The spiritual fight against abortion

Editor's Note: Some of the highlights of pro-life activism during the World Youth Day festivities were the vigils held across the street from the Scott abortuary in Toronto throughout the week. These are Interim reporter James Wood's impressions of his first pro-life witness.

The day began at Toronto's Campaign Life Coalition's head office at 8:30 with a morning Mass and finished back there at 4:30 with a street-counselling workshop. However, the highlight of the day was the pro-life rally held directly across the road from an abortuary.

Once the morning Mass, held at CLC's Toronto office and led by Monsignor Philip J. Reilly of Helpers of God's Precious Infants, had ended, the group of about 100 pro-lifers, most of them World Youth Day pilgrims, set off to march to Allen Gardens on Gerrard Street, praying the Rosary all the while.

The group looked like a line of soldiers getting ready to do battle - the Rosary was their weapon against evil and prayer their marching song.

Once the pro-life advocates reached their destination, they set down their bags and stood in a large, hard-to-miss cluster. Several people who passed by joined in. Others said thank you or honked their car horns in appreciation. One man, Godfrey, said he was just out walking when he saw the group and decided to participate in the rally. "It's very good," he told The Interim in broken English. "It's a very good congregation."

Others who went by would give dirty looks as if to say, "What, you think your better then us?" One lady walking her two dog went into a rant shouting out nonsense and another elderly woman screamed, "You're all brainwashed. All of you!"

None of the protesters responded though. As we would learn later at Msgr. Reilly's talk back at the office, you want to avoid confrontation when rallying near abortuaries or counselling woman entering them.

When the rally was over, the group marched back to CLC to talk rather briefly about the rally, then broke for lunch at noon before heading back to CLC for a sidewalk counselling workshop. The session ran from 1:30 to 4:30.

Msgr. Reilly, who spends six hours a day outside a Brooklyn, N.Y. abortuary, told the group of around 30 pro-lifers just about all they'll need to know when it comes to sidewalk counselling.

He mentioned some of the rules and secrets he uses when trying to reach mothers having abortions and those bringing them to the abortuary. He stressed not screaming at a mother because that scares her right into the abortuary. Rather, one should talk ever so softly and from the heart, and show her that you're there for her. "It is important you know the art of communication," Reilly stressed.

Giving out pro-life pamphlets is one of the vital elements of sidewalk counselling, even if a woman has already had an abortion, because 50 per cent of mothers who have had an abortion will come back, said Msgr. Reilly.

He told the participants to counsel everyone who comes by and that not just the mothers are to blame. "Everyone who brings a woman to an abortuary is an accomplice," explained Reilly. "You must turn the accomplice into an apostle."

A problem he often sees during a protest or rally is that people are not always praying. He said if people see pro-lifers are not focused, they won't want to join the cause and that becomes a victory for pro-abortionists.

All in all, it was a very eventful day, filled with fresh air, faith, laughs - Msgr. Reilly had everyone roaring with his Irish humour - and lots of information. At times he became so passionate about what he was doing, he appeared to be on the verge of tears, especially when talking about some of his personal experiences