40 days for Life 2024 Ottawa

The prayer warriors have been out for the latest 40 days For Life.

Maureen and I went three times together, and many many others have been there as well.

It always feels so good to be able to go to the site and pray to end abortion. Mind you we are still chopped liver as we have to stay outside of the abortion bubble zone.

I was looking at the sign this time, and for the first time I noticed the irony of the name of the Ontario Safe Access to Abortion Services Act. There's nothing 'safe' about abortion for the child in the womb. And that is why we keep showing up.

Our Lady of the Cape pray for us. And for all children in the womb and for their mothers, that they will choose life.

My letter in today's Ottawa Citizen

 

Praying for pre-born Canadians during 40 Days for Life

As Catholics we are pro-life. As members of the human race, we are pro-life. I can't really think of anything more important than standing up for the rights of the pre-born.

Each of us can do what we can in this regard. Some of us write about abortion. Some of us advocate for changes to abortion laws. Some of us engage in all kinds of abortion activism to change the hearts of the people around us.

You might say: "But I have no special talents, there's nothing I can do to change abortion". But that is not true. Each and every Christian can do something very important, something very fundamental against the powers and principalities that are at the diabolical roots of the evil of abortion. Because that is what this is really about. 

Each and every one of us can pray to end abortion in Canada. Even better than that, each and every one of us can spend some time praying in front of an abortion clinic to end abortion.

If enough of us do this, even if we are not a writer, or not an activist, or not an orator, we can spend an hour or two witnessing for pre-born children during 40 days for life. All it takes is a bit of our time, and a bit of courage. It's really really simple.

Imagine this. That every Catholic would go to an abortion clinic, or to a hospital where abortions are committed, during 40 days for life. And there, pray a Rosary. To witness for our children in the womb and ask our blessed Mother to protect them. We can change the culture. Miracles can happen. We can do this.

They can make laws to try and stop us from praying. They can and have done this. But they can't stop us from praying.

Life Chain Ottawa

Praying in Ottawa to end abortion. Pictures here. Maureen posted some more pictures here.

Child in the womb cries "My Body My Choice"

Dear Premier Doug Ford (doug.ford@pc.ola.org) and Attorney General Doug Downey (doug.downeyco@pc.ola.org),

Please watch this short video where Fr. Mark Goring speaks at the midpoint rally of the 40 days for Life rally in Ottawa yesterday.

Please notice that all the pro-life people are outside the abortion bubble zone while the "pro-choice" people are inside the abortion bubble zone.

Can you please explain to me why pro-life citizens are restricted in where they pray, while "pro-choice" citizens are not restricted where they pray...sorry, I mean where they protest?

After all, pro-life citizens pay taxes too. Shouldn't we all have the same rights as "pro-choice" citizens?

I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Patricia Maloney 

The dead and broken babies amongst the leaves

40 days for life continues in Ottawa today. Maureen, Barb and I joined other members of our Church, along with the Sisters of the Queenship of Mary, to pray at the abortion killing site in Ottawa.

ARPA put up their flag display at the Supreme Court of Canada, representing the 100,000 babies killed each year through abortion.

That's 100,000 human beings destroyed before birth every year.

We prayed the Rosary to our Blessed Mother to protect all pre-born children from this continued slaughter of the innocents. We also prayed the St. Michael Prayer. Seemed appropriate.

I couldn't help but notice the dead autumn leaves surrounding the little pink and blue flags. Kind of prophetic, don't you think?

How the abortion bubble zone creates two classes of people

One of the inconsistencies of the Bill to Create Safe Access to Abortion Services is that if you're pro-life, you can't carry a sign inside the bubble zone. But if you're "pro-choice", you can carry a sign. See here and here.

And this week, once again, we see this discrimination in action:

"We had some protesters at the 40 Days for Life mid-point rally. They were inside the bubble zone with their usual signs. I asked the Ottawa police if they (so called pro-choicers) are allowed signs within the bubble zone and I was told that they are."

In other words, we only apply freedom of expression rights to people, if they are "pro-choice". 

Praying to end abortion standing in the corner

Today Maureen and I joined other people who want to pray for an end to abortion during the 40 Days for Life. We prayed two rosaries and one Divine Mercy Chaplet. We were there from 7 am to 9:30 am. I also went to Mass at 8:00 at St. Pat's. Lots of prayers, which is what the scourge of abortion needs.

We have Jim Watson to thank for our being prevented from praying across from the abortion facility.

No freedom of expression rights for us, as we stood in the corner for our audacity at praying across from the facility in days gone by.

Maureen was so cold that she put a bag inside her coat to try and keep warm, like an insulation layer. I called it her bag motif. See bottom picture.

Jim Watson's attempt to move us out of the way only means we will now have to pray from a distance. Prayers work just as well no matter where you pray. He can't take away our freedom of conscience and religion rights as much as I'm sure he'd like to. Sorry Jimmy.

Pro-life people are not going away

The priests at our parish are unabashedly pro-life. Thank God for that.

This morning we were lucky to hear a pretty pointed pro-life homily from Farther Jerry.

He told us about Stephen Woodworth's Motion 312 to create a committee to look at when an unborn child becomes a human being. He told us he called Mr. Woodworth's office Friday night and left him a message to congratulate him on his motion.

He told us about the 40 days for life initiative which starts this week. This is an international campaign of prayer and peaceful witness outside of the world's abortion mills to highlight and defeat the scourge of abortion in our time. This prayer campaign has helped to close abortion clinics, and has saved thousands of babies.

He told us how Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, and others have spoken up for the unborn.

Father Jerry wrote his first letter to a Prime Minister when he was 8 years old. He was sitting at the kitchen table and asked his father what abortion was. His father answered him, that's when the government kills babies.

Father Jerry also had a message for Mr. Harper regarding pro-life people. He wants Mr. Harper to know that pro-life people are not going away. That pro-life people have courage. He told us not to let anyone tell us to mind our own business. He told us, this is our business.

We will end abortion. We will do it in God's time. And according to God's plan.

Update on September 25 - Father Jerry's full audio of his Sunday homily: