Need Vigilers for Sunday -- Besoin de veilleurs pour dimanche

For those looking to sign up, Sunday will be the day of greatest need (all day). Please consider signing up for that day.


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Pour ceux qui veulent se porter volontaire pour le vigile, dimanche est le jour où il y a le plus grand besoin de  veilleurs. Veuillez vous inscrire pour cette journée, si possible.

Report from Ground Zero - Compte rendu de Ground Zero

Yesterday, I went between 11 am and noon at Ground Zero. There were approximately 5-6 of us. I listened to the word being proclaimed. The reader covered the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Very fitting for the situation: Jesus, the innocent, killed because he was so inconvenient. Yet one day, all our effort will be rewarded with a type of resurrection. One day, abortion will be abolished. I usually don't have any conversations when I am at Ground Zero, but a man came up to me and spoke to me in French (I had a French sign). He said to me that he agreed with what we were doing. He said that he had gone to a museum in Sao Paulo which featured small jars of unborn children. He was emotionally struck by their humanity, and he meant to convey how this made him believe in the humanity of the unborn. I took away from this that we mustn't always assume people know about the unborn. There is a lot of ignorance. I have encountered quite a bit of it online. We have to redouble our efforts to make the unborn better known to the world, so people can understand how human they really are. ... Hier je suis allée à Ground Zero entre 11 heures et midi. Il y avait à peu près 5 ou 6 personnes. J'ai écouté la proclamation de la Parole. Il s'agissait de la Passion, la Mort et la Resurrection de Jésus. Très pertinent compte tenu de la situation-- Jésus, l'innocent, tué parce qu'il gênait tellement. Mais, un jour, nos efforts seront recompensés par une sorte de résurrection, une victoire: un jour, l'avortement sera aboli. C'est rare que j'ai des conversations à Ground Zero, mais ce jour un homme est venu me parler en français (ma pancarte était en français). Il voulait me dire qu'il était d'accord avec ce qu'on faisait. Il m'a parlé d'une visite à un musée à Sao Paulo, où il y avait des flacons avec des embryons, et il était bouleversé par ce qu'il avait vu-- en voulant dire que c'est ça qui l'a convaincu de l'humanité de l'enfant à naître. Ce que j'ai retenu de cette conversation c'est qu'on ne doit pas assumer que les gens connaissent l'enfant à naître. Il y a beaucoup d'ignorance à son sujet. J'en ai rencontré beaucoup online. On doit redoubler nos efforts pour le faire connaître, pour que les gens puissent comprendre comment il est vraiment humain.

Vigil to Resume Friday -- le Vigile Continuera ce vendredi

Things are back to normal on Bank Street, in fact the abortuary never stopped doing abortions, even when Bank Street was under lock down, they still continued work as usual.

The 40 Days for Life Bank Street vigil resumes at 7 am on Friday October 24. We will continue daily from 7 am to 7 pm until Sunday November 2nd.

Please make an effort to spend some prayer time at the vigil.

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Les choses ont retourné à la normal sur la rue Bank. En fait, l'avortuaire n'a jamais cessé de faire des avortements, même pendant que la rue était fermée,

Le Vigile 40 Jours pour la vie recommencera à 7 h 00 ce vendredi le 24 octobre. Le vigile aura lieu quotidiennement de 7 h 00 à 19 h00 jusqu'au dimanche, le 2 novembre.

Vigil Cancelled For Today -- Vigile annulé aujourd'hui

Due to the continued lockdown in the downtown core, the 40 Days for Life Vigil will be cancelled  for day. The Vigil will resume when the situation returns to normal

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Compte tenu du périmètre de sécurité au centre-ville, le Vigile sera annulé encore aujourd'hui. Il dévrait se poursuivre lorsque la situation retournera à la normal.

Vigil Cancelled Today - Vigile Annulé Aujourd'hui

Dear Vigilers

Due to today`s events, Bank Street is in lockdown. The 40 Days for Life Vigil has been cancelled for today.

The Vigil will resume once the situation returns to normal

Chers Veilleurs

Compte tenu des événements aujourd'hui, le vigile est annulé aujourd'hui. 

Le vigile résumera une fois que la situation retournera à la normale.

Report from Ground Zero Day 25 -- Compte Rendu de Ground Zero Jour 25

It was a Saturday, so there weren't many people out and about on Bank Street like there normally is during the week. 

It was quiet.

Uneventful.

I prayed the rosary, each decade focusing on a particular area to target in prayer: the doctors and nurses performing the abortions, the sidewalk counsellors, the women and their families who enter the building, the funding sources, the other viable alternatives….

I slowly paced the sidewalk in prayer, back and forth, back and forth, imagining I was inside the abortion clinic, walking all along its length, praying for angels of light and revelation and truth to come and supplant the nasty hordes that called this place their home.

Suddenly a flurry of frenzied chaos jolted me out of my prayerful reverie, my stomach jumped into my throat. Someone had just thrown a french fry a couple of feet in front of me, and an instantaneous chaotic, feathery mass engulfed the target. 

They were just hungry, little birds acting on their natural instincts.... they flew away as I approached...

A little shaken, it occurred to me how important our presence is, here, and at every abortion site in the world... where the darkness, if it could, would swallow up everything and everyone in its path. 

Our prayers, our presence, our witness - and God's grace - are the Light in the world.

--Kirsten

Report from Ground Zero -- Compte Rendu de Ground Zero

This past week I was out there walking back and forth on a chilly gray day with my sign that read, “I Regret Lost Fatherhood”. The words of the kickoff ceremony echoed through my heart: “Why do we have to be here?” There were several reasons given: we can be a witness, we can pray with others, etc.  I considered the terrible mistakes I made as a young man and I looked up to the third floor of 65 Bank St. where the horrors occur, and another reason why we have to be on-site crossed my mind....

Each of the sacraments needs to have the participants present physically in order for it to be valid:

·         Baptism can’t be done over the phone

·         For marriage to be valid both the man and woman need to be present

·         For holy orders to be valid the person administering the sacraments and the person receiving it both need to be present

·         Confession needs to be in person, we can’t do confession over the phone and receive absolution.

·         We have to be present in order to receive the body of Christ

·         Jesus was incarnate, in a body on this earth, and now present with us in the Eucharist. 

For some reason God thinks being physically present is really important.  This seems increasingly foreign in a world where we communicate through Facebook, Twitter and email.

As I meditated, it occurred to me how important it is for people to be physically present at the abortion site, that there is an ongoing prayer witness; physically present as we humble ourselves as passersby judge us, even when there’s a slight risk that co-workers or clients may see us, which is a concern for me these days.

I chose abortion when I was young as a solution to a problem that only God could solve. It was the biggest mistake I ever made. But the sacrament of confession set me free, and the greatest form of penance I can make right now is to walk back and forth silently praying and looking into the eyes of the passersby as they try to understand my sign, “I Regret Lost Fatherhood.” Let us work together to keep a prayerful presence in front of the place where we need God the most.

--David

PHOTOS: Midpoint Rally -- Ralliement

Schedule Notes -- Notes sur l'horaire

The vigil site is filling up nicely for tomorrow, Fri. Oct. 17 and only two hours are unoccupied, 8-9 am and 9-10 am.

Holy Korean Martyrs Parish has done an excellent job making sure that every hour is covered on their vigil day, Sat. Oct. 18

On Sun. Oct. 19 we need people all morning until vigilers start coming at 1 pm.  This is Notre Dame's vigil day.

Mon. Oct. 20 is open as is Tues. Oct. 21.   And again Thurs. Oct. 23 and Fri. morning Oct. 24 are blank.

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L'horaire se remplit assez bien pour demain, le 17 octobre. Seulement deux heures sont inoccupées, 8 heures et 9 heures

La paroisse Holy Korean Martyrs ont fait du bon travail pour assurer que chaque heure est réservée ce samedi, 18 octobre. 

Dimanche le 19 octobre, nous avons besoin de veilleurs jusqu'à 13h00. C'est la journée pour la Cathédrale Notre-Dame.

Le lundi, le 20 octobre est vide, tout comme le mardi le 21 et jeudi le 23. Les matinées du vendredi, le 24 octobre sont inoccupées.

Mid-Point Rally is Tomorrow, Wednesday the 15th - Ralliment demain mercredi le 15

We're holding the mid-point rally of the 40 Days for Life campaign, tomorrow, Wednesday October 15 from 7 to 8 pm at the vigil site.

On the agenda we will have music from members of the CCO.  Doris Gagnon will give a talk from her perspective as a sidewalk counselor. Jennifer Snell will talk about her parish, Good Shepherd, vigil day. And Francis Barrett (Franko) will tell us what gives him the incentive to be at the vigil site almost every day.

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Demain sera le ralliement de la mi-campagne, le mercredi 15 octobre entre 19h et 20h00 à au site du vigile.

Au programme sera de la musique par les membres de CCO (Catholic Christian Outreach). Doris Gagnon donnera son témoigne de ses interventions comme conseillère de rue. Jennifer Snell parlera de la journée de la paroisse Good Shepherd. Francis Barrett (Franko) parlera de qui le motive à se présenter au vigile à chaque jour.

Two Possible Turnarounds at 40 Days Ottawa -- Deux Revirements Possibles à 40 Jours pour la vie

I got word from a reliable source:

I have some good news to report on the 40 Days for Life campaign. So far, during this campaign, we have witnessed two possible turnarounds. I ask everyone to please pray that the forces which brought these two young couples to the abortuary will not prevail. Pray that these young people will be affirmed in their choice in favor of the lives of their unborn children. Pray that they will encounter people who will reach out to help them and help give them the courage to stay with the right choice.

Anonymity was necessary to protect this life-saving operation.
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Une bonne nouvelle d'une bonne nouvelle:

Bonne nouvelle de la rue Bank : depuis le début de la présente campagne des 40 jours pour la vie, nous avons été témoins de deux revirements. Nous avons vu deux couples quitter l'avortoir sans qu'un avortement ait eu lieu. Prions que les forces du mal qui ont attiré ces deux couples à l'avortoir ne puisse pas les vaincre. Prions que ces jeunes gens trouverons des personnes sur leur chemin pour les aider et les encourager à continuer dans ce bon "choix".

L'anonymat est nécessaire pour assurer l'opération de sauvetage.

Report from Ground Zero Day 15 - Compte Rendu de Ground Zero Jour 15

A report from Pat:

This morning my sister Maureen and I were at the abortion facility. We went early and it was cold, dark, and raining.

As we began to pray Maureen commented on how people around us seem so oblivious to what goes on at the site. How they just walk by and probably don't even think about it. About how what goes on there, is all hidden behind closed doors. Out of sight out of mind maybe. If people could actually see what goes on, would that make them care? I don't know. It's so incredibly sad.

As we were holding the sign which reads ‘“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’ God”, Maureen thought of something our Pastor Fr. Yves Marchildon said in his homily at mass a couple of Sundays ago. He talked about the Pope’s call for each one of us to be Missionary disciples: to bring our Faith and the Word of God to those souls who never get the chance to Hear His Word. And what a beautiful, hopeful and loving message this is from our Heavenly Father. He mentioned the Joy of the Gospel and about taking the Gospel to the peripheries. The abortion site would be a periphery.

And I've been thinking a lot about prayer lately. It's come to me from a couple of different people and events, just how important prayer really is. I busy myself with a lot of pro-life advocacy and sometimes find it difficult to just pray and to pay attention to prayer.

But this morning I was fine. We stood there in silence and we prayed. For the babies, for their mothers and for their doctors. That mothers would have a change of heart and seek out help from somewhere other than an abortion facility. That the doctors would realize they are taking a human life and stop what they're doing. Will prayer help? I believe it will. I know it will. Yes we must do all the other things we do to end abortion, all of it is vitally important. But in the end it is prayer and lots of it that will ultimately put an end to abortion.

Un compte rendu de Pat:

Ce matin, ma soeur Maureen et moi étions au centre d'avortement. Nous sommes allées tôt, et il faisait sombre, froid et et il pleuvait.

Lorsqu'on a commencé à prier, Maureen a commenté que les gens aux alentours paraissaient indifférents à ce qui se passait à ce site; qu'ils circulaient et n'y pensaient probablement pas; et que tout se faisait derrière des portes fermées. Si les gens voyaient ce qui se passer, est-ce qu'ils s'en soucieraient? Je ne sais pas. C'est vraiment triste.

Pendant qu'on tenait nos pancartes, Maureen a pensé à quelque chose que notre curé, l'Abbé Yves Marchildon, avait dit pendant son homélie du dimanche il y a quelques semaines, Il a parlé de l'appel du Pape pour qu'on soit chacun d'entre nous un disciple missionnaire, d'apporter la foi et la Parole de de Dieu à ces âmes qui n'ont jamais la chance d'entendre la Parole. Quel beau message, plein d''espoir et d'amour, de notre Père céleste. Il a mentionné la joie de l'Évangile et la diffusion de l'Évangile aux périphéries. Ce site d'avortement est une periphérie.

Et j'ai beaucoup pensé à la prière récemment, des pensées venues de quelques autres personnes et évenements, comment la prière est importante. Je m'occupe beaucoup d'activisme pro-vie et parfois je trouve difficile de prendre le temps de prier et d'en porter attention.

Mais ce matin, c'était bien. On priait en silence. Pour les bébés, leurs mères et leurs médecins. Que les mères changeraient leur avis et chercheraient de l'aide à une place autre qu'un site d'avortement; que les médecines réaliseraient qu'ils enlèvent la vie humaine, et qu'ils cessent. Est-ce que la prière va aider? Je crois que oui. Je le sais. On doit tout faire pour mettre fin à l'avortement; tout ça et d'une grande importance. Mais en fin de compte, c'est la prière, beaucoup de prière, qui va mettre fin.

Plenty of Available Spots -- Beaucoup d'heures disponibles

Dear Fellow Vigilers

I have made a new calendar to inform people of available spots for the 40 Days vigil:

Available Hours

We have an urgent need for vigilers to register for the following days:

October 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24 and November 2.

These are days that were not reserved for other groups. The groups-- such as churches and ministries-- get their members to register for the various time slots to fill up the day.

On days that are not reserved for groups, it is important that people register to guarantee a presence at Ground Zero. Please register for the dates above if you can.

In the calendar, the blank squares indicate that nobody has registered for those times. The number next to the time indicates how many people have registered. Ideally there should be at least 2 people per time slot.

As the calendar fills up, I may highlight the empty slots in yellow.

You can register by clicking here.


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Chers Veilleurs

J'ai crée un calendrier pour informer les gens des heures disponibles pour le vigile:

Heures disponibles. 

Nous avons un besoin urgent de veilleurs les journées suivantes:

13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24 octobre, et le 2 novembre.

Les autres journées ont été réservées par d'autres groupes, comme des églises et des minstères. Leurs membres assurerons une présence à Ground Zero pendant ces journées.

Pour les jours non-réservés, il est important de vous inscrire pour assurer une présence à Ground Zero. Veuillez svp vous inscrire pendant ces dates, si possible.

Dans le calendrier, les cases blanches indique aucune inscription pour cette heure. Le chiffre à côté indique le nombre de veilleurs inscrits. Idéalement, on devrait avoir au moins deux personnes par heure.

Au fur et à mesure que le calendrier va se remplir, je vais sous-ligner les cases vides en jaune.

Vous pouvez vous inscrire ici.

Pensée du jour - Thought of the Day

Dieu n’a pas d’autres mains que les nôtres, ou bien c’est nous qui changeons le monde ou bien ce n’est personne.

God has no hand but ours; either we who change the world, or nobody does.

--Georges Bernanos

VIDEO: 40 Days for Life on Sun News

Excellent: