Keep Laboring!
Another 40 Days for Life is drawing to a close in Pittsburgh. After so many campaigns, you might ask yourself, where is the fruit of our labor? Regarding the primary mission of 40DFL, such fruit can be found in the dozens (or hundreds!) of people in our city who are alive today because of this work. Not to be forgotten are the hundreds (or thousands!) of mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, and relatives who have all been spared the pain of abortion through our presence. But beyond our life-saving objectives, the fact that we keep laboring is a fruit unto itself. As soldiers of Christ, we are required to fight the evils of this present life. Simply choosing to do so is a victory worth recognizing.
If you are a 40 Days campaign participant, please continue to join us on the sidewalk throughout the year. Abortions are scheduled at the same rate regardless of the calendar. If you feel you don’t have the stamina for weekly shifts, that’s ok! If every 40 Days participant committed to come monthly or bimonthly, the results would be phenomenal! Pray about it. For the sake of the innocent children we are losing, we need a bigger presence consistently at Planned Parenthood.
Cathy & Peggy
(From Cathy) – Two couples and two women went into PP during our shift. None were interested in any help or information. One of the couples, after seeming to have checked in and paid?, left. ? Did not want to talk. They did not return during our shift. We did receive several thank you”s and God blesses, no negatives. Lot of ignoring! 🫣
Conrad
(From Elsie) – It was another tragic day on License Avenue, with victims entering the death mill throughout the morning. Conrad & I were joined on the sidewalk by prayer-warriors & witnesses from my home parish, Divine Redeemer in Sewickley & Glenfield: Jim; John (stalwart volunteer extraordinaire for the St. Vincent DePaul Society, aiding folks-in-need of ALL ages); Sandy; Sherry; & mom & daughter duo, Anna & Jane. These gentle souls’ hearts sorrowed over our fellow human beings brutally slaughtered just feet away from us, behind the dirty bricks. They joined Conrad in offering Rosary prayers for all the victims. Jim had dropped all of us off & then searched for parking. Before rejoining us, he found the new CATHOLIC CHARITIES office at 111 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222 (right behind the Red Door). He dropped off diapers, pull-ups, & wipes from the year-round collection bins at our two churches. The Catholic Charities’ security guard was very helpful with the hand-off. Their Pregnancy & Parenting Program is in serious need of wipes, diapers (especially sizes 6&7) and pull-ups (especially 5T/6T). Please consider collecting some at your church & dropping them off — OR ordering them online (Walmart.com or Costco.com) & having them shipped directly to Catholic Charities.
Larry
(From Larry) – Today, we had a great enthusiastic group from St Bernard of Clairvaux in Indiana PA. They prayed the rosary twice, the chaplet of divine mercy, and the stations of the cross. They also sang several hymns. Elsie was there from 11 to 12, and Ed came from 12 to one. During the 11 to one shift, several women and couples went into Planned Parenthood and several came out. One lady entering Planned Parenthood, did accept Information from Elsie. One lady entered Planned Parenthood, dressed very inappropriately for the weather. When asked if she needed a coat, she replied that she doesn’t get cold. She came back out about 20 minutes later. A group of school girls walked past me, with the sign that says abortion kills a human being. The one girl shrieked and said I can’t believe what I’m seeing. She then took a photo of the sign and of me, so that she could show her mother. One lady came out of Planned Parenthood, with a small condiment container, and knelt down by the curb to open it up and let out a live bug. Elsie commented that that’s the second time she saw an employee let loose a live bug. How ironic, Elsie commented, That they kill babies, but won’t kill bug bugs.
Judy, Chris & Kevin
(From Chris) – Joining me in prayer today were the “old reliables”- Judy, from St. Joseph the Worker parish, and Kevin and John from Regina Coeli parish. We prayed the four Mysteries of the Rosary, several Chaplets of Divine Merc, and a Loreto Litany. Vigilant Sidewalk Advocate Judy tried her best to approach every woman about to go into, or who exited, PP.
Eileen & Steve
(From Eileen) – The 3-5 shift had Seamus as an extra volunteer today. He passed the abortion worker.com message to many who were leaving. We did not have anyone take literature. A father of two said he shared our cause and told us how he helped his sister adopt a Vietnamese child.
Thank you for your prayers and sidewalk vigil today. Ironic tale about the catch-and-release of bugs. So sad.