OTTAWA, May 8, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – “Today is a day of action for us,” said Pembroke Bishop Michael Mulhall, who celebrated Mass at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish in Ottawa Thursday morning before the National March for Life. “We’re doing something, proclaiming something, marching, we’re walking, we’re testifying.”
Pro-lifers from across the nation were offered four Catholic masses and three Christian prayer services Thursday, all beginning at 10 A.M. to spiritually prepare themselves to witness to life during the March Thursday afternoon.
Mulhall stressed the crucial importance of prayer and sacrifice prior to any action by the Christian intending to bear good and lasting fruit.
“Nothing happens in our Catholic faith — in action — that will ever bear fruit unless it is preceded by prayer and sacrifice. Remember that. That’s not a message that I’ve given you, this is a message that the Church has handed down through the centuries from Christ himself.”
“No action that is not founded on prayer and sacrifice will be a fruitful action, because it will almost always be one that comes back to ‘myself’ again, and it will lose its foundation and its rudder where it’s going.”
“Already we’re here in prayer. Already we’re here in sacrifice — our sacrifice — a sacrifice which is participating in Christ’s sacrifice of the Mass.”
Mulhall said that those marching for life can be assured that their actions will bear fruit because “we are on a firm foundation.”
Mass at St. Patrick’s Basilica was packed to standing room only, both in the main church and in the crypt below. Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto with Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London giving the homily. Bishop Fred Colli of Thunder Bay joined in the celebration.
Fabbro called Trudeau’s announcement yesterday that pro-life candidates are barred from running in the Liberal Party’s ‘open’ nominations a challenge to be overcome.
“It’s important to stand up publicly for what we believe in,” he said.
Around 125 pro-life activists with various denominations gathered at an ecumenical prayer service at St. Peter and St. Paul Anglican Church.
During a Bible study at the prayer service, Rev. Paul Donison, the rector of St. Peter and St. Paul, pondered why so many Christians are not “vocally pro-life.” He admitted that he himself has not always been as outspoken as he should be. “Why for so many years of my Christian walk have I not been vocally pro-life?” he asked. “What has held me back?”
Ultimately, he concluded, for many it is “fear.” “We’re fearful of what will happen if we stand up for life within a culture of death,” he said. He went on to compare pro-life activists to the early Christians who stood up for Christ in the midst of pagan Rome, despite the heavy risk. This persecution, he said, only served to confirm and strengthen these early Christians in their faith.
Rev. Donison concluded by praying that Christians may “hear and learn to see,” and that Christ may “banish our fear” and “make us faithful.”
This year marks the first time that the newly-formed group Anglicans for Life Canada has marched in the Canadian March for Life. Georgette Forney, who heads up Anglicans for Life USA, and who co-founded Silent No More Awareness, told attendees at the prayer service about how the abortion she had at the age of 16 plunged her into a cycle of despair.
“Abortion destroys the baby,” she said. “Abortion permanently wounds so many more. I’m wounded, the father of my baby was wounded, my daughter was wounded. Working with Silent No More, I have seen so many wounded souls.”
However, after 19 years of carrying the burden of her abortion, she became vocally Christian, and found healing. “I found out that God loves every sinner who brings their sins to the cross, including abortion,” she said. “I found out that God’s unconditional love was greater than my sin.”
Forney encouraged those present to get involved with Silent No More Awareness and Anglicans for Life, to help bring healing to those who have been involved in abortions.
Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral was celebrated by Archbishop Terence Prendergast with Auxiliary Bishop Christian Riesback delivering the homily. Also present were Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, and numerous bishops including Peterborough Bishop William McGratten, Eastern Catholic Bishop John Pazak, Valleyfield Bishop Noël Simard, and Kingston Archbishop Brendan O'Brien.