Dear Friends... Editorial selected by Fr. Stuart Chipolina
Artwork: Visitation of Mary - Rogier van der Weyden
...look to Mary as our model
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hen Pope Francis celebrated the Mass right at the end of the Marian Jubilee as part of the celebrations for the Year of Mercy, he spoke to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square saying that, “we are given a model, indeed the model, to whom we can look: Mary, our Mother.”
The Pope also stressed the importance of gratitude, saying “to be able to offer thanks, to be able to praise the Lord for what he has done for us: this is
important!” The Holy Father’s words are a valuable meditation for us at this time in Gibraltar: “The Gospel [cf. Lk. 17, 1119] invites us to acknowledge God’s gifts with wonder and gratitude. On the way to his death and resurrection, Jesus meets ten lepers, who approach him, keep their distance and tell their troubles to the one whom their faith perceived as a possible saviour: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (v. 13). They are sick and they are looking someone to heal them. Jesus responds by telling them to go and present themselves to the priests, who according to the Law were charged with certifying presumed healings. In this way, Jesus does not simply
make them a promise; he tests their faith. At that moment, in fact, the ten were not yet healed. They were restored to health after they set out in obedience to Jesus’ command. Then, rejoicing, they showed themselves to the priests and continued on their way. They forgot the Giver, the Father, who cured them through Jesus, his Son made man. All but one: a Samaritan, a foreigner living on the fringes of the chosen people, practically a pagan! This man was not content with being healed by his faith, but brought that healing to completion by returning to express his gratitude for the gift received. He recognized in Jesus the true Priest, who raised him
up and saved him, who can now set him on his way and accept him as one of his disciples. To be able to offer thanks, to be able to praise the Lord for what he has done for us: this is important! So we can ask ourselves: Are we capable of saying “Thank you”? How many times do we say “Thank you” in our family, our community, and in the Church? How many times do we say “Thank you” to those who help us, to those close to us, to those who accompany us through life? Often we take everything for granted! This also happens with God. It is easy to approach the Lord to ask for something, but to return and give thanks... That is why Jesus so emphasizes the failure
of the nine ungrateful lepers: “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Lk. 17:17-18). On this Jubilee day, we are given a model, indeed the model, to whom we can look: Mary, our Mother. After hearing the message of the Angel, she lifted up her heart in a song of praise and thanksgiving to God: “My soul magnifies the Lord...” Let us ask our Lady to help us recognize that everything is God’s gift, and to be able to say “Thank you”. Then our joy will be complete. It also takes humility to be able to give thanks. In the first reading we heard the singular story of
Naaman, the commander of the army of the King of Aram (cf. 2 Kg 5:14-17). In order to be cured of his leprosy, he accepts the suggestion of a poor slave and entrusts himself to the prophet Elisha, whom he considered an enemy. Naaman was nonetheless ready to humble himself. Elisha asks nothing of him, but simply orders him to bathe in the waters of the River Jordan. This request leaves Naaman perplexed, even annoyed. Can a God who demands such banal things truly be God? He would like to turn back, but then he agrees to be immersed in the Jordan and immediately he is cured. The heart of Mary, more than any other, is a humble heart, capable of accepting God’s gifts.
In order to become man, God chose precisely her, a simple young woman of Nazareth, who did not dwell in the palaces of
power and wealth, who did not do extraordinary things. Let us ask ourselves if we are prepared to accept God’s gifts, or prefer instead to shut ourselves up within our forms of material security, intellectual security, the security of our plans. Significantly, Naaman and the Samaritans were two foreigners. How many foreigners, including persons of other religions, give us an example of values that we sometimes forget or set aside! Those living beside us, who may be scorned and sidelined because they are foreigners, can instead teach us how to walk on the path that the Lord wishes. The Mother of God, together with Joseph her spouse, knew what it was to live far from home. She too was long a foreigner in Egypt, far from her relatives and friends. Yet her faith was able to overcome the difficulties. Let us cling to this simple faith of the Holy Mother of God; let us ask her that we may always come back to Jesus and express our thanks for the many benefits we have received from his mercy.” Pope Francis’ homily first published 9th October 2016 www.vatican.va
Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. S. Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi. Production Editor: A. Sargent: angela@europeaxess.com. Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is handdelivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 email: angela@europeaxess.com. Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration. The magazine is online at uponthisrock.gi. Cover Photo Credit: March for Life UK/Facebook
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LATER THIS MONTH...
Our Lady of Europe
Annual Procession
Wednesday 23 May 2018 6.30pm
The procession will start at St. Bernard’s Parish Church at 6.30pm and make its way down to the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe. Holy Mass will be Celebrated on arrival.
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lways a popular event in the Gibraltar church calendar, the Annual Procession of Our Lady of Europe has deep roots and great significance for the Catholic Community on the Rock.
In 1704, following the Capture of Gibraltar by an Anglo-Dutch fleet, almost all the Spanish population left the town. Some of the refugees built their houses by a chapel in Algeciras; in theory they were provisional buildings, since they hoped they would be able to return home to Gibraltar soon. However, with the passage of the time, the provisional settlement became the seed of a new town, the beginning of the modern Algeciras. The chapel gave shelter to the statue of Our Lady of Europe. A stone statue of the Virgin and the Child had been venerated in Gibraltar, in the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe since 1309 this
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was lost in 1333, after the Moors captured the Rock again. At the time of the Anglo Dutch capture, a wooden statue of the Virgin and Child was looted, broken up and its remains thrown out to sea. The pieces were recovered by a fisherman who found them floating in the Bay of Gibraltar and later delivered them to Fr. Juan Romero de Figueroa, the priest in charge at the Church of St. Mary the Crowned and St. Bernard in Gibraltar. Fr. Romero de Figueroa remained in the town after the capture and eventually took the pieces of the statue to Algeciras for safekeeping in the former Chapel of St. Bernard, which was dedicated then to Our Lady of Europe and named Chapel of Our Lady of Europe. The original statue was returned to Gibraltar in 1864 by Bishop Scandella, after restoration in Seville. The Shrine at Europa Point was out of bounds for the civilian population at that time, the area immediately surrounding the Shrine was developed for use as
Forces’ married quarters and a primary school. The refurbished Statue was given refuge at St. Joseph’s Church. In the 1960’s the British War Department set out to decommission a number of their military installations in Gibraltar including those at Europa Point. It was thanks to the good offices of Bishop John Farmer Healy, who, in the process of setting the properties of the Church on a solid legal footing, succeeded in brokering the return of the Shrine to the Church on the 17th October 1961. The keys were handed over in a quiet private ceremony. The building had seen use variously as a store and even a prison. Considerable work was required before the place would become worthy of the statue’s presence. On the 7th of October 1967 a detachment of soldiers and officers left St. Joseph’s Parish Church and carrying the statue in procession, returned it to the Shrine after 263 years. The building had undergone significant improvements
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thanks to Fr. Orfila, and others. It is this procession that we commemorate each year, the route has been pragmatically shortened for logistical purposes, now starting at St. Bernard’s Parish Church on Europa Road. Historical notes wiki and Charles Caruana History of Our Lady of Europe 2009. Photos 2015 © A. Sargent
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Behold
Christian Prayer
More about the famous artwork ‘The Angelus’
J
Time stood still that terrible day, over 2,000 years ago, at the time of his death as the earth did quake and darkness fell, yet these divine words reverberate still; “Behold thy Mother”. Simple words from a tortured dying man who cared enough not to leave us bereft and lonely. It was not enough that he had suffered the physical effects of the scourging and the immense pain this inflicted, he must have lost a lot of blood leaving him weak, before he ever came near the cross he was forced to carry. Roman crucifixion was a gruesome affair, prisoners were stripped naked and left to die with as little dignity as possible. Jesus had suffered and died for us but with incomparable love he left us in the care of his beloved mother, to be our mother too. What incredible compassion he had for us knowing the grief his
death would unleash. He dedicated Mary to us and us to her divine heart. Her heart was shredded with grief at the loss of her beloved son but she readily made room for us at her sons behest. We were not alone in this dark hour of need and have not been ever since, if only the love and benevolence in Mary’s heart could be accepted and understood. She is our divine mother and who could ever hope to fully comprehend the role of a mother, even those of us who are privileged to have been so blessed. We have experienced the joys and heartaches that go far beyond biology, for that is the easy part. Well I remember the sheer terror, yes, as well as the wonder and delight, but suddenly being responsible for a new life shook me with a reality check I had not anticipated. As the years evolved I came to realise that Mary too had to have spent her days looking after her family and home, cooking, cleaning, teaching, just ordinary every day things but done with great love for God. She walked this path before us, is walking it still and her loving heart invites us to walk with her, secure that she will lead us to the loving heart of Jesus.
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Perhaps it is time to touch base so to speak, reflect on what this means and re-engage with her divine heart which overflows with love for us and yes, a longing to lead us closer to her son. The opportunity beckons. May is the month dedicated to Mary, has been for centuries, yes, one whole month, not just a day, one whole month! May, that wonderful time “for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come” (Song of Solomon). This May month my reflection will centre on the Angelus. Do we say it much these days? I have no idea. It has been a long time part of Catholic life, traced back to 11th century Italy where, on hearing the bells ring out the faithful stop whatever they are doing and recite this simple yet beautiful prayer. “The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary ... and she conceived by the Holy Spirit”. The Angelus pays tribute to Mary’s role in the incarnation when she said ‘yes’ to God and to me this is the ultimate act of trust “be it done unto me according to thy word”. She was the perfect choice, born without original sin, her humility and sincerity awe inspiring. Growing up in the country these bells echo through the years for me, these bells whose chimes played a daily mystery in my young life. “At morn, at noon, at twilight dim” (Edgar
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Allan Poe). Do they still peal out their melodic call and if so, is it lost in the cacophony of modern living? In school and at home everything stopped for the few minutes it took to recite the Angelus, this ancient Marian prayer. Imagine in the midst of this rushed way of living which we embrace frantically, a few moments spent in this prayer, we do not know how much good we could do this weary world. Surely it is worth a few minutes to try? I remember St. John Paul II who held a special devotion to Our lady; “And look also the Blessed Virgin, standing by the cross of Jesus (Jn. 19:25) where she is given to us as our mother: she is our hope, the seat of true Wisdom.” – Rome, Italy, 1980 Pope Francis; “Mary is so closely united to Jesus because she received from Him the knowledge of the heart, the knowledge of faith, nourished by her experience as a mother and by her close relationship with her Son.” We have a wonderful opportunity this month of Mary to emulate her faith in her son, for she does not seek glory for herself but wants to lead us towards a more fulfilling life with him. We have a chance to renew and refresh our devotion to Mary and cherish Jesus’s act of love in his suffering; “Behold thy Mother”.
© Fr. Hugh Gillespie, SMM
thy Mother
ust before he died an ignominious death on the Cross, Jesus spoke these words “Behold thy Mother” and these three words have echoed through the centuries, through time and space to this day.
Anne Mesilio writes...
An oil on canvas by JeanFrançois Millet (1814-1875), The Angelus was painted between 1857 and 1859 In 1865, Millet said: “The idea for The Angelus came to me because I remembered that my grandmother, hearing the church bell ringing while we were working in the fields, always made us stop work to say the Angelus prayer for the poor departed”. So it was a childhood memory which was behind the painting. Alone in the foreground in a huge potato field, the workers take on a monumental quality. Their faces are left in shadow, while the light underlines their gestures and posture. The church bell tower which will have signalled the prayer time is highlighted against the horizon. Image ©RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski
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Marian’s Testimony
Bishop Carmel Zammit Appeal for Christians in the Holy Land By Murcadha O’Flaherty and Engy Magdy
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thirteen-year-old Christian girl, who held her dying father in her arms moments after a Cairo suicide bomb attack by Daesh (ISIS), has spoken about her heartbreaking experience. Marian Nabil Habib told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need about the “martyrdom” of her father, Nabil Habib, who was among 29 people killed by Daesh extremists in the capital on 11th December 2016. Mr Habib was working as a security guard at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Coptic Church, also known as El-Botroseya Church, where bombing took place. Describing her last moments with her father, she said: “I took off my jacket for his head to rest on. There were wounds across his entire body. His hand looked shattered, my hair got wet with his blood. “He was still alive and, looking me in the eyes, he told me to take care of my younger sister and brother and he gave me the keys to the church gate and to our apartment. “I will always remember his smile right before he died.” The 15-year-old teenager recalled feeling panic and confusion immediately after the explosion, Miss Habib said: “I rushed outside and found people running in all directions, screaming hysterically. “There was a scene of complete destruction, but still I did not know what had happened. “I asked about my father but nobody knew where he was. I continued looking for him, then,
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Before my father died,
at the entrance of the church, I found my father lying on the ground and bleeding heavily from his head.” Telling ACN about the events that led to the weekend attack, she said: “That Saturday evening, the suicide bomber had come to the church and asked dad about religious books, saying that he wanted to know more about Christianity, a deacon overheard the conversation and told the young man to come back the next morning at 10am.” “On Sunday morning, as soon as my father saw the young man he recognised him, the bomber was quickly making his way to the women’s pews, looking confused. “My father got on the phone with my uncle to tell him about the man, but quickly ended the call to give chase. Next, the suicide bomber blew himself up.”
Miss Habib described how her faith and the support of Church members had helped during her mourning.
She said: “Losing my dad put me in a state of shock for more than a month and a psychiatrist visited me. “Finally, it was God’s mercy, his consolation, which helped me recover. “I feel great comfort from God and I also got support from the Church, my friends, and many people around us... people from other countries and international bodies.” Talking about the impact of her 48-years-old father’s violent death, she said: “I do not feel scared now, but I still long for my father and my little brother
needs his hugs, we miss him very much. “I do not want to leave my country and the place where my father served and lived his whole life. All my memories of my father are here. “Despite the pain, my life has changed for the better. I feel stronger than before and I care more about my studies than ever before – the future no longer frightens me. “I have joined the church choir, which gives me inner peace, because it is one of the things that brings me closer to God.”
Referring to this new viewpoint in her life, she said: “My message to all those who suffer, and who might read my words – do not be afraid.
he gave me the keys to the church
Marian Nabil Habib and her mother, Mariam Salah Photo ©Aid to the Church in Need Right: St. Peter and St. Paul’s Coptic Church, Egypt Photo: Roland Unger, CCBY-SA Below: Victims of 11th December 2016 bomb attack at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Coptic Church, Egypt ©Aid to the Church in Need
“God is great and I ask everyone to pray for all people facing violence and hatred; we must pray for peace around the world.” She added: “That day was a watershed in my life and the life of my family... I will never forget the details of that day.” ACN supported the Church in Egypt with a total of 47 projects in 2017 including programmes for young Catholics as well as the formation of seminarians and priests. See details opposite for ways in which you can help their work.
May is a Marian Month
Bishop Kyrillos William with two Religious Sisters ©Aid to the Church in Need
Standing in front of a crucifix and a picture of her father with Jesus, Marian Nabil Habib, who is now 15, shows a picture of her family in happier times. Photo ©Aid to the Church in Need
Coptic Catholic Bishop Kyrillos William of Assuit, Egypt, aided by Religious Sisters, forms an important project partner with ACN working to support families like Marian’s ACN supported the Church in Egypt with a total of 47 projects in 2017 including programmes for young Catholics as well as the formation of seminarians and priests.
The world is largely silent in the face of Christian persecution. The scale of the problem is so great, silence is no longer acceptable. Persecuted Christians need YOU - and all of us! Together our prayers and actions can make a difference. You can PLEDGE YOUR SOLIDARITY by: • Praying ACN’s Prayer found in leaflets in your local Church, or your own prayers for Persecuted Christians in danger. • Sharing this article and Christian Persecution facts with others so that all understand the need.
More action is needed to protect Church communities in Egypt from attack, according to Coptic Catholic Bishop Kyrillos.
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Donation Details:
Bishop Carmel Zammit Lenten Appeal for‘Aid to the Church in Need’, Gibraltar International Bank, Account Name: ‘Trustees RCC/CAN’ Account Number: 00812022, Sort Code: 60-83-14.
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Kevin J. Jones reports
“Our defence of the
Unborn...
...needs to be clear, firm and passionate...”
T
he latest exhortation from Pope Francis has made headlines for its claims about the importance of defending the value of all human lives: the unborn, the poor, and the immigrant.
But Gaudete et exsultate’s broad emphasis isn’t an excuse for Catholics to avoid confronting the evil of abortion, several commentators told EWTN News. Greg Schleppenbach, associate director at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, said
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Pope Francis
the pope “warns against upholding an ideal of holiness that recognizes one form of injustice but ignores others.” “Gaudete et exsultate is an exhortation on the mission of each Christian to grow in holiness. It is not written in a political or public policy context,” he told EWTN News Monday. Kevin Miller, a moral theology professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, explained that the pope stresses the need to avoid separating the spiritual from the worldly. Failure to defend the lives and the goods of others is “a
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damnable sin,” according to the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Miller said. “All human lives – all human persons – are equal in dignity – or as we Christians can also say, equally sacred,” Miller told EWTN News, adding that judgements about moral duties need to recognize this. Pope Francis’ exhortation reflected upon ideologies that “strike at the heart of the Gospel.” First are Christians who separate Gospel demands from a relationship with Christ and openness to his grace, a Christianity that becomes “a sort of NGO.” The pope also rejected the error of those who view others’ social engagement as “superficial, worldly, secular, materialist, communist or populist,” or who relativize it or treat as important only “one particular ethical issue.” “Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development,” Pope Francis wrote. “Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.” “We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look
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on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty,” the pontiff continued. The pope was critical of those who consider the situation of immigrants as “a secondary issue compared to the ‘grave’ bioethical questions.” Miller suggested that the Pope’s insistence that issues like care for migrants aren’t “secondary” might mean “We can’t just ‘wave off’ dealing with issues like care for migrants, based on a claim that dealing with issues like abortion is all we have the time, energy, political capital, etc., for.” “Nor can we say that a politician is ‘just fine’ as long as we think he’s going to do something about abortion, simply regardless of his views on other issues having to do with human life or dignity,” he continued. However, Miller suggested this does not mean one can avoid prioritizing issues. “For one thing, no one person or organization can possibly do something about every issue,” he said.
The professor recalled Pope John Paul II’s words in the 1993 encyclical Evangelium vitae about, as Miller explained, “the especially great vulnerability of the unborn and the sick or elderly – in the face of abortion and euthanasia.”
“Hard cases
make
poor
laws
”
Bishop Carmel on proposed legislation John Paul II noted that such acts are sometimes a choice to take the life of a member of one’s own family, who is especially entrusted to our care. This makes these acts “especially unjust.” While all injustices are evil, not all of them are equal, according to Miller. Miller said it is “not optional” to make honest and serious efforts to protect the unborn in law, nor is it optional “to make every reasonable effort” to welcome the migrant. Jennifer Kraska, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference, reflected on what the exhortation might mean for public policy. “There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to policy or policy positions. What works in one state or in one country in regards to an issue doesn’t necessarily translate to another state or country,” Kraska said. “There is often an overarching policy position or goal that people would like to see accomplished such as ‘ending human trafficking,’ but how that goal is accomplished will vary depending on the moral, political, cultural and economic dynamics of the place where it is happening.” “I believe that the bishops of the United States, via their document ‘Living the Gospel of Life,’ have provided great guidance on this exact issue,” she told EWTN News. Their 1998 pastoral letter said that any politics of human dignity must seriously address racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing and health care. “But being ‘right’ in such matters can never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct
attacks on innocent human life,” the letter said. “Indeed, the failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the ‘rightness’ of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community.” Kraska also cited Archbishop Charles J. Chaput’s remarks at the March 17, 2009 Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. “No one can claim to be Catholic and think it’s okay to treat immigrants unjustly or inhumanly,” Chaput said. “But you can disagree on immigration policies because you think that one works and one doesn’t. So when it gets to those kind of things, there can be some disagreement.”
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“But if someone would disagree with the Church on abortion, I don’t see how they can call themselves a Catholic,” the archbishop added.
Now they might disagree on strategies... You can be a good Catholic and disagree on strategy. But it would be important for these folks who disagree on strategy to do all they can to protect the unborn’s dignity by trying their best to still– while they approach it from another strategic point of view—still clearly say that abortion is the unjust taking of a human life and is always wrong.” First published Vatican City, Apr. 9, 2018 / 06:38pm EWTN News/CNA
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A’s Testimony...
Testimony of a young mother approached by a member of The Good Counsel Network within the proposed ‘buffer zone’.
M
y name is A, I’m one of the mothers that went to an abortion centre to have an abortion, a mother in a desperate situation and looking for a desperate solution to her problems. A choice that I didn’t want make, but I had to. I am the mother that went to abort her first child, a thing that I never wished for nor wanted. Firstly, the biological father vehemently refused to even just be around his own child, He abandoned us, He left me alone, scared and to assume the responsibilities on my own. Secondly my employer sacked me once he heard I was pregnant. I did not have any help... any. I ended up homeless. I DID WANT MY BABY SO BADLY but as you can see I did not have any other choice... only to abort. I made my call to Marie Stopes. I looked on their website where it was stating that counselling and help will be offered and information to help the mother to make the right decision. They put me in touch with a person that could offer me information over the phone. I told them my situation and that I just need some help till I got on my own feet and I don’t want to have an abortion. The lady at Marie Stopes told me that there is no other help they can offer, only the abortion and I should come so we can talk more. I don’t know how I got to that abortion facility, I was confused, scared, mad and very upset. I did not want to have an abortion.
I did notice a woman standing next to the entrance, I rang the doorbell to get in and then she spoke to me. This Lady was from Good Counsel, she told me that she can offer me real help... I turned to her and very upset I asked her if she can give me a house to live in because I lost my job and I can’t pay my rent, I asked her if she can provide for my child till I got on my own feet. She answered... Yes! The door of the abortion facility had opened, but I looked at this lady from Good Counsel and I knew that I had nothing to lose to check if her offer was for real, so I accepted her help and we went to Good Counsel. There I met an elderly lady, she was very kind, calm and really understanding of my situation. She said that they will come back to me in the next two days with an answer of all the help I can get. I left the place in pure contentedness but then my worries came back and I headed straight to the abortion centre. A woman opened the door and I told her that I’ve been running late and she got upset, I could say infuriated and she told me that I have missed my appointment and the next appointment was in 3 weeks’ time. I was shaking. I was scared. She said she would call me back once there is a space available. Next day I got a call from Marie Stopes for an appointment in 2 days’ time. I hoped that day would never come. 2 days passed by and I was waiting in Marie Stopes waiting
room for my turn. While I was waiting I got a call from Good Counsel to come to their office and start to make a plan with them for a place where I could stay (I was staying at my friend’s house at that moment) and they could help me with everything I needed. I left the Marie Stopes Centre but the same lady that was angry with me before was hostile and very disturbed that I left. So I went back to Good Counsel and finally, I did get a place for myself with Good Counsel’s help, and they gave me money, and when I had my baby girl they were with me at the hospital, helped me with a cot, baby clothes and also moral support and I felt that I did have someone to rely on and I was always welcome to come back if more help was needed. When my baby girl was 15 weeks old I got a job, and slowly I was “recovering”. I was happy. I was happy and it seemed like a dream that I had my child. 2 years later Good Counsel asked me if I would like to attend one of their vigils. It was in Ealing. When I got there I noticed a girl standing next to the abortion centre wall offering leaflets to women and far opposite to her 3 people were quietly praying so I joined them with my little girl, who was 2 years old at that time. Everything was peaceful, calm, my child got the chance to play in the rain with my umbrella. The girls were going in and out of the abortion facility in Ealing, some of them were taking the leaflets handed by the girl from
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May is a Marian Month
Good Counsel, some not. No harassment and no shouting took place. And before I finish I just want to add that the real help came from people I never knew, from those people standing outside in front of the abortion centres, from people I never met once in my life, from people that never expected anything back from what they give but only for me to have the chance to make the right decision in a desperate situation when no other choices were offered only abortion and showed me that abortion was never a solution to my problems. Sister Supporter does not represent me nor speak for me and trying to bring buffer zone around abortion centres removes all the help available to mothers like me and takes away our choice of being able to access the right and desperately needed assistance when they most need it and pushes them to have an abortion. AD/ The Good Counsel Network A’s testimony was read to the the Ealing Council Cabinet Meeting in January 2018
The Early Pro-Life Movement in the UK
The Abortion Act was introduced by the Liberal MP David Steel as a Private Member’s Bill. The Act allowed abortion on a number of grounds, the Act was eventually passed on 27 October 1967 and came into effect on 27 April 1968. Before the bill was passed there were many committed pro-life people who campaigned against the new law. Once the bill had been passed pro-life activity in the UK gained great momentum.
The History of March for Life
On January 22, 1974 thousands of pro-lifers participated in the first March for Life to stand up for the unborn in the USA. Soon after that first March in 1974, it became apparent that congressional protection for the unborn was not on the horizon. The March for Life, rather than the originally anticipated onetime event, would instead be held every year until Roe v. Wade was overturned. While each March for Life has faced a unique challenge or obstacle, the numbers of participants have continued to grow. Inspired by the example of prolife activists in the UK in the 1970’s and 1980’s and also by March for Life in America, in 2012 a small group of people in Birmingham UK decided to hold a pro-life walk of witness as a half-way event for their 40 Days for Life campaign. Around seventy people turned up to join in with the walk of witness from St. Michael’s Church on Moor Street to Victoria Square. As they walked through the city centre, they held bright yellow balloons printed with the simple message of LIFE, sang hymns and prayed for a culture of life. Following the success of this public witness to life and bolstered on by an increasing interest shown in a further March the following year, the team decided to advertise the next March on social media and to name the event, March for Life UK. Again the team were delighted to find that interest had grown with people coming to attend the March from all over the country, they estimated that in 2013, around 400 people came to St. Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham and marched for life. Since then March for Life UK has grown each year doubling in size, in 2017 despite the rain we saw our biggest crowd to date of 4000 people!
Photo: A and her daughter, from the website behereforme.org
On 5th May 2018 in Parliament Square let’s rekindle some of the zeal that the pro-life movement had in the 70’s and come together as one united voice to march
for life together so that hearts and minds are changed about the greatest violation to human rights in history! Source: marchforlife.co.uk
If you have been affected by any of the articles in this Issue of Upon This Rock, please contact your Parish Priest for spiritual advice. For medical issues see your GP or contact Dr. Monique Risso mrissofertilityspice@ hotmail.co.uk or at the Specialist Medical Clinic Gibraltar. If you are pregnant and would like help call Clare McCullough of the Good Counsel Network, London, Tel +44 20 7723 1740 See advert overleaf.
On 27th April 1968 the Abortion Act that was passed in October 1967 came in to effect and since then almost 9 million babies have lost their lives to abortion.
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Good Counsel Network Spotlight on Charity
Mary the Mother of Jesus
What is The Good Counsel Network?
The Good Counsel Network offers practical help and support to pregnant women, and post-abortive women wherever they meet them.
A life-affirming women’s organisation which offers a free pregnancy test, free advice, medical information, practical help and moral support to women seeking abortion. We reach out to women seeking abortion who have not been informed about the risks to their physical and psychological health and who have not been presented with realistic alternatives to abortion. We deal with the hardest cases of crisis pregnancy every day.
How are hearts and minds changed?
Information, advice and support all help to change a woman’s mind about abortion but only God can change her heart. We speak to clients about God’s plan for them and their baby. Our centres are open to women of all religious beliefs.
Good Counsel!
Our work involves the simple befriending of women and educating them about abortion and the humanity of their child, which is done through excellent literature and videos. Then we speak to them about God’s plan
for them and their child. Finally we offer women practical help and moral support which they may need to keep their child, from accommodation and financial help, baby clothes and nappies, to friendship ongoing support, advice and planning for the future. Staff at The Good Counsel Network offer their time and work to Jesus through Mary.
Abortion, A Woman’s Choice?
Women’s groups have repeatedly said that abortion is about a woman’s right to choose, yet many women tell us they are having abortions because there seems to be no other choice for them. Furthermore, in studies:
Over 70% of women having abortions have said their choice was instigated by someone else.
Risks of Abortion
The Good Counsel Network believes that the abortion choice is not freely made
unless the woman is given FREE information about what abortion involves, REAL alternatives to abortion and compassionate support if she chooses to keep her baby. The decision to abort carries serious risks to the Mother’s health. Psychologically, a woman may experience postabortion syndrome (P.A.S.). This is a type of post-traumatic stress disorder which is well documented in the USA but largely ignored in the UK. P.A.S. can manifest itself in many ways. Women may suffer many different symptoms ranging from guilt, grieving and mourning to despair and suicidal impulses, from a desperate need to have a “replacement baby” to abuse of her other children, thwarted maternal instincts and (sometimes multiple) repeat abortions. One of the “classic” symptoms of P.A.S. is annual bouts of illness and/ or depression around the time of the baby’s death date, or at what would have been his/ her birth month. Physically, there are many threats to a woman’s future ability to carry a pregnancy to term. Miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies and sterility are often reported following abortions. Damage to the cervix, infections and heavy bleeding are common complications. How can a woman make the decision to abort without this information?
Mass and Adoration
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Adoration and Benediction take place regularly in our Centre. We also have all-night Adoration Vigils monthly.
Fundraising
Because we are a privately funded organisation we rely
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An estimated 30,000 people gathered on Merrion Square, Dublin to protest the decision of the Irish Government to legislate for Abortion. 19th Jan 2013. ©Paul Keeling | Dreamstime.com upon donations from our supporters to reach and help the women that we see. Throughout the year we run a number of fundraising activities.
Pro-Abortion Media Storm; A Response
Recently in the UK there have been inflammatory articles attacking the outreach to women outside abortion centres which Good Counsel and other groups are involved in. We do not harass women. Many hundreds of women have been given practical support to be able to have their baby finding help at the last minute, when they thought they had no other choice. See full article at www. goodcounselnetwork.com
Volunteering
Volunteers are needed on all sides of our work; reaching women, providing advice, support and help, prayer support and fundraising. If you can help contact Clare on Tel: 44 20 7723 1740
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May is a Marian Month
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