Real Tragedy of Aborted Twins

"Mother Loses Twin Boys In Abortion Mix Up" reads the Sky News headline. A scan of the article tells us:

"A healthy 32-week old foetus has been aborted by mistake in a tragic mix up at an Australian hospital.
A mother expecting twin boys was told by doctors one of the babies had a serious congenital heart defect and she decided to have him aborted.
However surgeons on Tuesday accidentally terminated the healthy twin.
The sick twin then also died, reportedly after an emergency caesarean section operation."

Picture shows twins born at 32 weeks, the age at which the twins in the news today were aborted.

All sympathy to the parents of these precious little ones. But this article speaks volumes about where our society is at. The "tragedy" in the view of this article writer is not the murder of this woman's children, nor even the truly tragic fact that not one, but two of her children were murdered. No, the tragedy for our society is that the healthy twin was killed. Had all gone to plan and the sick child been killed, it would have been a normal everyday "procedure" and certainly would not have made the papers. Sympathy would have been given to the Mother by friends for the fact that she carried a sick child and "had" to abort. Of course I do not know the severity of the child's condition - though it seems that if a Mother has the courage to continue her pregnancy many babies with heart defects do survive and are successfully treated. But for those who respect life, even a baby with an untreatable illness cannot be slaughtered.

We cannot judge those concerned, perhaps the Mother did not know what she was doing. And even the medical staff can have misinformed consciences and hardened hearts. But, as the article tells us, incidents like this have a habit of awakening consciences:

According to reports ...the ultrasound clinician, ...was apparently inconsolable because of the mistake.
and
A close friend of the mother said: "She went to hospital with two babies and now she has none.

Then there is the profound statement:
"And she had the heartache of giving birth to her sick baby. She's traumatised."
This is difficult of course, since the whole point of the abortion was an attempt to avoid giving birth to this child.
Giving birth somehow makes the baby real, visible, loveable. The birth of this child screams for justice for the child to be treated just as any born, sick child would be treated. When a woman allows a sick child to be born(rather than aborted), even knowing death is immenent, it is a healing (though difficult) event, which allows for proper grieving. When a woman who has tried to abort is faced with a born, dying child it is truly traumatising and a heartache confirming what has been attempted to be devastatingly wrong.
Let us pray for the Mother and Father and all the medical staff involved in this awful act of violence. May the Lord grant them healing and also repentant hearts that will never be fooled into treating human life lightly again. God bless them.

Clare McCullough

Having Your Baby Scanned Can Help Us Save Lives!

Now London based women who are between 5 and 13 weeks of pregnancy can help to save lives by having a dating scan at Good Counsel's Pregnancy Centre to help us train our Ultrasonographers. We urgently need women at this stage of pregnancy to act as scan "models" for our trainees.

Ultrasound Scans are one of those mixed blessings. Routinely used to detect and exterminate those whom society deems "imperfect", the flipside of ultrasound is that crisis pregnancy centres report that as many as 90% of abortion-minded women change their mind after seeing a scan of their baby.

The Good Counsel Network is seeking to redress the balance here in London - where scan technology is so often used against life - by offering a scan to all abortion-minded women we see. In order to get this service up and running, we are training some volunteers to do the scans.

Some of our mums who are keeping their babies are already participating by volunteering to be scanned but we need many more.

All participants will get to see their baby on the free scan, will get a free picture of their baby and their travel expenses will be refunded. You will only be asked to have one scan.

All scans will be supervised by a Consultant who is an expert in Ultrasound.

If you would like to have a scan and help save lives at the same time, call us as soon as possible on 02077231740 to book in.

More on David Aron's Walk

Above, David on the right at the Good Counsel Stall at Hyde Park during the Papal Visit last year


Left, David Aron after attending Good Counsel's Mass in London on Friday, after his 184 mile Thames PathWalk for Good Counsel. He also attended the Good Counsel Vigil at the Whitfield St Abortuary that morning!

The Reluctant Sinner has a nice post about David Aron's walk and his arrival in London last night. Well done David and we hope you have got your feet up tonight!
It was a long, hard, often lonely walk and we really appreciate the hard work and the funds raised.

It's not too late to help David reach his sponsorship target. Please click here to donate.

David Aron 184 Mile Sponsored Walk for Good Counsel Finishes Today

David Aron aims to complete his 184 mile along the Thames Path Walk to raise money for the work of the Good Counsel Network today.

David began his walk on Friday 7th October. He plans to attend the Old Rite mass for the Good Counsel Network this evening at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane in Central London.

He has walked about 25 miles a day to complete the walk and has had to carry his sleeping bag, tent etc.
Please sponsor David, and help us to protect more babies by giving support, friendship, food and housing to more expectant Mothers by clicking on to his JustGiving page.

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Have a Blessed Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Prayer To Our Lady of the Rosary

O Virgin Mary, grant that the recitation of thy Rosary may be for me each day, in the midst of my manifold duties, a bond of unity in my actions, a tribute of filial piety, a sweet refreshment, an encouragement to walk joyfully along the path of duty. Grant, above all, O Virgin Mary, that the study of thy fifteen mysteries may form in my soul, little by little, a luminous atmosphere, pure, strengthening, and fragrant, which may penetrate my understanding, my will, my heart, my memory, my imagination, my whole being. So shall I acquire the habit of praying while I work, without the aid of formal prayers, by interior acts of admiration and of supplication, or by aspirations of love. I ask this of thee, O Queen of the Holy Rosary, through Saint Dominic, thy son of predilection, the renowned preacher of thy mysteries, and the faithful imitator of thy virtues. Amen.

Write A Letter To Mary

Mary Wagner who I have written about before here, has been jailed for 40 days (!) for her witness to unborn life. Representing herself in court, Mary chose to use the opportunity as a platform to declare the truth about the evil of abortion rather than defend herself against the charges.
Read about her here and why not send a letter to Mary thanking her for her witness.

Clare McCullough

Happy Birthday Blessed Mother!

Happy Birthday to Our Blessed Lady!

And a Happy Birthday also to my Mother, Rita -



beautiful day for a birthday, for such a beautiful person.

by Clare McCullough

Baby Clothes and Goods Still Urgently Needed

Don't forget we still need cots, pushchairs suitable for newborns, 0-6 months babyclothes, maternity clothes, especially size 18-20.
You can buy many of these items by shopping online via our amazon wishlist here.

Or we are happy to accept donations of good quality second hand items (only with all parts and all screws if a cot please), and cash donations, which are always helpful, are also particularly welcome this week! See our website for all the easy options for donating.

Many thanks, Clare McCullough

Urgent; Clothe the naked, Mothers and Babies Needing Clothes and Baby Things

I got the following note from Ronni, our dedicated volunteer, who gives up 3 days a week, and most of the rest of her time to helping Mothers in need. Our funds are at an all-time low, but we are busy enough that we now have lots of expectant and new Mums needing maternity and baby goods. So this is an urgent appeal for help with these goods:

Hi Clare,
Ann reminded me yesterday she asked for size 18 winter coat. She also needs size 7 to 8 winter shoes or boots.
Belinda asked last week and this week for large clothes, Her baby is due in October and she has no clothes to fit other than what she was wearing. Maternity size 20. We have almost no adult clothing. Belinda also asked if something could be done about her bed, hers is broken.
Serena needs a buggy, and was told by midwives to get breast pump.
Two other mums also need light buggies (as when you can't afford the train you travel everywhere by bus and big buggies don't get on the bus) suitable for newborns (Ed's note: i.e. they can recline lie flat not just sloping back).
We also urgently need at least 2 cots (with all the screws and parts).
Boys Baby Clothes: We are very short of 0 to 3 and 3 to 6 months old boys clothes and the few we have left are not in very good condition.
Ronni

Clare McCullough

New Proposals on Pregnancy Counselling; No Evidence To Suggest Lives Will Be Saved

See John Smeaton's excellent analysis of the New Proposals re Pregnancy Counselling which will be voted on on 6th Sept.

"Very Mary" - Rescuing those being dragged to death in Canada

Proverbs 24:10-12 is clear, "Rescue those who are being dragged to death"



The radiant Mary Wagner, a Toronto pro-lifer has been arrested (again) for going inside an abortuary to counsel women seeking abortion. You can read her story here on LifeSite news.



I love her friend's comment when asked what she looked like when being arrested, “she looked very ‘Mary,’ just saintly.”

Clare McCullough

Catholic Convert Steve Ray to speak in Westminster on Saturday

Spread the word: This SaturdayFamily of Faith UK Conference

13 August 2011 - 9.30am - Westminster Cathedral Hall, SW1P 1QJ Former Protestant Evangelist and now World Renowned Catholic Convert Steve Ray will be in the UK and speaking at a Day Conference at Westminster Cathedral Hall on Saturday 13 August from 9.30-5.30. Come and hear Steve's story and his unique and lively presentation of the beauty of the Catholic Faith.



Tickets £10 in advance, £15 on the door. Contact Family of Faith Tel: 020 3286 7989 E-mail: familyoffaithuk@gmail.com. For details about the conference programme see website: www.familyoffaithuk.wordpress.com.

The Good Counsel Network will have a stall at the Conference.



Steve's website is www.catholic-convert.com.

familyoffaithuk@gmail.com



Learn more about Steve Ray here

A Tweet From Pope Benedict XVI

H/t to American Papist Today the Vatican published www.News.Va. To celebrate, Pope Benedict sent out his first tweet

Father Corapi, Right or Wrong.

I don't believe in disobedience to Church authorities and superiors. It's also true that I don't always believe in the way the local Church authorites handle alleged cases of sexual impropriety - it is against all justice and wounds many innocent people. But learn more about that here. Sadly that isn't the root of the problem in this case.

I do believe Fr Corapi is in great need of prayer. Let us bear in mind the truths he preached fearlessly and pray for him. If we cannot be bothered to pray for him, let us blame ourselves for the state of the Church. Here's a sample of the heart and mind of the man himself, as a seminarian:
With all due tippings of the hat to The Eponymous Flower.
"I received a link via e-mail to a site that contains a letter sent by then seminarian John Corapi to a correspondent who had sent him a religious medal. The letter is really very frank and very telling, much more than a mere thank you note, it goes into the reasons for Corapi's vocation and his divinely inspired mission in the Church. Itis something that should be read in light of recent events. An excerpt below:
Before I ever heard of The Message of Garabandal The Mother of God, in a very personal way, made it known to me. She made me acutely aware of certain things concerning the Eucharist. These abuses I became aware of cause me much suffering. I often cry at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and I very often cry at night, not sleeping at all.
Whenever I would doubt this insight, almost immediately I would be given a sign to confirm that what I was feeling was correct. Some examples: (1) Seeing the priest at a church daily fail to Purify the Paten & Chalice and profanely disgarding the consecrated Host and Precious Blood down a drain! (2) Hearing homilies that state that no longer do we owe primary allegiance to the Pope, but rather to local Bishops who are more aware of our needs! (3) Listening to a Diocesan Vocation Director tell me that his Diocese would not be interested in Ordaining any man who was not open to Priests being able to marry and to serve a limited term as a Priest (Like an Army enlistment)! To say that I suffer to hear these things would be to say the least. However, there is a purpose to it all. My dear friend, the Mother of God, wants me to be aware of these dangers so that I can help her to wage war against the enemy. She has given me a vocation to the Priesthood so that I might help her to bring back holiness to her Son's Church and end these horrible abuses of the Eucharist.
There are many who do not wish to see me become a Priest because of my fierce loyalty to the Vicar of Christ and my outspoken defense of him and my condemnation of certain irreverent and even profane practices I see today. I have enemies because of this. So too did Our Beloved Saviour have enemies.
I have had to endure abuse and suffering because my views are now not popular with the local clergy. They call me a fanatic and say my views are outdated. Luckily, there are 3 archbishops (retired) who agree with me and protect me, gaining admittance for me to a good Orthodox Seminary where my views are generally shared.
I know very well that my vocation will be that of a soldier engaged in a mortal combat. There will be more and worse suffering for all of us to endure. That is fine, for, as we know, Our Blessed Lord did not tell us to take up a bed of Roses and follow him. He said to take up a CROSS and follow Him! By the Grace of Almighty God and the Holy assistance and intercession of Our Good Friend, The Mother of God, I shall do so!
Being a weak and miserable creature that I am, I am much in need of Prayer. Please pray for me that I might be all that Our Blessed Mother wishes me to be.

from SANCTE PATER by Vincenzo
by tantamergo

Today's Pro Ecclesia Conference Cancelled

The Pro-Ecclesia et Pontifice Conference in Westminster Central Methodist Hall today has been cancelled. Although replacement speakers had been booked, the Conference has now been cancelled outright by the management at the venue. For more information see Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice's own website here.

And spread the word to anyone you know.

What a shame that the Conference didn't go ahead with the original speaker, Cardinal Burke. We should probably keep everyone at PEEP in our prayers at what must have been a very difficult time for them.

Clare McCullough

Can You Put Your Money Where Our Mouth Is to Save 7 Lives?

This amazing and blessed week we have had SEVEN turnarounds from four different London abortuaries.

Anyone standing outside an abortuary will know that you can stand there for years without necessarily witnessing a turnaround (though many women change their minds that we may never know about).

To get a turnaround at all is a blessing, but 7 in one week is pretty amazing by any standards!

It has been a real blessing to us to be involved in talking to these women on the doorsteps of the abortuaries and being able to offer real tangible help and support.

Congratulations to Eddie, Kay, Josie and all the other faithful supporters of London abortuary vigils.

Now we have to deliver the goods - or rather provide the help we have offered. Can you help?

If you love life and support the Church's teaching on it, this is what we URGENTLY need to provide for these women and their children:

A low-rent 2 bed flat in North West London, for a couple being evicted because they refused to abort.

A 3 bed flat/house in Brent that will accept a DSS tenant.

Your financial support

Lots of prayers.

With your support we can really live the Church's teachings on building a civilization of love

Please spread the word.

Clare McCullough

Furniture Needed in Uxbridge to Help House the Unborn!

As we have blogged recently, we have had a great increase in girls coming to us. Many of them are very set on abortion originally, but many have gone on to choose life for their children after offers of moral support and practical help. Thanks be to God.

We have also written before on the scandal of homeless pregnant women who are not entitled to benefit (foreign students and workers for example as well as others) being left to sleep on the street. A growing problem for us here in London.

Our Mother's Home in North West London is always kept full, so we were delighted to find we have been offered the use of a property - not too far from Uxbridge, West London - where we hope to house a further 3 or 4 expectant and new Mothers and their children. A generous supporter has offered this and it is a great help at present, while we have many Mothers in urgent need of housing. However, it is offered on a temporary basis and we can be given 12 weeks notice to quit at any time. Therefore we would like to furnish it QUICKLY in as decent, but also as cheap a fashion as we can!

That's where you come in. Can you provide any of the following items or do you know anyone who can? If possible we are looking for help from people who live near that area or who can deliver to that area. The requested items are :


Single beds
A sofa bed
A couple of arm chairs
A couple of hard chairs
Bedside tables/cabinets
Portable Heater
Single Duvets
Bedclothes
Net curtains and heavy curtains: sizes needed -1 pair 10 foot wide and minimum 6 foot drop
2 pairs 8 foot wide and 7 foot drop. 1 pair 5 foot wide and minimum 5 foot drop. 3 matching pairs 2 of which are 5 foot wide and minimum 6 foot drop.
Child safety gate
Bedside Lamps
Pictures
Pots and pans for the kitchen


We also welcome anyone in the area who could do a spot of painting or gardening and if you know of a good local electrician or plumber that would be very helpful too.


We also have Mothers who have just moved in to accomodation in North London and East London who would welcome some help with furniture too.


Please get in touch if you can help: 02077231740 or info@goodcounselnetwork , and please, please spread the word.
St Rita, patroness of hopeless causes, on your feast day, pray for us!

Clare McCullough

In the end my Immaculate Heart will Triumph: Pro-Life Vigil & Consecration to Mary, Central London 28th May 2011

In case anyone doubts the words of Our Blessed Lady at Fatima that if her instructions were not followed, "various nations will be anihilated", Monsignor Reilly's comments at his recent brilliant talk in London, that there have been 400 million forced abortions in China. A beautiful answer to the current worldwide abortion situation is the Pro-Life Vigil organised by Daniel Blackman involving a Consecration to Our Lady and offered in reparation to her Immaculate Heart coming up next Saturday in London. Here are the details:

Pro-life vigil in honour of Our Lady
28th May 2011

Consecration and reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary & prayers for an end to abortion, in May the month especially dedicated to Our Lady & to honour the work of Blessed Pope John Paul II in building a culture of Life!

Prayer vigil outside BPAS abortion clinic 26-27 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HP
Start 8.30am. Ends 1pm.

Full police cooperation.
You may join for all or part of the vigil.

Contact Daniel Blackman: daniel-40days@hotmail.co.uk

Edified by his Example, Pope Benedict on Pope John Paul II

The final words of Pope Benedict's homily at the Beatification of Pope John Paul II:
Finally, on a more personal note, I would like to thank God for the gift of having worked for many years with Blessed Pope John Paul II. I had known him earlier and had esteemed him, but for twenty-three years, beginning in 1982 after he called me to Rome to be Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, I was at his side and came to revere him all the more. My own service was sustained by his spiritual depth and by the richness of his insights. His example of prayer continually impressed and edified me: he remained deeply united to God even amid the many demands of his ministry. Then too, there was his witness in suffering: the Lord gradually stripped him of everything, yet he remained ever a “rock”, as Christ desired. His profound humility, grounded in close union with Christ, enabled him to continue to lead the Church and to give to the world a message which became all the more eloquent as his physical strength declined. In this way he lived out in an extraordinary way the vocation of every priest and bishop to become completely one with Jesus, whom he daily receives and offers in the Eucharist.

Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God’s people. Amen

Pharmacists Forced to be Agents of the Culture of Death

H/T to Fathers Stephen and John Boyle for this article from The Pharmaceutical Journal. It's a great article and a little miracle that it got printed by PJ.

More sex please! We’re pharmacists
Wed, 27/04/2011 - 13:41
RoseMary Baker, pharmacist from Wirral, Merseyside

Chocolate bars on the medicines counter? I think not. Cigarettes next to the nicotine replacement therapy? No way. Wines and spirits on the gondola next to the waiting area? I hardly think so. Lottery tickets? Perhaps.

As pharmacists we have an obligation to uphold lifestyle standards appropriate to good health. We are urged not to sell confectionery. Why? Do our customers not have the right to choose to become obese or loose their teeth? Many people eat chocolate sensibly and sometimes sweets may be a necessity for someone with diabetes and yet pharmacists consider it a professional responsibility to protect those who would abuse the situation.

Everyone knows the dangers of smoking and no pharmacist would want to sell tobacco products. The supply of reefers as part of addiction treatment is an ethical dilemma many would wish to avoid. Pharmacies throughout Britain make a great contribution to the anti-smoking campaign and there can be few people in Britain who are not aware of the possible consequences of smoking.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society recognises that some pharmacies do sell alcohol but advises that those who do so must provide educational information on alcohol abuse.

So, all in all, you might well say that pharmacy as a profession does a good job in educating the public on the interface between pleasure and health.

Quite right, too. We are health professionals with a duty to encourage our customers to live healthily. We provide lots of leaflets on giving up smoking, eating sensibly and keeping within the recommended limits of alcohol consumption. We are happy to spend time counselling on nicotine replacement or healthy eating. We think up new ways of encouraging people to take more exercise or cut down on fats; we warn people of the likelihood of developing diabetes if they are overweight; we terrify them with statistics on cardiovascular problems and cancer.

But what about sex? Well now, that is different. Oh yes, we do display leaflets on how to have safe sex or where to go if you need an abortion. In Wales we can provide post-coital contraceptives free of charge without the necessity of obtaining a prescription from a doctor. Are we being as fair to the public about sex as we are about smoking or eating sweets or drinking alcohol? Do we highlight the failure rate of contraceptives or do we couch the true failure rate in terms like “if used effectively”. Do we shout from the rooftops the fact that many progesterone only pills are likely to fail if the dose is more than three hours late? Have we fought for a Government health warning on condoms which says “this product is likely to fail if you have never used a condom before and you are fumbling around in the dark at the back of the youth club”? Do we help to punch home the truth that sexually transmitted infections really are transmitted sexually, are highly unpleasant and often lead to infertility later in life?

Truth
If we as pharmacists really want to contribute to the sexual health of the nation we should be fighting for greater truth to be told regarding contraceptive failure and the consequences of that failure. We should be spreading the news that there is some chance of failure with all contraceptives and that failure leads to a baby for life or an abortion, the memory of which will surely stay for a lifetime. Survey after survey has shown that pharmacists are considered to be accessible and respected for their knowledge of health matters, so why are we failing the public, especially the young public, in the area of sexual health?

Why are we as a profession going along with the lie that postcoital contraception is not abortifacient. Someone, and I do not know who, decided that pregnancy does not begin until an embryo is implanted in the lining of the uterus. How can that be? As scientists we should recognise, that a new life form, genetically distinct from either parent, comes into existence when the sperm and ovum fuse. Once that new life form exists, call it what you will, to destroy it is an abortifacient action. Some may not consider that important but we should be telling people the facts so that they can make their own ethical decision.

We tell people half-heartedly about sexually transmitted diseases but encourage wider availability of postcoital contraception and kid ourselves that such supply does not encourage irresponsible behaviour. When passions are running high would not the prospect of buying a tablet in the morning seem more acceptable than breaking the mood while a condom is applied?

Pharmacists who oppose the availability of post-coital contraception over the counter are branded as, at best, kill-joys and more often, religious bigots. In actual fact these pharmacist are the ones who have their minds tuned to the reality of the situation.

The teenage pregnancy statistics for the UK are terrifying. What are we as a profession doing about it? We just find ways of making the morning after pill ever more widely available instead of spreading the word that sex, far more than chocolate and alcohol, needs to be treated with restraint and respect.