Her boyfriend gets up from the couch and walks out of the room to answer a call from the abortion clinic. “Dakota” is sitting on the couch in a pregnancy centre sobbing. Overcome with a need to console her, “Eva”, the counselor, sat next to her and asked her if she could give her a hug. She nodded yes and immediately Dakota wrapped her arms around Eva’s waist and laid her head on Eva’s chest. She didn’t want to be hugged. She wanted to be held as she cried her heart out.
“Sweetheart, I have to say, it seems like you really don’t want to have this abortion today. Is that true?” Dakota tried to gather some composure to say the words that continue to echo in Eva’s heart and mind. “I don’t want to do this, but I can’t see a way out.” She continued to sob harder.
(Testimony from a crisis pregnancy centre in Ontario.)
An estimated 100,000 induced abortions are committed annually in Canada which is a very concerning fact. The testimony shared above reflects how vulnerable mothers and fathers are being pressured into having an abortion without ever really knowing the loving and reliable support that is available to them. Instead, our society doesn’t do enough to support the estimated 100,000 people who are faced with one of the most important decisions of their lives and that of their preborn child.
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." (Mother Teresa)
We can stop abortion and provide real support to mothers and fathers, one prayer at the time! Register your hours today.
When we make the time to pray in front of an abortuary, we stand up for the preborn who don’t have a voice and for the mothers who want real support but are being pressured into abortion. We tell the world that she doesn’t have to give up her dreams when she chooses life for her child. Rather, her dreams are elevated to new heights by the transcendent love between a mother and child. In the history of the world, no woman has been able to describe the deep bond of love between her and her child. We pray that she accepts and embraces the incredible gift of motherhood that God has given her.
"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." (Mother Teresa)
WHAT WE DO:
We pray silently and respectfully in front of McMaster Children’s Hospital / McMaster University. We hold signs that are approved by 40 Days for Life so that the message of love for the mothers, fathers, and the preborn is visible.
LOCATION:
We pray across the street from McMaster Children's Hospital/McMaster University (Main Street and Broadway Avenue, Hamilton).
STATEMENT OF PEACE:
Please read the Statement of Peace, sign it electronically, and send it to Maeve at maeve@clife.ca. You can find the statement here: Microsoft Word - statement_of_peace.docx (40dfl.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com)
GENERAL RULES:
Have your cell phone all the time.
Dress for the weather.
Be on time.
If you need to cancel, please try to find a replacement.
Please never pray alone. Always ensure that you can coordinate prayer with at least one other person. Consult the Vigil Calendar to see when others will be praying.
PARKING:
You can park on Broadway Avenue or surrounding streets on the south side of Main Street or the plaza at the corner of Main Street and Broadway Avenue.
Please do not park at Canadian Martyrs Parish as their parking is limited and parishioners have priority.
WASHROOM & WARM UP:
Williams Café has graciously permitted vigilers to use their facilities. Please be respectful of their business and patrons.
INCIDENTS:
Do not respond to any threats.
Your best protection is to maintain your silence. However, those who have been trained on pro-life apologetics and know how to disengage if the situation escalates are welcome to have respectful conversations. Please do not disturb the other prayer vigilers.
If you see something that is of concern, please let your fellow vigilers know and contact Ana at riveraan425@gmail.com and/or 905-962-2864.
If you witness or are a party to anything unsafe/ illegal, call the authorities:
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Emergency: 911
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Non-emergency: Hamilton Police Services, Central Station (905) 546-4772
155 King William St., Hamilton, ON, L8R 1A7
Take photos or videos, if safe.
Remove yourself from the location and go to a safe place.
Call Ana ASAP 905 962 2864!
BUBBLE ZONE INFO:
If an individual approaches you claiming that you are standing in a “safe access to abortion zone” (either due to our proximity to the hospital or Shopper’s Drug mart that prescribes the abortion pill), you can inform them that there is no safe access to abortion zone (they are only automatically placed around free standing abortion clinics and hospitals/pharmacies must apply separately, which has not yet been done). It would be best to ignore anyone who claims we are within a safe access zone, but you can allow them to call the police, if necessary (the police will not come, as there is no crime being committed). Employees at Starbucks and Shopper’s Drug Mart have been utilizing fear tactics to attempt to convince pro-life demonstrators in the area that a bubble zone exists, but as of now, there isn’t one.
In the event that you are approached by a police officer, who claims that you are in violation of a safe access to abortion zone, inform them that you were unaware of such a zone and leave the vigil site upon their immediate request. Please be extremely cooperative with police. Inform the lead organizer, Maeve, immediately afterwards at 289-659-5523. Until there is a bubble zone established around Shopper’s Drug Mart, no police will respond to any calls. It would be a good idea to study the legislation so that you are well-versed on the law: Bill 163, Protecting a Woman's Right to Access Abortion Services Act, 2017 - Legislative Assembly of Ontario (ola.org)
40 Days for Life would be able to protect you if you maintain your silence. Remember this is a SILENT and PRAYERFUL campaign.
The organizers of 40 Days for Life do not condone or support actions that are illegal.
IF A WOMAN APPROACHES ASKING FOR HELP:
Listen to her and ask questions that let her explain her situation. Be attentive to her and do not let your surroundings distract you from your conversation with her.
Explain the support that we can provide and that you can connect her with a local pregnancy centre.
Remember she is vulnerable and possibly afraid. Always be kind and compassionate towards her. She may be desperate for help.
If you are not the prayer vigilers that the woman chose to approach, it is important that you do not interrupt the conversation she is having with the person she chose. Even if you are next to them and can hear them, remember that the conversation is between them and therefore private. Give them privacy and do not react to what you happen to hear. Even if you have good intentions, interrupting the conversation will come across as eavesdropping, and you will disturb the trust that is developing between her and the person she chose. Only speak if you have been invited into the conversation.
Politely ask for her name and phone number and assure her that you will not share it with anyone except for the 40 Days for Life Team Leader and onsite coordinators. Let her know that they will call her and guide her to the help she needs.
Do not share her name, contact info, or details of her situation with other volunteers who were not part of the conversation. Respect her privacy and the fact that she trusted you with her personal information. Please share it with the Team Leader or onsite coordinator. They will know how to help her and how to share her story with other prayer vigilers without breaking confidentiality so that they can pray for her.
Call Ana at 905 962 2864 ASAP.
SPREAD THE WORD:
Please help to spread the word about this important community outreach with your family, friends, and community.
Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."- Mother Teresa
GOD BLESS YOU! A big Thank you from:
40 Days for Life
Hamilton Organizing Committee
