, what was the most unsettling about our vigil hour was when several bags of garbage were being brought out of 65 Bank St and deposited on the sidewalk. It reminded me of a painting I once saw of a dumpster outside an abortion clinic, with a line of angels descending down from heaven and each angel bringing up a baby to their heavenly Father. As this is the Feast of the Guardian Angels, we are reminded once again to pray to the guardian angels of those babies being aborted, but also the abortionists and abortion supporters for their conversion. - Amy
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I am not one to post to blogs but just so the truth is known...from the blog of last night 7-8 PM I am the woman the agitated lady spoke to and I can tell you the words did not fall on deaf ears. She left with a smile and a lot less agitated, and we are lucky, she felt some love in the words we spoke. Her name is A. and should be prayed for. She is angry with mankind (especially men) and she wanted to hurt someone and that was almost me! She wanted a fight and she wanted to hit me (her words "kill me"), but God and his angels protected me and allowed her to see us a little different, a little less weird (her words not mine). Linda said she will continue to try and stop us, and I told her we will continue to pray to stop abortion She works in the building we are camped in front of, so if we had no incidents this morning that is a good sign. - Diane
Ground Zero Report - Day 10 (Part 2) - [10.03]
Here's a report of what went on Friday morning (Oct. 3rd) at the mill: I arrived around 8:30. I helped Nicole with the sidewalk counselling in front of 65 Bank St. We soon spotted a young woman who, as it turnsout, was going in for an abortion. We spoke to her for about 20 minutes, but that wasn't enough to change her mind. She went in anyway. Then, a young girl, probably around 15 showed up with her friend. Her boyfriend was already waiting for her. We approached them, but they hurried past us and into the clinic. At least they took some of the literature. I handed brochures to a few women going in. You never know if they're going to other businesses or not, but there's not harm in getting the information out. Around 10:00, an owner of another business in the building came up to me and angrily told me that we were interfering with her business. She said some of the women were bothered by us, and that we had followed them into the elevator. I guess I had gone quite close to the door in handing out some brochures, but I absolutely made sure not to go into the building. She said that she'd call the police if we continued to bother her clients. Just as she was leaving, a man came up to me saying he was the landlord of the building and said that he would also call the cops if he got more complaints. I assured him that we were respecting the law. I stayed in front of 65 Bank, but there was little activity around the entrance after that until two cops went in. A few minutes later, two more arrived and went in. Later on, the four of them came out, and gave me a friendly reminder that if we went through the door, they'd have to give us tresspassing tickets. Obviously, this harrassement means we are getting under people's skin. I want to thank the prayer warriors across the street keeping vigil during that time. I had such a peace in my heart; usually, in such situations, I am a nervous wreck. Let's keep it up, cracks are beginning to form in the foundations, let the walls come tumbling down! - Doris
Ground Zero Report - Day 10 (Part 3) - [10.03]
I arrived around 1:00 on Friday October 3 and stayed for a little over two and a half hours. During that time I prayed of course for an end to abortion in general but my heart went out to a young couple who I saw rush into the lobby of 65 Bank street while ignoring the counsellor who kindly tried to give the young woman a pamphlet. I felt such a heavy heart knowing what was most probably taking place during the next two hours.
As I prayed I glanced up at the third floor and wondered where she was. Was she going through with the abortion? Maybe she would change her mind. I hoped and I prayed. I thought of the little baby whose life was about to be ended and prayed for her angel to take her to heaven and that she wouldn't feel any pain.
When they left the abortuary about 2 hours later, the young woman was very pale. They walked slowly to the MacDonald's restaurant next door and it all seemed surreal.
I have so much difficulty comprehending this ugliness that is taking place in our city. Just a short walk from Parliament Hill and amidst the hustle and bustle of the downtown tourist area, is a place where women go to have their babies killed.
There were about 8 others praying during that time. Among them were two very humble and kind sisters Teresa and Sara, from the Religious Order the Queenship of Mary and Simon Lobo a Deacon with the Companions of the Cross. Simon is currently at Saint Maurice Parish and will be ordained in May 2009. He gathered us all together for a blessing before he left the site and for this we were all truly grateful. He asked God to bestow His blessing on all of us and for all those in the place across the street . He prayed for the little souls who would die that day and for all those hurt by abortion and asked God to be with them and be merciful. I truly felt Mary and her Son's presence amidst the sorrow. Please pray for Teresa, Sara and Simon. Their presence was a Grace from God. And please never stop praying for an end to abortion. (Source) - Maureen
Ground Zero Report - Day 12 [10.05]
I was at the 6-8 pm time slot at the vigil and became a little concerned when we were down to two people by 7 pm. However, a young man of bout 19 years came roaring down Bank Street on his skate board and stopped to talk to us. He asked us if we were the 40 Days for Life which he had heard some talk about. I told him about the campaign and then asked where he was from. He said Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church which is on Somerset Street. I then invited him to stay and pray with us and he graciously stayed for 15 minutes carrying one of signs and taking part in silent prayer. Before he left, he asked if the three of us could pray together so we held hands and he said some beautiful words of encouragement as well as called upon God to bless this campaign and what it represents. I felt honored and priviledged to have this young man of great faith lead us into a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving, love and hope . I hope he will come back and bring some of his friends! - Sue
Ground Zero Report - Day 13 [10.06]
Yesterday, we were short a couple of hours at Ground Zero in the early morning hours so my ticket was called. I haven't had much time to get down to the Abortion Mill over the past couple of weeks. So far, I've only been down twice before I ventured there earlier this morning. Administration takes up too much blasted time. I guess that's a friendly reminder to us all to accept what the Lord gives us, even if we desire to be on the front lines.
Anyhow, I was there between 2:30AM-4:00AM this morning. Thinking that I was going to fill in the gap and save the day, I was surprised to see three other people already there when I was expecting only to see one. It was as if the Lord was saying to me, "Settle down, friend, I've got this battle covered in ways you can't even dream." Indeed He does. 2 of the 3 guys were there before I came and remained after I left. Around 3:30AM, an older lady, who was impeccably dressed, showed up. I asked her briefly if she had registered. She said that she had not. She was visiting from Winnipeg. Winnipeg? Winnipeg. About 15 minutes before I left, a young guy in his early 20s came over. He approached the elderly lady and started up a conversation with her. I stayed in my spot praying. He was wondering why we were out at such an ungodly hour. The lady explained the 40 Days campaign to him. He was a well spoken and respectful young man, although he was not with us 100%. He said that he respected our right to be out there and bringing attention to the issue. He said he saw both sides of the issue. As I left him speaking with the impeccably dressed older lady, I could tell that he was very impressed with our resolution and commitment to the pro-life cause. I don't know how the conversation ended up. But it just goes to show us all, it doesn't matter what hour we are praying or witnessing, it's all good and necessary. Sometimes, we are used by God at the most ungodly hours.
Ground Zero Report - Day 14 [10.07]
I was at the vigil from 6-8 pm and thought I would share in a "gesture" that is staying with me. While standing at the vigil with signs in hand and praying the rosary, I noticed a soldier walking across the street in full military uniform (relish colour) who looked over at us. I felt our eyes connect and he bowed his head in a gesture of acknowledgement and approval for what we were doing. I in turn, returned the gesture by doing the same. His uniform reminded me that we are God's chosen soldiers for life and that we are wearing His armour as our uniform. This military man's support and respect meant a lot to me and served as a reminder that we are all in this spiritual warfare together. - Sue
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God is so good. You already have listed that there is a group of young men (CCO, NET, Dominican College) who live together who have agreed to cover each of the Sundays, from 1 - 4. Apparently, this past Sunday, they had a wonderful experience. They said that there are a fair number of young people their ages, leaving bars and making their way home in the early hours. And they felt that they were a great witness, standing vigil at that time. They were able to have some conversations with some of the young people who passed, and explain to them why they were there. - Cynthia
Ground Zero Report - Day 15 [10.08]
This morning was really hard at the Mill. Sometimes I just get really overwhelmed with all the death going on. I was there from about 830 to 1045. The manager came out and just stood there, appearing to see what we were up to. When she got cold, she went in and sent someone else out. It seems as though they are worried about what we are saying to the women or what we are giving them. Of course, all she found was information being offered with love. There was a young woman this morning who kept walking by but wouldn't go in the door. I gave her information, which she took. Later she stood outside the building with her boyfriend and he was talking to her attempting to convince her to go through with the abortion. It was clear that she didn't want to do it. When he left, she walked by me again, said hello, looked to see if her boyfriend was out of sight, then went into another building. I prayed so hard that she had the courage and strength to not go through with it. I don't think she will have the abortion...I really don't. - Nicole
Editor's note: Boyfriend pressures the girl to have an abortion. We call that a "woman's right". Some "right" that is. What right is that? The right to be coerced in killing your unborn child?
Also, the manager is getting nervous because maybe there are women walking right by and not going in, missing their appointments, etc. The blood money is starting to dry up. That sure would explain her reaction. Keep praying for Ms. Joan Wright and the abortionist, folks. They need our prayers and God's mercy too.
Ground Zero Report - Day 15 - Part 2 [10.08]
I wanted to tell you about my experience at the mill on Sunday night...it was really powerful. I was at the mill and a man approached a couple of us and talked about losing a child to abortion and not really doing enough to stop it. His girlfriend actually committed suicide after her abortion! He talked about the deep pain he still feels. He said our signs are hard for him to look at because it reminds him of the abortion, but he agrees with what we are doing. He told me he is now in the gay life style and bartends. I asked him if I could pray with him and he agreed...what happened next just blew my mind! I prayed for his healing, that God would show Him his dignity and love, etc. Afterward the man began to say he was healed from something and his facial expressions totally changed! He was so filled with joy! He said he never felt this way before. I told him it was Jesus. He never felt that way in his life. I gave him my rosary and I asked if he would be interested in speaking with a priest. He said he would. My heart just went out to this man...I felt that Jesus reached down and somehow lifted him out of a deep pit right in front of my eyes!! I couldn't believe it...I still can't! It was beautiful. He is beautiful. Anyway, just wanted to share that. :) - Nicole
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Praise the Lord! As we were praying the rosary between 1:00 – 1:15 p.m., October 8, we couldn't help but noticed a woman and child waiting outside the abortion facility. A young woman came out shortly and joined the woman and child. They looked at us, in a calm fashion, as we stood across the street. No doubt we all wondered what the girl had just experienced because she was rubbing her stomach tenderly. The little group went into McDonalds. When they came out, they crossed the street and came to speak to us directly. The woman, who turns out to be the girl's mother, said, "She's decided not to go ahead with this. She can't do it." I cannot describe the emotion that washed over me and the women with me. It was a struggle to continue to pray out loud because our tears of gratitude were getting in the way. We asked if the girl had the help she needed, and the mother replied that she herself would be helping her child. After they left, another vigil keeper, who had finished her turn but was in the vicinity and saw us talking with the young woman, came over to see what had happened. She told us the young woman had gone into the facility at 11:00 a.m. or so. The vigil keeper went to mass at noon at St.Patrick's and prayed for the young woman and the intentions of the Vigil. Her joy was immense when she heard like news. We can witness powerfully and pray fervently every single day for an end to abortion. Today, the Lord graced our group by revealing His mighty power in the life of a saved child. - Valerie
Here is the other Vigiler mentioned above who went to Mass...
This morning I decided to go down to the vigil from 11am to 12pm. When I arrived, there were several people praying and a few women holding signs. As I stood and prayed, around 11:30 or so I noticed a young girl of about fifteen sitting on the bench outside 65 Bank St. She was all alone, and looked across the streets at the signs, looking at them one at a time. At one point, our eyes met and she kept looking at me. I smiled, but all I could think was, "Dear Lord, please don't let her go in there." I thought that I would give her some literature - something I have never done before, but suddenly felt compelled to do. As I was looking through the materials in the baby cradle at the vigil site, a man approached and asked what we were doing and what church we were from. After I explained to him the purpose of the vigil and we ended our conversation, I looked up to see the young girl going into 65 Bank St. with a woman who had a child of about four years of age in tow. My heart sank. I prayed that the Lord would move in her heart to convince her to not go through with this, and that the guardian angels of her and her unborn baby would intervene. I left to go to Mass at St. Patrick's and the gospel was "Ask and it will be given to you...." I prayed, "Lord, here I am - I'm asking that you would spare the life of this child." I chatted with a couple of friends after Mass, one of whom I hadn't seen in three years. She offered to drive me home, but I told her I was happy to take the bus, at the same time feeling that before I went home I had to stop by the vigil site again. I arrived shortly before 1pm, and I ran into my husband who was returning from lunch. As we chatted briefly, about ten metres from the vigil site, this same young girl walked out of the clinic and right past us with the woman and preschooler. I told my husband that I had seen her go in the clinic earlier, and given the time that had passed, I assumed that she had had an abortion. My husband and I both silently prayed a Hail Mary, then talked for a few more minutes. Then I noticed that the girl and her companions had walked back down the street, had stopped to talk to the ladies who were praying at the vigil site, and then walked away. I said good-bye to my husband and walked over to the ladies to ask what she had said. They told me that the girl had said that she changed her mind, and that she was going to keep her baby. It turns out that the woman was her mother, and that she has five children, but that she would help her daughter with this baby. They were quite happy when they talked to the women at the vigil. Needless to say, we were all in tears. Thank you Lord for hearing our prayers! What a wonderful privilege to see our prayers answered. Please keep praying! All those prayers, and the silent witness of standing at the vigil, are making a difference. Please pray for this young girl - God knows who she is - and for all others who have the courage to carry on with pregnancies in less than ideal circumstances. - Sue
Ground Zero Report - Day 15 - Part 3 [10.08]
I was at the vigil from 7:30 to 10:00 pm and found tonight was trying to say the least. While I was in prayer, a woman suddenly appeared in front of me and starting video taping the group. She then pointed the video camera on me and I sensed something was not right so I looked down. I then felt this presence beside me in a green rain poncho covered from head to toe. While this camera was rolling in front of me I felt someone come up behind me and stand very close to me as though trying to get my attention. So I looked at who it was and was confronted by this person wearing a grotesque mask of a distorted face. At first, I was quite startled and when he saw he got my attention he said "Guess who I am?" I did not answer and so he said "I am dressed up as an aborted fetus". I felt a chill go through my body and started praying asking the Lord to give me and the rest of us the strength to withstand this persecution. With the woman still video taping her friend in costume, he continued to persecute others with his taunts and to stand near them while his girl friend kept video taping. After about 5 minutes, they left laughing and he ripped off his mask. Although we did have to endure being cursed and sworn at tonight by a few others, I would never have imagined someone pulling such a horrible prank as that of wearing a costume of an aborted child. May God forgive them for they know not what they do. - Sue L.
Ground Zero Report - Day 16 [10.09]
The abortuary hired a 'Security Guard' to be present outside of the door everyday from 8am-4pm. It is obvious that our sidewalk presence on days of the abortions are taking away some business and they are feeling the threat. I remember Father Galen's last words on the Hill..."Watch Godmove!" Indeed we are seeing that here. - Nicole
Ground Zero Report - Day 17 [10.10]
I wanted to share few thought from my vigils over the last weekend. We went last Friday after the evening Mass to the Ground Zero with our two sons (15 and 10). We wanted to show them the battleground and pray rosary together. The impression on our boys was so great that they began praying rosary on their knees. Older declared that he will stop by every Friday coming back from school and pray for awhile at Ground Zero. During all vigils I observed that there are no indifferent passerby. Everyone at least sends a glimpse and reads the posters. Most of them stop talking or lower their voices when passing by. I think this makes them at least pause and hopefully reflect upon the issue and the reason why we are there. Only once, last Sunday around 11:30 pm, I noticed the aggressive behavior. There was a group of 4 young people and one of them started to tear down the posters. The other young man called him and he joined them promptly showing improper gesture toward us and leaving behind two torn posters. We (there were 3 of us at that time) did not get involved but kept praying. I was there yesterday and the posters are not replaced, yet. - Joe
Ground Zero Report - Day 19 - [10.12]
We were told that we would not be the same after participating in the Forty Days for Life. I can vouch to that. It has affected me in many ways to be a more active Christian. I would like to relate a little story about my shift Sunday Oct 12 -Midnight to 2am.
First, the gentleman who was to go off duty at 1AM asked me if I wanted him to stay as he would be leaving me alone. I thanked him but said I had no problem being alone that some one would be alone soon.
Sure enough three young man joined me shortly. Around 1:30AM, a lady came by in a wheel chair, drinking a coffee and said "hello" to me. As she was passing by, she stopped to talk to one of the young men. I did not hear their conversation but it appeared to go well. The lady put her coffee down to light up a cigarette and stayed with us a while.
The most beautiful thing happened then. It was cold, and we were all dressed warmly. The lady had only a short sleeve, light sweater on. One of the young men left and returned with a warm jacket and asked the lady if see wanted to put it on. She agreed and one young man held her coffee and the other held her cigarette as she put the jacket on. If this isn't a story right out of the Bible I don't know what is.
It made me so thankful on Thanksgiving weekend: to be associated with Christians who truly follow Christ. - Frank
Ground Zero Report - Day 21 [10.14]
I filled the 5-6 pm time slot today and want to share something. A young woman approached the vigil area and slowly looked around at our signs and then picked up a pamphlet and started reading it. I decided to go up to her and ask her if she knew about the 40 Days for Life. She said that she had heard about the campaign through a brochure received in the mail from 'Crossroads Family Ministries in Burlington, USA." http://www.crossroads.ca/index.html
She said that she had no computer at home and would not have known about this campaign except for this brochure. She was surprised that it was taking place in Ottawa and so I gave her some information on the whole campaign along with info on our mid-point rally while she wrote down the dates. She provided feedback by saying that if we ever do this again, we need to ensure that consideration in the advertising of the campaign is also given to those who don't have computers. She suggested church bulletins, billboards in senior citizen homes, posters in and around the City limits, etc. I explained that this was the first time that a Canadian City hosts this campaign and that we welcomed feedback to ensure a better campaign the next time. She then asked if the 40 Days for Life included life issues such as euthanasia and if not, then perhaps it should. I reassured her that I would pass on her message, questions, suggestions to the organizers of the campaign. She then asked me if she could pick up a sign and join us in prayer for awhile and of course I said yes.
To continue with this story about this same young woman. A male tourist approached me and started to ask me a question about the right of parents to choose to abort a severely handicapped child who would bring nothing but anguish and heartache to Parents. He went on to say that he had friends back in his country who had such a child who is now grown and consuming all of the Parents time and energy into their old age. He said that had they had the technology then that we have now, perhaps his friends would have aborted their child. Before I had a chance to speak, the young woman who I referred to earlier, heard the conversation and jumped right in to say that her brother is severely handicapped and that he deserves the right to live just as much as anyone else. She further went on to say that rather than our Government paying for abortions, they should be introducing health care programs to help families who have children with disabilities. Needless to say, she had other good arguments on this subject. She had an answer for every question asked and left him and I speechless. When all was said and done, the man thanked her and then went on his way. I don't think it was a coincidence that she stumbled across our campaign on this night. I see that she was at the right place at the right time to address this tourists question on aborting children with severe disabilities. Without a doubt, she knows this subject first hand as she lives with it every day. She will no doubt help with the conversion of many who remain unsure about the right to live if you are diagnosed with a disability while living and growing in your Mother's womb. Thank you Lord for sending us yet another great soldier to help with this battle. - Sue L
Ground Zero Report - Day 22 [10.15]
Jennifer and I decided on Monday that we needed to pray together at the abortion site on Tuesday. I arrived Tuesday morning at approximately 9:10 . Jennifer was already there.
We met Peter from Saint Elizabeth Parish who had been at the site for some time. Shortly afterwards a few others came by. Jennifer decided to join the two faithful men who were praying the rosary in front of the abortuary while I stayed near the cradle. As I was praying silently, a man walked by and looked at me thanked me and continued on his way. When Jennifer came back we said our Legion of Mary prayers together and others joined us as we prayed the rosary. We began with this prayer that we always say before doing our Legion of Mary work, and how appropriate we thought are the words.
Mother of us all, Help me as I go to the front today as a solider in your
army. Keep my attitude towards people as one of infinite sweetness and patience.
Remind me always that I stand before people in your place, doing your work.
Remind me how much you love each of your children. Let me disappear, and let my
voice, my attitude and my thoughts be yours. In this way, the will of God, who
is your Son and my Lord, will be done. I pray with all my heart for the
conversion of the souls that I am about to meet. Dear Mother, Queen of Peace,
Queen of all Graces, Our Lady of Guadalupe, I am in your service, and I thank
you in advance for having listened to my prayer. AMEN
After saying our Legion prayers we decided to sit on a bench in front of the abortuary while holding our signs. A few passers by stopped to talk with us. Two elderly women were unaware that the abortuary was right there and expressed there sadness at the ugliness of it all and how women are so hurt by this and so often it is others who pressure them to end the life of their child. They expressed their gratitude for those who were praying at the site and told us they would pray for all of us.
Shortly after that, two young men in their teens stopped by and looked at our signs and asked us if we thought our prayers would work and we said "yes we do, that is our hope" They smiled and wished us good luck. Jennifer commented on how Jesus was using all of us who were at the site this day and every day as instruments in evangelization.
I thought of the beatitude "Blessed are the Peacemakers" Marcus Grodi from the Journey Home on EWTN explained this beatitude as "being Christ in the world"
Around that time it started to rain and believing the weatherman's prediction of a sunny day we were not prepared. No problem however, because in no time at all we were handed an umbrella from dear Noreen who was praying with about 8 others on the other side of the street. God bless her and the others. We left around noon in order to attend mass at Saint Patrick Basilica and we thank God for His grace and His mercy. - Maureen
Special Ground Zero Report - Day 22
Assault at Ground Zero
There were two pro-life vigil keepers attacked at the vigil about 2pm today. One received a black eye and broken glasses from a women who attacked them. 4 police cruisers came and arrested the lady.
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Frances W. has since called. She was also down on Bank street and while approaching the vigil and said she heard a lot of shouting. One of the participants told her that a woman came with some food and sat between two ladies who were praying. The lady was mumbling and finally she yelled out, "You've had your protest now I'm going to have mine." Then she started attacking people by swinging at them. This is when Frances came upon the scene, she said the attacker was quite strong and she kept yelling and swinging at those praying. She also threw her food at them. The security guard from across the street came over and tried to block her, but she was very aggressive and strong. The security guard didn't really know how to deal with her. Someone, Frances is not sure who, called the police and some police cars came. One of the police officers told the prayers not to sit on the cement wall. They put the screamer in a car and she was still yelling insults out the window as they took her away. The people at the vigil were quite shaken and one woman was visibly trembling and crying. The devil is raging. We should remind our people to say the prayer to St. Michael.
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Hello folks,
I'm sure you'll hear this from others, but I felt compelled to notify you. This afternoon, during what began as another peaceful vigil, several of the ladies were attacked. A woman sat herself down with her lunch among the women praying, sitting along the concrete wall facing the facility. She became verbally abusive, then quickly became physically abusive. She pushed her lunch onto the front of one of the ladies praying, as she pushed her back and shouted at her. The attacker became hysterical, screaming obscenities and swinging fists, at one point even kicking one of the ladies. Several of the ladies asked the onlookers to call the police, and for the security guard at the facility to help. A couple of men from the gathering crowd and the security guard eventually helped restrain the attacker until the police came. A paramedic came and attended to the two ladies that had received the brunt of the attack. Although, even restrainted in the police car the attacker continued to scream her obscenities, the prayers continued. Many people came forward to offer their testimony as witness to the attack. The two ladies most physically hurt continued to express prayers for the healing of their attacker. May God bless them. We must not let this incident inhibit the vigil. Prayer is stronger than fear. The unborn need us, need our prayers! Just thought I'd share that with you. Take care and God bless.
Ground Zero Report - Day 22 - Part B [10.15]
I was at the vigil less than an hour before this happened. I have been at the site several times, but never have I felt such heaviness and darkness as I did today. The number of teenage girls going in the clinic during the hour that I was praying was more than the two previous Wednesdays combined. The security guard outside the clinic is practically acting like a doorman now, directing young women to the correct door and holding the door open for them. With the many victorious stories of babies saved across North America, I guess we have to expect that the battle is going to heat up. May God bless the ladies who were at the vigil this afternoon, bringing them His consolation, healing and strength. St. Michael the archangel, defend us in this day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander now throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. - Sue A.
Ground Zero Report - Day 23 [10.16]
The same people walk by every morning (between 6-7:00 a.m.) and you can see the Lord working in each of them. Some are becoming more friendly and others are beginning to hurl insults. It is interesting that the same man comes out of the building almost every morning and yells at me for sitting on what he calls "the wrong side of the street". Every morning he stands beside me, calls someone on his cell phone, and tells them to call the police. Every morning, the police do not come. I am incredibly encouraged by the courage of the people who were attacked. "Where sin abounds, grace abounds more". We get a tremendous amount of grace at ground "0". I experience this grace every morning in away that I never have before. It is beautiful. Thank you John for giving me and so many others the opportunity to serve Jesus in this way and especially to save lives the lives of his little ones. - Pam
Editor's note: For Catholics, Oct. 16 is a special day. This day is the 30th anniversary of John Paul II's election to the papacy. Please pray for his intercession.
Hell Has An Address
The 40 Days for Life Campaign has not been particularly spectacular for me thusfar. Not, of course, that I was expecting there to be fireworks, mind you, but I was expecting to spend more time at the Death & Dismemberment Dive, affectionately dubbed as "Ground Zero" by vigil participants. It's Day 23 and I had spent about seven hours in total before tonight. That's not even near the number I was anticipating at this juncture in the campaign. I just have not been able to do it -- mostly because the administration of the Vigil Schedule has taken up too much time for me to justify more time at the Abortion Mill. It's really frustrating for someone like me who likes to mix it up on the front lines. Of course, this is not because I am particularly effective, but there is something in my bones that just wants to be there. I know many people feel the same way. So I have had to offer my silent frustration and my "office work" to God, and hope that he will use this small sacrifice somehow. So far, it's really not been that satisfying to be honest, but last night I got a little reminder that all sacrifices offered for the Vigil count. A good friend of mine phoned me to make a donation to the 40 Days for Life Campaign. He said he'd been working for Elections Canada for the past month, but felt disappointed he couldn't make it out to the Mill as much as he would have liked. So he's going to pony up $2000 instead! This should be an important lesson to all of us out there who just can't make it out as much as we would like. Keep offering those daily sacrifices and humiliations to further the Work. God honours it. It all works towards the cause.
But tonight, I did have a chance to venture out to Ground Zero. I stood there and prayed fervently that the abortion juggernaut that has ridden roughshod over our nation would be tripped up and derailed. With virtually no hope in the political scene, it's really in God's hands now. We're coming as beggars with no human hope to change things. Our hope must be divine. It must be supernatural. It must surpass the despair and the brutal reality we face in this time and place in history. Hope is the means for us to face this present darkness and desolation. And we must hold on to it, or else we risk being suffocated by this overwhelming and relentless evil. Yesterday, that evil was unleashed on innocent people who were praying for an end to abortion. Here is an account of what happened earlier in the day:
One of the participants told her that a woman came with some food and sat between two ladies who were praying. The lady was mumbling and finally she yelled out, "You've had your protest now I'm going to have mine." Then she started attacking people by swinging at them. This is when Frances came upon the scene, she said the attacker was quite strong and she kept yelling and swinging at those praying. She also threw her food at them. The security guard from across the street came over and tried to block her, but she was very aggressive and strong. The security guard didn't really know how to deal with her. Someone, Frances is not sure who, called the police and some police cars came. One of the police officers told the prayers not to sit on the cement wall. They put the screamer in a car and she was still yelling insults out the window as they took her away. The people at the vigil were quite shaken and one woman was visibly trembling and crying.
Here is another account of the same incident by another vigil participant:
She became verbally abusive, then quickly became physically abusive. She pushed her lunch onto the front of one of the ladies praying, as she pushed her back and shouted at her. The attacker became hysterical, screaming obscenities and swinging fists, at one point even kicking one of the ladies. Several of the ladies asked the onlookers to call the police, and for the security guard at the facility to help. A couple of men from the gathering crowd and the security guard eventually helped restrain the attacker until the police came. A paramedic came and attended to the two ladies that had received the brunt of the attack. Although, even restrained in the police car the attacker continued to scream her obscenities, the prayers continued. Many people came forward to offer their testimony as witness to the attack. The two ladies most physically hurt continued to express prayers for the healing of their attacker.
We sometimes think of hell as a supernatural state. This is, of course, true. But there is another kind of hell, a hell that we make on this earth for ourselves and for others. It's a prefigurement of the existence to come for many. The effects of conventional war are sometimes described in such a way. War is indeed hell. It's a hell that is born of sinful pride. But abortion is hell too. It is the hell of lust and selfishness. It is the hell of objectivization and abuse. It is the hell of coercion and threats. It is the hell of murder and unfathomable pain. It is the hell of the silent scream. It is the hell of guilt and remorse. It is the hell of barrenness and disease. It is the hell of unforgiveness and self-loathing and despair. And finally it is the hell of an eternal death.
Tonight, I looked across from hell. It wasn't particularly mysterious or spiritual. It wasn't particularly dark or shadowy. There weren't any sounds emanating from it. No smoke was rising from the ground. Nothing ostensibly sinister about it. It wasn't hidden from sight.
No, you see, it was right there on Bank Street, next to McDonald's. It's right in the heart of the city, among the government buildings and corporate offices, among the hustle and bustle of downtown and the legitimate business and work that's going on. It's all so serene, so natural, so sterile, so ordinary, so accepted and so respectable. But behind the veneer of slick marketing and inflated euphemisms is a deadly reality. Few understand what really goes on in the dismemberment room. No one sees the heinous crime. No one is bothered by the dead little bodies - or, at least, the pieces of them. Nobody hears their screams, except God and the other little martyrs that have gone before. The slaughter of the innocents - thousands upon thousands of them every year - are brought to the Bank Street Altar. It's the altar of the god of lust, money, and good times where the great anti-Sacrifice, the great anti-Eucharist of the age is offered. For a price...of course.
Nothing to see here, folks, move along. And, for the most part, we do. We live our comfortable little lives. Don't like to rock the boat much. We go to church and, if we're lucky, we'll hear 1 or 2 sermons on abortion in the year. It'll go in one ear and out the other, and we'll still vote for the pro-abort politician when the elections come around. Because they protect our jobs, our health care, our environment, and our pensions.
But God has other plans, friend.
He's going to overturn our tables, take the whip to our favourite money changers, and bring us to our knees. And when the time of judgment comes, He is going to separate the sheep from the goats and ask us all one simple question, "What did you do, what did you say, what did you sacrifice to stop the murder of the innocent?" And then you will hear God say to many, "throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:30)
My dear friends, hell is not just a supernatural existence. It exists right here and right now. It exists because of our sexual sin, our complacency, and our worship of false idols. Few of us understand or perhaps want to understand that hell need not be something epherial. It's real and present and physical. It even has an address and a door handle, which, when pulled, usually means that a baby goes in but doesn't come out.
In Ottawa, hell is located at 65 Bank Street.
- John Pacheco
Ground Zero Report - Day 23 - Part B [10.16]
On Wed 15 Oct, I arrived at the site at 2:40 and what I saw were people praying peacefully. One lady made a statement that the police did not want us to sit on the cement planter but other than that all was normal.
I saw two young men sitting on the bench in front of 65 Bank. One approached us and spoke to a couple who were praying; he left with two pamphlets. Upon returning to his companion he handed a pamphlet over. The companion dropped it to the ground but it was picked up and handed back, only to be methodically torn in two dropped again and this time repeatedly spit upon, stomped upon and used as an ashtray. Meanwhile the first young man read the information and then placed the paper on the bench. A short time later a young woman came out of 65 Bank and joined the two men. This woman kept looking at me and even though I did not make eye contact, I couls see her looking each time my eyes raised from prayer. I was holding the sign that reads "pray to end abortion" I intentionally did not invite her to approach me because the young man who appeared to be hostile was there with her and I did not feel it was safe for me to make contact. Remember I had no idea what had happened just a short time prior to my arrival. In the end the woman re entered 65 Bank St. and the men walked away. I just kept praying to the angels and to our Lady of Guadalupe for the safety of any baby that was at risk. I had the sense that another woman may have been inside the facility and those I saw were companions. One of the men and the woman I saw were wearing sweat pants with the letters SWL on the hind end. I believe these letters refer to a high school in Orleans. I had to leave at 3:30 so I did not see what happened after that. I can say that what I witnessed was deeply disturbing. I left the site feeling numb. This is a reminder that as John keeps telling us to keep praying and to have sacramentals with us at all times. Yes, we are making a difference. - Jennifer S.
Newsreport on Assault at Ground Zero
OTTAWA, October 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday at about 2 p.m. several women participating in 40 Days for Life Ottawa and keeping vigil at the Bank St. abortuary were violently assaulted. A woman began yelling obscenities at the pro-life volunteers and then became physically aggressive, throwing food at one of the vigil participants and then throwing punches and kicking.
Eyewitnesses said that the woman came with her lunch and sat between two ladies who were praying. She then shouted out repeatedly, "You've had your protest, now I'm going to have mine," whereupon she threw her food at one vigil-keeper and then began pushing, screaming obscenities, and swinging her fists.
The belligerent woman approached an elderly lady and said, "You're old, why don't you die," according to an eyewitness.
Suzanne Poulin, age 51, was one of the women who bore the brunt of the attack. Suzanne told LifeSiteNews.com that the attacker threw her to the ground and began pummeling her face. She suffered bruises to her face and nose, a cut lip and her ear was torn, possibly by a ring the assailant was wearing. Just before this Suzanne was advising the other vigil-keepers to remain silent and not engage the abusive woman.
Suzanne emphasized that none of the vigil-keepers touched or hurt the assailant.
The police were called while the security guard from the abortion mill and some men from the gathering crowd tried to subdue the attacker, who was described as about 30 years old, and well dressed and groomed.
Four police cruisers came to the scene, at which point the attacker to fled into an adjacent building. She was apprehended by police and arrested. The assailant continued to scream insults and obscenities as they took her away, while a paramedic attended to Suzanne and the other women that had been injured in the attack.
Suzanne told LifeSiteNews.com that she will press charges against the attacker, but that she also forgave her and will continue to pray for her.
"As a mother, I have developed good judgment to know when someone needs correction. This woman needs not only to be corrected, she needs anger management. Her actions will probably have a very negative effect on the rest of her life. With prayer, this incident may help her to see the truth and turn her toward life," Suzanne said.
Suzanne returned to the Bank St. abortuary for her vigil today.
Ground Zero Report - Day 24 [10.17]
So last night near the end of my shift at midnight, one of the clients of the Gay Bathhouse, which is located next to the Abortion Mill, approached me and another vigiler. He had frequented the establishment about an hour earlier, left and then came back for another go. On exiting the building this time, he crossed the street and stood by my male companion. I was sitting down on a lawn chair about five feet away. He came right up and stood beside him and mocked him. Then he brushed his arm, trying to provoke a reaction from him. He taunted us and let us know that he had a good time with his sexual exploits.
It was not a particularly peaceful night so I wasn't in the mood to take much more of this abuse, especially when our opponents began to physically intimidate and mock us. My first natural reaction when the provocation started was to stand up and challenge this fool, but I know if I had done that, it would have potentially escalated into an ugly scene. So I sat there praying and my friend bore the mocking and insults, and we both accepted it with resignation and humility, powerless to do anything, lest any action on our part would give our opponents an excuse to shut us down. I thought of Suzanne Poulin the day before who was violently assaulted and did not raise her hand even in her own defense. I thought even of Our Lord, God Incarnate, who accepted the humiliations of his persecutors in order to defeat Sin. I thought of other pro-lifers who have had to endure much worse.
That gave me strength. Their example showed me what true strength was, but it also showed me that I had a long way to go in dealing with what is surely to transpire in the coming years. - John Pacheco
Ground Zero Report - Day 25 [10.18]
The Tsunami At Ground Zero
I ventured down to Ground Zero today to pray the Rosary. There was supposed to be 1 person there according to the official registration. There must have been closer to 10 people praying when I arrived shortly after 9AM. That's the amazing thing about this Campaign. People just show up and there is very little risk of at least one person not being there, at least during the daylight hours. Most of the vigilers were across the street from the abortuary (as is our custom), but there was one man on the side of the Mill. He was kneeling in prayer, about 8 feet from Hell's entrance itself. He must have stayed kneeling for about an hour on the interlocked sidewalk. When he finally rose to his feet, he sat down on the bench for awhile, probably because his knees were so sore to walk. For most of the time he was kneeling, he kept his head down low, fingering his rosary beads. He had a roped sign around his neck which read, "Women need Support not Abortion." Sometimes he would raise his head ever so slightly but rarely did he make eye contact with people as they passed by. Anyhow, I thought it was quite interesting how people reacted, as they walked pass. Some people didn't notice him. Others quickly glanced and kept right on walking. Still others would walk by with their friends and colleagues. There were furtive glances, and some discomfort I think. One of them was likely pro-life; the other pro-abortion. There were people who would slow down to see what he was doing, but then quickly picked up the pace and moved on. Still, others would almost stop, perhaps wanting to engage the man but none of them ever did. There were a few of them like that. You have to wonder what was going through their minds.
We should ask ourselves what kind of spiritual tsunami have we unleashed in side of them? In the case of the pedestrians, no doubt many of them were rather shocked that a man would be kneeling outside of a building in broad day light while behind him stood another 10 in silent prayer. How fitting is this passage from St. Luke:
"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed." (Luke 2:34-35)
This child...will be spoken against. What an appropriate passage for our times! That even a little baby, life itself, would be spoken against! And that the very existence of an innocent baby in the womb and, particularly, those that publicly bear witness to her would cause the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed.
As I pondered these reactions, I also thought back to the violent attack on Suzanne Poulin by the well-groomed 30-something year-old woman. Do not suppose that this incident is finished. It is not. There is the woman herself, of course. We pray for her healing and deliverance. Maybe she had an abortion. That would explain her violent reaction. It's a reaction from her pain and guilt. But then there is her immediate family. They will have to face the consequences of her violent assault and work through why she did it, and hopefully get to the bottom of her issue with abortion. But then there is Joe Public who watched the assault. There were many people who witnessed the violence. A few male bystanders had to restrain the woman until the police arrived or she would have continued on her rampage. What do you think was going through their minds and those other people who witnessed it? Maybe some of them were mildly pro-life; others ambivalent towards abortion; others still pro-abortion. What power and effect did our vigilers and their reactions have on them? Pretty significant, I should think. What about the woman's co-workers? Imagine the kind of chattering going on around the water cooler in the afternoon when they found out that their co-worker wouldn't be coming back to work after lunch, or even in the succeeding days or even weeks. And the cops? The Abortion Mill security guard? The McDonald's employees? The Abortion Mill Manager? The Abortionist? And on and on it goes. While the violent act is finished, the effects of the spiritual tsunami are still rippling around Ground Zero and well beyond. - John P.
Midpoint Rally: A Huge Success
40 Days for Life Vigilers in Ottawa attended a midpoint rally today at Ground Zero between 2-3pm. Enjoying a brisk and bright October Sunday afternoon and properly supplied with Tim Horton's coffee and timbits, over 150 attendees heard from various leaders and participants of what God is doing to break down the wall of death surrounding the abortion mill at 65 Bank Street.
This was an important day because most of the vigilers don't personally know each other. By the time it's all said and done, there will probably be over 1000 participants in the campaign. Even when we see one another, rarely do we introduce ourselves when we arrive. We just get down to the business and the battle. There's no time for chit, chat. We're not there to talk. We're there to make spiritual war. So, it was good for us to congregate and get to know one another, to listen to the amazing stories that have occurred thusfar, and to draw encouragement and confidence as we enter the final two weeks of the campaign which will end on Sunday November 2 at midnight.
We will have a closing event and end the Campaign at the Abortion Mill at midnight two Sundays from today. Details will be forthcoming in the final week of the campaign.
Christians are a people of hope. If you were at the rally today, you could probably sense it. The Holy Spirit is moving boldly among the body of Christ, and when the Spirit moves, thing start to shake. And when things shake, cracks begin to appear, and where there are cracks, walls start to come down. That's what this 40 days is about: bringing down the walls of Abortion Jericho.
As I strolled around the crowd today and took some pictures and video footage, I would occasionally glance over across the street to see the pedestrians. Many stopped to listen to the speeches. There was one man who was yelling some kind of pro-abort rhetoric in the middle of one of the speeches. Near the end of the rally, I saw him talking to Nicole Campbell, our remarkable and fearless pro-life heroin. She said he told her that his mother had aborted her first child. Some of us on this side of the aisle sometimes don't realize that if people have been personally touched by abortion, sometimes the evil has a way of keeping them from opposing it. In this man's case, he had preferred to justify abortion rather than to confront his mother's tragic choice, and grieve his lost brother. This is why we must take on the cloak of humility and understanding when dealing with our opponents. More times than not, there's always heavy baggage that they are dealing with. Please pray for that young man, that God's love and grace will heal and sustain him, and give him the courage and fortitude to bring healing to his mother and his whole family.
Ground Zero Report - Day 27 [10.20]
I have been down to ground zero 5 times now, every time I come up to Ottawa I make sure to head there! It is the most amazing experience and privilege to pray outside the abortion facility! 3 of the 5 times I've been there were in the hours when young guys like me should be there, when the bars let out! It is incredible the types of people that come by and either hate us or are super interested in what we are doing! There is so much hurt in these people and so many lies that they believe about themselves and about abortion. I feel such a great sense of accomplishment every time I am down there and I know God is hearing our prayers! - Stephen K.
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Our prayers are working at Ground Zero. Today a man approached us about how to adopt a child. His wife and him have been trying for awhile to adopt an unwanted child. One of our group gave him the name of the First Place Pregnancy Centre. May God guide his efforts to become a loving father. Also a homeless man approached us with a rosary in his hand. He wanted help to pray the rosary. Three women started praying with him and one gave him a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary. He stayed and prayed with us. We are reaching hearts as God's witnesses for life. I am grateful to be a part of 40 Days For Life! - Cynthia
Ground Zero Report - Day 28 - [10.21]
I was at 40 days for life today. Had an interesting experience. A man came up who had been selling Girl Guide cookies. He said, “I really admire and appreciate what you people are doing. My wife died giving birth [to our child].” Then he gave us “Girl Guide” cookies. I couldn’t help but think it was a sign from God because we are a “guide” for “girls” to make the right choice about their baby. The box of cookies had pictures of young girls smiling. - David M.
Last week, I had an opportunity to head down to Ground Zero for a late evening shift. During the evening time slots, I like to go over to the other side of the street - just outside of Hell's entrance - to pray. After saying one decade of the Rosary, I made my way towards the entrance to the abortuary and started to pray. During this particular night, there was a pile of garbage bags just outside of the Abortion Mill. I guess it was garbage night for the Mill. As I was praying, my mind wandered a bit and my gaze eventually fell on those garbage bags. Normally, garbage would not be that remarkable, but in the context of the grizzly act of abortion and our vigil campaign, it could not help but take on an added level of significance for me.
Where, I wondered, do the "doctors" at the Mill deposit unborn children for "disposal"? Are they burned in some incinerator somewhere? Or are they simply added to the regular "medical waste" pile? Who picks them up? Is there a company that specializes in disposing of aborted babies? Do the Mill workers deposit the little bodies in some kind of "industrial, medical garbage bag", and let the collectors in from the back door? Have back alley abortions been replaced with back alley disposals?
Or, is it more lucrative than that? We know there are big dollars in the abortion business. According to research by the paper Le Droit in 2002, Morgentaler has grossed an estimated $11 million a year from his private, for-profit abortion facilities across the country. I wonder how much the one on Bank Street scrapes in? And that's only on the front end. What about on the back end? Are there buyers for unborn children's organs or baby parts? It's not implausible considering the current state of embroyonic stem cell research. I'm sure that if it's not happening now, it could very well happen in the future. It's an emerging market, you know.
As I sat there gazing at those garbage bags, and waves of grief and disgust blew over me, I wondered about the expression on their little faces as they were murdered. The horror...the pain...the sadness. What is it like, I wonder, to be unwanted and unloved to such a degree that someone wants to kill you while someone else profits from it? Our elderly people will soon be finding out when euthanasia is legalized, no doubt. And even when the abortionists do it, they don't afford you even the slightest human dignity, as your sacred little body is carted off like some piece of garbage, thrown to the curb, to await your final trip to the dump or to the incinerator or to some labratory or to God knows where.
But you are not garbage, even if they treat you like you are. As long as we witness to your dignity and worth, little one, they will never be able to completely erase your humanity or your personhood. They'll forget you, but we never will.
These 40 Days is a small reminder to that.
- JohnP.
Ground Zero Report - Day 30 [10.23]
I must say, this morning at the mill was tough. There was an African couple and the woman looked to be around 5 months pregnant! Her belly protruded so much and I was shocked when she went in. They took the information, but they didn't talk to me. Every abortion is horrific, but there is something about knowing the tremendous pain that this little child will go through because of his/her size...and the horror this mom will face for years after delivering a dead baby. I can't imagine how she is going to feel as she walks out of the mill, womb empty, her stomach visibly smaller and knowing her little one will never see the light of day. She will never forget her child, and I can't imagine how that must feel. All of these mothers are forever separated from their children...Let us pray hard for these parents. "Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do." - Nicole
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At Holy Family church in Hanover, Ontario we are doing a daily holy hour in support of the 40 Days for Life in Ottawa as well as other cities. These Holy Hours before the Blessed Sacrament are held at 3-4am as well as 3-4 pm. We have had good turnout. These hours were picked as they are the Divine Mercy Hour, 3:00 when Christ died on the cross for us. We pray for an end to abortion and for mercy on our country. Would you be able to give us an update of any babies saved at the Morgentaler abortuary? We would publish them in the Sunday bulletin encouraging more people to come and pray for this cause. Even though we are not physically present with you, we are there in mind , spirit and prayer. - Helen W.
Ground Zero Report - Day 31 [10.24]
I went to the 40 days for life with my large “I regret lost fatherhood” sign. It was quite different than when I was carrying the “Pray to End Abortion” sign. I began to get these looks of pain from dozens of men. Men looked at me as if they wanted to say something but then looked down and kept walking. One young man stopped. He said,
“I’ve been living on the streets, I have a bunch of kids, from different girls, I’ve been in trouble with drugs, bank robberies, and my girlfriend and I broke up when she was 4 months pregnant. She went and got an abortion. She killed our kid just because we broke up. I’ve since stopped all drugs and I’m going to a church now. I’m cleaning up my life. I want to be a good father.”
Another man came up and said “what you are doing is incredibly courageous.” I said “It doesn’t feel that way.” I wish I had been courageous when I was 24. I wish I’d kept my children. He said “I’ll pray for you guys, it’s amazing what you are doing.” On the other end of the spectrum a man came up behind me without seeing my sign. He said, “Why are you here?” in an angry tone. I turned around and looked him in the eye holding my sign. “I’m here because I was involved with abortion, and it was the worst mistake I ever made in my life.” He started to argue. I said, “I don’t really want to argue here, but I’d be glad to meet with you any time to talk.” He said, “Why aren’t you open minded about abortion?” I said, “I was open minded, and I paid for it. Now I have perspective and I’m here.” He turned around and walked away in a huff. I could understand his pain and his angry cover-up.
I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and I still had my sign over my back as I walked around the grocery store. A woman in a wheel chair said, “good for you!” Another woman came up to me and told me she had had an abortion many years ago and just got clean and sober in 2006. She said, “No smoking, no toking, no drinking or poking.” I said “Congratulations, I’ve been sober for many years and it was a great decision. At some point in your recovery you may find yourself experiencing some pain over the abortion.” She stepped back and looked indignant saying, “don’t you assume you know me, I’ll never regret my abortion and it had NOTHING TO DO WITH MY ADDICTION!” Denial is deep. Lord have mercy.
All in all what I found is that each one of us can make a difference, one person at a time. “Oh Lord help me find favour with those who I talk to about abortion. And help us together build a Civilization of Love. Amen.”
David MacDonald
http://www.davidmacd.com/
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I went to do a couple of hours of sidewalk counselling today. Here's a breakdown of how it went.When I got there around noon, a young couple (@18 yrs) were waiting by the door. I went over and gave them some flyers. She looked them all over and seemed upset. Then they walked towards McDonald's. I was elated, thinking they had changed their minds. Unfortunately they came back. I went over to try and talk to them, telling them that I knew of a place where they'd see her through her pregnancy. She basically said thanks, but no thanks. Then she said she was waiting for her mom. She seemed nervous, it really looked like she was having second thoughts. When her mom showed up, they made a beeline for the door, her mom made to shield her daughter from me. Later, the mother and the boyfriend went out of the building, they were obviously talking about me. The mother gave me a dirty look when she came back in. In the meantime, there was a young woman with a pink/punkish hairstyle who often came out to speak to the security guard. I'm not sure what she does, but she seems to be involved with the abortuary. At one point, she came out and told Lucas that there was a woman who needed to come out for a smoke, but she was too upset to come since I was standing there. Lucas shielded her from my view. She was crying. There was another couple who went in, and she was also teary eyed, obviously had been crying. They didn't take any leaflets. Out of the four women I saw going in for abortions between noon and two o'clock, three of them had clearly been crying, seeming reluctant. So much for choice. - Doris
Ground Zero Report - Day 33 [10.26]
I was just talking to Maureen on my return, with my friend Carmel, from the prayer Vigil at the abortion clinic at Ground Zero this afternoon and related to her this incident that she suggested I send to you.
It was close to 45 minutes after we arrived at the abortion clinic. A young couple arrived and the young lady sat on the cement. So I reminded her that we are not allowed to sit there.
She said she could not stand for long because of pain in her leg. I suggested she use one of the folding chairs. I asked her if this was their first visit to Ground Zero and she said yes, because they are from Montréal. She found out about "The 40 Days for Life" on the internent and arranged for half a day off work to come to Ottawa. They were returning to Montréal after their vigil.
In my excitement I mentioned to another lady prayer warrior that these 2 young people had come from Montréal and this lady said she was from Edmonton, visiting in Montréal, and had also come to Ottawa to pray today.
The sacrifices people are ready to make to fight this evil!!!!
Praise God,
Marie
Suitcase Scare at the Abortion Mill
CANWEST: OTTAWA - A busy block in downtown Ottawa was evacuated Monday after a suitcase, intended for the garbage heap, raised suspicions when it was dropped off near an abortion clinic - a short distance from Parliament Hill. An Ottawa police bomb squad was called in and the area was cordoned off while bomb technicians assessed the situation. Sgt. Rick Giroux said the suitcase was left in the area at about 1 p.m. by an individual who immediately left the scene. A large suitcase was left outside the abortion clinic early Monday afternoon. The suitcase was deemed harmless and the area was cleared by 2:45 p.m. The section of Bank Street houses an abortion clinic that has been the site of constant silent protests, with many people gathering directly across the street, carrying pro-life placards. As soon as the police tape was removed, about a half dozen protesters continued their silent action. (Source)
CBC: A suitcase that prompted a bomb scare Monday afternoon outside a downtown Ottawa abortion clinic turned out to be empty. Police reopened Bank Street between Wellington and Queen Streets around 3 p.m., an Ottawa police statement said, after determining that the large black suitcase leaning against a post on the east side of Bank was empty and had been left out for disposal. The streets had been closed earlier in the afternoon. Anti-abortion protesters often march and wave placards outside the clinic. (Source)
Editor's Note: Please excuse us for posting from the CBC, but it could not be avoided since they have reported on some new information. According to the red highlighted section above, it appears there was not even any intent to cause a disturbance.
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Discussion over at CBC's website here. We encourage our readers to join the discussion. For those visiting this website from the CBC discussion, a reality check that no mainstream media bothered to report:
OTTAWA, October 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday at about 2 p.m. several women participating in 40 Days for Life Ottawa and keeping vigil at the Bank St. abortuary were violently assaulted. A woman began yelling obscenities at the pro-life volunteers and then became physically aggressive, throwing food at one of the vigil participants and then throwing punches and kicking. Eyewitnesses said that the woman came with her lunch and sat between two ladies who were praying. She then shouted out repeatedly, "You've had your protest, now I'm going to have mine," whereupon she threw her food at one vigil-keeper and then began pushing, screaming obscenities, and swinging her fists. The belligerent woman approached an elderly lady and said, "You're old, why don't you die," according to an eyewitness. Suzanne Poulin, age 51, was one of the women who bore the brunt of the attack. Suzanne told LifeSiteNews.com that the attacker threw her to the ground and began pummeling her face. She suffered bruises to her face and nose, a cut lip and her ear was torn, possibly by a ring the assailant was wearing. Just before this Suzanne was advising the other vigil-keepers to remain silent and not engage the abusive woman. Suzanne emphasized that none of the vigil-keepers touched or hurt the assailant. The police were called while the security guard from the abortion mill and some men from the gathering crowd tried to subdue the attacker, who was described as about 30 years old, and well dressed and groomed. Four police cruisers came to the scene, at which point the attacker to fled into an adjacent building. She was apprehended by police and arrested. The assailant continued to scream insults and obscenities as they took her away, while a paramedic attended to Suzanne and the other women that had been injured in the attack. Suzanne told LifeSiteNews.com that she will press charges against the attacker, but that she also forgave her and will continue to pray for her. "As a mother, I have developed good judgment to know when someone needs correction. This woman needs not only to be corrected, she needs anger management. Her actions will probably have a very negative effect on the rest of her life. With prayer, this incident may help her to see the truth and turn her toward life," Suzanne said. Suzanne returned to the Bank St. abortuary for her vigil today. For updates from the vigil site go to: http://40daysottawa.blogspot.com/
Ground Zero Report - Day 35 - Part B [10.28]
I was at Ground Zero this morning for my shift and for this first hour I was mostly alone. I was standing there, young girl, shivering a little in the wind, looking like a drowning rat, holding the "women need support not abortion sign". One guy walked by me and as he did so commented in a sing-song voice, "harrassment". I couldn't believe it. At that moment I could not think of anything less threatening than myself. I just think it is so hilarious, especially after yesterday, that people are labelling us as terrorists and suicide bombers when I've never seen a more innoculous bunch. It is also amazing how the most opinionated people seem to always be those in the biggest hurry. - Megan M.
Posted by Lifer at 7:06 PM 0 comments
Ground Zero Report - Day 35 [10.28]
Last Saturday evening between 9 and 10 pm I was at Ground Zero. There were probably 5 other people there and we had to witness a demonic attack. A young couple in their early twenties had a video on a tripod and taking turns drop kicking a baby doll. This doll would then fly in the air and they were laughing and yelling absenities. They also took the camera in their hands and zoomed in on us praying. I and others said nothing. It gave me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. - Anne E.
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My friend, Bill M., his wife Carmelita and I were with the group Monday, from 1:15 to 2:45 at ground zero, during the bomb scare. The Police didn’t take long in roping off the area along Bank St. from Queen to Sparks, taking in sidewalks on both sides of the street. This meant our group had to back away from the sidewalk, the location where we always position ourselves and move in back of the large cement flower planter and against the building. At this point the bomb squad arrived and ordered everyone to completely clear the whole block, isolating entrances to all the buildings and extending their yellow tapes blocking off all entrances to Sparks where it crosses Bank St. All the while this was happening our small group of 10 continued displaying their signs and praying Our Lady’s rosary. The media with their portable video and tripod mounted cameras, would put one in mind of a movie studio, ready to capture a great scene about to take place. One of the cameramen came over to where my 2 friends and I were standing displaying a picket and saying our rosaries. He must have been meditating on the text “I formed you in your mother’s womb”, because he rolled his camera for quite a while on us. With the viewing by the large number of people who have had to be evacuated from the buildings facing Bank St. and the 200 or more curiosity seekers who gathered, coming and going, and publicity by the Ottawa Citizen Tuesday Oct. 28/08 (one would have to say, our pro-life message was well promoted). Regarding the finishing of our 40 days of prayer, fasting and vigil on a “high note” on Sunday 6:00 p.m. at Ground Zero. What better way than through starting with the Holy Rosary, Eucharistic Celebration, Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and uniting our trials with our Lord on His 14 Stations of the Cross. This takes place monthly at Holy Rosary Church - 20 Grant St. The First Saturday Devotion of November will take place on Saturday November 1, rosary beginning at 8:40 a.m., (which is the day before the wind-up.) Perhaps you could publish this in your next blog. Abortion is caused and carried out, mainly through violation of God’s 6th and 5th commandments respectively. During the 3rd apparition of Fatima July 1917, Our Blessed Mother showed the children a vision of hell where poor sinners go. “In order to save them God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart.” The suggestion was made that our prayer vigil should continue, rather than saying goodbye to each other at the end of the 40-day program. Our Blessed Mother told the children “If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved, there will be peace”. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was started in St. Teresa’s Church over 35 years ago, -- to St. Mary’s,-- Our Lady of Perpetual Help-- and presently in Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. Since at Holy Rosary, Father John Likozar has dedicated himself to carrying on this Devotion, and has been doing so since September 2005. Wouldn’t it be fitting for anyone or group to gather once a month, to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, through Her First Saturday Devotions, and beg Her intercession to overcome the evils of abortion from conception to natural death. - Bernie
Like A Rock
So last night I ventured out to Ground Zero. The blowing snow was very violent. Around midnight, there were about 5 people there, even though it was fit neither for man nor beast. Pedestrian traffic was decidedly reduced, understandably. So, for the most part, it was mostly a spiritual exercise since there wasn't much witnessing going on. I couldn't help but recognize the symmetry between the storm we were experiencing in the flesh with the storm happening in the Spirit.
There we were...the five of us in the freezing cold with the snow and wind bearing down on us. What fools we must look like out there when no one would see. No publicity, no passerbys, no TV cameras or reporters. Alone in the dead of night being pummelled by the inclement weather. Fools indeed. But better to be fools for Christ than the fools of this age.
I shifted from side to side so I could deflect some of the wind and cold. But there was one older gentleman behind me that wasn't even flinching.
"Man", I thought to myself, "this guy is tough".
As the hour went on, I would look back once in a while and still, the man, had not moved one inch. Not even a twitch. I had a tuque on. He had a hat and his ears were uncovered. And still he stood there motionless like a rock despite the vicious weather hammering down on us.
Like a rock.
As I reflected on that a bit, I thought of Jesus' words:
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18)
This little scene was emblematic of our greater struggle. Despite everything Hell throws at the Church, it will not be overcome. It will stand and not fall. Just like the man yesterday who didn't so much as blink at the sharp snow piercing his face.
Solid like a rock.
Ground Zero Report - Day 36 [10.28]
Supply Side Abortion Economics
Readers of this blog are familiar with a notice I posted some time ago regarding Morgentaler's Abortion Mill advertising for a "counselor". You can read about it here. In that post, I expressed some doubt whether that ad had anything to do with our vigil. I figured it was merely routine given the date of the announcement.
Now I am not so sure.
I just got this message from Ground Zero.....
Great news! I heard that the Morgentaler Abortuary is now advertising for NURSES!!! It was on "Peters News". A pro life nurse passed this on to one of our vigil participants, as she gets the job postings! She said, "I don't know what you're doing, but you're doing something right!" Isn't that awesome!? Wow! Just wanted to pass that on! God bless!
To be honest, I'm quite shocked. Can a quiet, prayerful vigil really cause such havoc on the abortion industry?
If so, then I think we have just stumbled upon the next pro-life strategy to be implemented across this country.
We need to devote some resources towards the "micro level" option to fighting abortion. For too long, we have been focusing too much of our time, energy, and resources on the politics of the issue which is really a "macro level" strategy. That still has to happen, of course, but the actual results are happening on the ground, in front of the abortion mills. That's where we can squeeze the life right out of abortion industry.
We need to duplicate, replicate, and multiply this strategy again and again in every province in this country where abortion is present.
A big part of defeating abortion is all about "supply side abortion economics": cut the suppliers and the economics takes care of itself.
Gound Zero Report - Day 36 [10.29]
It was a very cold down at ground Zero this morning. When I arrived at 8:30 Maggie from Saint Mary's was praying and had been for some time The councillor was already handing out pamphlets across the street. Within the next hour, 4 or 5 more prayer warriors arrived . Jennifer wasn't on the schedule but decided to drop by for a couple of hours as well. Around 11:20 Jen and I took a short break at 240 Sparks to warm up and recharge our batteries The councillor dropped by to talk with for a short while and told us how it just breaks her heart to see these women so often pressured into having abortions and often it is the woman's mother ( the baby's grandmother) who is doing the pressuring. How can this be I thought.
When we returned to pray the numbers were dwindling. We were unable to leave at noon as planned because by then we were alone. Jennifer stayed with me as long as possible but she had an appointment to keep at 1PM so she had to leave by 12:20 Since I was unable to leave because I was by myself , I decided pray to my guardian angel and ask him to send someone to take my place . Within 10 minutes he sent me this wonderful young man and seeing how cold I was David insisted that I go home and he would stay on until someone came by no matter how long it took. David MacDonald wasn't on the schedule today but just decided to stop by after work. Thank you David ( and to my guardian angel) I was just so happy to see you! I want to thank all those courageous and faithful souls who come out to pray day after day. God bless you all! - Maureen W.
Ground Zero Report - Day 38 - Part 2 [10.31]
Today, Friday, I felt like I was standing at the foot of the cross. For most of the hour that I was at the vigil, I stood all by myself and held a sign. David and another man walked back and forth with their signs, but there I stood, alone. People walked by me and shook their heads, some muttering things I couldn't hear. Very few looked me in the eye. I watched as teenage girls, most with boyfriends, walked into the clinic and others walked out. My heart broke as I watched one girl come out alone, face ashen. I prayed for Doris as she watched for women with whom she could speak before they walked into the clinic, prayed for courage, wisdom and protection for her. A couple of times as young girls walked into 65 Bank, Doris looked across the street in my direction and we shared knowing looks. I watched as people chatted with the security guard and mocked the people who were walking around the block praying the rosary. I thought of Jesus on the cross - alone, mocked, people passing by and shaking their heads, treating Him as something to be despised. For a brief moment, I felt like I knew just a tiny glimpse of Jesus' pain. But Sunday's comin', like Fr. Frank Pavone has reminded us. Sunday's comin'. We need to be people of hope, and not ever stop praying for the end to abortion. Our work isn't done after 40 Days for Life. It has just begun. - Sue A.
Posted by Lifer at 7:47 PM 0 comments
Ground Zero Report - Day 38 [10.31]
Today was a very busy day at the mill. Lots to tell you. We think there may have been another save....Doris talked to a couple who were lingering around for a long time as do most people before going in for their abortions. I asked Doris to email you the story! But I believe there was a live saved! :)
There was a guy this morning 21 years old smoking outside near the security guard, his wife was upstairs getting prepped for her abortion and the young man became very angry that we were outside. He initially started by talking to the security guard really loudly talking about how we are making women feel guilty and that it's better for people to have abortions rather than having homeless children on the street. When he came out for his second cigarette, I asked him if he'd like some information...he became very angry, swearing at us, telling us that it's awful that we are making women feel guilty, etc. It was very obvious to me that he was the one feeling very guilty, but it was being misdirected at us. He calmed down and after a while we had a brief dialogue. He started the conversation and I told him that if he'd like to listen, I would tell him why we were there. He listened briefly and I told told him we were there because 85% of women having abortions are there because of pressure from their girlfriends/parents, and that we were there to help provide a better way. He already has a 2 year old son whom he bragged about to the security guard. You could see this young man had such a father's heart...I told him so. Doris tried to share with him with him as well, but he quickly became aggitated, so I left the conversation alone. He continued to be beligerent and left very angry into the abortion mill. Please continue to pray for him and for all of the couples/women who need healing from their abortions.
Lots more to tell you about today...i just don't have time right now...hope to be able to write more later. God bless! - Nicole
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I just want to relate to you a little ray of hope I experienced this morning at Ground Zero. There was a young couple who were hanging around in front of the McDonald's. They looked like they might be going in for an abortion - she was wearing track pants (the abortuary suggests they wear loose clothing). Anyway, they stayed there for some time. Thinking to myself it would be easier to talk to them there, rather than to try and get a few quick words in as they are being ushered in by the security guard, I decided to go and talk to them. They said they were against abortion and said they were just waiting for her ex to come and see her baby (she showed me a picture of him on her cell phone). I'm not too sure I buy their story, they didn't have the baby with them. She then said she was two weeks pregnant, and that the father of this baby was going to stick around this time. The young man chimed in, saying "I have every intention of being a father to this baby". I asked them to take some brochures anyway, saying they probably knew more young people than I do, and could have a positive impact on their friends. They took them and stayed around for a while and then left. I figure this was a win-win situation. Either they weren't planning on an abortion and I was preaching to the choir, in which case they now find themselves with some good pro-life information and will be able to pass it on to someone who needs it, or they were headed to 65 Bank St. and they changed their minds. God bless them both! Now the bad news. I saw at least 3 women come out from their abortions alone, unaccompanied. One of them was obviously still very drugged. She had been sick earlier (she actually vomitted in the garbage on the sidewalk) so they probably gave her a higher dose of sedatives to calm her. When you go for a flu shot, they don't let you leave before the required time to make sure you're OK. That's only a flu shot. This woman had clearly been sedated, and they let her leave unaccompanied. There was also a very angry young man who had taken his girlfriend in. They already had a two year old, but this one was too much for them to handle. He let us know in no uncertain terms what he thought of us and told us we had no right to upset the women going in for abortions. So much anger, so much pain. My heart aches for them. May God's grace be on them. - Doris
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As I arrived in front of the clinic I noticed a man with a professional video camera and an announcer using us as a backdrop for their video. They didn’t look like news media, so I drifted over and asked them if they minded me asking them what they were shooting. The cameraman said, “I’m a student and this gentleman is a professor of science who is passionate about the environment, and we are shooting a documentary about how old the earth is and we wanted to show that others have a different opinion.”
He seemed a bit old to be a student but I didn’t question that. I simply asked him, “what makes you think that everybody in the prolife movement is a ‘young earth’ proponent, isn’t that kind of presumptuous?”
He shrugged. Then I asked the scientist “You are a man who has strong opinions about the value of science, do you mind me asking ‘when does life begin?’”
He looked at me and said, “I don’t know.”
I said “really?”
He replied “do you know?”
I said “yes, and there is not one biologist on the planet who will disagree, it’s fertilization. Could it be the reason you don’t want to answer is because you, like Obama, don’t want to face the moral implications of that answer?”
He said, “I don’t want to get into this now and waste 10 minutes talking about it”
I said, “But you are willing to spend hours working on a video that portrays prolifers as a bunch of science denying fundamentalists, and you can’t even answer a simple science question found in any grade 7 biology book? Who is the one denying science?”
With that they sheepishly packed up their camera gear and walked away.
Oh Lord, save us from those who are trying to use science as a political weapon against you. Show them that you created all science, and that your mysteries are completely consistent with science.
- David MacDonald
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As I was walking slowly back and forth a woman approached me and said.
I work in the office building here and have been watching your group for several weeks. I want to let you know that I’ve been hoping and praying something like this would happen here. I was in that clinic 2.5 years ago. I was 44 years old, already had 3 children, and my husband and I work. This pregnancy was inconvenient and unexpected. My husband and my mother wanted me to have an abortion.
It was a cold Thursday in February. Inside the clinic, it was dirty and dreary and the chairs were all stained. There were several other couples there. I was alone because my husband was working. We were all given forms. As I began to fill in the form, I heard a woman, who had just had an abortion and was crying. I looked at the other women writing quickly, as reviewed the questions about my health, I got a sense the something was terribly wrong. I called my husband and said “I can’t do this, I’m not going to.” And then I walked out.
I never looked back. My daughter is 2 years old today. She is healthy and beautiful, and I can’t believe I was considering taking her life. She is a precious gift from God. I often stand out here on my work breaks and think about that day and pray for the women inside. There were sometimes protesters on Friday mornings, but there were abortions happening on Thursdays, Fridays, and now Wednesday. I’ve been praying that more people would come and pray in front of this clinic. You guys are an answer to my prayers. Thank you.
I was very moved. I said to herm, “what you did was very courageous. I wish I had the same courage when I was in a similar situation in 1984. Abortion was the worst mistake I’ve ever made.” We prayed together and I thanked God for the life he saved, and I pray that in some small way I’ll be able to help others make a decision for life.
- David MacDonald
Ground Zero Report - Day 39 - [11.01]
Last night's Vigil from Midnight onwards reminded me of the Bible story of the loaf and the fishes. Having been on this watch midnight to 2AM for most of the Vigil with a few people attending each night I was pleased to find many more prayer full people showing up on Halloween night . On the West side of Bank St across from the abortion mill saying our rosary (as our true costumes ) and the East side was crowded folks in all kinds of make-believe Halloween costumes. Praise the Lord I am sure our prayers did get through in many ways. Thanks to all the Christians who have participated in the 40 Days for Life I am sure we have made a huge differance in our own lives and the lives of many others and we probably will never know on this earth, how many babies our prayers-- fasting and volunteering to stand watch outside the Abortion Mill have saved. Long Live 40 Days for Life. - Frank J. Barrett, A.K.A. FrankO a Grin N' Barrett Klown
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This is the first time I have the honour to be a voice for the unborn, I'm sad to see it end. My dream would be to see the vigils extended until the abortion mills are closed down. My life was marked by abortion and this campaign help me heal because for the first time I didn't feel helpless toward the slaughter of babies. Thank you for letting me be part of your campaign for life. God Bless! - K.
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You're probably getting the news from others, but here goes; we had a good turnout for Halloween. At 0200h there were about 15 there, at 0300h, about 13, by 0320h there were 7, and half an hour later there were 6 (which was good because it took quite a while before the streetswere really clear; McDonald's was very busy, and there were quite a few people just hanging out). Eric and I left shortly after 0500h and there were 4 others there at the time - things were pretty quiet. It was good to have such a big crowd (who stayed so long); there was a HUGE number of revellers out - with quite a few barbs, taunts, and negative comments thrown our way. To see them all was really more sad and pitiful than amusing. Those caught up in the culture of death try to hide their pain - but it really just shows up as pain or insecurity. Luckily there were no excitable types among us. We did receive some positive comments as well. God Bless! - Bill
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I can't believe we're at the end of the forty days. Count me among those for whom this has been a life-changing experience. I thought I was only going to go down to the vigil once with my church. I ended up going many times and still felt that it wasn't enough. It was as though the Lord was speaking to my heart over the past few weeks - "Give me your time and I will take care of all your needs and all the things that you feel that you need to do instead of going to stand vigil. Tonight between 7 and 8pm there were two groups praying the rosary, one of whom included a man in a large electric wheelchair, and a few of us praying on our own. As the fellow prayed the rosary with two ladies, a man walked up beside them and stood quietly for a few minutes. He asked if he could join them in the rosary. After they finished the rosary, he said that he was just walking around downtown killing some time, when he saw us and decided to come over to find out what was going on. (The north end of Bank St. sees little activity on a Saturday evening.) It was a moment of grace. It was bitterly cold, with the wind blowing down Bank St., but I kept thinking that it was a small sacrifice in order to be able to stand vigil. Time enough to warm up at home - the babies need us now! See you tomorrow. - Sue A.
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I know the Vigil's main purpose is for the clients at the mill and the babies, but it has also had such an effect on my by participating in it. The excellent speechs at the opening rally really inspired men to get involved with keeping it going 24/7, and it just helped me grow so much:
1. I got to practice bringing my faith into the public 'square', being bolder about saying what I believe, which is practice I really needed.
2. I got to endure insults and ridicule for Jesus... what in incredible honour... Jesus said those who endure that are blessed, and I really haven't had that opportunity before, at least not since I was a little kid anyway.
Also
3. I was blown away at seeing how others reacted to insults and even the assault... how they are so full of love for everyone involved. Even for the abortionists. It was really a reminder that I have to work on loving others even our 'enemies'... an example of how to live the faith.
So the whole thing has been such a blessing and an opportunity to grow closer to God. Thank you so much again for helping organize it!
- Neil
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Tonight was the official ending of the 40 Days for Life Campaign in Ottawa. Close to 500 people attended tonight's rally and they heard special guest speakers, Archbishop Prendergast of Ottawa and Debbie Fisher from Silent No More Awareness Campaign. After the speeches, the vigilers processed by candlelight from the Abortion Mill to St. Patrick's basilica for Mass and a Reception. The Basilica was packed, to say the least.
Over the last 40 days, some 750 vigilers braved the rain, wind, cold, snow, and sleepless nights to witness to the Dignity of the unborn. Some of us were violently assaulted; and many of us were verbally abused. But we did not return the insult and we didn't raise our hand. We remained in solidarity with the unborn in their silent holocaust, and, as a result, the sacred cows of the pro-abortion propaganda were exposed. Many people were touched and a few were converted. The reverberations of this campaign are hard to assess. Certainly, the stats were very impressive indeed:
Number of Participants: 750
Blogged Stories: 70
Consecutive Hours: 960
Babies Saved: 3 (minimum)
Volunteers: 60
Volunteer Hours: 2000
Abortion Mill Disruption: Very High
But the real progress will not be known for some time, if ever, since it is often hidden - hidden in peoples hearts as the seed of life is planted within them only to bear fruit at a later date in God's providence. And still, even if we don't know these particular victories on this side of heaven, we know that babies were saved, hearts were changed and moved, and we all became better persons for it. Not only did the Campaign convert others; it converted us.
While I was praying outside the Mill around 2AM on Saturday morning (and accompanied by at least 12 other people), I got the strange sense that while we shook things up at the Mill while we were there over the last 40 days, the final boot is going to fall now that the campaign is over. Not sure why this is since we won't have the same kind of presence, but I just think that is what's going to happen.
Tonight as the reception was ending, a lady approached me and she told me of a dream she had the night before. She said that in the dream, she was holding a small baby in her hand. She thought the baby was not alive, but then noticed that it was breathing slightly. She turned her gaze away in the dream and then looked back at her hand, where she now saw the baby in pieces. The message of the dream? What we've done is giving life and hope to the unborn, but if we stop, the heinous evil of abortion will resume and continue in this culture of death. We must not let this happen, and that's why we must continue the vigil in some fashion. Please pray for the leaders of the 40 Days for Life Campaign and for Nicole Campbell, in particular, that God will continue to use her in the front lines of the abortion wars in this country.
On behalf of the 40 Days for Life Organizing Committee and Campaign Life, I wish to extend our deepest gratitude to all those people who volunteered in the parishes to promote this at the church level. We also want to thank the Archbishop for his support and encouragement. And finally, we want to thank the prayer warrior vigilers who stuck it out these past 40 days, 24/7 around the clock. Your witness will only be truly rewarded on the other side of eternity. In honour of your dedication and commitment, here is a small tribute video just For You, while just below that, I've posted some pictures and videos from tonight's closing rally.
God Bless You All. And let's keep it going.
John Pacheco
40 365 Days For Life
By Richard Marchack
OTTAWA, September 24, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Last evening in Ottawa 500 people gathered on Parliament Hill for the Kick Off Rally to start 40 days of prayer and fasting for life in Ottawa, part of the international 40 Days for Life effort. Organizer Nicole Campbell commented that she was impressed by the serenity and support of all those who came and says she has great hopes that the campaign marks the beginning of the end for abortion in Ottawa. Participants were treated to Christian music by Joe Zambon and heard presentations by organizer Nicole Campbell of Campaign Life Coalition, web page registrations coordinator John Pacheco, Angelina Steenstra from Silent no More and Faytene Krysko from 4 My Canada. After the gathering on Parliament Hill a candle light procession went to Bank Street in Ottawa, ending in front of the Morgentaler abortuary. The procession was led by an empty baby rocker, driving home the fact that abortion is creating a society with an empty future.
Once the procession arrived at the site of the abortuary participants spontaneously started recitation of well know prayers. Uplifting Christian songs broke the silence of the otherwise quiet downtown street.
The 40 Days for Life campaign in Ottawa has received the support of Ottawa Archbishop Terrance Prendergast. Anyone in other cities can join in the Ottawa-based campaign by committing to prayer and fasting for the next 40 days (September 24th to November 2).
It is hoped that the 40 Days for Life effort will also inspire people to renew their enthusiasm to stand up for life at next year's March for Life on May 14, 2009 in Ottawa. The theme for next year's March is Exodus 2009 and marks the 40th year since the law was changed in Canada to permit abortion. Exodus will include a pilgrimage to Ottawa leading up to the March for Life and prominent guests in recognition of the significance of the 40 years of abortion in Canada.
Last night's Ottawa rally was attended by numerous priests and religious as well as lay people who were inspired to come to start the prayer campaign. For the next 40 days there will be a constant prayer presence outside of the Morgentaler Ottawa abortuary. There is hope that the prayer will be able to be maintained every hour of every day outside of the abortuary. The signup sheet is filling rapidly, with many people calling the Campaign Life Coalition office in Ottawa (613-729-0379) to ask when they can go and what hours need to be filled.
To check up on when and where prayer partners are needed please check the web-site at http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/%3Ca href=http://www.40daysforlife.com/Ottawa%3Ehttp://www.40daysforlife.com/Ottawa%3C/a%3Ehttp://www.40daysforlife.com/Ottawa
Ground Zero Report - Day 1 [09.24]
I attended the vigil tonight at 6PM with Jennifer and another friend and was surprised to see so many people there. I think there were about 15 or 20 people and at 7 when we left a group of youth came by to pray. Wow what a turnout. It was truly beautiful! - Maureen
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I finished my 8-10 pm shift and it was quite peaceful being with others sharing in silent prayer. We started at 8 pm with about 10 people and it dwindled down to about 6 when I left at 10 pm. Nice to see a steady stream of people coming and going. I feel something extraordinary is going to happen with this event. - Sue
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Just got back from the abortuary...I'm overwhelmed with the number of people that are coming out. People are just showing up...there were about 12 people this evening...even at midnight, there was 5 people! Praise God! - Nicole
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I checked out 63 Bank St on the internet on the web this morning to see if it was what we thought it might be. The description below confirms it -- I suppose we shouldn't be that surprised. The negativity that exists from the mill probably acts like a magnet for other harmful behaviour. The size of the spiritual battle at that location seems to be much wider in scope than we initially thought. - Andy
Sauna 63
Ottawa's newest bathhouse is located on the forth floor above Edge nightclub and lounge. Featuring modern, spacious rooms. Clean, safe and fun are rules of the game.
Phone: 613-237-BATH
Address: 63 Bank St
Hours: Open 24 hours.
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I was standing close to the curb, praying and looking up at the abortuary. Two other ladies where standing with me, too. These 3 guys approached me and asked if there will be another candlelight procession because they saw it the night before and was quite impressed at how many people were there. I said no, that was a kick off rally to start the 40 Days for Life Campaign but we will be there 24 hours everyday until November 2, praying and fasting for the end to abortion and there are others who are also praying and fasting in their homes and churches. They asked why we chose that site. I told them that on the third floor of the building we are facing is an abortion facility. They were surprised to hear that. I told them it is named after Morgentaler, the main protagonist of the legalizing abortion in Canada, but I do not know if he owns it. They asked a few more questions about 40 Days for Life. One of them said we should this again next year. I said we will do this every year until all abortion facilities are closed in Ottawa. As they were saying good-bye and good luck, I ask them to come by everyday and stand there with us for a few minutes. They said they will. I was there from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. A few women and a man came out at different times. None of them looked our way. There were quite a few of us there so it would be difficult not to notice. I'd say they are very aware of our presence. Praise be to God. - Nora
Ground Zero Report - Day 2 [09.25]
Just thought I would share an experience for Day 2 in the 6-8 pm time slot. We encountered persecution from a tormented woman who not once, twice but three times came back to give us a tongue lashing for our stance on pro-life. However, shortly after, along came a Mother and daughter who stopped to ask us what we were all about. After telling them about the 40 Days for Life campaign, they told us that they were visiting from Calgary looking for Universities for her daughter who wants to major in political science. Her daughter went on to say that she was pro-life and a speaker for "Silent Day of Solidarity. Her Mother, then asked us if we would like to her her daughters 7 minute speech she made at her high school on this topic. Of course, we encouraged her to go right ahead. It was wonderful to hear this young woman of 17 years speak as well as she did about the sanctity of life. It was as though the Lord sent in a special messenger to lift our spirits and to let us know that we are not alone to fight this battle. After her short speech, her Mom whispered in my ear that her daughter wanted to enter politics. This grade 11 student's name is AA from +++ High School in Calgary, and her Mom's name is MA.... I told her that Ottawa could certainly use a future politician who was pro-life. In fact, my gut feeling tells me that AA will be a name that we will be hearing again in Canada's political future. I felt truly blessed tonight to have met these wonderful pro-life people, who joined our campaign and signed the register as participants of the 40 Days for Life in Ottawa. - Sue
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There was a man eating his McDonald meal quietly on the bench outside of 65 Bank door. After he finished, he came over and said he likes what we are doing. I invited him to join us anytime but he said he is busy.
A young man who looks like he is in his mid-teens came and asked questions. Sue told him that the DNA at conception stays the same throughout that person's life. He did not know that. He stayed awhile to talk. - Nora
Ground Zero Report - Day 3 [09.26]
I arrived at the abortion mill around 8:30 am and there were already 6 people praying. Before long, a couple entered the building and seemed to be having a lively discussion. The woman pointed to us a few times. They went into the elevator. A few minutes later, the man left the building alone. It seemed quite obvious they were going to the clinic. During the two and a half hours I was there, I saw 4 other couples enter the building and take the elevator. There was also a group of three women who went in, looking around nervously, as if to make sure they were at the right place. Two of the three later left the building. A bit later, a young woman, looking nervously at us, practically ran into the building. Then, three other women came, also checking around to see if they had the right place. One of them actually openend the door to the bath house at 63 Bank. They then asked a passerby, and went into 65 Bank. A few minutes before I was to leave, the two women from the first group came back to the clinic. After a bit, they came out and sat on the bench just in front. As I left, I felt I just couldn't go without saying something, so I went over and mentioned to them that their friend was going to need a lot of support, that abortion causes great distress and that we were there to help. One of them was quite receptive to what I told them. I hope I am wrong, but from what I saw, 8 babies might have been aborted this morning. We need to pray! Thanks for all your hard work! God bless! - Doris
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I wanted to let you know about three things which happened during our watch this afternoon (3:45 - 5:15). Before I do, I suspect you know there are more people showing up at times than are scheduled - which is great. When we arrived, there were an estimated 10 others and this number varied down to about 4 at one point and then rose again before we left. It certainly is nice having the extra company. First pleasant occurrence was a lady walking by who said 'Thank-you' in our direction several times. Second, a young man stopped at the edge of the road and began a conversation with one of the vigil keepers sitting on the bench. He indicated his partner had had an abortion and he was feeling some discomfort/guilt. After they chatted for a minute or two, she took him to Fr. McEvoy who happened to be keeping vigil at the time. The young man and Fr. McEvoy spent 30-40 minutes together. Fr. McEvoy said the man spoke and he listened.Third, a gentleman approached us and addressed Fr.McEvoy (as he was with his collar and black suit). He wanted to know what we were doing. He had spotted us from the McDonald's restaurant. He was from Elliot Lake and his wife was a Catholic school trustee attending a national Catholic trustee conference at the Crowne Plaza hotel. He was excited to hear what were doing and said he would tell his wife and come back to spend some time with us. His wife was also head of the local Right to Life group. He also asked about the March for Life which they missed this year (first time in several years). He and his wife have organized the Life Chain in Elliot Lake for 17 years. A few minutes after he departed, a couple approached and sat down with us. She was a Catholic trustee attending the conference and her husband was with her. They were from Edmonton. They asked about what we were doing, asked if there was a buffer zone around the abortion mill (as there is in Edmonton), where else the 40 Days campaign was taking place, and so on. They were very supportive and, I believe, impressed.That is a lot of activity to pack into 90 minutes! God was working His wonders. - David
Ground Zero Report - Day 5 [09.28]
PRO-LIFE WITNESSING
My vigil hour in front of the Morgentaler abortuary was scheduled for eight o'clock this morning. As I approached Bank Street after leaving the Queensway, there were a few dozen police officers standing on the sidewalk. Their motorcyles were parked on the road nearby. I did what people generally do when they see police - I slowed down. Immediately, after I drove by, I thought, "Wow! I hope all the police officers read my pro-life bumper stickers!" In white lettering on a bright green background, the two signs read as follows: (1) "Abortion kills babies, wounds Mothers, and hardens hearts"; (2) "Real men don't pressure women to abort". Located at a higher level on my hatchback door, was the pro-life sticker, "40 Days For Life".
At approximately twenty minutes before nine, many pollice vehicles passed by the "40 Days For Life" witnessing area. There were cars, vans, and buses transporting police officers. Where were they going? They were on their way to Parliament Hill to pay tribute to their comrades who died in the line of duty. As the police officers stood on Parliament Hill, I wondered how many of them remembered the aborted babies who have died, not as victims in the line of duty, but as victims of convenience. - Sister Pamela Bennett, CSJ
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Congratulations to whoever wrote on the back of the large (old) Family Coalition Party sign "65 Bank Street is a Abortion Facility". I have been doing the night shift at the Vigil these past few days, but today, Sunday, my wife and I went up in the afternoon for an hour. I held that sign and many who read it stopped and looked for the number 65 after reading it. The Forty Days for Life Vigil is certainly drawing attention to what is going on a block from the Parliament of Canada.
Today was also the Annual Memorial Police Service on Parliament Hill (which in past years I have participated in). However, this year I decided to save my energy for the 40 Days for Life and was very proud after some of the Police Service Officers passing the Vigil gave us the thumbs up sign. - Frank
Ground Zero Report - Day 6 [09.29]
Sisters and brothers, I was at Ground Zero at 3 00 am Monday, and met Chris form CLC Who had been there from 1 30. As Chris left at 4 00 Albert A. arrived ready for business. Albert had a board with holy cards and flyers. To me, Albert is Mr Pro Life. He told me he passed out over 100 cards at the opening rally, has spent over $8 000.00 on flyers etc. to promote the pro life cause. I was impressed with his faith. He said,"Mary will crush his head." I drove past when I left at 4 30, and Albert was on his knees. I expected nothing to happen, but I met two wonderful people. I already knew Chris from CLC, and got toknow him a little better, and I was blessed to meet Albert. - Mike
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I am not sure if anyone reported the wonderful gift sent to us last night (Sep. 29) at the vigil located at 65 Bank St. at 7:45 pm. My friend, Bishop Reynald Rouleau from the Diocese of Churchill Hudson Bay was passing through Ottawa yesterday and he invited me to have dinner with him. I told him all about the 40 Days for Life campaign in Ottawa and its purpose and I gave him a pamphlet. He was very interested in the campaign and feels that his Diocese might benefit from such a wonderful event. I told him about our 40 day, 24 hour vigil in front of the abortuary from Sep. 23-Nov. 2. He was surprised to hear that such a place still existed and humbled at the courage and devotion shown by the volunteers. I then invited him to come to see the abortuary for himself and to give a special blessing to all there that night. As the Bishop is to have a hip replacement on October 8, I parked my car right in front of the group on Bank St. To my surprise, the Bishop got out of my car and walked up to the 10 people praying and greet the warriors. They were all very receptive and joyful to have his presence with them and he gave them much praise for their courage to stand to defend life in public with our Rosaries in hand. He then asked all to hold hands and make a circle where he said a wonderful prayer thanking the Lord for sending prophets to stand up for life and then asking the Lord to put an end to abortion and to help all those suffering the effects of abortion, especially mothers who feel there is no other solution and feel pressured to get the abortion and he prayed for fathers as well. He went on to pray for the conversion of all abortionists and those participating in this profession. He called upon the intercession of our Blessed Mother to help our campaign and then he prayed for blessings for all our families, children and grandchildren. Right when he finished the prayer, the Bishop was overcome with emotion at what we were doing and began to weep. We wept with him. Right then another group arrived from St. Maurice and Bishop Reynald repeated the same prayer in a circle with all the new group and blessed all of them. Once again he was overcome with emotion. I told everyone to keep Bishop in their prayers as he was to have hip replacement surgery in Winnipeg on October 8. A woman stepped up and said why don't we all pray over the Bishop and so we made a circle around him and prayed for him. After our prayer, Bishop asked all us to please pray for the Inuit who do not have the resources that we have to fight this battle. Needless to say, this is a night that I believe something extraordinary happened in this campaign for life in Ottawa. When I dropped Bishop Rouleau off at the Residence at St. Paul University, the Bishop told me that he will never forget what he witnessed that night and thanked us for making him a part of the 40 Day for Life Campaign. Monday was the Feast of St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael and I know that all of them were present with Bishop Reynald Rouleau in his special blessing as I could feel the presence of many angels that night in prayer with all us. I believe that this Bishop's presence today on this great Feast is a grace sent to us by the Almighty God Himself, letting us know that He is watching and receiving all our prayers with great joy and sending us all the troops we need to win this battle. Thank you Lord. Allelluia! - Sue
Ground Zero Report - Day 8 [10.01]
We were at the mill doing sidewalk counseling this morning. The manager came up to us and said, "i want to see what you're giving out"...I showed her gladly and she asked for a package. I gave her one and she walked into the building. I left for Mass but a couple of my friends stayed...and what happened next is pasted below! I believe a life was saved today! I asked St. Therese to save a life, I really think she has! Woo hoo!! We are going again tomorrow morning and Friday. - Nicole
Hi there pro lifers,
For all those who are experiencing discouragement and thinking why bother and for all, I have a story for you that will bring encouragement. When I woke up this morning, I almost didn't show up for the vigil due to physical illness, but I did say a little prayer and asked Blessed Mother to take away any ailments that would prevent me from attending the vigil this morning. I started feeling better and went to Bank St for sidewalk counseling. The first couple I met where looking for the abortuary and I think I asked them their situation, cannot remember. We ended up having a lengthy discussion about their situation, different options, what the abortion procedure actually is, etc. In the end, they ended up going inside. After a couple of hours, they both came out and she was so upset. I thought she went through the procedure, but she didn't. She spoke with a counselor and decided to wait and think about it some more.
PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is hope. I knew in my heart and I saw it in her eyes, they don't want to have an abortion, but felt there was no other choice until after. They know there are other options and there is help and people do care. Please still keep them in their prayers in case they end up having outside pressure to go thru with the abortion. Thank you so much Nicole and all who work so hard at bringing this 40days to life. If it wasn't for you guys, this could not have happened. There is a life saved now due to this campaign and I ask and pray that all of you do not give up and do not let anything stop you from attending the vigil. Let's keep it up. God will use all of us for His purpose and help out these girls in distress and shut down the abortion mill.
Peace, Love and Blessings to you in Jesus thru Mary - Rosalie
Ground Zero Report - Day 9 [10.02]
I was at the vigil from 7-9 pm and could not help but be mesmerized by the fact that there was man washing the outside walls of the building at 65 Sparks using a mechanical fork lift and power hose that would take him to the top of the building wall and then back down again. He sprayed and scrubbed the walls of the building many times. He then took a break and then starting this procedure over again from top to bottom. It seemed as though the walls would not be cleaned and so he had to keep repeating the cleaning over and over again. The symbolism of his actions reminded me of the movie Passion of the Christ when Mary tried washing the stones full of blood after Jesus scourging but could not get all the blood out of the pavement so she scrubbed more and more. When I watched the water dripping down from the building, I was imagining it to be the blood of the thousands of little innocents who have lost their lives at this abortuary. I want to also say that there were many men at the vigil tonight. In fact they outnumbered the women 2 to 1. I felt safe in the presence of these men who were passionate and were unafraid to stand up for life and to show respect for women. I thank all of the men for their courage and strength in participating in the vigil.
This is the video I had thought of when I saw the man washing the building.
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/the-passion-of-mary/196495300
- Sue
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Linda and I were not scheduled for today, but we decided to put in a bit of time tonight because I was downtown anyway for dinner with friends. I arrived at the vigil site at 9:05 to find six others. It is so encouraging to arrive to find other people keeping watch. There was a workman on a power platform washing the side of the building where the abortion mill is located. As I watched him working, scrubbing the stone of the building, I could not get the thought out of my mind that he was trying to wash away the blood of the little ones who had lost their lives on the other side of the stone facade. He kept taking breaks, coming down to ground level and looking up to the areas where he was washing. It was as if he was not satisfied that he was getting rid of the stains. I hope he never succeeds. I noticed several people took long looks at the signs and us as they passed by. They notice. They wonder. When we left shortly after 10:00, there were three people standing guard. God bless them for their dedication and may they be warmed by God's radiance as there was a raw north wind blowing down Bank Street. - David.
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I wanted to share my perspective from this morning....When we arrived at 6 a.m., there was already a woman across the street, sitting on the bench right in front of the abortuary. There was a bitingly cold wind and she was huddled down on the bench, with a hat on and her collar up, with not much more than her eyes exposed to the elements. She sat silent and motionless and I wouldn't have even known she was a vigil participant, if I hadn't noticed the Respect for Life sign that was propped up on the bench beside her. She merely sat there, praying. A gentleman came out of the 65 Bank St. door - to tell her to leave or he would call the police. He told her that she could not be there, and that she MUST be on the other side of the street (he is wrong about that. In Toronto and Vancouver, perhaps. But here in Ottawa, we are allowed to be right outside the door). At any rate, she did not respond to him. He came back out a second time to tell her again. Quite obviously her silent prayer vigil was a great distraction to him. To his intense displeasure, she did not respond to him nor acknowledge him. She merely continued her silent prayer until her vigil hour was over. What was so tremendously heartening was to see how obviously upset he was merely on account of her silent prayer. At 6:30 a.m. there was almost no traffic on the street, few people on the sidewalk, and essentially "no one" to take note of her vigil. But the mere fact that she sat there, praying, caused him obvious distress. It bothered him. Because he KNOWS the power of prayer! For anyone who thinks that "just" being there, just praying, with or without holding a sign, without necessarily an "audience" -- for anyone who thinks this is irrelevant or benign? Think again! For those whose hearts require a conversion - the power of your prayers are felt very strongly indeed. And uncomfortably. And that's a good thing. - Cynthia
Ground Zero Report - Day 10 [10.03]
Our family arrived at the vigil site at 7 pm. We immediately took notice of the gentlemen still washing the walls of the building (as referred to in previous posts today). Automobile and pedestrian traffic was dwindling as evening approached. Every now and then, some passerbys took notice of the sign on the sidewalk which pointed out 65 Bank St. as the Morgentaler clinic and they turned their gaze across the street to see for themselves. A young man on a skateboard passed by on our side of the street, yelling at us, something about women's right to choose, and telling us to "go home already". He did some more yelling on the other side of the street on the way back from his errand. Shortly after, an agitated woman came by, picked up and threw the sidewalk sign into the flower bed behind us and proceeded to rip some prolife posters that had been put up around a tree. One of the women present at the vigil had an opportunity to talk to her, but her words fell upon deaf ears as the pro-abortion woman continued to argue and swear. All we could do was pray to her guardian angel to help her. Despite these two incidents, what was the most unsettling about our vigil hour was when several bags of garbage were being brought out of 65 Bank St and deposited on the sidewalk. It reminded me of a painting I once saw of a dumpster outside an abortion clinic, with a line of angels descending down from heaven and each angel bringing up a baby to their heavenly Father. As this is the Feast of the Guardian Angels, we are reminded once again to pray to the guardian angels of those babies being aborted, but also the abortionists and abortion supporters for their conversion. - Amy
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I am not one to post to blogs but just so the truth is known...from the blog of last night 7-8 PM I am the woman the agitated lady spoke to and I can tell you the words did not fall on deaf ears. She left with a smile and a lot less agitated, and we are lucky, she felt some love in the words we spoke. Her name is A. and should be prayed for. She is angry with mankind (especially men) and she wanted to hurt someone and that was almost me! She wanted a fight and she wanted to hit me (her words "kill me"), but God and his angels protected me and allowed her to see us a little different, a little less weird (her words not mine). Linda said she will continue to try and stop us, and I told her we will continue to pray to stop abortion She works in the building we are camped in front of, so if we had no incidents this morning that is a good sign. - Diane
Ground Zero Report - Day 10 (Part 2) - [10.03]
Here's a report of what went on Friday morning (Oct. 3rd) at the mill: I arrived around 8:30. I helped Nicole with the sidewalk counselling in front of 65 Bank St. We soon spotted a young woman who, as it turnsout, was going in for an abortion. We spoke to her for about 20 minutes, but that wasn't enough to change her mind. She went in anyway. Then, a young girl, probably around 15 showed up with her friend. Her boyfriend was already waiting for her. We approached them, but they hurried past us and into the clinic. At least they took some of the literature. I handed brochures to a few women going in. You never know if they're going to other businesses or not, but there's not harm in getting the information out. Around 10:00, an owner of another business in the building came up to me and angrily told me that we were interfering with her business. She said some of the women were bothered by us, and that we had followed them into the elevator. I guess I had gone quite close to the door in handing out some brochures, but I absolutely made sure not to go into the building. She said that she'd call the police if we continued to bother her clients. Just as she was leaving, a man came up to me saying he was the landlord of the building and said that he would also call the cops if he got more complaints. I assured him that we were respecting the law. I stayed in front of 65 Bank, but there was little activity around the entrance after that until two cops went in. A few minutes later, two more arrived and went in. Later on, the four of them came out, and gave me a friendly reminder that if we went through the door, they'd have to give us tresspassing tickets. Obviously, this harrassement means we are getting under people's skin. I want to thank the prayer warriors across the street keeping vigil during that time. I had such a peace in my heart; usually, in such situations, I am a nervous wreck. Let's keep it up, cracks are beginning to form in the foundations, let the walls come tumbling down! - Doris
Ground Zero Report - Day 10 (Part 3) - [10.03]
I arrived around 1:00 on Friday October 3 and stayed for a little over two and a half hours. During that time I prayed of course for an end to abortion in general but my heart went out to a young couple who I saw rush into the lobby of 65 Bank street while ignoring the counsellor who kindly tried to give the young woman a pamphlet. I felt such a heavy heart knowing what was most probably taking place during the next two hours.
As I prayed I glanced up at the third floor and wondered where she was. Was she going through with the abortion? Maybe she would change her mind. I hoped and I prayed. I thought of the little baby whose life was about to be ended and prayed for her angel to take her to heaven and that she wouldn't feel any pain.
When they left the abortuary about 2 hours later, the young woman was very pale. They walked slowly to the MacDonald's restaurant next door and it all seemed surreal.
I have so much difficulty comprehending this ugliness that is taking place in our city. Just a short walk from Parliament Hill and amidst the hustle and bustle of the downtown tourist area, is a place where women go to have their babies killed.
There were about 8 others praying during that time. Among them were two very humble and kind sisters Teresa and Sara, from the Religious Order the Queenship of Mary and Simon Lobo a Deacon with the Companions of the Cross. Simon is currently at Saint Maurice Parish and will be ordained in May 2009. He gathered us all together for a blessing before he left the site and for this we were all truly grateful. He asked God to bestow His blessing on all of us and for all those in the place across the street . He prayed for the little souls who would die that day and for all those hurt by abortion and asked God to be with them and be merciful. I truly felt Mary and her Son's presence amidst the sorrow. Please pray for Teresa, Sara and Simon. Their presence was a Grace from God. And please never stop praying for an end to abortion. (Source) - Maureen
Ground Zero Report - Day 12 [10.05]
I was at the 6-8 pm time slot at the vigil and became a little concerned when we were down to two people by 7 pm. However, a young man of bout 19 years came roaring down Bank Street on his skate board and stopped to talk to us. He asked us if we were the 40 Days for Life which he had heard some talk about. I told him about the campaign and then asked where he was from. He said Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church which is on Somerset Street. I then invited him to stay and pray with us and he graciously stayed for 15 minutes carrying one of signs and taking part in silent prayer. Before he left, he asked if the three of us could pray together so we held hands and he said some beautiful words of encouragement as well as called upon God to bless this campaign and what it represents. I felt honored and priviledged to have this young man of great faith lead us into a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving, love and hope . I hope he will come back and bring some of his friends! - Sue
Ground Zero Report - Day 13 [10.06]
Yesterday, we were short a couple of hours at Ground Zero in the early morning hours so my ticket was called. I haven't had much time to get down to the Abortion Mill over the past couple of weeks. So far, I've only been down twice before I ventured there earlier this morning. Administration takes up too much blasted time. I guess that's a friendly reminder to us all to accept what the Lord gives us, even if we desire to be on the front lines.
Anyhow, I was there between 2:30AM-4:00AM this morning. Thinking that I was going to fill in the gap and save the day, I was surprised to see three other people already there when I was expecting only to see one. It was as if the Lord was saying to me, "Settle down, friend, I've got this battle covered in ways you can't even dream." Indeed He does. 2 of the 3 guys were there before I came and remained after I left. Around 3:30AM, an older lady, who was impeccably dressed, showed up. I asked her briefly if she had registered. She said that she had not. She was visiting from Winnipeg. Winnipeg? Winnipeg. About 15 minutes before I left, a young guy in his early 20s came over. He approached the elderly lady and started up a conversation with her. I stayed in my spot praying. He was wondering why we were out at such an ungodly hour. The lady explained the 40 Days campaign to him. He was a well spoken and respectful young man, although he was not with us 100%. He said that he respected our right to be out there and bringing attention to the issue. He said he saw both sides of the issue. As I left him speaking with the impeccably dressed older lady, I could tell that he was very impressed with our resolution and commitment to the pro-life cause. I don't know how the conversation ended up. But it just goes to show us all, it doesn't matter what hour we are praying or witnessing, it's all good and necessary. Sometimes, we are used by God at the most ungodly hours.
Ground Zero Report - Day 14 [10.07]
I was at the vigil from 6-8 pm and thought I would share in a "gesture" that is staying with me. While standing at the vigil with signs in hand and praying the rosary, I noticed a soldier walking across the street in full military uniform (relish colour) who looked over at us. I felt our eyes connect and he bowed his head in a gesture of acknowledgement and approval for what we were doing. I in turn, returned the gesture by doing the same. His uniform reminded me that we are God's chosen soldiers for life and that we are wearing His armour as our uniform. This military man's support and respect meant a lot to me and served as a reminder that we are all in this spiritual warfare together. - Sue
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God is so good. You already have listed that there is a group of young men (CCO, NET, Dominican College) who live together who have agreed to cover each of the Sundays, from 1 - 4. Apparently, this past Sunday, they had a wonderful experience. They said that there are a fair number of young people their ages, leaving bars and making their way home in the early hours. And they felt that they were a great witness, standing vigil at that time. They were able to have some conversations with some of the young people who passed, and explain to them why they were there. - Cynthia
Ground Zero Report - Day 15 [10.08]
This morning was really hard at the Mill. Sometimes I just get really overwhelmed with all the death going on. I was there from about 830 to 1045. The manager came out and just stood there, appearing to see what we were up to. When she got cold, she went in and sent someone else out. It seems as though they are worried about what we are saying to the women or what we are giving them. Of course, all she found was information being offered with love. There was a young woman this morning who kept walking by but wouldn't go in the door. I gave her information, which she took. Later she stood outside the building with her boyfriend and he was talking to her attempting to convince her to go through with the abortion. It was clear that she didn't want to do it. When he left, she walked by me again, said hello, looked to see if her boyfriend was out of sight, then went into another building. I prayed so hard that she had the courage and strength to not go through with it. I don't think she will have the abortion...I really don't. - Nicole
Editor's note: Boyfriend pressures the girl to have an abortion. We call that a "woman's right". Some "right" that is. What right is that? The right to be coerced in killing your unborn child?
Also, the manager is getting nervous because maybe there are women walking right by and not going in, missing their appointments, etc. The blood money is starting to dry up. That sure would explain her reaction. Keep praying for Ms. Joan Wright and the abortionist, folks. They need our prayers and God's mercy too.
Ground Zero Report - Day 15 - Part 2 [10.08]
I wanted to tell you about my experience at the mill on Sunday night...it was really powerful. I was at the mill and a man approached a couple of us and talked about losing a child to abortion and not really doing enough to stop it. His girlfriend actually committed suicide after her abortion! He talked about the deep pain he still feels. He said our signs are hard for him to look at because it reminds him of the abortion, but he agrees with what we are doing. He told me he is now in the gay life style and bartends. I asked him if I could pray with him and he agreed...what happened next just blew my mind! I prayed for his healing, that God would show Him his dignity and love, etc. Afterward the man began to say he was healed from something and his facial expressions totally changed! He was so filled with joy! He said he never felt this way before. I told him it was Jesus. He never felt that way in his life. I gave him my rosary and I asked if he would be interested in speaking with a priest. He said he would. My heart just went out to this man...I felt that Jesus reached down and somehow lifted him out of a deep pit right in front of my eyes!! I couldn't believe it...I still can't! It was beautiful. He is beautiful. Anyway, just wanted to share that. :) - Nicole
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Praise the Lord! As we were praying the rosary between 1:00 – 1:15 p.m., October 8, we couldn't help but noticed a woman and child waiting outside the abortion facility. A young woman came out shortly and joined the woman and child. They looked at us, in a calm fashion, as we stood across the street. No doubt we all wondered what the girl had just experienced because she was rubbing her stomach tenderly. The little group went into McDonalds. When they came out, they crossed the street and came to speak to us directly. The woman, who turns out to be the girl's mother, said, "She's decided not to go ahead with this. She can't do it." I cannot describe the emotion that washed over me and the women with me. It was a struggle to continue to pray out loud because our tears of gratitude were getting in the way. We asked if the girl had the help she needed, and the mother replied that she herself would be helping her child. After they left, another vigil keeper, who had finished her turn but was in the vicinity and saw us talking with the young woman, came over to see what had happened. She told us the young woman had gone into the facility at 11:00 a.m. or so. The vigil keeper went to mass at noon at St.Patrick's and prayed for the young woman and the intentions of the Vigil. Her joy was immense when she heard like news. We can witness powerfully and pray fervently every single day for an end to abortion. Today, the Lord graced our group by revealing His mighty power in the life of a saved child. - Valerie
Here is the other Vigiler mentioned above who went to Mass...
This morning I decided to go down to the vigil from 11am to 12pm. When I arrived, there were several people praying and a few women holding signs. As I stood and prayed, around 11:30 or so I noticed a young girl of about fifteen sitting on the bench outside 65 Bank St. She was all alone, and looked across the streets at the signs, looking at them one at a time. At one point, our eyes met and she kept looking at me. I smiled, but all I could think was, "Dear Lord, please don't let her go in there." I thought that I would give her some literature - something I have never done before, but suddenly felt compelled to do. As I was looking through the materials in the baby cradle at the vigil site, a man approached and asked what we were doing and what church we were from. After I explained to him the purpose of the vigil and we ended our conversation, I looked up to see the young girl going into 65 Bank St. with a woman who had a child of about four years of age in tow. My heart sank. I prayed that the Lord would move in her heart to convince her to not go through with this, and that the guardian angels of her and her unborn baby would intervene. I left to go to Mass at St. Patrick's and the gospel was "Ask and it will be given to you...." I prayed, "Lord, here I am - I'm asking that you would spare the life of this child." I chatted with a couple of friends after Mass, one of whom I hadn't seen in three years. She offered to drive me home, but I told her I was happy to take the bus, at the same time feeling that before I went home I had to stop by the vigil site again. I arrived shortly before 1pm, and I ran into my husband who was returning from lunch. As we chatted briefly, about ten metres from the vigil site, this same young girl walked out of the clinic and right past us with the woman and preschooler. I told my husband that I had seen her go in the clinic earlier, and given the time that had passed, I assumed that she had had an abortion. My husband and I both silently prayed a Hail Mary, then talked for a few more minutes. Then I noticed that the girl and her companions had walked back down the street, had stopped to talk to the ladies who were praying at the vigil site, and then walked away. I said good-bye to my husband and walked over to the ladies to ask what she had said. They told me that the girl had said that she changed her mind, and that she was going to keep her baby. It turns out that the woman was her mother, and that she has five children, but that she would help her daughter with this baby. They were quite happy when they talked to the women at the vigil. Needless to say, we were all in tears. Thank you Lord for hearing our prayers! What a wonderful privilege to see our prayers answered. Please keep praying! All those prayers, and the silent witness of standing at the vigil, are making a difference. Please pray for this young girl - God knows who she is - and for all others who have the courage to carry on with pregnancies in less than ideal circumstances. - Sue
Ground Zero Report - Day 15 - Part 3 [10.08]
I was at the vigil from 7:30 to 10:00 pm and found tonight was trying to say the least. While I was in prayer, a woman suddenly appeared in front of me and starting video taping the group. She then pointed the video camera on me and I sensed something was not right so I looked down. I then felt this presence beside me in a green rain poncho covered from head to toe. While this camera was rolling in front of me I felt someone come up behind me and stand very close to me as though trying to get my attention. So I looked at who it was and was confronted by this person wearing a grotesque mask of a distorted face. At first, I was quite startled and when he saw he got my attention he said "Guess who I am?" I did not answer and so he said "I am dressed up as an aborted fetus". I felt a chill go through my body and started praying asking the Lord to give me and the rest of us the strength to withstand this persecution. With the woman still video taping her friend in costume, he continued to persecute others with his taunts and to stand near them while his girl friend kept video taping. After about 5 minutes, they left laughing and he ripped off his mask. Although we did have to endure being cursed and sworn at tonight by a few others, I would never have imagined someone pulling such a horrible prank as that of wearing a costume of an aborted child. May God forgive them for they know not what they do. - Sue L.
Ground Zero Report - Day 16 [10.09]
The abortuary hired a 'Security Guard' to be present outside of the door everyday from 8am-4pm. It is obvious that our sidewalk presence on days of the abortions are taking away some business and they are feeling the threat. I remember Father Galen's last words on the Hill..."Watch Godmove!" Indeed we are seeing that here. - Nicole
Ground Zero Report - Day 17 [10.10]
I wanted to share few thought from my vigils over the last weekend. We went last Friday after the evening Mass to the Ground Zero with our two sons (15 and 10). We wanted to show them the battleground and pray rosary together. The impression on our boys was so great that they began praying rosary on their knees. Older declared that he will stop by every Friday coming back from school and pray for awhile at Ground Zero. During all vigils I observed that there are no indifferent passerby. Everyone at least sends a glimpse and reads the posters. Most of them stop talking or lower their voices when passing by. I think this makes them at least pause and hopefully reflect upon the issue and the reason why we are there. Only once, last Sunday around 11:30 pm, I noticed the aggressive behavior. There was a group of 4 young people and one of them started to tear down the posters. The other young man called him and he joined them promptly showing improper gesture toward us and leaving behind two torn posters. We (there were 3 of us at that time) did not get involved but kept praying. I was there yesterday and the posters are not replaced, yet. - Joe
Ground Zero Report - Day 19 - [10.12]
We were told that we would not be the same after participating in the Forty Days for Life. I can vouch to that. It has affected me in many ways to be a more active Christian. I would like to relate a little story about my shift Sunday Oct 12 -Midnight to 2am.
First, the gentleman who was to go off duty at 1AM asked me if I wanted him to stay as he would be leaving me alone. I thanked him but said I had no problem being alone that some one would be alone soon.
Sure enough three young man joined me shortly. Around 1:30AM, a lady came by in a wheel chair, drinking a coffee and said "hello" to me. As she was passing by, she stopped to talk to one of the young men. I did not hear their conversation but it appeared to go well. The lady put her coffee down to light up a cigarette and stayed with us a while.
The most beautiful thing happened then. It was cold, and we were all dressed warmly. The lady had only a short sleeve, light sweater on. One of the young men left and returned with a warm jacket and asked the lady if see wanted to put it on. She agreed and one young man held her coffee and the other held her cigarette as she put the jacket on. If this isn't a story right out of the Bible I don't know what is.
It made me so thankful on Thanksgiving weekend: to be associated with Christians who truly follow Christ. - Frank
Ground Zero Report - Day 21 [10.14]
I filled the 5-6 pm time slot today and want to share something. A young woman approached the vigil area and slowly looked around at our signs and then picked up a pamphlet and started reading it. I decided to go up to her and ask her if she knew about the 40 Days for Life. She said that she had heard about the campaign through a brochure received in the mail from 'Crossroads Family Ministries in Burlington, USA." http://www.crossroads.ca/index.html
She said that she had no computer at home and would not have known about this campaign except for this brochure. She was surprised that it was taking place in Ottawa and so I gave her some information on the whole campaign along with info on our mid-point rally while she wrote down the dates. She provided feedback by saying that if we ever do this again, we need to ensure that consideration in the advertising of the campaign is also given to those who don't have computers. She suggested church bulletins, billboards in senior citizen homes, posters in and around the City limits, etc. I explained that this was the first time that a Canadian City hosts this campaign and that we welcomed feedback to ensure a better campaign the next time. She then asked if the 40 Days for Life included life issues such as euthanasia and if not, then perhaps it should. I reassured her that I would pass on her message, questions, suggestions to the organizers of the campaign. She then asked me if she could pick up a sign and join us in prayer for awhile and of course I said yes.
To continue with this story about this same young woman. A male tourist approached me and started to ask me a question about the right of parents to choose to abort a severely handicapped child who would bring nothing but anguish and heartache to Parents. He went on to say that he had friends back in his country who had such a child who is now grown and consuming all of the Parents time and energy into their old age. He said that had they had the technology then that we have now, perhaps his friends would have aborted their child. Before I had a chance to speak, the young woman who I referred to earlier, heard the conversation and jumped right in to say that her brother is severely handicapped and that he deserves the right to live just as much as anyone else. She further went on to say that rather than our Government paying for abortions, they should be introducing health care programs to help families who have children with disabilities. Needless to say, she had other good arguments on this subject. She had an answer for every question asked and left him and I speechless. When all was said and done, the man thanked her and then went on his way. I don't think it was a coincidence that she stumbled across our campaign on this night. I see that she was at the right place at the right time to address this tourists question on aborting children with severe disabilities. Without a doubt, she knows this subject first hand as she lives with it every day. She will no doubt help with the conversion of many who remain unsure about the right to live if you are diagnosed with a disability while living and growing in your Mother's womb. Thank you Lord for sending us yet another great soldier to help with this battle. - Sue L
Ground Zero Report - Day 22 [10.15]
Jennifer and I decided on Monday that we needed to pray together at the abortion site on Tuesday. I arrived Tuesday morning at approximately 9:10 . Jennifer was already there.
We met Peter from Saint Elizabeth Parish who had been at the site for some time. Shortly afterwards a few others came by. Jennifer decided to join the two faithful men who were praying the rosary in front of the abortuary while I stayed near the cradle. As I was praying silently, a man walked by and looked at me thanked me and continued on his way. When Jennifer came back we said our Legion of Mary prayers together and others joined us as we prayed the rosary. We began with this prayer that we always say before doing our Legion of Mary work, and how appropriate we thought are the words.
Mother of us all, Help me as I go to the front today as a solider in your
army. Keep my attitude towards people as one of infinite sweetness and patience.
Remind me always that I stand before people in your place, doing your work.
Remind me how much you love each of your children. Let me disappear, and let my
voice, my attitude and my thoughts be yours. In this way, the will of God, who
is your Son and my Lord, will be done. I pray with all my heart for the
conversion of the souls that I am about to meet. Dear Mother, Queen of Peace,
Queen of all Graces, Our Lady of Guadalupe, I am in your service, and I thank
you in advance for having listened to my prayer. AMEN
After saying our Legion prayers we decided to sit on a bench in front of the abortuary while holding our signs. A few passers by stopped to talk with us. Two elderly women were unaware that the abortuary was right there and expressed there sadness at the ugliness of it all and how women are so hurt by this and so often it is others who pressure them to end the life of their child. They expressed their gratitude for those who were praying at the site and told us they would pray for all of us.
Shortly after that, two young men in their teens stopped by and looked at our signs and asked us if we thought our prayers would work and we said "yes we do, that is our hope" They smiled and wished us good luck. Jennifer commented on how Jesus was using all of us who were at the site this day and every day as instruments in evangelization.
I thought of the beatitude "Blessed are the Peacemakers" Marcus Grodi from the Journey Home on EWTN explained this beatitude as "being Christ in the world"
Around that time it started to rain and believing the weatherman's prediction of a sunny day we were not prepared. No problem however, because in no time at all we were handed an umbrella from dear Noreen who was praying with about 8 others on the other side of the street. God bless her and the others. We left around noon in order to attend mass at Saint Patrick Basilica and we thank God for His grace and His mercy. - Maureen
Special Ground Zero Report - Day 22
Assault at Ground Zero
There were two pro-life vigil keepers attacked at the vigil about 2pm today. One received a black eye and broken glasses from a women who attacked them. 4 police cruisers came and arrested the lady.
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Frances W. has since called. She was also down on Bank street and while approaching the vigil and said she heard a lot of shouting. One of the participants told her that a woman came with some food and sat between two ladies who were praying. The lady was mumbling and finally she yelled out, "You've had your protest now I'm going to have mine." Then she started attacking people by swinging at them. This is when Frances came upon the scene, she said the attacker was quite strong and she kept yelling and swinging at those praying. She also threw her food at them. The security guard from across the street came over and tried to block her, but she was very aggressive and strong. The security guard didn't really know how to deal with her. Someone, Frances is not sure who, called the police and some police cars came. One of the police officers told the prayers not to sit on the cement wall. They put the screamer in a car and she was still yelling insults out the window as they took her away. The people at the vigil were quite shaken and one woman was visibly trembling and crying. The devil is raging. We should remind our people to say the prayer to St. Michael.
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Hello folks,
I'm sure you'll hear this from others, but I felt compelled to notify you. This afternoon, during what began as another peaceful vigil, several of the ladies were attacked. A woman sat herself down with her lunch among the women praying, sitting along the concrete wall facing the facility. She became verbally abusive, then quickly became physically abusive. She pushed her lunch onto the front of one of the ladies praying, as she pushed her back and shouted at her. The attacker became hysterical, screaming obscenities and swinging fists, at one point even kicking one of the ladies. Several of the ladies asked the onlookers to call the police, and for the security guard at the facility to help. A couple of men from the gathering crowd and the security guard eventually helped restrain the attacker until the police came. A paramedic came and attended to the two ladies that had received the brunt of the attack. Although, even restrainted in the police car the attacker continued to scream her obscenities, the prayers continued. Many people came forward to offer their testimony as witness to the attack. The two ladies most physically hurt continued to express prayers for the healing of their attacker. May God bless them. We must not let this incident inhibit the vigil. Prayer is stronger than fear. The unborn need us, need our prayers! Just thought I'd share that with you. Take care and God bless.
Ground Zero Report - Day 22 - Part B [10.15]
I was at the vigil less than an hour before this happened. I have been at the site several times, but never have I felt such heaviness and darkness as I did today. The number of teenage girls going in the clinic during the hour that I was praying was more than the two previous Wednesdays combined. The security guard outside the clinic is practically acting like a doorman now, directing young women to the correct door and holding the door open for them. With the many victorious stories of babies saved across North America, I guess we have to expect that the battle is going to heat up. May God bless the ladies who were at the vigil this afternoon, bringing them His consolation, healing and strength. St. Michael the archangel, defend us in this day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander now throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. - Sue A.
Ground Zero Report - Day 23 [10.16]
The same people walk by every morning (between 6-7:00 a.m.) and you can see the Lord working in each of them. Some are becoming more friendly and others are beginning to hurl insults. It is interesting that the same man comes out of the building almost every morning and yells at me for sitting on what he calls "the wrong side of the street". Every morning he stands beside me, calls someone on his cell phone, and tells them to call the police. Every morning, the police do not come. I am incredibly encouraged by the courage of the people who were attacked. "Where sin abounds, grace abounds more". We get a tremendous amount of grace at ground "0". I experience this grace every morning in away that I never have before. It is beautiful. Thank you John for giving me and so many others the opportunity to serve Jesus in this way and especially to save lives the lives of his little ones. - Pam
Editor's note: For Catholics, Oct. 16 is a special day. This day is the 30th anniversary of John Paul II's election to the papacy. Please pray for his intercession.
Hell Has An Address
The 40 Days for Life Campaign has not been particularly spectacular for me thusfar. Not, of course, that I was expecting there to be fireworks, mind you, but I was expecting to spend more time at the Death & Dismemberment Dive, affectionately dubbed as "Ground Zero" by vigil participants. It's Day 23 and I had spent about seven hours in total before tonight. That's not even near the number I was anticipating at this juncture in the campaign. I just have not been able to do it -- mostly because the administration of the Vigil Schedule has taken up too much time for me to justify more time at the Abortion Mill. It's really frustrating for someone like me who likes to mix it up on the front lines. Of course, this is not because I am particularly effective, but there is something in my bones that just wants to be there. I know many people feel the same way. So I have had to offer my silent frustration and my "office work" to God, and hope that he will use this small sacrifice somehow. So far, it's really not been that satisfying to be honest, but last night I got a little reminder that all sacrifices offered for the Vigil count. A good friend of mine phoned me to make a donation to the 40 Days for Life Campaign. He said he'd been working for Elections Canada for the past month, but felt disappointed he couldn't make it out to the Mill as much as he would have liked. So he's going to pony up $2000 instead! This should be an important lesson to all of us out there who just can't make it out as much as we would like. Keep offering those daily sacrifices and humiliations to further the Work. God honours it. It all works towards the cause.
But tonight, I did have a chance to venture out to Ground Zero. I stood there and prayed fervently that the abortion juggernaut that has ridden roughshod over our nation would be tripped up and derailed. With virtually no hope in the political scene, it's really in God's hands now. We're coming as beggars with no human hope to change things. Our hope must be divine. It must be supernatural. It must surpass the despair and the brutal reality we face in this time and place in history. Hope is the means for us to face this present darkness and desolation. And we must hold on to it, or else we risk being suffocated by this overwhelming and relentless evil. Yesterday, that evil was unleashed on innocent people who were praying for an end to abortion. Here is an account of what happened earlier in the day:
One of the participants told her that a woman came with some food and sat between two ladies who were praying. The lady was mumbling and finally she yelled out, "You've had your protest now I'm going to have mine." Then she started attacking people by swinging at them. This is when Frances came upon the scene, she said the attacker was quite strong and she kept yelling and swinging at those praying. She also threw her food at them. The security guard from across the street came over and tried to block her, but she was very aggressive and strong. The security guard didn't really know how to deal with her. Someone, Frances is not sure who, called the police and some police cars came. One of the police officers told the prayers not to sit on the cement wall. They put the screamer in a car and she was still yelling insults out the window as they took her away. The people at the vigil were quite shaken and one woman was visibly trembling and crying.
Here is another account of the same incident by another vigil participant:
She became verbally abusive, then quickly became physically abusive. She pushed her lunch onto the front of one of the ladies praying, as she pushed her back and shouted at her. The attacker became hysterical, screaming obscenities and swinging fists, at one point even kicking one of the ladies. Several of the ladies asked the onlookers to call the police, and for the security guard at the facility to help. A couple of men from the gathering crowd and the security guard eventually helped restrain the attacker until the police came. A paramedic came and attended to the two ladies that had received the brunt of the attack. Although, even restrained in the police car the attacker continued to scream her obscenities, the prayers continued. Many people came forward to offer their testimony as witness to the attack. The two ladies most physically hurt continued to express prayers for the healing of their attacker.
We sometimes think of hell as a supernatural state. This is, of course, true. But there is another kind of hell, a hell that we make on this earth for ourselves and for others. It's a prefigurement of the existence to come for many. The effects of conventional war are sometimes described in such a way. War is indeed hell. It's a hell that is born of sinful pride. But abortion is hell too. It is the hell of lust and selfishness. It is the hell of objectivization and abuse. It is the hell of coercion and threats. It is the hell of murder and unfathomable pain. It is the hell of the silent scream. It is the hell of guilt and remorse. It is the hell of barrenness and disease. It is the hell of unforgiveness and self-loathing and despair. And finally it is the hell of an eternal death.
Tonight, I looked across from hell. It wasn't particularly mysterious or spiritual. It wasn't particularly dark or shadowy. There weren't any sounds emanating from it. No smoke was rising from the ground. Nothing ostensibly sinister about it. It wasn't hidden from sight.
No, you see, it was right there on Bank Street, next to McDonald's. It's right in the heart of the city, among the government buildings and corporate offices, among the hustle and bustle of downtown and the legitimate business and work that's going on. It's all so serene, so natural, so sterile, so ordinary, so accepted and so respectable. But behind the veneer of slick marketing and inflated euphemisms is a deadly reality. Few understand what really goes on in the dismemberment room. No one sees the heinous crime. No one is bothered by the dead little bodies - or, at least, the pieces of them. Nobody hears their screams, except God and the other little martyrs that have gone before. The slaughter of the innocents - thousands upon thousands of them every year - are brought to the Bank Street Altar. It's the altar of the god of lust, money, and good times where the great anti-Sacrifice, the great anti-Eucharist of the age is offered. For a price...of course.
Nothing to see here, folks, move along. And, for the most part, we do. We live our comfortable little lives. Don't like to rock the boat much. We go to church and, if we're lucky, we'll hear 1 or 2 sermons on abortion in the year. It'll go in one ear and out the other, and we'll still vote for the pro-abort politician when the elections come around. Because they protect our jobs, our health care, our environment, and our pensions.
But God has other plans, friend.
He's going to overturn our tables, take the whip to our favourite money changers, and bring us to our knees. And when the time of judgment comes, He is going to separate the sheep from the goats and ask us all one simple question, "What did you do, what did you say, what did you sacrifice to stop the murder of the innocent?" And then you will hear God say to many, "throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:30)
My dear friends, hell is not just a supernatural existence. It exists right here and right now. It exists because of our sexual sin, our complacency, and our worship of false idols. Few of us understand or perhaps want to understand that hell need not be something epherial. It's real and present and physical. It even has an address and a door handle, which, when pulled, usually means that a baby goes in but doesn't come out.
In Ottawa, hell is located at 65 Bank Street.
- John Pacheco
Ground Zero Report - Day 23 - Part B [10.16]
On Wed 15 Oct, I arrived at the site at 2:40 and what I saw were people praying peacefully. One lady made a statement that the police did not want us to sit on the cement planter but other than that all was normal.
I saw two young men sitting on the bench in front of 65 Bank. One approached us and spoke to a couple who were praying; he left with two pamphlets. Upon returning to his companion he handed a pamphlet over. The companion dropped it to the ground but it was picked up and handed back, only to be methodically torn in two dropped again and this time repeatedly spit upon, stomped upon and used as an ashtray. Meanwhile the first young man read the information and then placed the paper on the bench. A short time later a young woman came out of 65 Bank and joined the two men. This woman kept looking at me and even though I did not make eye contact, I couls see her looking each time my eyes raised from prayer. I was holding the sign that reads "pray to end abortion" I intentionally did not invite her to approach me because the young man who appeared to be hostile was there with her and I did not feel it was safe for me to make contact. Remember I had no idea what had happened just a short time prior to my arrival. In the end the woman re entered 65 Bank St. and the men walked away. I just kept praying to the angels and to our Lady of Guadalupe for the safety of any baby that was at risk. I had the sense that another woman may have been inside the facility and those I saw were companions. One of the men and the woman I saw were wearing sweat pants with the letters SWL on the hind end. I believe these letters refer to a high school in Orleans. I had to leave at 3:30 so I did not see what happened after that. I can say that what I witnessed was deeply disturbing. I left the site feeling numb. This is a reminder that as John keeps telling us to keep praying and to have sacramentals with us at all times. Yes, we are making a difference. - Jennifer S.
Newsreport on Assault at Ground Zero
OTTAWA, October 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday at about 2 p.m. several women participating in 40 Days for Life Ottawa and keeping vigil at the Bank St. abortuary were violently assaulted. A woman began yelling obscenities at the pro-life volunteers and then became physically aggressive, throwing food at one of the vigil participants and then throwing punches and kicking.
Eyewitnesses said that the woman came with her lunch and sat between two ladies who were praying. She then shouted out repeatedly, "You've had your protest, now I'm going to have mine," whereupon she threw her food at one vigil-keeper and then began pushing, screaming obscenities, and swinging her fists.
The belligerent woman approached an elderly lady and said, "You're old, why don't you die," according to an eyewitness.
Suzanne Poulin, age 51, was one of the women who bore the brunt of the attack. Suzanne told LifeSiteNews.com that the attacker threw her to the ground and began pummeling her face. She suffered bruises to her face and nose, a cut lip and her ear was torn, possibly by a ring the assailant was wearing. Just before this Suzanne was advising the other vigil-keepers to remain silent and not engage the abusive woman.
Suzanne emphasized that none of the vigil-keepers touched or hurt the assailant.
The police were called while the security guard from the abortion mill and some men from the gathering crowd tried to subdue the attacker, who was described as about 30 years old, and well dressed and groomed.
Four police cruisers came to the scene, at which point the attacker to fled into an adjacent building. She was apprehended by police and arrested. The assailant continued to scream insults and obscenities as they took her away, while a paramedic attended to Suzanne and the other women that had been injured in the attack.
Suzanne told LifeSiteNews.com that she will press charges against the attacker, but that she also forgave her and will continue to pray for her.
"As a mother, I have developed good judgment to know when someone needs correction. This woman needs not only to be corrected, she needs anger management. Her actions will probably have a very negative effect on the rest of her life. With prayer, this incident may help her to see the truth and turn her toward life," Suzanne said.
Suzanne returned to the Bank St. abortuary for her vigil today.
Ground Zero Report - Day 24 [10.17]
So last night near the end of my shift at midnight, one of the clients of the Gay Bathhouse, which is located next to the Abortion Mill, approached me and another vigiler. He had frequented the establishment about an hour earlier, left and then came back for another go. On exiting the building this time, he crossed the street and stood by my male companion. I was sitting down on a lawn chair about five feet away. He came right up and stood beside him and mocked him. Then he brushed his arm, trying to provoke a reaction from him. He taunted us and let us know that he had a good time with his sexual exploits.
It was not a particularly peaceful night so I wasn't in the mood to take much more of this abuse, especially when our opponents began to physically intimidate and mock us. My first natural reaction when the provocation started was to stand up and challenge this fool, but I know if I had done that, it would have potentially escalated into an ugly scene. So I sat there praying and my friend bore the mocking and insults, and we both accepted it with resignation and humility, powerless to do anything, lest any action on our part would give our opponents an excuse to shut us down. I thought of Suzanne Poulin the day before who was violently assaulted and did not raise her hand even in her own defense. I thought even of Our Lord, God Incarnate, who accepted the humiliations of his persecutors in order to defeat Sin. I thought of other pro-lifers who have had to endure much worse.
That gave me strength. Their example showed me what true strength was, but it also showed me that I had a long way to go in dealing with what is surely to transpire in the coming years. - John Pacheco
Ground Zero Report - Day 25 [10.18]
The Tsunami At Ground Zero
I ventured down to Ground Zero today to pray the Rosary. There was supposed to be 1 person there according to the official registration. There must have been closer to 10 people praying when I arrived shortly after 9AM. That's the amazing thing about this Campaign. People just show up and there is very little risk of at least one person not being there, at least during the daylight hours. Most of the vigilers were across the street from the abortuary (as is our custom), but there was one man on the side of the Mill. He was kneeling in prayer, about 8 feet from Hell's entrance itself. He must have stayed kneeling for about an hour on the interlocked sidewalk. When he finally rose to his feet, he sat down on the bench for awhile, probably because his knees were so sore to walk. For most of the time he was kneeling, he kept his head down low, fingering his rosary beads. He had a roped sign around his neck which read, "Women need Support not Abortion." Sometimes he would raise his head ever so slightly but rarely did he make eye contact with people as they passed by. Anyhow, I thought it was quite interesting how people reacted, as they walked pass. Some people didn't notice him. Others quickly glanced and kept right on walking. Still others would walk by with their friends and colleagues. There were furtive glances, and some discomfort I think. One of them was likely pro-life; the other pro-abortion. There were people who would slow down to see what he was doing, but then quickly picked up the pace and moved on. Still, others would almost stop, perhaps wanting to engage the man but none of them ever did. There were a few of them like that. You have to wonder what was going through their minds.
We should ask ourselves what kind of spiritual tsunami have we unleashed in side of them? In the case of the pedestrians, no doubt many of them were rather shocked that a man would be kneeling outside of a building in broad day light while behind him stood another 10 in silent prayer. How fitting is this passage from St. Luke:
"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed." (Luke 2:34-35)
This child...will be spoken against. What an appropriate passage for our times! That even a little baby, life itself, would be spoken against! And that the very existence of an innocent baby in the womb and, particularly, those that publicly bear witness to her would cause the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed.
As I pondered these reactions, I also thought back to the violent attack on Suzanne Poulin by the well-groomed 30-something year-old woman. Do not suppose that this incident is finished. It is not. There is the woman herself, of course. We pray for her healing and deliverance. Maybe she had an abortion. That would explain her violent reaction. It's a reaction from her pain and guilt. But then there is her immediate family. They will have to face the consequences of her violent assault and work through why she did it, and hopefully get to the bottom of her issue with abortion. But then there is Joe Public who watched the assault. There were many people who witnessed the violence. A few male bystanders had to restrain the woman until the police arrived or she would have continued on her rampage. What do you think was going through their minds and those other people who witnessed it? Maybe some of them were mildly pro-life; others ambivalent towards abortion; others still pro-abortion. What power and effect did our vigilers and their reactions have on them? Pretty significant, I should think. What about the woman's co-workers? Imagine the kind of chattering going on around the water cooler in the afternoon when they found out that their co-worker wouldn't be coming back to work after lunch, or even in the succeeding days or even weeks. And the cops? The Abortion Mill security guard? The McDonald's employees? The Abortion Mill Manager? The Abortionist? And on and on it goes. While the violent act is finished, the effects of the spiritual tsunami are still rippling around Ground Zero and well beyond. - John P.
Midpoint Rally: A Huge Success
40 Days for Life Vigilers in Ottawa attended a midpoint rally today at Ground Zero between 2-3pm. Enjoying a brisk and bright October Sunday afternoon and properly supplied with Tim Horton's coffee and timbits, over 150 attendees heard from various leaders and participants of what God is doing to break down the wall of death surrounding the abortion mill at 65 Bank Street.
This was an important day because most of the vigilers don't personally know each other. By the time it's all said and done, there will probably be over 1000 participants in the campaign. Even when we see one another, rarely do we introduce ourselves when we arrive. We just get down to the business and the battle. There's no time for chit, chat. We're not there to talk. We're there to make spiritual war. So, it was good for us to congregate and get to know one another, to listen to the amazing stories that have occurred thusfar, and to draw encouragement and confidence as we enter the final two weeks of the campaign which will end on Sunday November 2 at midnight.
We will have a closing event and end the Campaign at the Abortion Mill at midnight two Sundays from today. Details will be forthcoming in the final week of the campaign.
Christians are a people of hope. If you were at the rally today, you could probably sense it. The Holy Spirit is moving boldly among the body of Christ, and when the Spirit moves, thing start to shake. And when things shake, cracks begin to appear, and where there are cracks, walls start to come down. That's what this 40 days is about: bringing down the walls of Abortion Jericho.
As I strolled around the crowd today and took some pictures and video footage, I would occasionally glance over across the street to see the pedestrians. Many stopped to listen to the speeches. There was one man who was yelling some kind of pro-abort rhetoric in the middle of one of the speeches. Near the end of the rally, I saw him talking to Nicole Campbell, our remarkable and fearless pro-life heroin. She said he told her that his mother had aborted her first child. Some of us on this side of the aisle sometimes don't realize that if people have been personally touched by abortion, sometimes the evil has a way of keeping them from opposing it. In this man's case, he had preferred to justify abortion rather than to confront his mother's tragic choice, and grieve his lost brother. This is why we must take on the cloak of humility and understanding when dealing with our opponents. More times than not, there's always heavy baggage that they are dealing with. Please pray for that young man, that God's love and grace will heal and sustain him, and give him the courage and fortitude to bring healing to his mother and his whole family.
Ground Zero Report - Day 27 [10.20]
I have been down to ground zero 5 times now, every time I come up to Ottawa I make sure to head there! It is the most amazing experience and privilege to pray outside the abortion facility! 3 of the 5 times I've been there were in the hours when young guys like me should be there, when the bars let out! It is incredible the types of people that come by and either hate us or are super interested in what we are doing! There is so much hurt in these people and so many lies that they believe about themselves and about abortion. I feel such a great sense of accomplishment every time I am down there and I know God is hearing our prayers! - Stephen K.
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Our prayers are working at Ground Zero. Today a man approached us about how to adopt a child. His wife and him have been trying for awhile to adopt an unwanted child. One of our group gave him the name of the First Place Pregnancy Centre. May God guide his efforts to become a loving father. Also a homeless man approached us with a rosary in his hand. He wanted help to pray the rosary. Three women started praying with him and one gave him a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary. He stayed and prayed with us. We are reaching hearts as God's witnesses for life. I am grateful to be a part of 40 Days For Life! - Cynthia
Ground Zero Report - Day 28 - [10.21]
I was at 40 days for life today. Had an interesting experience. A man came up who had been selling Girl Guide cookies. He said, “I really admire and appreciate what you people are doing. My wife died giving birth [to our child].” Then he gave us “Girl Guide” cookies. I couldn’t help but think it was a sign from God because we are a “guide” for “girls” to make the right choice about their baby. The box of cookies had pictures of young girls smiling. - David M.
Last week, I had an opportunity to head down to Ground Zero for a late evening shift. During the evening time slots, I like to go over to the other side of the street - just outside of Hell's entrance - to pray. After saying one decade of the Rosary, I made my way towards the entrance to the abortuary and started to pray. During this particular night, there was a pile of garbage bags just outside of the Abortion Mill. I guess it was garbage night for the Mill. As I was praying, my mind wandered a bit and my gaze eventually fell on those garbage bags. Normally, garbage would not be that remarkable, but in the context of the grizzly act of abortion and our vigil campaign, it could not help but take on an added level of significance for me.
Where, I wondered, do the "doctors" at the Mill deposit unborn children for "disposal"? Are they burned in some incinerator somewhere? Or are they simply added to the regular "medical waste" pile? Who picks them up? Is there a company that specializes in disposing of aborted babies? Do the Mill workers deposit the little bodies in some kind of "industrial, medical garbage bag", and let the collectors in from the back door? Have back alley abortions been replaced with back alley disposals?
Or, is it more lucrative than that? We know there are big dollars in the abortion business. According to research by the paper Le Droit in 2002, Morgentaler has grossed an estimated $11 million a year from his private, for-profit abortion facilities across the country. I wonder how much the one on Bank Street scrapes in? And that's only on the front end. What about on the back end? Are there buyers for unborn children's organs or baby parts? It's not implausible considering the current state of embroyonic stem cell research. I'm sure that if it's not happening now, it could very well happen in the future. It's an emerging market, you know.
As I sat there gazing at those garbage bags, and waves of grief and disgust blew over me, I wondered about the expression on their little faces as they were murdered. The horror...the pain...the sadness. What is it like, I wonder, to be unwanted and unloved to such a degree that someone wants to kill you while someone else profits from it? Our elderly people will soon be finding out when euthanasia is legalized, no doubt. And even when the abortionists do it, they don't afford you even the slightest human dignity, as your sacred little body is carted off like some piece of garbage, thrown to the curb, to await your final trip to the dump or to the incinerator or to some labratory or to God knows where.
But you are not garbage, even if they treat you like you are. As long as we witness to your dignity and worth, little one, they will never be able to completely erase your humanity or your personhood. They'll forget you, but we never will.
These 40 Days is a small reminder to that.
- JohnP.
Ground Zero Report - Day 30 [10.23]
I must say, this morning at the mill was tough. There was an African couple and the woman looked to be around 5 months pregnant! Her belly protruded so much and I was shocked when she went in. They took the information, but they didn't talk to me. Every abortion is horrific, but there is something about knowing the tremendous pain that this little child will go through because of his/her size...and the horror this mom will face for years after delivering a dead baby. I can't imagine how she is going to feel as she walks out of the mill, womb empty, her stomach visibly smaller and knowing her little one will never see the light of day. She will never forget her child, and I can't imagine how that must feel. All of these mothers are forever separated from their children...Let us pray hard for these parents. "Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do." - Nicole
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At Holy Family church in Hanover, Ontario we are doing a daily holy hour in support of the 40 Days for Life in Ottawa as well as other cities. These Holy Hours before the Blessed Sacrament are held at 3-4am as well as 3-4 pm. We have had good turnout. These hours were picked as they are the Divine Mercy Hour, 3:00 when Christ died on the cross for us. We pray for an end to abortion and for mercy on our country. Would you be able to give us an update of any babies saved at the Morgentaler abortuary? We would publish them in the Sunday bulletin encouraging more people to come and pray for this cause. Even though we are not physically present with you, we are there in mind , spirit and prayer. - Helen W.
Ground Zero Report - Day 31 [10.24]
I went to the 40 days for life with my large “I regret lost fatherhood” sign. It was quite different than when I was carrying the “Pray to End Abortion” sign. I began to get these looks of pain from dozens of men. Men looked at me as if they wanted to say something but then looked down and kept walking. One young man stopped. He said,
“I’ve been living on the streets, I have a bunch of kids, from different girls, I’ve been in trouble with drugs, bank robberies, and my girlfriend and I broke up when she was 4 months pregnant. She went and got an abortion. She killed our kid just because we broke up. I’ve since stopped all drugs and I’m going to a church now. I’m cleaning up my life. I want to be a good father.”
Another man came up and said “what you are doing is incredibly courageous.” I said “It doesn’t feel that way.” I wish I had been courageous when I was 24. I wish I’d kept my children. He said “I’ll pray for you guys, it’s amazing what you are doing.” On the other end of the spectrum a man came up behind me without seeing my sign. He said, “Why are you here?” in an angry tone. I turned around and looked him in the eye holding my sign. “I’m here because I was involved with abortion, and it was the worst mistake I ever made in my life.” He started to argue. I said, “I don’t really want to argue here, but I’d be glad to meet with you any time to talk.” He said, “Why aren’t you open minded about abortion?” I said, “I was open minded, and I paid for it. Now I have perspective and I’m here.” He turned around and walked away in a huff. I could understand his pain and his angry cover-up.
I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and I still had my sign over my back as I walked around the grocery store. A woman in a wheel chair said, “good for you!” Another woman came up to me and told me she had had an abortion many years ago and just got clean and sober in 2006. She said, “No smoking, no toking, no drinking or poking.” I said “Congratulations, I’ve been sober for many years and it was a great decision. At some point in your recovery you may find yourself experiencing some pain over the abortion.” She stepped back and looked indignant saying, “don’t you assume you know me, I’ll never regret my abortion and it had NOTHING TO DO WITH MY ADDICTION!” Denial is deep. Lord have mercy.
All in all what I found is that each one of us can make a difference, one person at a time. “Oh Lord help me find favour with those who I talk to about abortion. And help us together build a Civilization of Love. Amen.”
David MacDonald
http://www.davidmacd.com/
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I went to do a couple of hours of sidewalk counselling today. Here's a breakdown of how it went.When I got there around noon, a young couple (@18 yrs) were waiting by the door. I went over and gave them some flyers. She looked them all over and seemed upset. Then they walked towards McDonald's. I was elated, thinking they had changed their minds. Unfortunately they came back. I went over to try and talk to them, telling them that I knew of a place where they'd see her through her pregnancy. She basically said thanks, but no thanks. Then she said she was waiting for her mom. She seemed nervous, it really looked like she was having second thoughts. When her mom showed up, they made a beeline for the door, her mom made to shield her daughter from me. Later, the mother and the boyfriend went out of the building, they were obviously talking about me. The mother gave me a dirty look when she came back in. In the meantime, there was a young woman with a pink/punkish hairstyle who often came out to speak to the security guard. I'm not sure what she does, but she seems to be involved with the abortuary. At one point, she came out and told Lucas that there was a woman who needed to come out for a smoke, but she was too upset to come since I was standing there. Lucas shielded her from my view. She was crying. There was another couple who went in, and she was also teary eyed, obviously had been crying. They didn't take any leaflets. Out of the four women I saw going in for abortions between noon and two o'clock, three of them had clearly been crying, seeming reluctant. So much for choice. - Doris
Ground Zero Report - Day 33 [10.26]
I was just talking to Maureen on my return, with my friend Carmel, from the prayer Vigil at the abortion clinic at Ground Zero this afternoon and related to her this incident that she suggested I send to you.
It was close to 45 minutes after we arrived at the abortion clinic. A young couple arrived and the young lady sat on the cement. So I reminded her that we are not allowed to sit there.
She said she could not stand for long because of pain in her leg. I suggested she use one of the folding chairs. I asked her if this was their first visit to Ground Zero and she said yes, because they are from Montréal. She found out about "The 40 Days for Life" on the internent and arranged for half a day off work to come to Ottawa. They were returning to Montréal after their vigil.
In my excitement I mentioned to another lady prayer warrior that these 2 young people had come from Montréal and this lady said she was from Edmonton, visiting in Montréal, and had also come to Ottawa to pray today.
The sacrifices people are ready to make to fight this evil!!!!
Praise God,
Marie
Suitcase Scare at the Abortion Mill
CANWEST: OTTAWA - A busy block in downtown Ottawa was evacuated Monday after a suitcase, intended for the garbage heap, raised suspicions when it was dropped off near an abortion clinic - a short distance from Parliament Hill. An Ottawa police bomb squad was called in and the area was cordoned off while bomb technicians assessed the situation. Sgt. Rick Giroux said the suitcase was left in the area at about 1 p.m. by an individual who immediately left the scene. A large suitcase was left outside the abortion clinic early Monday afternoon. The suitcase was deemed harmless and the area was cleared by 2:45 p.m. The section of Bank Street houses an abortion clinic that has been the site of constant silent protests, with many people gathering directly across the street, carrying pro-life placards. As soon as the police tape was removed, about a half dozen protesters continued their silent action. (Source)
CBC: A suitcase that prompted a bomb scare Monday afternoon outside a downtown Ottawa abortion clinic turned out to be empty. Police reopened Bank Street between Wellington and Queen Streets around 3 p.m., an Ottawa police statement said, after determining that the large black suitcase leaning against a post on the east side of Bank was empty and had been left out for disposal. The streets had been closed earlier in the afternoon. Anti-abortion protesters often march and wave placards outside the clinic. (Source)
Editor's Note: Please excuse us for posting from the CBC, but it could not be avoided since they have reported on some new information. According to the red highlighted section above, it appears there was not even any intent to cause a disturbance.
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Discussion over at CBC's website here. We encourage our readers to join the discussion. For those visiting this website from the CBC discussion, a reality check that no mainstream media bothered to report:
OTTAWA, October 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday at about 2 p.m. several women participating in 40 Days for Life Ottawa and keeping vigil at the Bank St. abortuary were violently assaulted. A woman began yelling obscenities at the pro-life volunteers and then became physically aggressive, throwing food at one of the vigil participants and then throwing punches and kicking. Eyewitnesses said that the woman came with her lunch and sat between two ladies who were praying. She then shouted out repeatedly, "You've had your protest, now I'm going to have mine," whereupon she threw her food at one vigil-keeper and then began pushing, screaming obscenities, and swinging her fists. The belligerent woman approached an elderly lady and said, "You're old, why don't you die," according to an eyewitness. Suzanne Poulin, age 51, was one of the women who bore the brunt of the attack. Suzanne told LifeSiteNews.com that the attacker threw her to the ground and began pummeling her face. She suffered bruises to her face and nose, a cut lip and her ear was torn, possibly by a ring the assailant was wearing. Just before this Suzanne was advising the other vigil-keepers to remain silent and not engage the abusive woman. Suzanne emphasized that none of the vigil-keepers touched or hurt the assailant. The police were called while the security guard from the abortion mill and some men from the gathering crowd tried to subdue the attacker, who was described as about 30 years old, and well dressed and groomed. Four police cruisers came to the scene, at which point the attacker to fled into an adjacent building. She was apprehended by police and arrested. The assailant continued to scream insults and obscenities as they took her away, while a paramedic attended to Suzanne and the other women that had been injured in the attack. Suzanne told LifeSiteNews.com that she will press charges against the attacker, but that she also forgave her and will continue to pray for her. "As a mother, I have developed good judgment to know when someone needs correction. This woman needs not only to be corrected, she needs anger management. Her actions will probably have a very negative effect on the rest of her life. With prayer, this incident may help her to see the truth and turn her toward life," Suzanne said. Suzanne returned to the Bank St. abortuary for her vigil today. For updates from the vigil site go to: http://40daysottawa.blogspot.com/
Ground Zero Report - Day 35 - Part B [10.28]
I was at Ground Zero this morning for my shift and for this first hour I was mostly alone. I was standing there, young girl, shivering a little in the wind, looking like a drowning rat, holding the "women need support not abortion sign". One guy walked by me and as he did so commented in a sing-song voice, "harrassment". I couldn't believe it. At that moment I could not think of anything less threatening than myself. I just think it is so hilarious, especially after yesterday, that people are labelling us as terrorists and suicide bombers when I've never seen a more innoculous bunch. It is also amazing how the most opinionated people seem to always be those in the biggest hurry. - Megan M.
Posted by Lifer at 7:06 PM 0 comments
Ground Zero Report - Day 35 [10.28]
Last Saturday evening between 9 and 10 pm I was at Ground Zero. There were probably 5 other people there and we had to witness a demonic attack. A young couple in their early twenties had a video on a tripod and taking turns drop kicking a baby doll. This doll would then fly in the air and they were laughing and yelling absenities. They also took the camera in their hands and zoomed in on us praying. I and others said nothing. It gave me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. - Anne E.
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My friend, Bill M., his wife Carmelita and I were with the group Monday, from 1:15 to 2:45 at ground zero, during the bomb scare. The Police didn’t take long in roping off the area along Bank St. from Queen to Sparks, taking in sidewalks on both sides of the street. This meant our group had to back away from the sidewalk, the location where we always position ourselves and move in back of the large cement flower planter and against the building. At this point the bomb squad arrived and ordered everyone to completely clear the whole block, isolating entrances to all the buildings and extending their yellow tapes blocking off all entrances to Sparks where it crosses Bank St. All the while this was happening our small group of 10 continued displaying their signs and praying Our Lady’s rosary. The media with their portable video and tripod mounted cameras, would put one in mind of a movie studio, ready to capture a great scene about to take place. One of the cameramen came over to where my 2 friends and I were standing displaying a picket and saying our rosaries. He must have been meditating on the text “I formed you in your mother’s womb”, because he rolled his camera for quite a while on us. With the viewing by the large number of people who have had to be evacuated from the buildings facing Bank St. and the 200 or more curiosity seekers who gathered, coming and going, and publicity by the Ottawa Citizen Tuesday Oct. 28/08 (one would have to say, our pro-life message was well promoted). Regarding the finishing of our 40 days of prayer, fasting and vigil on a “high note” on Sunday 6:00 p.m. at Ground Zero. What better way than through starting with the Holy Rosary, Eucharistic Celebration, Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and uniting our trials with our Lord on His 14 Stations of the Cross. This takes place monthly at Holy Rosary Church - 20 Grant St. The First Saturday Devotion of November will take place on Saturday November 1, rosary beginning at 8:40 a.m., (which is the day before the wind-up.) Perhaps you could publish this in your next blog. Abortion is caused and carried out, mainly through violation of God’s 6th and 5th commandments respectively. During the 3rd apparition of Fatima July 1917, Our Blessed Mother showed the children a vision of hell where poor sinners go. “In order to save them God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart.” The suggestion was made that our prayer vigil should continue, rather than saying goodbye to each other at the end of the 40-day program. Our Blessed Mother told the children “If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved, there will be peace”. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was started in St. Teresa’s Church over 35 years ago, -- to St. Mary’s,-- Our Lady of Perpetual Help-- and presently in Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. Since at Holy Rosary, Father John Likozar has dedicated himself to carrying on this Devotion, and has been doing so since September 2005. Wouldn’t it be fitting for anyone or group to gather once a month, to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, through Her First Saturday Devotions, and beg Her intercession to overcome the evils of abortion from conception to natural death. - Bernie
Like A Rock
So last night I ventured out to Ground Zero. The blowing snow was very violent. Around midnight, there were about 5 people there, even though it was fit neither for man nor beast. Pedestrian traffic was decidedly reduced, understandably. So, for the most part, it was mostly a spiritual exercise since there wasn't much witnessing going on. I couldn't help but recognize the symmetry between the storm we were experiencing in the flesh with the storm happening in the Spirit.
There we were...the five of us in the freezing cold with the snow and wind bearing down on us. What fools we must look like out there when no one would see. No publicity, no passerbys, no TV cameras or reporters. Alone in the dead of night being pummelled by the inclement weather. Fools indeed. But better to be fools for Christ than the fools of this age.
I shifted from side to side so I could deflect some of the wind and cold. But there was one older gentleman behind me that wasn't even flinching.
"Man", I thought to myself, "this guy is tough".
As the hour went on, I would look back once in a while and still, the man, had not moved one inch. Not even a twitch. I had a tuque on. He had a hat and his ears were uncovered. And still he stood there motionless like a rock despite the vicious weather hammering down on us.
Like a rock.
As I reflected on that a bit, I thought of Jesus' words:
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18)
This little scene was emblematic of our greater struggle. Despite everything Hell throws at the Church, it will not be overcome. It will stand and not fall. Just like the man yesterday who didn't so much as blink at the sharp snow piercing his face.
Solid like a rock.
Ground Zero Report - Day 36 [10.28]
Supply Side Abortion Economics
Readers of this blog are familiar with a notice I posted some time ago regarding Morgentaler's Abortion Mill advertising for a "counselor". You can read about it here. In that post, I expressed some doubt whether that ad had anything to do with our vigil. I figured it was merely routine given the date of the announcement.
Now I am not so sure.
I just got this message from Ground Zero.....
Great news! I heard that the Morgentaler Abortuary is now advertising for NURSES!!! It was on "Peters News". A pro life nurse passed this on to one of our vigil participants, as she gets the job postings! She said, "I don't know what you're doing, but you're doing something right!" Isn't that awesome!? Wow! Just wanted to pass that on! God bless!
To be honest, I'm quite shocked. Can a quiet, prayerful vigil really cause such havoc on the abortion industry?
If so, then I think we have just stumbled upon the next pro-life strategy to be implemented across this country.
We need to devote some resources towards the "micro level" option to fighting abortion. For too long, we have been focusing too much of our time, energy, and resources on the politics of the issue which is really a "macro level" strategy. That still has to happen, of course, but the actual results are happening on the ground, in front of the abortion mills. That's where we can squeeze the life right out of abortion industry.
We need to duplicate, replicate, and multiply this strategy again and again in every province in this country where abortion is present.
A big part of defeating abortion is all about "supply side abortion economics": cut the suppliers and the economics takes care of itself.
Gound Zero Report - Day 36 [10.29]
It was a very cold down at ground Zero this morning. When I arrived at 8:30 Maggie from Saint Mary's was praying and had been for some time The councillor was already handing out pamphlets across the street. Within the next hour, 4 or 5 more prayer warriors arrived . Jennifer wasn't on the schedule but decided to drop by for a couple of hours as well. Around 11:20 Jen and I took a short break at 240 Sparks to warm up and recharge our batteries The councillor dropped by to talk with for a short while and told us how it just breaks her heart to see these women so often pressured into having abortions and often it is the woman's mother ( the baby's grandmother) who is doing the pressuring. How can this be I thought.
When we returned to pray the numbers were dwindling. We were unable to leave at noon as planned because by then we were alone. Jennifer stayed with me as long as possible but she had an appointment to keep at 1PM so she had to leave by 12:20 Since I was unable to leave because I was by myself , I decided pray to my guardian angel and ask him to send someone to take my place . Within 10 minutes he sent me this wonderful young man and seeing how cold I was David insisted that I go home and he would stay on until someone came by no matter how long it took. David MacDonald wasn't on the schedule today but just decided to stop by after work. Thank you David ( and to my guardian angel) I was just so happy to see you! I want to thank all those courageous and faithful souls who come out to pray day after day. God bless you all! - Maureen W.
Ground Zero Report - Day 38 - Part 2 [10.31]
Today, Friday, I felt like I was standing at the foot of the cross. For most of the hour that I was at the vigil, I stood all by myself and held a sign. David and another man walked back and forth with their signs, but there I stood, alone. People walked by me and shook their heads, some muttering things I couldn't hear. Very few looked me in the eye. I watched as teenage girls, most with boyfriends, walked into the clinic and others walked out. My heart broke as I watched one girl come out alone, face ashen. I prayed for Doris as she watched for women with whom she could speak before they walked into the clinic, prayed for courage, wisdom and protection for her. A couple of times as young girls walked into 65 Bank, Doris looked across the street in my direction and we shared knowing looks. I watched as people chatted with the security guard and mocked the people who were walking around the block praying the rosary. I thought of Jesus on the cross - alone, mocked, people passing by and shaking their heads, treating Him as something to be despised. For a brief moment, I felt like I knew just a tiny glimpse of Jesus' pain. But Sunday's comin', like Fr. Frank Pavone has reminded us. Sunday's comin'. We need to be people of hope, and not ever stop praying for the end to abortion. Our work isn't done after 40 Days for Life. It has just begun. - Sue A.
Posted by Lifer at 7:47 PM 0 comments
Ground Zero Report - Day 38 [10.31]
Today was a very busy day at the mill. Lots to tell you. We think there may have been another save....Doris talked to a couple who were lingering around for a long time as do most people before going in for their abortions. I asked Doris to email you the story! But I believe there was a live saved! :)
There was a guy this morning 21 years old smoking outside near the security guard, his wife was upstairs getting prepped for her abortion and the young man became very angry that we were outside. He initially started by talking to the security guard really loudly talking about how we are making women feel guilty and that it's better for people to have abortions rather than having homeless children on the street. When he came out for his second cigarette, I asked him if he'd like some information...he became very angry, swearing at us, telling us that it's awful that we are making women feel guilty, etc. It was very obvious to me that he was the one feeling very guilty, but it was being misdirected at us. He calmed down and after a while we had a brief dialogue. He started the conversation and I told him that if he'd like to listen, I would tell him why we were there. He listened briefly and I told told him we were there because 85% of women having abortions are there because of pressure from their girlfriends/parents, and that we were there to help provide a better way. He already has a 2 year old son whom he bragged about to the security guard. You could see this young man had such a father's heart...I told him so. Doris tried to share with him with him as well, but he quickly became aggitated, so I left the conversation alone. He continued to be beligerent and left very angry into the abortion mill. Please continue to pray for him and for all of the couples/women who need healing from their abortions.
Lots more to tell you about today...i just don't have time right now...hope to be able to write more later. God bless! - Nicole
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I just want to relate to you a little ray of hope I experienced this morning at Ground Zero. There was a young couple who were hanging around in front of the McDonald's. They looked like they might be going in for an abortion - she was wearing track pants (the abortuary suggests they wear loose clothing). Anyway, they stayed there for some time. Thinking to myself it would be easier to talk to them there, rather than to try and get a few quick words in as they are being ushered in by the security guard, I decided to go and talk to them. They said they were against abortion and said they were just waiting for her ex to come and see her baby (she showed me a picture of him on her cell phone). I'm not too sure I buy their story, they didn't have the baby with them. She then said she was two weeks pregnant, and that the father of this baby was going to stick around this time. The young man chimed in, saying "I have every intention of being a father to this baby". I asked them to take some brochures anyway, saying they probably knew more young people than I do, and could have a positive impact on their friends. They took them and stayed around for a while and then left. I figure this was a win-win situation. Either they weren't planning on an abortion and I was preaching to the choir, in which case they now find themselves with some good pro-life information and will be able to pass it on to someone who needs it, or they were headed to 65 Bank St. and they changed their minds. God bless them both! Now the bad news. I saw at least 3 women come out from their abortions alone, unaccompanied. One of them was obviously still very drugged. She had been sick earlier (she actually vomitted in the garbage on the sidewalk) so they probably gave her a higher dose of sedatives to calm her. When you go for a flu shot, they don't let you leave before the required time to make sure you're OK. That's only a flu shot. This woman had clearly been sedated, and they let her leave unaccompanied. There was also a very angry young man who had taken his girlfriend in. They already had a two year old, but this one was too much for them to handle. He let us know in no uncertain terms what he thought of us and told us we had no right to upset the women going in for abortions. So much anger, so much pain. My heart aches for them. May God's grace be on them. - Doris
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As I arrived in front of the clinic I noticed a man with a professional video camera and an announcer using us as a backdrop for their video. They didn’t look like news media, so I drifted over and asked them if they minded me asking them what they were shooting. The cameraman said, “I’m a student and this gentleman is a professor of science who is passionate about the environment, and we are shooting a documentary about how old the earth is and we wanted to show that others have a different opinion.”
He seemed a bit old to be a student but I didn’t question that. I simply asked him, “what makes you think that everybody in the prolife movement is a ‘young earth’ proponent, isn’t that kind of presumptuous?”
He shrugged. Then I asked the scientist “You are a man who has strong opinions about the value of science, do you mind me asking ‘when does life begin?’”
He looked at me and said, “I don’t know.”
I said “really?”
He replied “do you know?”
I said “yes, and there is not one biologist on the planet who will disagree, it’s fertilization. Could it be the reason you don’t want to answer is because you, like Obama, don’t want to face the moral implications of that answer?”
He said, “I don’t want to get into this now and waste 10 minutes talking about it”
I said, “But you are willing to spend hours working on a video that portrays prolifers as a bunch of science denying fundamentalists, and you can’t even answer a simple science question found in any grade 7 biology book? Who is the one denying science?”
With that they sheepishly packed up their camera gear and walked away.
Oh Lord, save us from those who are trying to use science as a political weapon against you. Show them that you created all science, and that your mysteries are completely consistent with science.
- David MacDonald
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As I was walking slowly back and forth a woman approached me and said.
I work in the office building here and have been watching your group for several weeks. I want to let you know that I’ve been hoping and praying something like this would happen here. I was in that clinic 2.5 years ago. I was 44 years old, already had 3 children, and my husband and I work. This pregnancy was inconvenient and unexpected. My husband and my mother wanted me to have an abortion.
It was a cold Thursday in February. Inside the clinic, it was dirty and dreary and the chairs were all stained. There were several other couples there. I was alone because my husband was working. We were all given forms. As I began to fill in the form, I heard a woman, who had just had an abortion and was crying. I looked at the other women writing quickly, as reviewed the questions about my health, I got a sense the something was terribly wrong. I called my husband and said “I can’t do this, I’m not going to.” And then I walked out.
I never looked back. My daughter is 2 years old today. She is healthy and beautiful, and I can’t believe I was considering taking her life. She is a precious gift from God. I often stand out here on my work breaks and think about that day and pray for the women inside. There were sometimes protesters on Friday mornings, but there were abortions happening on Thursdays, Fridays, and now Wednesday. I’ve been praying that more people would come and pray in front of this clinic. You guys are an answer to my prayers. Thank you.
I was very moved. I said to herm, “what you did was very courageous. I wish I had the same courage when I was in a similar situation in 1984. Abortion was the worst mistake I’ve ever made.” We prayed together and I thanked God for the life he saved, and I pray that in some small way I’ll be able to help others make a decision for life.
- David MacDonald
Ground Zero Report - Day 39 - [11.01]
Last night's Vigil from Midnight onwards reminded me of the Bible story of the loaf and the fishes. Having been on this watch midnight to 2AM for most of the Vigil with a few people attending each night I was pleased to find many more prayer full people showing up on Halloween night . On the West side of Bank St across from the abortion mill saying our rosary (as our true costumes ) and the East side was crowded folks in all kinds of make-believe Halloween costumes. Praise the Lord I am sure our prayers did get through in many ways. Thanks to all the Christians who have participated in the 40 Days for Life I am sure we have made a huge differance in our own lives and the lives of many others and we probably will never know on this earth, how many babies our prayers-- fasting and volunteering to stand watch outside the Abortion Mill have saved. Long Live 40 Days for Life. - Frank J. Barrett, A.K.A. FrankO a Grin N' Barrett Klown
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This is the first time I have the honour to be a voice for the unborn, I'm sad to see it end. My dream would be to see the vigils extended until the abortion mills are closed down. My life was marked by abortion and this campaign help me heal because for the first time I didn't feel helpless toward the slaughter of babies. Thank you for letting me be part of your campaign for life. God Bless! - K.
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You're probably getting the news from others, but here goes; we had a good turnout for Halloween. At 0200h there were about 15 there, at 0300h, about 13, by 0320h there were 7, and half an hour later there were 6 (which was good because it took quite a while before the streetswere really clear; McDonald's was very busy, and there were quite a few people just hanging out). Eric and I left shortly after 0500h and there were 4 others there at the time - things were pretty quiet. It was good to have such a big crowd (who stayed so long); there was a HUGE number of revellers out - with quite a few barbs, taunts, and negative comments thrown our way. To see them all was really more sad and pitiful than amusing. Those caught up in the culture of death try to hide their pain - but it really just shows up as pain or insecurity. Luckily there were no excitable types among us. We did receive some positive comments as well. God Bless! - Bill
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I can't believe we're at the end of the forty days. Count me among those for whom this has been a life-changing experience. I thought I was only going to go down to the vigil once with my church. I ended up going many times and still felt that it wasn't enough. It was as though the Lord was speaking to my heart over the past few weeks - "Give me your time and I will take care of all your needs and all the things that you feel that you need to do instead of going to stand vigil. Tonight between 7 and 8pm there were two groups praying the rosary, one of whom included a man in a large electric wheelchair, and a few of us praying on our own. As the fellow prayed the rosary with two ladies, a man walked up beside them and stood quietly for a few minutes. He asked if he could join them in the rosary. After they finished the rosary, he said that he was just walking around downtown killing some time, when he saw us and decided to come over to find out what was going on. (The north end of Bank St. sees little activity on a Saturday evening.) It was a moment of grace. It was bitterly cold, with the wind blowing down Bank St., but I kept thinking that it was a small sacrifice in order to be able to stand vigil. Time enough to warm up at home - the babies need us now! See you tomorrow. - Sue A.
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I know the Vigil's main purpose is for the clients at the mill and the babies, but it has also had such an effect on my by participating in it. The excellent speechs at the opening rally really inspired men to get involved with keeping it going 24/7, and it just helped me grow so much:
1. I got to practice bringing my faith into the public 'square', being bolder about saying what I believe, which is practice I really needed.
2. I got to endure insults and ridicule for Jesus... what in incredible honour... Jesus said those who endure that are blessed, and I really haven't had that opportunity before, at least not since I was a little kid anyway.
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3. I was blown away at seeing how others reacted to insults and even the assault... how they are so full of love for everyone involved. Even for the abortionists. It was really a reminder that I have to work on loving others even our 'enemies'... an example of how to live the faith.
So the whole thing has been such a blessing and an opportunity to grow closer to God. Thank you so much again for helping organize it!
- Neil
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Tonight was the official ending of the 40 Days for Life Campaign in Ottawa. Close to 500 people attended tonight's rally and they heard special guest speakers, Archbishop Prendergast of Ottawa and Debbie Fisher from Silent No More Awareness Campaign. After the speeches, the vigilers processed by candlelight from the Abortion Mill to St. Patrick's basilica for Mass and a Reception. The Basilica was packed, to say the least.
Over the last 40 days, some 750 vigilers braved the rain, wind, cold, snow, and sleepless nights to witness to the Dignity of the unborn. Some of us were violently assaulted; and many of us were verbally abused. But we did not return the insult and we didn't raise our hand. We remained in solidarity with the unborn in their silent holocaust, and, as a result, the sacred cows of the pro-abortion propaganda were exposed. Many people were touched and a few were converted. The reverberations of this campaign are hard to assess. Certainly, the stats were very impressive indeed:
Number of Participants: 750
Blogged Stories: 70
Consecutive Hours: 960
Babies Saved: 3 (minimum)
Volunteers: 60
Volunteer Hours: 2000
Abortion Mill Disruption: Very High
But the real progress will not be known for some time, if ever, since it is often hidden - hidden in peoples hearts as the seed of life is planted within them only to bear fruit at a later date in God's providence. And still, even if we don't know these particular victories on this side of heaven, we know that babies were saved, hearts were changed and moved, and we all became better persons for it. Not only did the Campaign convert others; it converted us.
While I was praying outside the Mill around 2AM on Saturday morning (and accompanied by at least 12 other people), I got the strange sense that while we shook things up at the Mill while we were there over the last 40 days, the final boot is going to fall now that the campaign is over. Not sure why this is since we won't have the same kind of presence, but I just think that is what's going to happen.
Tonight as the reception was ending, a lady approached me and she told me of a dream she had the night before. She said that in the dream, she was holding a small baby in her hand. She thought the baby was not alive, but then noticed that it was breathing slightly. She turned her gaze away in the dream and then looked back at her hand, where she now saw the baby in pieces. The message of the dream? What we've done is giving life and hope to the unborn, but if we stop, the heinous evil of abortion will resume and continue in this culture of death. We must not let this happen, and that's why we must continue the vigil in some fashion. Please pray for the leaders of the 40 Days for Life Campaign and for Nicole Campbell, in particular, that God will continue to use her in the front lines of the abortion wars in this country.
On behalf of the 40 Days for Life Organizing Committee and Campaign Life, I wish to extend our deepest gratitude to all those people who volunteered in the parishes to promote this at the church level. We also want to thank the Archbishop for his support and encouragement. And finally, we want to thank the prayer warrior vigilers who stuck it out these past 40 days, 24/7 around the clock. Your witness will only be truly rewarded on the other side of eternity. In honour of your dedication and commitment, here is a small tribute video just For You, while just below that, I've posted some pictures and videos from tonight's closing rally.
God Bless You All. And let's keep it going.
John Pacheco
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