By Joanne of Arc for Quebec Life Coalition — Photo : Unsplash

A nurse at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal informed Quebec Life Coalition that late-term abortions, i.e. at 21 weeks gestation or more, are performed on a "weekly" basis at this famous Montreal hospital. 

According to the hospital's website, the hospital was founded in 1934 and is considered a teaching hospital that is one of the largest and busiest acute care hospitals in the province. 

A nurse at the hospital, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted us after realizing that an abortion had taken place in her workplace at 24 weeks of pregnancy for the eugenic reason of having Down syndrome.  

"I work at the Jewish General Hospital as a nurse. Last week, I discovered that there was a woman 24 weeks pregnant with a child with Down syndrome who was in the case room for a "therapeutic abortion". I was devastated to see such a late-term abortion take place at my workplace. Because I was so upset, I asked Brian [Vice President of Quebec Life Coalition - ed.] to pray for this child and his mother. Unfortunately, the abortion took place and I still pray that the woman will realize the atrocity that happened and seek healing through God's mercy" shares the nurse.  

"I saw another "therapeutic abortion" on the schedule this week at 33 weeks, it happened again, I never realized before how often they take place" - Photo: Unsplash

She adds, "I had heard before that abortions take place at the hospital where I work, obviously, but for the most part I was under the impression that they take place at a less advanced stage, at less weeks, not to say it's better, but the procedure is much less complicated at less weeks. I thought the hospital did them up to 8 weeks, but I learned through a colleague that late-stage abortions also take place in the case room and that we have to respect that..." 

She also sadly added, "I saw another therapeutic abortion on the schedule this week at 33 weeks, it happened again, I never realized previously how often they happen." 

After our interview, the nurse reported to me that according to her co-worker, these "procedures" occur on a weekly basis.  

She concluded, "What I find frightening is that this child was aborted at 24 weeks at the hospital where I work while we have an excellent intensive care unit and we have so many babies at 24 or 27 weeks who are living because of this intensive care that we provide! So it's stupefying. If the patient wants to keep the baby, we do everything we can to keep the baby alive. We put it in an incubator, we give it oxygen and even a tube to feed it. We do so many interventions because the mother wants to keep the child. But, if the mother suddenly decides she wants an abortion (at 21 weeks or more), that's what we end up doing. "

Samuel David at 9 months old with the 3 other children and his family

By Joanne of Arc (Quebec Life Coalition) - Photo: Catherina David

Catherina David is a stay at home mom of four kids who contacted us to share the beautiful testimony of her youngest child, Samuel David. She reached out to us at first for prayer and support on her pregnancy journey. Today, she wants to share with us, in detail, how her story unveiled. She discovered she was pregnant at almost 9 weeks into her pregnancy while she was moving from Quebec to Ontario.

She was very excited and happy about her new pregnancy initially. Her doctor asked her to do an additional test when she was 5 months pregnant, through which she learned that her baby had trisomy 21 (Down syndrome).

After having delivered three perfectly healthy children, it was certainly a big shock to her. She admits that she was devastated and didn't know how to react. She cried the whole day when she found out the news, and then the whole week after it.

When she met with her doctor after learning the news, he said to her “I leave it up to you whether you want to keep the baby, if you want to continue the pregnancy or if you want to terminate it we will make it as easy as possible for you, but you will have to go to the hospital and have a regular childbirth delivery”.

She went to the Jewish General hospital for the abortion, before she decided to change her mind and keep the baby. Catherina, was guided by her faith and a dream she believes was from God that helped her resist the temptation to end the life of her child.

Michael and Barbara, participants of the Vigil 365 - Photo: Joanne of Arc

By Joanne of Arc for Quebec Life Coalition

We hear a lot about the importance of creating good habits for a healthy and balanced life, such as taking a walk, eating well or going to bed at the same time. For most of us, we put a lot of effort into having a better quality of life. But how many people really care about life? I am referring to life at one of its most vulnerable stages: at the moment of conception.

Every morning of the year, a Vigil is held near the Berri-UQAM metro station. It was initiated in February 2020 by its organizer Brian Jenkins. People meet to pray for life and honor the unborn. In this case, it is not just a weekly good habit, but an important discipline in their spiritual lives.

In addition to praying together, the participants of the Vigil are often approached for a discussion. Sometimes, the people that are passing by are open-minded and want to understand what the participants are saying, at other times the discussions are rather difficult or even turn into personal accusations.

I had the opportunity to attend Vigil 365 and observe the interactions that took place during one morning this week. The participants also took a moment to chat with me and explain their motivations.

Michael attends the Vigil because he believes abortion is a grave injustice. He shared this with me: "There are many injustices that take place around the world, but most of them don't happen where I live. So this is something I can and should be involved in where I live. "

As to why the group chose this hectic location to pray, he tells me, "This corner we're on is kind of a contradiction in itself. There is an abortion clinic at the end of this street, around the other corner is UQAM University which is one of the most liberal universities in Montreal, and on the other side is the gay village which promotes promiscuity."

Ironically, there is also the beautiful Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes chapel in front of the UQAM University building, adorned with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary, which is in the center of all this activity.

The Life Chain, a pro-life demonstration organized in Montreal on Sunday, October 2nd near the Namur metro station.

By Joanne of Arc (Quebec Life Coalition) - Photo: Joanne of Arc

On Sunday afternoon, October 2nd, Quebec Life Coalition organized an annual event called the Life Chain.

Each year, on the first Sunday of October, pro-life activists gather to form anti-abortion prayer chains in Canada and the United States. Their goal is to share a message in support of the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. In Montreal, the Life Chain has been organized since 1991, while in the United States it began in 1987. In 1990, Campaign Life Coalition began this activity in Canada.

Sunday's demonstration in Montreal took place near the Namur metro station, at the corner of Décarie Boulevard and Jean-Talon Street. On that sunny day, the group numbered about 20 people, both men and women, holding signs with messages in French and English such as:

• "Abortion kills children"
• "Yes to adoption"
• "Jesus forgives and heals"
• "Pray for an end to abortion"

Many wonder whether common sense has left all senior officials in Quebec.

Fortunately, the head of a OB\gyn group has shown that some sense has not left Quebec.

We are preparing for our tenth (twice per year) 40 Days for Life prayer vigil for the end of abortion. This year it is set to begin September 25. For 40 consecutive days we will pray peacefully across the street from the Morgentaler abortuary on Saint Joseph Blvd, East.

In today's emails, I received a letter from Steve Lopez (pictured below) of Spiritus Films on the topic of praying outside abortion mills. I reproduce it here below as a run up for our vigil.

Hi folks,

It's interesting that it often takes a tragedy for God's people to begin praying. For example, I recently found out that my mother had been diagnosed with stage III breast cancer and the first thing I did was pray for God's spirit to comfort her and for His will to be done in her life -- and hopefully that includes healing the cancer so that she can complete her mission to serve Him.

I know that prayer works from my own lack of faith in it.

And I'm sharing this true story in the hopes that it will motivate you to become a prayer warrior outside of your local abortuary. Your prayers are heard and they change the lives of mothers and fathers... and sometimes they change the hearts of an entire city.

God shouldn't have to appear to all of us in a dream and admonish us to pray. He should only have to do it once so that the world can learn from that one shining example. Please share the attached story far and wide. And make sure your pastors read it and share it with their congregations. And encourage them to join the fall 40 Days for Life prayer vigil: www.40daysforlife.com

Please consider posting it to your Facebook page and twitter account. And encourage your friends to do the same. This one prayer warrior was spared so that we could see the light!

Here is the url to post it on your social media pages: http://www.scribd.com/doc/163818593/The-Power-of-Prayer

I look forward to hearing how your prayers were answered!

-Steve

www.spiritusfilms.com

 

 

For additional information, call (514) 344-2686 or (438) 930-8643.

Dear friends of life,

What a wonderful weekend!

Eight Crossroads walkers hiked into town this past Friday, bringing their faith and joy for life along with them, and shared many great moments with them.

On Friday, the five young ladies and three men arrived to attend the monthly pro-life prayer group at Saint-Sylvain parish in Duvernay, Laval. After adoration and mass, we got to know each other in the rectory over pizza and fruit.

The next day was filled with activities. I met the group after an early morning mass at Saint-Joseph oratory and we proceded from there to walk to the Morgentaler mill via the Mont-Royal Cross.

The walk lasted about 90 minutes - following Côte-des-Neiges to Remembrance road and then the trail that runs atop the mountain until we arrived at the cross. After a little break, we continued along a series of trails in the woods on the east side of the park. In short time we arrived at the mill on Saint-Joseph Blvd. East and for about an hour the group prayed.

In time, pro-life supporters arrived and joined in. Afterwards a picnic was set up and games played and conversation shared.

On Saturday evening and Sunday morning, the eight visited parish in both Montreal and Laval. Five parishes had agreed to invite them to share their experience about walking across Canada for the cause of the unborn. At Holy Name of Jesus parish in Laval, pastor Peter Sabbath welcomed Lucy and Mariana. After the mass, they presented a message about the importance of prayer as well as supporting and participating in pro-life activities such the bi-annual 40 Days for Life prayer vigils for the end of abortion.

Finally, their stay here ended with a festive evening at their host families. Three homes welcomed the eight walkers - 2 in Laval and 1 in N.D.G. In the photo below, we see the three men and on this evening Lucy and Mariana at the home of the Cacchiones, hosts for the men. Seen below with Mariana and Lucy are walkers Daniel, Kelly, and Ian (from left to right) along with Michel and his wife Lise.

Crossroads walks have been organized in five countries worldwide. In addition to Canada and the United States, there have been walks in Ireland, Spain, and Australia. Clic here for more information.

 Little over a week ago, Catholic Ireland passed legislation permitting abortions.

What happenned?

In "Conscience, a last bulwark against totalitarianism", Vincent Twomey argues that failure within the clergy educational system lead many within the priestly class to remain silent or acquiesce to this shift in values.

The kind of fundamental moral theology taught in seminaries in recent decades is one that, contrary to church teaching, denies there are any moral actions, even abortion, that are intrinsically wrong. The moral evaluation of an action depends rather on motive and circumstance. Such a theology also distinguishes between the moral and legal/political spheres, allowing Catholic politicians to put politics above their “private” moral convictions. This theology, though widespread, is radically at variance with church teaching.

For a background article about these events in Ireland, click here.

Does it ever seem to you that animals enjoy more protection than the unborn child?

As I go through the daily email offerings and surf the world wide web, I get this impression quite regularly.

The same seems to be the case for a Finnish medical doctor turned politician who raised the question in a public forum resulting in much turmoil.

Paivi Rasanen, Finish Interior Minister and leader of the nordic country's Christian Democratic Party, made some audacious comments, including referring to abortion as "butchery."

Also, she stated that "animals may not be slaughtered in a painful manner, but it’s not permitted to even discuss the painfulness of abortion." 

A full story may be read here.