Quebec Life Coalition

I would like to recommend the following website : http://www.canadasilentnomore.com/. In particular, I would like to point out the large-spanning, comprehensive review that Canada Silent No More has put together regarding the mental and physical effects related to legal abortion. The ‘Facts and Stats’ section of the website, at first glance, is daunting and discouraging. However, it is important to note that these discomforting figures represent the truth about the terrible effects abortion can have on women. Given that many people base their decisions on ‘what the research shows’, it is impressive to see that an organization has devoted the time and energy to sift through a massive pile of research studies in order to inform women on various mental and physical effects of abortion.

When it comes to counseling women who are debating an abortion, I believe the best approach is to offer love, support, understanding, and resources (both emotional and financial, whenever possible). Nonetheless, attention also must be drawn to the scientific evidence that warns against abortion. The medical community cannot continue to shun its eye from the negative impacts of abortion. Many pro-choicers claim that pro-lifers are inventing the idea of a “post-abortion syndrome”…but if that’s really the case, why do numerous scientific studies show us otherwise? If the risk of breast cancer doubles after one abortion, and a 1997 government study from Finland showed that “women who abort are approximately four times more likely to die in the following year than women who carry their pregnancies to term”, shouldn’t women considering abortion be at least notified of these disastrous health consequences?

Let me re-iterate: the abortion debate is fundamentally about the life of the fetus. What we are defending, here at Quebec Life Coalition, is the unborn child’s right to life and protection. In addition to killing the lives of children, abortion also destroys the lives of many women (and men). In sharing the cited studies on http://www.canadasilentnomore.com/, what I seek is to spread greater awareness of the evils of abortion- but the primary wrong of abortion is that it kills a new human life- the fact that it hurts so many women too reveals the aftermath of actions that go against God’s love for all of us.

THE SPRINGTIME MARCH:

Euthanasia, in our province, NO THANKS!

Quebec City, Saturday, May 18, 2013

Chartered Bus leaving Montreal

The Springtime March against the government legislation permitting euthanasia and assisted suicide will be held this coming Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Quebec City.

Would like to join us for this event? The Quebec Life Coalition is chartering a bus to permit you to participate.

The price per round-trip ticket is $35. Family discounts are available.

Our schedule reads as follows:

• Departures – 7 a.m. 895, De la Gauchetière West
• 9 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of the Cape – Trois-Rivières (French)
• Noon Gathering on Plains of Abraham – Québec City
• 1:45 p.m. Walk to the National Assembly
• 2:45 p.m. Arrival at National Assembly – speeches.
• 4:30 p.m. Closing Prayer
• 6:00 p.m. Board buses and return to Montreal

Cost: $35 per person, round-trip. Family discounts available.

Registering: Before May 17 at (438) 930-8643 or (514) 344-2686. Or email us at info@cqv.qc.ca.

Also, bring a lunch! (There will also be a canteen on-site.)

Close to 100 people travelled from Montreal to Ottawa yesterday in two chartered buses to join the close to 25 000 who attended the 16th annual National March for Life on Parliament Hill.

These pilgrims came from all over - Laval, Ile-Perrot, West Island, Greenfield Park, and St-Hyacinthe, to board one of two buses leased by the Quebec Life Coalition (QLC).

A third bus chartered by the QLC came all the way from Quebec City carrying upwards of 45 pilgrims. These left the provincial capital at 7 a.m. and arrived in time to attend the mid-day speeches on the hill from leaders in the political, religious, and civil areas. A film about their travel may be seen here.

As for the Montreal pilgrims, here are a few pictures.

Famous Montrealers in attendance include Archbishops Christian Lépine of Montreal and Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa. 

QLC President Georges Buscemi was the co-Master of ceremony for the afternoon event, providing commentary in French.

Additional photos of the day may be seen here.

The television network EWTN, in attendance at the march for the first time, will rebroadcast the event tomorrow Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.

Finally, two local papers carried stories about the event. The Gazette featured two while LaPresse a single one - "Dissension sur fond d'avortement," a spin on the dissension within the federal conservative party. I didn't see any article in Montreal's largest daily - Le Journal de Montréal.

25 women are walking from Montreal to Ottawa and the Supreme Court – 222 km, not only to raise awareness about Canada having the infamous distinction of being one of the very few countries with no abortion laws (the other two are China and North Korea), but also in honour of all the women, children and men hurt by 25 years of unrestricted abortion. This is the start of day 8, and Tasha, one of the 25 walkers, shares what is on her mind!

As prelude to the 19th annual National March for Life – Ottawa, on May 9, the Quebec Life Coalition is organizing an evening of pro-life activities on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.

Two events will characterize this evening – a workshop on post-abortion healing and a mass in remembrance of the victims of abortion.

The workshop will be held at the convent of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary – 60, Laurier Avenue East, beginning at 5:00 p.m. The doors will open in the Marie de la passion hall beginning at 4:30 p.m.

A guest speaker will share her experience of healing after her own abortion. This then will be followed by hands on exercises by the participants.

The second event will be a Eucharistic celebration to be held in Saint-Enfant-Jésus church, 5039, Saint-Dominique Street, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The mass will be preceded by a rosary (7:00 p.m.) and will be followed by a Eucharistic procession (approx.. 8:30 p.m.)

The mass will be presided by the auxiliary bishop of Montreal, Msgr. Thomas Dowd.

The complete schedule for the evening reads as follows:

• 5 p.m. Stories : Post-Abortion Healing Through Sharing Experiences
• 5:15 p.m.  Speaker - Ms. Dale Barr, Silent No More Awareness Campaign
• 5:30 p.m. Sharing Stories – 5 minutes each
• 6 :30 p.m. Closing
• 7 :00 p.m. Meditated Rosary - Saint-Enfant-Jésus Church
• 7 :30 p.m. Mass presided by auxiliary bishop of Montréal - Mgr. Thomas Dowd
• 8 :30 p.m. – 9 :15 p.m. Eucharistic Procession - Lahaie Park exterior
• 9 :30 p.m. Closure.

Our Guests - Profile

Mrs. Dale Barr is a spokesperson for "Silent No More Awareness Campaign." For ten years, she has shared about the impact that her abortion has had on her life. Various groups to which she has made presentations include Cornwall Pro-life, pro-life groups in the Maritimes, and gatherings at the national marches for life, both in Ottawa and in Washington, D.C.  She participates regularly as a team member in Rachel's Vineyard retreat weekends. On this night, she will share how speaking about her abortion has been a source of healing for her, providing her with a greater sense of personal freedom.

Msgr. Thomas Dowd is the auxiliary bishop of the Montreal diocese. He was ordained to the priesthood in December, 2001 and elevated to the post of bishop in July, 2011. When elevated as bishop, he was then the youngest one in the entire Roman Catholic Church. Bishop Dowd is also known for his use of new technologies to carry on the Church’s evangelization mission - blogging, and using both Facebook and Twitter.

In outward appearance, this house in east end Montreal differs little from its neighbouring ones - one-story bungalows with a basement, red brick facades, and canted, shingled rooves. Yet, its claim to infamy lies less in its outward appearance than in its history. Some thirty years ago, Dr. Henry Morgentaler clandestinely performed abortions inside.

This past Sunday, twenty five women gathered outside this house to mourn not only the destruction of life that went on here but also the impact it has had on Canadian society to this day.

For close to an hour, these women chanted hymns, shared periods of silence, consoled a victim of this legacy. They listened to a native elder take back the land stained with innocent blood by ritually pouring water as an act of cleansing. Finally, each themselves then poured an ounce of red wine into the land, symbolic of the blood spilled on this site.

These women are all participants in the Back to Life Movement Canada. They number twenty-five because it has been twenty-five years since the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Canada’s abortion law was unconstitutional and, thus, opened the door to abortion practice through the entire nine months of a woman’s pregnancy. A distinction that Canada shares with only two other nations in the world – China and North Korea.

On this day they will begin walking from Montreal to Ottawa and the Supreme Court – 222 km, not only to inform Canadians of this infamous distinction but also to help women. For abortion hurts women and our society has collectively denied this.

Nathalie is a case in point. After the ceremony in the east end, the group reconvened an hour later in Lahaie Park in central Montreal, where today across the street is the current site of the Morgentaler abortion mill. Here, as they prepared to begin their trek, the twenty-five met Nathalie - in the white jersey (below photo). A resident of the area, her presence in the park this day seemed more providential than happenchance. She shared with the women about her own abortion story and the struggles and chaos of her daily life since. She received support and strength from having been listened to and prayed over by the group. She gained some measure of healing.

The documented harm to women from undergoing one or more abortions continues to grow. This past week I received two emails to this effect. The abortion-breast cancer link was the subject of a series of four articles published by the group afterabortion.org.  Second, the adverse impact of having one or more abortions on mental health was the conclusions of a New Zealand study.

The 222 km, 11 day trek of these women will end in Ottawa on May 9, the day on which the 19th annual National March for Life is scheduled. Last year 20,000 came to our nation’s capital to protest the lack of legislation protecting the most vulnerable within our society – the child in his or her mother’s womb. As these 25 women are showing, more and more Canadians are not remaining silent about the harm that abortion is doing to our society.

The former Morgentaler abortuary in east end Montreal shows little signs today of its former ignominy. Yet the impact of what began what it represents continues to haunt Canada and many women. Canadians need to awaken to the injustices affecting our land.

For information on accompanying us to Ottawa on a chartered bus, click here.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Dear Friends of Life,

“God is doing for me what I cannot do myself.”

This maxim, comforting to those who practice twelve-step spirituality, came to mind after I received a most unusual invitation. Let me explain.

Last week, I got a call from Betty, a new acquaintance and supporter of our work. She was telephoning to ask me whether I was interested in presenting the work I do and the academic path I had taken to a group of high school students as part of their vocational discernment studies. Needless to say my answer was “Yes.”

As you no doubt know, promoting the pro-life message in our society is a hard sell. We are met either with indifference or with derision rather than support seven times out of ten.

Rather it is the opposite ideology that is readily seen and heard. The promotion of promiscuity is favoured by the media, both print and television. Our politicians at both the federal and provincial levels advocate a similar pro-choice ideology; Justin Trudeau is not untypical of our leaders.

So, the opportunity to express our view, particularly to a youthful audience, is a rare godsend.

PREVIEW

I approached the exercise in fear and trembling for two reasons. First, I am not a public speaker. I prefer one-to-one encounters. Addressing larger groups frequently flusters me, leaving me out of breath and tongue tied.

Second, I was not quite sure of my audience. The topics of abortion and euthanasia can evoke strong emotions – the first, irrational anger and the second, confusion. Yet, in my years, I have been encouraged of the openness of our youth to discuss the first of these.

PRESENTATION DAY

On the appointed day, I joined Betty and six other community members in an empty room, seated about a large oblong table. My peers included two nurses, a school teacher, a seamstress, a priest, and a clerk. Several among us were mothers or fathers, and readily shared their experiences of juggling priorities as hard-working parents.

In no time, the room was filled with 25 fourteen and fifteen year-olds, boys and girls, accompanied by their teacher. They listened respectfully for fifty minutes.

My seven-minute spiel went well. Yes, I was nervous, yet remained undaunted, describing my work here at the Quebec Life Coalition and my path from early days in Montreal.

I mentioned that I was born in a hospital not far from their school. Studied in schools many of which they were not unfamiliar with, excelled in math and physics and eventually graduated with an engineering degree. A pivotal moment in my life was accepting an invitation by my parish vicar to participate in a children’s liturgy program. This altered the course of my career – spurring on my interest in my Faith, both academically and inpractice. In time, this journey impacted me professionally.

In the end the students left, I believe, with a greater sense of differing careers, thereby helping them to discern where God may be calling them to earn a living.

We seven are invited back at week’s end for a Q & A with the students, who have been assigned each to formulate a question.

“God is doing for me what I cannot do myself.”

With at least 30,000 abortions per year in Quebec, God alone can change this state of affairs. And He is, through gestures like that of Betty’s.

Yours Respectfully

Pro-life activist Faytene Grasseschi joins Brian Lilley from Byline (Sun News) to discuss her upcoming walk from Montreal to Canada's Supreme Court in Ottawa to protest 25 years of the absence of any law regulating abortion in Canada. Altogether 25 women will walk on April 28 in honour of all the women, men and children hurt by abortion. They will walk  from the Morgentaler clinic in Montreal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Faytene also talks about gender-based abortion, the fact that many women are coerced into having an abortion, the prolife movement in Canada and the upcoming March for Life in Ottawa.

For more information about the walk to the Supreme Court of Canada on April 28 (Back to Life Canada) click here.

This past Sunday, countless from around the world gathered in diverse locales to celebrate God’s Divine mercy. So too, in the foothills of Mount Mansfield in Vermont, I was among a dozen people who met to thank God for his mercy in a very special manner. We met to memorialize children, entrusting them to God and thanking Him for the gift of these lives cut short due to either a miscarriage or an abortion.

This memorial service was a pivotal moment in a weekend long retreat aimed at recognizing the dignity to these often forgotten members of our human family. Throughout the Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat, participants were led by a skilled team of facilitators to grapple with the turmoil that frequently accompanies parents, family, and friends touched by an abortion or a miscarriage.

Participants were encouraged to reflect on their intuition of the child's gender and name each child. I came to give homage to Ezekiel and Catherine. An older sibling, Ezekiel had his life shortened due to a miscarriage.

You preceded me into my Mother’s womb;

You preceded me into our Heavenly rest.

I’m sad’ned we have never met;

Sad’ned at the shortness of your life.

Important you are to me,

Not forgotten, ever wanted,

Accompany me now, ‘til we be ever together.

Catherine, the daughter of a close friend, had her life shortened by an abortion.

The weekend was a difficult one. Those of us who had come to mourn our losses laboured longhours, well into the late evenings.

In preparation for the memorial service, the weekend was punctuated by several workshops treating Sacred Scriptures. Called “Living Scriptures,” these retelling were quite moving. For example, I was particularly moved by the treatment of when Jesus was asked to judge a woman caught in adultery. After having the biblical passage read, a facilitator exhibited a stone, symbolic of how “justice” was meted out to adulterers. Its size, its jaggedness, evoked a visceral reaction of the barbarity of the act; quite distinct from the mercy with which I characterize God.

Then we were given one and asked to carry it throughout the weekend until that time came when we recognized our own intransigency, lack of mercy toward someone in our lives. It was a humbling exercise.

Despite the intensity of this weekend, The loving support of the facilitators permitted me to deal with a difficult topic and permit some measure of closure. For this reason, I encourage others marred by either an abortion or miscarriage to follow in these same footsteps.

For further information about Rachel Vineyard click here.

For further information about post-abortion healing click here.

Programming note: During our Triduum for Life series, this coming May 2013, the Quebec Life Coalition will present a workshop on post-abortion healing. Details to follow.

National March for Life in Ottawa May 9, 2013:

chartered buses from both Montreal and Quebec City.

The National March for Life will be held this year on Thursday, May 9 in Ottawa. Last year 20,000 people crowded onto Parliament Hill for this event. Many dignitaries from various walks of life were present to inspire the crowd including MPs, senators, religious and pro-life leaders.

If you wish to be part of this vibrant day of support for the life of the unborn, the Quebec Life Coalition is chartering buses that will permit you to participate.

The fare is $35. Family rates are available.

Our schedules read as follows:

MONTREAL DEPARTURES

07h00   Departures (2)

1. Montreal - Downtown (895, De la Gauchetière west) followed by a second pick-up at the Cremazie metro station - 8753 Lajeunesse.
2. Laval - Holy Name of Jesus church (899, Chomedey Blvd.) followed by a second pick-up at the Fairview shopping centre (Sears Canada)

10h00  Pro-Life Mass (bilingual) Notre-Dame Cathedral. 

12h00  Gathering on Parliament Hill.

13h30 MARCH through the streets of downtown Ottawa

14h45  "Silent No More Awareness Campaign" testimonials (Parliament Hill)

16h00   Closing Prayer Service by Eastern Catholic Chaplaincy of Ottawa (Parliament Hill)

QUEBEC CITY DEPARTURE

07h00   Departure (1073, René-Lévesque Blvd., QC)

12h00  Arrival in Ottawa

12h00 Gathering on Parliament Hill

13h00 March through the streets of downtown Ottawa

14h45  "Silent No More Awareness Campaign" testimonials (Parliament Hill)

16h00   Closing Prayer Service by Eastern Catholic Chaplaincy of Ottawa (Parliament Hill)

16h30 Departure from Ottawa

21h30 Arrival in Quebec City

Cost: Tickets are $35. Family rates are available: $20 per family member.

Registration: Before May 6, by calling (438) 930-8643 or (514) 344-2686, or by email info@cqv.qc.ca

Additional Information:

• Québec archdiocese promotional video may be seen here.
• Download the 2013 March for Life brochure
• Downlaod the 2013 March for Life poster
• A lunch may be brought along or vendors are available inOttawa
• For Quebec City travelers, a supper break is planned.

Hope to see many of you.