First I thank each and every one of you for being involved in the 40 Days for Life, whether it was prayer from home or at PP. Lives and hearts were changed.
2. Continue to pray in front of Planned Parenthood. After this Saturday, Mass will be held on Sat. mornings at 9:30 a.m. (Divine Mercy Chaplet at 7:30, rosary at 8) (This Sat., the 7th, Mass is at 8, rosary after Mass)
3. Sign up to pray upstairs in the Adoration Chapel/Esther prayer room at the Old Colorado City Pregnancy Center. I will send out a sign up sheet as soon as it gets organized.
4. Fill out our survey to help us to organize the next 40 Days for Life. The survey is only 10 questions long and takes just a couple of minutes. Go to
5. Make a donation to Maternity of Mary. They currently have 4 pregnant moms and 4 transitional moms. Their mailing address is:
Maternity of Mary P.O. Box 5354, Colorado Springs, CO 80931.
6. URGENT!! THEY WILL VOTE ON SATURDAY!! Call your senators and representatives to let them know that you do not want abortion to be funded in the health care plan. The way it reads now, it IS! Ask them to put in a clause that states abortion will not be funded (or something to that effect). It is very important to call!!
Our senators in Colo. are:
Michael Bennet 202-224-5852
Mark Udall 202-224-5941
Go to http://www.house.gov/ to find your representative
7. If you feel called to sidewalk counseling or just want to know more about it, please call Stephanie:
If you are interested in knowing more about sidewalk counseling come to the next 'introductory class' on Saturday, November 21, Noon- 2:30 at the Pikes Peak Citizens for Life office (707-R North Nevada Ave.) Call me at 481-4355 or e-mail me to reserve a seat.
God's Blessings: Fall 40 Days for Life Miracles
*2 babies were saved, most likely many more
*Hundreds of faithful vigil participants gave of themselves to help the unborn
*Two priests and a deacon, faithfully celebrated Mass on Saturday mornings with Fr. Bill
*The Latin Rite priest, Fr. Dupre, led many of his parishoners in prayer every Friday. He instructed the men to form a circle around the women and children, men on the outside, women and children on the inside. (What a statement! These men were willing to protect their families from any harm, whereas many of the men going into the abortion clinic dropped their wife and unborn child off and left to pick them up after the harm was done. What a contrast. )
*Barb became the local Silent No More leader. She stood out there many times during the 40 Days for Life. There were positive responses from local people. We discovered that when she was out there, people weren't angry as they sometimes are. People were understanding and they were more open. Some people stopped to talk. I think some people realized that the pray-ers weren't out there to judge them, but to help. I had noticed in previous 40 Days for Life campaigns that there was something missing in our 40 Days for Life campaigns, and this was it...someone to stand up and comfort the women (and men) who'd had abortions, someone who understood, someone who had been there. Barb was that someone.
*As I say every time, so many lives were changed. So many hearts were changed. We will only know when we get to heaven how many.
*A schedule is now being drawn up to have someone in the Adoration Chapel praying all hours that the Pregnancy Center is open.
Of course we remember the many heartbreaks we had, seeing mothers and fathers going in that we couldn't stop...seeing mothers come out after the abortion had been performed...seeing heartbroken fathers who had tried to talk their wives/girlfriends out of having an abortion...seeing the abortion staff go back to work each day, as if it were a regular job...and we pray for all of them. May they know God's mercy, feel God's love, and experience conversion...before the day of justice.
I have noticed in each campaign, there have been some major blessings that kind of stand out that we can see and experience. Each time is somewhat different and yet the same in some ways. After our first campaign, the Old Colorado City Pregnancy Center was opened across the street from Planned Parenthood. In the second campaign, we knew of babies that were saved where in the first one, we didn't know of any. In the third campaign, we found out more babies who had been saved and also opened up a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in the pregnancy center. Also, Douglas taught sidewalk counseling and Stephanie started a monthly sidewalk couseling training. In this campaign that just ended, we found out more babies had been saved and Barb and another young woman began witnessing for Silent No More. In every campaign, lives were changed, including the vigil participants, those driving by, and people going in. Only God will know how many lives, for He is the One who changes hearts, we are only the hands and feet and voice doing His will on earth. Let us continue to be God's voice for those who have no voice, the weakest and most innocent among us. Let us continue to bring God's mercy to those who have had abortions and need healing. Let us bring God's love to the abortion workers so they will have a change of heart. May God bless you all abundantly!
10-14-09
I went out to PP to pray today. There were 5 wonderful women who were there praying. They asked me to join them. It never ceases to amaze me how going out there to pray really touches a person's heart. I have prayed at home, but for me at least, it never has as much impact as actually being there. When I see the women go in and come out of that place of death, it just breaks my heart and touches me so much.
If you haven't been out there haven't gone yet, please consider going out there to pray. You won't be sorry.
10-3-09
Their eyes were downcast. Their shoulders hunched over. They weren't side by side; he walked down the sidewalk first and she followed him. He was quite handsome and she was very beautiful, but they were so sad. They had such a weight they were carrying. I'm not sure why they were going in for an abortion, but you could tell they didn't want to do it. I offered them help, which they declined without glancing up, perhaps afraid that if they did look up that they would change their minds or perhaps they were ashamed that they were actually going in to the place of death. They were probably around 21 years old. Oh how I prayed that they would change their minds. I went home and asked my children to send their guardian angels to go and whisper in the ears of this couple, that somehow their minds would be changed. Of course all abortions bother me, every person who goes in there, but for some reason this couple touched me more than most. Perhaps they were college students who needed to finish their degrees. Perhaps they had just been told that their child was deformed or had Down's syndrome. How I longed to tell them that all those things won't matter after their baby is born! Don't they know how much joy this child will bring them? Don't they know how precious she will be to them? Doesn't Daddy know that his little girl's smile will just melt his heart! Don't they know if they just let her be born, in the future they will just shiver in terror that they almost aborted her? They will never have another child like her if they go through with this. There may be other children perhaps, but not her. She is destined to do great things. She is destined to love much.
Please pray for this couple who went in to PP today. I pray that they didn't go through with it.
9-28-09
Here are updates from the weekend...
For another incredible story, visit http://lifevictorio
This is from one of our vigil participants...I have removed the names she sent me...40 Days just started and see how many blessings we have already!
Just a little update about yesterday on the sidewalk. We had a pretty good turnout for the entire day. Some folks stopped by that I wasn't expecting.
1) A lady walking on the sidewalk stopped to chat with me. She was shocked PP did abortions there. I gave her a 40 Days for Life brochure and put your phone number on it. She wants to get her church more involved.
2) a lady who apparently comes in the afternoon on her own to pray the rosary wants to help get her parish more involved. She also wants to know more about sidewalk counseling so will put her name down for November.
3) A young man stopped his car on the street and told one of the pray-ers that his girlfriend became pregnant and wanted an abortion. He was able to talk her out of it and she delivered a baby boy. He got custody but was not able to care for him. The baby was adopted in an open adoption and he has contact with his little 2 year old son. He said he was also able to talk another friend out of her abortion. He said thanks to us for being there.
4) Finally, please ask the 40 Days folks to pray for the baby and for the 15 year old, abortion-minded, high school student who came with her anxious, embarrased mother yesterday morning to PP. She was 6 weeks pregnant. Her mother agreed to an ultrasound at PP but had the courage to go to OCCPC afterwards so her daughter could hear about all the alternatives and the repercussions of the decision she was to make. ( She wasn't willing to forgo the PP ultrasound appointment, even though she was told she could have it for free across the street.) I had the feeling the daughter had no idea of the gravity of the situation as she was smiling when she was going into PP and then when she came out with her mom after the ultrasound and then again when she came over to the Pregnancy Center. They agreed to drive over and meet me over. It was like it was all unreal to her or maybe it was just a defense mechanism. The good sign, even though we don't know the outcome, was that they were there for nearly 1 1/2 hours with the OCCPC staff. Pray, also, for the mother of this teen who knows abortion is wrong and that it is a life. Ask for her courage to stand strong in her convictions, to have the perseverance and patience to help her daughter see past this crisis- as difficult as it seems now. Just my observation, but I think the fact that we were there on the sidewalk (quite a few praying at that time) gave the mother who was feeling a alot of shame about the situation some encouragement. What an awesome blessing to have the Pregnancy Center across the street and OPEN when we needed it most!
Additionally, we were blessed to have Barbara with her Silent No More sign " I Regret My Abortion" standing right at the driveway. A gentleman came to the sidewalk (not from my parish but someone whom I have seen before) and knelt in prayer at the end of the sidewalk on West Colorado with the sign about Lost Fatherhood. They and others who will eventually join them will be a very powerful voice in the weeks and months to come. How fortunate we are to have their witness. Jane Brennan ( author of Motherhood Inturrupted) is planning on coming down from Denver on Saturday, October 10th to join Barbara on the sidewalk for a few hours. When I know more we'll get the word out.
9-24-09
The 40 Days Kick Off here in the Springs was very inspiring! Bishop Sheridan celebrated Mass and gave an encouraging homily on our first day of prayer and fasting for 40 days. There were between 50-75 people enduring the cold to be there. Earlier in the day, it had been snowing!
Already, only the second day of praying, there is a story to tell from a faithful pro-life brother...
--I was out at pp this morning from 8:30 until almost 10:00 and I wanted to let you know that an African American couple we spoke to left the building shortly after going in. I believe this may be a significant event because the man had tears in his eyes as he left. I gave him a card with contact info for life network and informed him they had a center across the street able to meet their needs. Please pray for this couple and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. We also encountered a rather angry woman who was post abortive. I spoke to her but felt the conversation was more confrontational than I wanted it to be. Pray that God would give me and all of us the right words to speak when we are confronted.--
9-21-09
Are you Ready? Its almost time! Let's say a prayer together,
Dearest Father in heaven, we offer to You, these 40 days. We offer You our prayers, our sufferings, our sacrifices, our joys. We thank You Father, for the gifts You have already given us. We ask You to bless and protect all the vigil participants, in our city and those participating around the world. Keep them safe so that they will be able to further Your work and do Your will in helping to promote the sanctity of life. Send Your holy angels to protect those taking a stand at this place of death. We ask that You bless the mothers and fathers who are considering abortion so that they will have a change of heart. We ask you to bless those who have had abortions so that they will accept Your forgiveness and mercy. We ask that You help them be able to forgive themselves. We ask the Holy Spirit to touch hearts and minds. We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.
8-05-09
As we prepare for the 40 Days for Life in the fall, I ask all of you to keep the leaders and organizers of all of the efforts across the U.S. and Canada in your prayers. Pray that we first and formost do God's will and listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pray that we follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ in all we do. It is only then that we see hearts changed and lives saved.