Is your congregation one that defends life? Is your congregation a hope-filled Christian community that is willing to build a Quebec that welcomes life instead of destroying it--that wants a Quebec that is truly prosperous, just and peaceful?

You and your congregation can help build a culture of life in Quebec by partnering with us in one or more of the ways described below:

1. By formulating, during your celebrations, prayer intentions that speak to the issues of life and family, or by mentioning life issues during your sermons or homilies. We at Quebec Life Coalition have resources to help you formulate sermons and prayers that address life issues.
2. By making our monthly newsletters available to your congregation, and by inviting the faithful to read them. We will gladly supply your church with a monthly batch of newsletters at no cost to you.
3. By participating in our public witness activities:
   1. The 40 Days for Life vigil is an international event that takes place twice a year. Since its founding in 2007, it has electrified the pro-life movement (see included flyer). This is an activity that encourages Christians to be true to their calling; it will help the members of your congregation to mature in their faith.
   2. The annual March for Life, which is normally held at the end of the second week of May, is a positive, festive event with many thousands of participants, which will allow your congregation to realize that it is not alone in defending solid Life-affirming values.
   3. Life Chain is a yearly event which is held once a year in as many as 1450 cities all over North America. At each location a group of people, located in a public area, pray for the end of abortion for 90 minutes, and thus form a link in a prayerful “Life Chain” that spans the continent. This simple and effective prayer campaign is also easy to organize.
4. By inviting a Quebec Life Coalition representative to your church to speak about life issues. These presentations can be done after the service, on Saturday afternoons or on a weekday night. Often, believers have good values but have trouble defending these values or even putting them into words. These presentations will equip the faithful in your church and enable them to defend their values in the public square.
5. By “adopting” an abortion facility. Every major city in Quebec has one or more abortion facilities. Montreal, for example, has 21. Chances are that you will find an abortion facility not too far from your church (we have a map that indicates the location of every abortion facility in Quebec). By adopting an abortion facility, you pledge to come out with some of your congregation and pray near that facility as much as possible (once a month, once a week, or even every day). We at Quebec Life Coalition have all the required material: Prayer cards, Bible quotes, signs if you want them, and the phone numbers of the more reliable pregnancy help centres, etc. This activity saves babies and helps parents and abortionists by brining them the compassion and healing of Jesus Christ, right outside the abortion facility.
6. By organizing a Respect Life Weekend – we propose the weekend that is closest to March 25, which is 9 months from Christmas—but any other weekend would do. We furnish the materials (flyers, etc.) and offer step by step instructions on how to make the weekend a success. This is a great first-time pro-life activity for your congregation, and can incorporate many other activities and ideas listed on this suggestion sheet.
7. By participating in our fundraising campaigns:
   1. Coins for Life: We come to your church once or twice a year and distribute to the faithful plastic containers which they bring back home and in which they deposit any loose change they may have at the end of each day. They then bring back to church their full containers, which we pick up when there is a good number of them to collect. This campaign is easy to run and reminds the faithful on a daily basis that they are committed to protecting Life at all its stages.
   2. Real estate for Life: By informing the congregation, by way of the weekly church flyer or by some other means, of this initiative that allows one to give to Quebec Life Coalition without it costing one a cent (see included flyer), you are demonstrating to the faithful that we advance the Kingdom of Heaven by all our actions, and not only those actions undertaken during the time we are at church.
   3. Spaghetti dinner / Corn Roast / Benefit Concert / Pancake breakfast, …all these are great ways to address difficult life issues in a warm, friendly setting.
   4. A special collection: Once or twice a year (say, on the Sunday nearest to the 25th of March—9 months before Christmas) and on Father’s Day, a special collection can be undertaken to support Quebec Life Coalition and / or other local pro-life organizations.

Following our meeting, we've decided to go ahead this fall with the 4th edition of the Montreal 40 Days for Life! The kickoff will be at Lahaie Park at 7pm on September 21.

Is there anyone elsewhere in Quebec who's thinking of organising a 40 Days in their own town? I really hope so, because we'll be able to help them considerably, with bilingual materials and tips on how to recruit. There's no reason to hesitate: this is an adventure of a lifetime, and a way to save lives. Contact us to find out how you can start up your own 40 Days.

Visit the official page of the 40 Days for Life in Montreal for updates, flyers, etc. as they become available.

An interesting video for pastors who are thinking of participating in the 40 Days for Life but might have some questions or concerns. Enjoy!

A heartfelt thanks to all who participated in this spring's 40 Days for Life in Montreal!

Last Sunday's closing ceremony was a great success, but now we're faced with the daunting question:

What are we going to do the rest of the year?

First of all, there are chances that we are going to go forward with a fall 2010 40 Days for Life. But whether we go ahead with a second 40 Days this year depends on YOU.
 

Become a Core Member

We need dependable people who would be able to regularly attend the vigil every week, to form part of what we call the "core" team for the 40 Days. Core team members show up every week, show the "ropes" to the newcomers, and help foster a prayerful atmosphere at the vigil.

Do you feel called to be a core member of the 40 Days for Life? If you do, don't hesitate to give us a call at (514) 344-2686 or to email us.
 

Upcoming Events

Here are some other events / other ways to help build a culture of life in the coming year:

• The Ottawa March for Life will take place this year on Thursday, May 13 (see schedule). Mark that date on your calendar, get that day off work, but also remember to call us to get some flyers and posters to distribute to your church, parish, group, etc. 
• Quebec Life Coalition is organizing a bus or buses to the March for Life on May 13. Buses leave downtown Montreal (across the street from the train station) at 7am. If you want a ride, please email us or call. Cost of the ticket will be around 30$ round-trip.
• Cégep and high school teachers: The March for Life has a very significant educational component. Firstly, there's a youth banquet the evening of the March (May 13), and the next day there's an all-day Youth Conference (which last year was attended by about 600 students from 15-25). For more information, don't hesitate to call or write.
• Triduum for Life: Like last year, during the 2 days preceding the March for Life in Ottawa, there will be a series of pro-life talks and events in Montreal. More to come, soon!
• Finally, and most excitingly for us here at QLC, on May 15 (international day of the family) QLC will be hosting its annual conference on life and the family. We've lined up some great guests, and this year the event will be held in Quebec City. More details to follow.

And, oh, here are some pictures of last Sunday's 40 Days for Life closing ceremony -- bye for now!

It's the last week of the Spring 2010 edition of the 40 Days for Life in Montreal! On Sunday, March 28 at 3pm you're invited to our 40 Days for Life closing ceremony and wrap get-together:

What: Closing ceremony for the Spring 2010 edition of the 40 Days for Life

When: This Sunday, March 28, at 3pm

Where: Lahaie Park (the vigil site) or, if it rains, at 60 Laurier East.

Why: To celebrate the fact that WE DID IT: we prayed and fasted and held vigil outside of the Morgentaler clinic for 40 consecutive days, 12 hours a day, praying for the babies and their mothers and for the society that abandons them to their fate.

We'll be hearing testimonials from pastors and priests, from participants and other individuals from Montreal who were touched by abortion, or who have decided to work for Life. Of course, they'll be food and coffee and hot chocolate, too!

Also, don't miss this opportunity to meet with other Montreal pro-lifers, to network and to encourage one another in this mission so dear to our hearts--and, most importantly, to God's.

Here's some pics from last fall's closing ceremony: 

Only 2 weeks left before the end of this latest edition of the 40 Days for Life in Montreal... To date, for all 167 participating cities, over 398 unborn babies have been spared from abortion, their mothers having been dissuaded from abortion by people praying in front of the abortion centre -- people like you!
 

Closing Ceremony

Here's an important announcement: on Sunday March 28 - that's the last day of the 40 Days vigil - we'll be celebrating the successes of these 40 Days for Life. The celebration will take place at 3 PM at Lahaie Park (or 60 Laurier E., a 5 minute walk North, in case of rain).

We'll be praising God for his great works and for the hope that he put in our hearts, a hope that we want to share with all of Montreal. We'll also be hearing testimonials from vigil participants and from pastors. And of course there will be food, coffee, hot chocolate - all that good stuff.
 

There's still time to come out and pray

Be sure not to miss your chance to come out and pray outside for the unborn. Join others like you who deplore what goes on behind those anonymous "clinic" walls but who also have a deep abiding faith in their hearts that things will get better, that springtime will come and thaw the hearts of Montrealers for the unborn and their mothers.

The abstract idea we have of abortion --even when we're against it-- melts right away at the sight of an actual human being crossing the threshold of the abortion center "like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter". (Jeremiah 11:19) To come and pray:

• Simply show up at Park Lahaie, located across the street from the Morgentaler Abortion Clinic at 30 St. Joseph E. in Montreal, between 7 am and 7pm.
• Sign up online
• Email us
• Call (514) 344-2686

Hope to see you soon!

A forwarded email...

Just got a phone call when I got home tonight (10:30 PM) that "Mary" did not have the abortion yet. It is scheduled for tomorrow morning 10AM our time (11am EST).....but the "boyfriend" went up with her to Montreal and tonight he is out "clubbing" and left her alone in the hotel. She called his mother (because she does not want her mother there at all), and his mother is flying up while I type this. I don't know how she feels about all this. Let's storm heaven that this woman might receive the grace to discourage her from having it! Nothing is impossible with God!

With this request:

Please help us if it is not too late, I just got your email address.... this 18 year-old girl is scheduled to have an abortion there in Montreal at 11:00 and she does not want this... she is close to 6 months pregnant... Thank you, ----

***

20-odd week abortion. State-funded infanticide... Right here in Montreal on this bright Thursday morning-- unless we pray pray pray and resolve to do more and better in the future. Let's pray that she receives the grace to change her mind, and the healing and repentance she will need if she doesn't. Let's also pray for her parents who set up the appointment and for her "boyfriend" who abandoned her to her fate. Finally let us pray for ourselves, who have done so little for her and people like her.

Click to know what a 20 week abortion is and what it does to an unborn child. (Warning: graphic, from the Grantham Collection)

We're already past the halfway mark for this latest edition of the 40 Days for Life in Montreal, and, so far, 156 people have signed up for email updates for the 40 Days for Life and / or have signed up for the vigil. That's 156 people more than before the 40 Days for Life began... bit by bit, Montreal is turning towards Life.

Now we need you to spread the word about how Life is taking hold in Montreal and in Quebec at large:

• Forward this message to friends and family: let them know that there are people out there, people like you, who are praying to end abortion, and invite them to join you.
• If you've received this message from a family member or friend, sign up here to receive these email updates straight to your inbox, for the latest news on the 40 Days for Life and other Quebec Life Coalition news.

Also, don't forget to sign up for vigil hours today! There's not much time left, so might as well go ahead and join us at the vigil right away. Here's how:

• Simply show up at Park Lahaie, located across the street from the Morgentaler Abortion Clinic at 30 St. Joseph E. in Montreal, between 7 am and 7pm.
• Sign up online
• Email us
• Call (514) 344-2686

Don't wait too long, these 40 Days will be over before you know it!

p.s. Stay tuned for more info on the closing rally set for Sunday, March 28. Here's a link to some pictures from last fall's 40 Days for Life closing rally.

We've just begun the third week of prayer and fasting to end abortion in Montreal. Hard to believe we're already almost half-way done! 

One of the blessings of these 40 Days for Life is realizing that God works in small ways, using little people like us, to make big changes. There are days when you wish that things could happen more quickly, that your prayers could be answered and that the people of this city would just "snap out of it" and decide to give the unborn the protection and respect they deserve. Why can't it happen over night, why must we wait so long?

Being out there in the wind and sleet, watching people go in and out of the clinic and knowing what happens behind those walls, can make you feel pretty small and powerless, almost as powerless as a God who died crucified.

And that's the point: if God thought it necessary to die powerless on the cross to redeem humanity, we who love him must do the same, renouncing worldy ways to bring about change and choosing peaceful ways instead.

I'm convinced that the pain Christ felt on the cross was more mental than physical: his human condition had to fight with all its might against the temptation to "come down from the cross" to set things aright, like a "true" messiah. By praying in front of these abortion facilities, we're doing the same thing: putting aside our worldly ideas about how the evil of abortion should end, and letting God show us the true path to ending the evil of abortion in this city and the world at large.

To Join the 40 Days for Life Vigil

• Simply show up at Park Lahaie, located across the street from the Morgentaler Abortion Clinic at 30 St. Joseph E. in Montreal, between 7 am and 7pm.
• Sign up online
• Email us
• Call (514) 344-2686

It's already been a week of prayer and peaceful vigil to end abortion in Montreal! That's 84 hours of prayer, multiplied by the number of participants per hour.... that's a lot ! And it's only begun. 

Names are starting to come in from the churches we've reached, and people are signing up. Have you?

If you've thought of coming out to the vigil, but haven't already, it's really simple. Just contact us with your name, phone number, and time during the week when you can come between 7am and 7pm (one, two hours, etc.) You can contact us:

• Online
• by email (40daysforlifemontreal-at-gmail-dot-com)
• by phone: (514) 344-2686

Also, I highly recommend you sign up to the daily updates and prayer intentions from David Bereit, head organizer of the international 40 Days for Life campaign. Every day David forwards absolutely inspiring stories about how the 40 Days is turning the tide against abortion world-wide, and each day includes a prayer intention for the day.

To sign up to receive up this inspiring daily devotional and update, go the the 40 Days official site and fill in the box in the top right portion of the page entitled "Get the Latest".

See you at the vigil !