NWLF: Tri-diocesan Liturgy

On May 9, 2023, the tri-diocesan committee for National Week for Life and the Family Manitoba was pleased to host a liturgy with representatives from all three dioceses. Thank you to Mary, Mother of the Church, for hosting and Archbishop LeGatt for presiding. We also welcomed Bishop Bryan Bayda, Bishop of the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada, and Bishop Andriy, Auxilary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg and Archbishop Gagnon of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. Thank you to everyone who came and participated!

Prayer Tree

Prayer Tree

Archbishop Albert LeGatt - Archdiocese of St. Boniface

Bishop Andriy, Auxilary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg

Archbishop Richard Gagnon - Archdiocese of St. Winnipeg

Bishop Bryan Bayda, Bishop of the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada

Fr. JB Nguyen - Mary, Mother of the Church

Flower seeds - for grandparents & Elderly

Flower seeds - for grandparents & Elderly

Flower seeds - for grandparents & Elderly

Flower seeds - for grandparents & Elderly

Flower seeds - for grandparents & Elderly

Flower seeds - for grandparents & Elderly

Flower seeds - for grandparents & Elderly

Tinotenda Matambo - Young adult speaker

Tinotenda Matambo- young adult speaker

Bishop Andriy, Auxilary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg

Bishop Andriy, Auxilary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg

Archbishop Albert LeGatt - Archdiocese of St. Boniface

Archbishop Albert LeGatt - Archdiocese of St. Boniface

Archbishop Richard Gagnon - Archdiocese of St. Winnipeg

Archbishop Richard Gagnon - Archdiocese of St. Winnipeg

Archbishop Richard Gagnon - Archdiocese of St. Winnipeg

Bishop Bryan Bayda, Bishop of the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada

Grandparents and the Elderly: A reflection from a young adult

On May 9, 2023 we had a beautiful Tridiocesan Liturgy service for the National Week for Life and the Family at Mary Mother of the Church in Winnipeg, with 4 Archbishops/Bishops in attendance. The theme of the Liturgy was, “Grandparents and the Elderly: A Legacy to Cherish”.

A young man from Mary Mother of the Church, Tinotenda Matambo, shared his inspiring testimony on his personal faith experience that has blossomed through the relationship and example of his grandparents who helped raise him in Zimbabwe.

Tinotenda’s testimony impacted many gathered and we invite you to listen to the audio recording below!

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Teaching Kids to Pray - Living the Domestic Church

By: Nadine Fetherston

We know that fostering & growing a loving relationship with God is essential

We teach our kids how to ride a bike, how to read and how to tie their shoelaces, but what about prayer? How do we teach kids to feel more natural in conversing with God, just as they would with a trusted friend, parent, or caregiver? 

As with other gifts, some children are very natural with prayer, and it comes easily for them.  With others, using an approach where prayer is separated into parts, helps children to understand some components that may be included in a prayer, such as: addressing God, thanksgiving, confession, supplication, and conclusion.

With our own children, we began to teach prayer in little steps. We brainstormed together with them by thinking of some of the names we could use to address God with.  For example: Jesus, God, Lord, Father, Shepherd, Abba, etc. Any time we began a prayer we could begin this way, “Dear Father” or “Lord God”.

A grateful heart is glory to God!  

We discussed beginning the prayer by thinking about what they are grateful for (thanksgiving). This is a beautiful way to begin a prayer, from a heart of gratitude (another wonderful skill for children to learn)!  We encouraged our kids to focus on the specific things they are grateful for in that day.  This helps to center and quiet their minds to reflect on the gifts that God has given that day.  Sometimes, kids need help to see the small things (a sunny day, a play date with a friend, a visit from grandma or a good mark on a test).  Help them to see that God is present in the ordinary and in difficult moments too! 

We may also encourage children to think about what they are sorry for in their day (confession).  We all make mistakes and taking a moment to acknowledge in what ways we can do better each day helps us to grow. Remind them that silence is ok while they take time to reflect on their day.  Sometimes a gentle reminder if they cannot think of anything may help to get started.  They may recall a fight with a sibling or a hurtful word to a friend.  Remind them that God always forgives us and wants us to keep trying. 

We then end the prayer by asking God for what we need or want and to pray for others as well (supplication and conclusion).  
We took some time to brainstorm in advance some of the people and situations/events that we could pray for and made a list.  This included: praying for our family, our church, priests, bishops and Pope, their teachers and coaches, the poor (including our sponsored child), friends/family who do not know Jesus, the sick and those who have died.  We decided to write down a simple list of intentions for each day of the week, so that for example, on Tuesday, they knew it was time to pray specifically for their friends and family members. 

Prayer is a life skill!

While our children pray this way before bed as a great way to reflect on the day’s blessings and needs, it is good for children to understand that prayers can be at any time during the day and may be short and informal as well.

God hears us in all prayer, short and long, formal, and informal. Taking the time to meet God whenever and wherever is always what is most important! 

Prayer is one of the greatest skills we can teach children, to take with them on the road of life!

Help her choose life!

Life’s Vision has been put in touch with two pregnant women who need some help. One is recently separated from her husband and has three additional children. The other is still considering abortion, but we are praying she chooses life. We would love to be able to help each of these women with some practical needs such as diapers, formula, and prenatal care. Would you be able to help? This is an opportunity to put our pro-life values into action! To help support these women and their children, click the button below:

What can we do?

What can we do at a time when we cannot gather to raise awareness for life issues?

We can still show that we advocate for life from conception to natural death! Here’s how:

The Knights of Columbus of Manitoba have partnered with Life’s Vision to create this new 2021 Banner.

Please display this banner on your Parish lawn for 1 week right after Mother’s Day. We have full support from our three Archbishops in Winnipeg who host the Manitoba National Week of Life and Family. We are offering these banners for $150.00 including storage box, & taxes. And can be printed in English, French, Polish, Ukrainian, or Tagalog. (State can arrange mailing for those rural Councils at their cost.)

All orders for your banner must be placed by emailing the Manitoba State office by April 15, 2021 @ mbstkc@shaw.ca.

The Power of a Song

by Nadine Fetherston

You have likely heard the famous quote by St. Augustine, “He who sings prays twice.” Most people will agree that music can be powerful in prayer and can also speak to the heart in a way that spoken words cannot.  Anyone who has ever sung or even listened to a song that fills their heart and soul with intense emotion, joy or sorrow, knows the power that a song has to move us, to impact us and to change us.

But, does a song have the power to change a life? Or more importantly, to save a life? Can music spark fruitful conversations allowing God to strike a chord of hope within the hearts of those we encounter?

There are a few times in life that God allows us to be touched so deeply by music that we feel compelled to action or even to question our previous convictions. Storytelling is a powerful way to share one’s life, but when put to music, the storytelling can touch the heart even deeper. We may be compelled to know more about the story behind the song and we search to find meaning behind the words and to imagine the story. 

There is a beautiful pro-life song – Untold – written by Matthew West. In the song, which is written from the unborn child’s perspective, it is difficult not to imagine the story from the child’s point of view.

The chorus is:

“Every life is sacred. Every life is a gift.
And every life deserves the chance to live.
I know you’re scared,
I know you’re scared,
I know you’re scared right now.
But when you hear my first cry,
When you look in my eyes,
You’ll understand why,
You’ll understand why,
Why You brought me to life.”

This is the power of good story telling; helping us see things from another’s perspective, allowing us to enter into their experience.

Christian rapper, Manafest, says, “I’m not trying to change laws with my songs, I’m trying to change hearts.” After being impacted by watching the movies, Hush and Unplanned, he decided to write his new song, Plan for me.  “I remember writing the initial verses out front of London’s school crying and praying to God how can I write this song and fill it with hope and inspiration." His daughter even did a cameo appearance within the song as she sang, You are My Sunshine. Manafest says, “I hope her gentle voice reminds people that it is a real child in that womb and that God has a purpose and plan for him or her." 

The words in Plan for me, really evoke emotion and longing to the listener. What is relatable even if we do not share an experience with the song writer, is that we have all been in a place where we wish with every fibre of our being that we could make a different decision and face a new outcome.

Some of the lyrics from his song:

“But we just weren't ready, regrets, there's been many
Heavy on my shoulders, you'd be five this October
But it just gets colder every year I don't know ya
We picked out names but we were so afraid
My heart still aches, I'd do whatever it takes
If I could go back in time and make a change, I would
If I could bring ya back to life, erase the pain, I would
If I could pray ya back tonight with no delay, I would
I'll meet ya up in Heaven, back together for good.”

Well written songs can also empower us to move from indifference to passion, from apathy to action.  It is remarkable to think that listening to a short song sung with emotion and feeling has the potential to impact us in a way that a monologue or a book on the subject may not.  Hearing the chorus of a song, such as, Not forgotten by Phil King, may impart the listener with empathy and awareness, motivating them to respond with action.

“You are not forgotten
We are fighting for you
We've answered your silent cry to be your voice
Your life was not for nothing
We celebrate your heartbeat
The price that you paid is a fire that'll change this world”

So, does a song have the power to save a life or to change our world for the better? If through the power of the Holy Spirit, a song in fact does move us from apathy to passion and into action, this, then, becomes the perfect medley for changing our world one song and one heart at a time.

Are We Ready To Provide Assisted Suicide to Mature Minors - Even Those Who Are Physically Healthy?

by Tim Scatliff

"The government’s attempt to expand euthanasia to include advance directives, as well as extending it to situations in which death is not reasonably foreseeable, is deeply troubling. Further attempts to make it available to mature minors, the mentally ill, and the cognitively impaired are evidence that the current safeguards are inadequate and can be legally challenged and overturned. One cannot help but see the parallels between euthanasia and assisted suicide with that of abortion."

- Archbishop Richard Gagnon: Jan. 31, 2020, in a letter to the Federal Government.

Consider the words "mature minor" and "the mentally ill". Who gets assisted suicide and who gets suicide prevention. What is the definition of mature minor? Does a minor just have to find a medical professional or psychologist who would declare the minor as "mature"? This situation is similar as to when abortion was liberalized. A woman just needed two doctors to agree that the abortion can go ahead. There was a qualification that the life of the mother had to be threatened by the pregnancy. Very quickly, the word "life" was used to mean anything from an interruption in her education or career, or to lifestyle. And that quickly changed to any reason throughout the full 9 months, as it stands today in Canada.

It wasn't long before abortion was called a "health service", one in which a minor did not even need to get parental permission to have an abortion. Now it's called "reproductive health". It's not hard to see this same slippery slope happening with euthanasia and assisted suicide.

This "mature minor" may be one of our children or grandchildren - a niece or nephew - a neighbour.

As is pointed out in the book, "A Guide To Discussing Assisted Suicide", if someone with cancer is standing on the edge of the bridge – do you give them a push or do you pull them back?

Consider some possible scenarios: someone with a disability gets discouraged with life. They challenge the courts and assisted suicide and euthanasia are extended to the disabled. Soon, these "health services" become a patient's "right".

The wish to die comes at times when we need help and attention, not options on how to end our life.

Another possible scenario: someone is just tired of life - they're lonely. Perhaps they are just getting old - why not just bow out? It's beginning to happen now in Belgium, with government support.

The high cost of healthcare, the limited capacity of our healthcare system, and the limited access to palliative care fuels this culture of death.

On February 24, Canada's federal government introduced Bill C-7, an act to amend the Criminal Code for broader access to MAiD. Let your MP, the Minister of Justice, and the Prime Minister know where you stand on the issue.

If you haven’t read Archbishop Gagnon‘s letter to the Canadian government, it’s a must read. Read it here http://bit.ly/cccb2PM.

Hope and Healing in Loving Arms: The Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Winnipeg and Rachel’s Vineyard

by Daniel Bahuaud

How can we help women, and men, affected by abortion, infant death or a miscarriage? How can we lovingly support pregnant women to encourage them to view their pregnancy as a hopeful situation, and not an occasion to consider having an abortion?

Juergen Severloh, director of the Crisis Pregnancy Centre, and Chris MacKay, director of Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries discuss the challenges and rewards associated with helping a particularly vulnerable group of people.

The staff at Crisis Pregnancy Centre (left to right): Juergen Severloh (front), Sarah Severloh (seated), Heather Wiebe, Sharon Boothroyd, Marlene McNabb, Marita Malo (seated) and Chris MacKay.

 The Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Winnipeg

Founded in 1985, the Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Winnipeg welcomed 2140 women in 2019, all seeking support in what is more often than not a highly difficult and precarious situation: the unexpected pregnancy.

Women are greeted by the ten counsellors that form the core staff. These committed Christians describe themselves as “missionary staff”, which means that each of them raises funds to pay for their own salaries. Assisting the core staff is a bevy of some thirty volunteers.

“I raise funds by asking family and friends to help, notes Juergen Severloh. I also knock on the doors of pro-life business. It’s a challenge, but a beautiful one. When people understand what we do, they are generally supportive and willing to help.

“I got involved with the Crisis Pregnancy Centre right at the beginning, in 1985. At the time, American theologian Francis Schaeffer wrote a series of books and films called How Should We Then Live?, which was quite influential. The Pregnancy Centre Movement began. Today, we’re one of 70 centres in Canada, and there are around 4000 in the States.

“We’re all connected, and all have the same quality controls. We’re all Christian, and all pro-life. We won’t recommend or support abortions.”

For Juergen Severloh, the key to helping women during a crisis pregnancy is “above all, understanding”.

“A woman in a crisis pregnancy is not thinking about abortion or life on an abstract moral basis. She’s thinking about her life – her future, her reputation, her social connections, her employment, her finances. In crisis, everything seems to be in jeopardy because of her pregnancy. And yet, she can’t yet see her child. Hear it or hold it in her arms.

“So, the choice is seemingly easy. In her anxiety about the future, either the woman dies to herself, or her child. Of course, God seems to have put something maternally beautiful in women. And so, we hope that the pregnant woman will come to see that her child is made in the image of God.

“That’s our challenge. At first, our work is to rehumanize the woman, to bring her back to a truer sense of identity that God has for her. And not necessarily using spiritual language either. It all comes down to understanding. We just have to love her well and accompany her through a difficult time.

“To do that, we initially try to make a superficial connection. It may sound trivial, but we find something about her that is beautiful: her eyes, her hair, her glasses or her fabulous shoes. We let her know that. We offer her coffee or tea, and a nice place to sit. The Centre always has low lighting. We create a calm, accepting space. Because you must realize that for her, the adrenaline is pumping. She’s in crisis. This is the biggest thing in her life so far. And she’s scared.

“Our job is to mediate that fear. To slow it down, to breathe it down. To let her know that it’s safe here.

“Then we work at what we call layers counselling. Slowly, we get to the heart of what she’s living and feeling, which is riskier because we are slowly exposing her vulnerability. Ultimately, we ask, Why are you wanting to do this thing? You can’t ask too early. You’ll come across as judgemental. And you’ll lose her. She’ll leave and never come back. And abort her child.

“So, when we finally get to the why, we accept whatever she tells us, which often can be something like I want to have an abortion because I’m afraid my life is going to end. We don’t affirm that statement. We don’t believe it’s necessarily true. But we can understand the feeling.

“And the loneliness of the situation. I can easily understand that in today’s hookup culture, the rate of absentee fathers is increasing. I can understand why she feels alone, abandoned. Our counsellors understand that fear. So, we stay with the fear, and sit with the woman and move progressively into exploring the nature of her fear. What is going on in you? What do you believe about yourself? She might think she won’t be a good mom. Ultimately, we get to the heart of the matter with her, whatever that may be. And we get to really connect with her. And then she can begin to think about her situation in a fuller way, a more positive way, a clearer way. Because crisis brings blinders.

“Seeing more clearly is just the beginning. The pendulum of emotions will continue to move back and forth. She’ll have beautiful dreams about her baby, then nightmares. And that’s okay. We want her processing her experience. Because our pro-abortion culture really doesn’t want a woman to process anything.”

“Pro-choice. That’s an anachronistic little phrase. It doesn’t jibe with our time anymore. In 2020, there’s no such thing as pro-choice in the world of abortion. It’s pro-abortion all day long. Our hookup culture had enabled men to leave pregnant women. And pregnant women are invited to celebrate abortion. To brag about it on t-shirts. Recently, a Hollywood actress receiving an award bragged that she wouldn’t have gotten the award without having had an abortion.”

With each visit to the Centre, progress is made. The woman makes the tentative decision to carry her baby to term. The Centre connects her immediately to a doctor, so she can obtain straight medical facts about her pregnancy, and to properly monitor her baby’s health.

Juergen Severloh: “We also get her right away to an ultrasound, which we pay for. She gets a photo and a DVD of the baby. Ultrasound has been a game changer. It’s a life-affirming experience. The same with doppler tones. We give the woman the equipment so that she can go home and explore the sounds of her body, and the heartbeat of her child. Even if she hasn’t fully decided to keep the baby, these tools can trigger serious thought, and intense positive feelings.”

As the woman’s pregnancy progresses, the Centre meets with her regularly, often on a weekly basis.

“When she has the baby, our client has all sorts of support lined up. We connect her to the parenting programs Nobody’s Perfect and Triple P Positive Parenting. She learns cooking, economics and how to interact with her child.

“We also connect her to a different community. We try to break the cycle of poor choices of friendships that a lot of our clients are in. And our volunteers are there to help her. The result is often incredibly astonishing. Some of our clients have become our good friends. We meet regularly. Some have been friends for thirty years!”

Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries

Director of Rachel’s Vineyard, Chris MacKay is also the Infant Loss Co-ordinator at the Family Support Centre of Winnipeg, a part of the Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Winnipeg.

“I started at the Crisis Pregnancy Centre in 1987. My work with Rachel’s Vineyard came later, in 2005. At its core, Rachel’s Vineyard takes care of women, and sometimes men, who have experienced all manner of infant loss, such as miscarriages, still births, infant death and abortion. We do this through counselling and special retreats. At any given time, we can have 20 clients.

“Abortion is the big piece of the work we do. I have a team of four counsellors. Two do post-abortion counselling; two specialize in other forms of infant loss. We welcome clients at the Centre, and also visit women’s corrections facilities, to visit those there who have known infant loss. We try to establish a connection in prison, so that when they no longer incarcerated, they will already feel comfortable visiting us at the Centre.

“All are services are free and confidential. Confidentiality is key. We have women whose pain and loss are recent, and others that have experienced loss thirty or forty years ago and are very nervous and unsure because they think it’s too late for counselling. But it’s never too late.

“Often, those who come immediately after an abortion are very distraught. They can’t work or go to school. They can’t function. They’re in a very traumatized state.

“Most of the time, a woman wants to discuss her feelings of shock, grief and loss one on one. They can’t talk about it with family or friends. Or if they do, it’s on a minimal and superficial level. To have a safe and comfortable place to come to is huge for our clients. We can build trust with them over the course of several visits. And then they can begin the challenge of working out their grief.

“A huge part of a woman’s reality in 2020 is that most don’t know that help is there for them. It’s important to let the general public know that we’re here. Otherwise the only comments a woman will get are the well-meaning ones from family, friends and colleagues who tell them It’s okay, you can always have another baby. They’ll say things like that that dismiss or minimize the grief a mother – or father – is experiencing.

“Or they don’t take the loss seriously at all. One of the reasons, I think, why abortion has become thinkable, is that miscarriages are too often dismissed. If that 12-week old fetus isn’t important or valued, then abortion is feasible. There’s no value in that little growing life.

“Instead, at the Centre, we ask women how they are feeling. And then we listen. We have a compassionate curiosity when someone is going through the depths of grief. Because that little life was and is important. Culturally, we all need to connect with that child. Then we’ll truly understand that life begins at conception.”

Abortion, like all infant loss, is devastating. Many women experience emotional symptoms, such as guilt and shame, or lowered self-esteem. Women also develop eating disorders, workaholism or discomfort around children. Symptoms can also be physical, such as sterility, sexual problems and an increase of miscarriages.

“The symptoms can also be spiritual, notes Chris MacKay. Women can feel condemned and experience an inability to accept God’s forgiveness. There can be a lot of self-loathing.

“There can also be numbness. My role is to guide the women I welcome into helping identify their feelings. I help them explore. I don’t tell them what to feel. I simply give them the time and space in which to do that for themselves, and I help them ask the right questions in order to heal. I help them connect the dots, but they must be willing to connect the dots in order to do the work. The hard work of turning their grieving into mourning.

“The greatest reward for me is watching God work in somebody’s life. I have seen women come in so broken, so full of self-condemnation that I couldn’t imagine them moving forward. Then, with time, I get to watch God rebuild their self-identity into His. God comes alongside to say You’re valuable, because I value you. You made a mistake. You are not a mistake.

“If they are willing, and ready, I also invite ten women to participate in a special Rachel’s Vineyard retreat. There’s lot of work beforehand to get them to a public meeting with other women who have lost a child like they have.

“We meet in a small space, at a faith-based centre. It’s a faith-based retreat, with Scripture readings, prayer, meditation, ritual and candles. All the participants know full well that the retreat will involve a Christian perspective. Participants need to be open to the Scriptures. If they say yes to the experience of a retreat, it can be a very therapeutic, healing process. And it can also bring them closer to Jesus.”

For information on the Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Winnipeg, visit their website: www.pregnancy.ca

For information about Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries, visit their website: www.rachelsvineyard.org

Cultivating the Potential of our Children

by Cameron MacDonald

One Sunday, our pastor began his message with the announcement that another baby had been born. It was the 16th baby born within the last 14 months for our church family. With many young families in our church, I feel blessed to witness the next generation. I hope to be a part of their spiritual maturation process in whatever areas God calls me to assist with.

We have a great group of church leaders, who are full of energy humility and experience. They are very intentional in encouraging and fostering spiritual growth, openly stating that our goal is to have a 1-1 ratio of adults to kids in our children’s program.

As I reflect deeply in faith, I am reminded that Jesus asked us to bring our young children to Him.  I am also reminded of His last commandment, known by many as the great commission, to go and make disciples.

Some of us may be called travel the world and bring the Gospel to unreached people groups, but some of us may be called to other vocations.

Despite where we are called, there are always opportunities to contribute to the growth of others. You don’t have to make radical changes in your life to make radical changes in the lives of others. Just an hour a week in some sort of children’s ministry or Sunday school program can make a world of difference in that child’s life. Not only is that child’s life impacted, but everyone that child crosses paths with could potentially be impacted.

I am not asking you to change your life, I am asking you to do something to change the lives of others.

Children are like seeds being sowed, be the wind to blow the seed into fertile soil or the farmer who cultivates the crops. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Be a worker!

Sacrificing Comfort for Truth

by Cameron MacDonald

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96 % of 1200 biologists surveyed acknowledge that life begins at conception.

We are living in a very confused culture these days, one that sacrifices the truth in favour of comfort and long-lasting legacies in favour of instant, self-serving gratification. I feel that this fact is personified by how our society views the opportunity to have and raise children.

As someone who has dedicated the past four years of my young life to humanizing children during their time in the womb, I can tell you definitively that we are sacrificing truth for perceived comfort. A great example of this is a recent study from the University of Chicago. In this study, over 1200 biologists were asked the question of when life begins.  The survey was answered almost as you would expect, with 96% of those surveyed acknowledging that life begins at the moment of conception. However, despite this fact, approximately 80% of those surveyed considered themselves “pro-choice” as it related to mothers being able to end the innocent human lives, lives that depend on their mother to survive. Acknowledging the truth of humanity that present in the youngest and most vulnerable humans. Yet a disregard of this fact in an attempt to serve the perceived self-interest of those who are meant to care for the child.

Children are our future, the life blood of our society. As Christians we are told that we have to have faith, as little children have faith. We are called to bring our children to Jesus, and we are told that we must be born again. In many respects, we are all children in the process of sanctification.

Whether we are children physically or spiritually, we are dependent on others to care for us, teach us and guide us in our journey of sanctification.


Whether they are children physically or spiritually. I encourage you to sacrifice selfish things and invest in others who are young in the faith. We were all adopted into God’s family and we need to adopt and care for others in order to change our culture.

Abortion is seen as the ultimate act of selfishness by those involved, but we must ask ourselves about how one ends up in that situation and what we can do to help less people end up in that situation? We can’t control the behavior of others, so that means that we need to be invested in the well-being of our family, church and society.

I personally need to ask myself, what self-serving activities I need to put aside in order to have a greater impact on the lives of others and I hope you will do the same!

Why the "March for Life"?

by Tim Scatliff

Why do we bother to rally at the Legislature every year and parade down Portage Ave.? Haven’t we lost the two most important battles already? Isn't abortion a woman's choice - isn't that settled? Abortion has been a health care option in Canada for 51 years. Euthanasia and assisted suicide (MAiD) - have been health care options since mid-2016.  Hasn't that already been settled as well? So what’s the point of the March of Life?

We march because over 4 million preborn babies have been killed by abortion in those 51 years and approximately 7 thousand Canadians euthanized over the past three and a half years. Those are big losses.

We march because we are Christians, we understand that "a preborn is not a choice - it's a baby". It's a baby created for eternal life - knit in the mother's womb by God Himself. We march because even the secular world should accept the scientific evidence that the preborn is human - living and growing from the moment of conception. Don't all humans, no matter how small, have a right to life? The right to life should never be a considered a choice.

We march because we recognize many historical events in our history - good and bad. It's important for our perspective - what we have learned from our history - especially when it comes to human rights and terrible injustices. Just because it's legal, does not make it right.

The United States March for Life is held in January to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade & Doe v. Bolton, which invalidated laws restricting abortion in all 50 states. In Canada, the March for Life is held in May to mark the anniversary of the decriminalization of abortion in our nation. This year's month of May is the 51st anniversary of the passing of Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s omnibus bill.

"We march because we envision a future world where the beauty and dignity of every human life are valued and protected...we promote the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion (and assisted suicide) —uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square...together we stand for the preborn and the suffering"[1].

We march because there is still a lot of room to change hearts on these issues. Respectful, educated, and articulate dialogue is essential - and a lot of prayer!

Are Canadians happy about where we are in our legal system on these issues? No - not according to the polls.

We march because on the issue abortion: "6 in 10 Canadians say human life should be legally protected some time prior to birth. Almost 1 in 4 say it should be protected from conception on"; "Polls show that a strong majority, 72%, want to see some protection for unborn human life."; "92% of Canadians think that sex-selection abortion should not be legal.". Canada remains the only nation in the Western world that has no protection for preborn children up to and including delivery - for any reason.

LifeCanada reports that in a 2016 National Poll on "Assisted Dying": 54% say ensuring palliative care access is more important than access to assisted dying, vs. 22% who say access to assisted dying is more important; 50% say protecting the vulnerable against undue pressure is more important than access to assisted dying, vs. 31% who say access to assisted dying is more important; surprisingly, while Quebec has more experience with doctor-assisted dying than the rest of Canada, Quebecers are more in favor than other Canadians of restricting it to “grievous and irremediable circumstances, with strict limits” (58% vs. 47%); 70% of Canadians "want to restrict doctor assisted suicide to only the terminally ill"; 54% say ensuring palliative care access is more important than access to assisted dying";

The Canadian government is now likely to propose this year to extend euthanasia and assisted suicide to the mentally ill; to mature minors, and allowing advanced directives. The letter to Prime Minster Trudeau from Archbishop Richard Gagnon, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, is a must read! Here is the link. We march because the Government of Canada needs to see that we care.

It has been said that we must focus on changing the hearts of Canadians - that laws themselves are a reflection of our combined hearts.

ARPA’s Mike Schouten, speaking to the crowd at last year's March for Life in Toronto, believes strongly that we march because along with proper education, the March for Life will equip all of us to lead many more Canadians to care deeply and to care loudly, working prudently, effectively and strategically to mobilize millions of Canadians for the purpose of passing laws to protect our preborn neighbours.

We march because it is our obligation to speak for the voiceless. It inspires us and gives us strength when we young and old come together. We show our solidarity to the public in proclaiming the power of being present for those who need our help to live not die. Not to extend life at all costs, but to respect and comfort life from conception to natural death.  To show the value of all human life and their individual rights.

I’m not sure where I read it, probably on social media, but someone was asking if you ever wondered what you would have done if you were a citizen in a country that began to treat selected members of its population as subhuman? The answer is: whatever you would have done then - you’re doing it now.

What side of history do we want to be on?

We march because we are making a difference!

Be part of the change!

[1] From the website of the National March for Life in Washington, DC

The Power of Many: the Winnipeg Life Hike

By Nadine Fetherston

For many years, Life’s Vision has partnered with other Pro-Life organizations in bringing a peaceful, public awareness and support for life through their annual Life Hike – a walk for life, hope and love. Every fall, a different church hosts the Life Hike in Winnipeg. The Life Hike has two main purposes: to raise funds for pro-life educational projects and to serve as a community public witness to remind others about the pro-life message. 

September 28, 2019 - New Life Sanctuary Church

This year in Winnipeg on the crisp fall morning of September 28, 2019, a wonderful collection of around 120 people of various backgrounds, stories and faith arrived at New Life Sanctuary Church to show their support for life. There were families of all ages, some with many children, taking part in the walk, as well as representatives from various pro-life groups throughout the province. Despite the cool air, there was a sense of warmth, love and unity as all came together to walk as one through the community with signs carrying messages such, “A person’s a person, no matter how small” and “The right to life is the first among human rights”.   

The Power of Many

There were many honks of support from passers-by. Many looked on with interest, while a small few voiced differing opinions as we walked along. Knowing that discussions can spark changes and that education and listening are the keys to changing hearts, so is the power of many. There is strength in numbers and when people gather together in a peaceful, prayerful and loving way, with a common mission, there is no denying the impact that it makes. Our presence may be able to set off conversations, or initiate awareness through messages on our signs, such as, “there are no abortion laws in Canada”. Our witness of love, and our willingness to share our hearts can also be impactful.

The mission I felt, among those gathered, is that we are the voice for the pre-born and we hope that our presence on that beautiful fall morning may have brought awareness, love and dialogue on a very important topic, the sanctity of life.

““The beautiful thing about the Pro-Life movement is that it’s ordinary people doing extraordinary things for God.””

— St. Teresa of Calcutta

The Power of an Image - "Unplanned" Reviewed



Photo: Pure Flix Films

Daniel Bahuaud

The most gripping moment of Unplanned occurs when Abby Johnson, played by Ashley Bratcher, assists with an ultrasound-guided abortion.

For the real-life Planned Parenthood clinic director turned pro-life activist, this is a pivotal moment. The pivotal moment, and a sobering one for viewers as we see a 13-week old unborn human being struggle against the abortionist’s vacuum cannula before its life is violently taken.

Those with squeamish hearts might be shocked by some of the bloodier aspects of the procedure, presented with a clinical sterility echoing the abortion doctor’s casual callousness.

For my part, I was constantly drawn to the image on the monitor, marvelling at the impact ultrasound technology – with us with ever increasing sophistication and clarity since the 1950s – has had on the pro-life movement.

No wonder, really, since real-time ultrasound images provide a highly compelling argument that we are indeed looking at a human being. I was personally convinced in 1984, on viewing Jack Duane Dabner’s difficult-to-watch short documentary The Silent Scream, which takes viewers step by step through an abortion.

Later, I was blessed to see my two unborn children, thanks to ultrasound images. A much happier experience to be sure.

Which brings me back to Unplanned. This is a film I very much want to take my now teenaged children to see. I want them to marvel at the tiny unborn human being on the monitor screen. And to understand, in an unflinchingly way, what abortion ultimately is. Like The Silent Scream, Unplanned’s powerful and disturbing image exposes the deep lie regarding abortion that too many people still accept:  that this is solely about a woman’s right over her body and is not, ultimately, the taking of human life.

The child on the ultrasound monitor was the final straw in Abby Johnson’s personal and ethical journey – one that led her to become pro-life and, ultimately, to convert to Catholicism.

Her journey is well told throughout the movie, thanks to a judicious use of flashbacks. As well, Ashley Bratcher creates a very human and often conflicted Abby Johnson. Her honest, raw and powerful performance is one of Unplanned’s highlights.

Other aspects of the film are less successful. Some performances are not particularly convincing. Unplanned also has an unnecessary voice-over that simply restates what we’re seeing, almost as if directors and screenwriters Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman felt it necessary to hold the audience’s hand throughout Abby Johnson’s ethical and spiritual journey. Ditto for the overly emotional song score that serves no useful purpose besides emphasizing emotions we are already feeling. With such a compelling story, the filmmakers should have greater confidence in an audience.

Of course, these are peripheral details in what is, at heart, a 106-minute argument for the protection of the unborn. Viewing Unplanned, those already convinced of the truth that life begins at conception will be confirmed in their convictions, but hopefully will also  come away forcefully reminded of the necessity of helping by all means possible those women, often young and single, who have ultimately chosen not to abort their child in a crisis pregnancy situation.

Watching Unplanned, those that aren’t pro-life may come to rethink their position, and ultimately understand that what is legally permitted is not necessarily ethical. I hope they will not be put off by the somewhat polemical tone the film sometimes slides into.

My most fervent hope is that they are moved by the power of that one ultrasound image.

Daniel Bahuaud is the Communications Coordinator at the Archdiocese of St. Boniface

Unplanned
Directed by Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman
Starring Ashley Bratcher, Brooks Ryan and Robia Scott
Based on Unplanned, Abby Johnson’s memoir of her eight years as a Planned Parenthood volunteer, and employee and director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas.

Grace Here and Now

by Leah Perrault

I have found God inescapable for most of my life.  Even when I try to run away, there He is.  God shows up in feeling and experience, touch and sound, churches and skies.  Words generally show up after, inadequate but pressing to be spoken as a sort of verification of the miracle that has happened but cannot be held.  The word for this constant gift of presence is grace.

Three years ago, I sat in a coffee shop with a friend and graphic designer to talk about a website and a brand for a new column, Barefoot and Preaching.  I wanted something authentic that would communicate God’s faithfulness in and to me, as well as the unique way that God seems to be using me.  My dual vocation to ministry and motherhood cannot be contained fully in my home or a church building.

It is a strange thing to talk about branding a person, because a person is not the sort of thing that can be captured by a logo or a name or a set of colours.  As a person, I cannot be packaged in the words that make up a column.  And yet this column I’ve been writing has also become a particular kind of grace for me.

Over the last three years, I have been writing about God showing up in my life, in depression and gratitude, in rest and longing, in grief and hope.  Writing deadlines have turned into powerful invitations to pay attention to what God is teaching me.  Publishing the pieces has become a connection to a community of beautiful people walking barefoot in their own lives.  It has been my experience that sharing the stories of God showing up in my life becomes an invitation for others to do the same.  It is such a miracle that walking barefoot through my life could also be a gift for others.

I began the column thinking about God’s words to Moses: “Remove your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” These words were for Moses and for us.  Our lives are the places where God encounters us.  Our floors, our yards, the neighbourhood, and the whole world are holy ground.  Even though my feet cringe at the idea of walking on the grass without shoes, I am choosing to walk through life barefoot when it comes to spirituality.

In this season of life, I am home with a new baby and caring for three older siblings.  God calls though requests for snacks, cries over the baby monitor, markers and scissors and glue.  My growth feels like regression: reminding myself not to try to do too much in one day, resting when a few minutes present the chance, making time for slow walks noticing ants and sidewalk cracks.  I fail at least as much as I succeed.  The dividends are paid in sticky kisses and toddler to adolescent whispers of “Love you too…”.

After witnessing a bird in flight, Annie Dillard wrote in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek that “beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them.  The least we can do is try to be there.”  Since God is showing up for us constantly, I want to respond by expecting to find grace in the moments that make up my life.

What if it is not only possible, but actually probable that God is going to show up in the ketchup and crusts left on plastic plates, in the hand-knitted sweater that arrives as a baby gift in the mail, and in the daily marathon that is getting everyone to bed?  How could it be any other way?  If God cannot show up everywhere, then it seems unlikely that He’ll show up anywhere.

Grace is seeping into every possible place.  God comes in with the air when the doors and windows open.  God shows up in the faces and words and kindnesses of friends and strangers.  God speaks in whatever sounds touch our souls.  When my feet are bare, I am walking with sensitivity to what lies beneath them.  When my soul is bare, I’m feeling for grace.

And when I find it, words swirl around inside me, making meaning out of the mystery, stirring to stumble out of my mouth and fingers, to be proclaimed to whoever needs them.  Barefoot and Preaching has been carried to readers through the Prairie Messenger until its sad closure this spring, and this month is making its first appearance in the Catholic Register. Whether you find these words in print in these generous Canadian Catholic newspapers or online on my website, leahperrault.com, I’m grateful if my words find a resonance in you.

Avoiding the MAID Mindset

In the wake its legalization, in June of 2016, medical assistance in dying is becoming more and more normalized. A situation that Katarina Lee, clinical ethicist at St. Boniface Hospital, finds particularly troubling.

On March 2nd, you will be giving a workshop on advance care planning and end-of-life issues. (1) You’ll also speak about the social and medical repercussions of medical assistance in dying (MAID), which are of great concern.

I’m deeply worried about MAID’s impact in all areas. In health care, in medical research, in what specifically triggers a request for MAID and how it’s assessed. I’m also troubled by the language surrounding MAID, which is creating a new mindset. There’s this concept that MAID “ends suffering”. People also talk about avoiding “being a burden” to others. This language needs to be questioned. Robustly.

Because MAID is now a legal option…

Yes. And if there’s no deep and honest reflection about MAID, the new language surrounding it will start to describe a default position. Take “MAID ends suffering”. Is that really true? For one thing, death doesn’t end suffering. There’s the pain and grief of those who have just lost a loved one.

Medically speaking, we don’t even know if someone who has died from MAID suffers or not. You’re given a paralytic and so you stop moving, but are you in pain? No one knows.

As for the patient who is in great pain and says, I can’t take this anymore. I can’t do this anymore, what exactly does that mean? Does he really want to end his life? Or is he asking for relief because he’s having a particularly bad day as a patient? We all have moments of discouragement. We all have bad days.

And yet we often recover…

Exactly. There’s a lot of medical and psychological literature on the value of resiliency. People who have suffered and bounced back often grow. They have much to contribute to society. There are benefits. And yet people don’t see any value in suffering. They view it as a negative thing to be eradicated. I’d argue that’s not a realistic position. Whether we’re healthy or ill.

Our culture certainly has the mindset that pain must be avoided…

In the face of an illness, or a debilitating disease, it’s natural to be scared. The trap, now that MAID is legal, is to believe it’s the ultimate option, the last and only resort. A person receives a discouraging diagnosis, and he quickly leaps to MAID. The MAID mindset says You’ve got Parkinson’s. It’s a terminal disease. You’re going to suffer, so why not just choose MAID? That’s what a woman in British Columbia decided. She was not near death, but she petitioned for MAID. Suffering was completely out of the picture. In the end, she won her case and was granted MAID in 2017.

More and more people want to be eligible for MAID…

That’s another worry. Bill C-14 was sufficiently vague that different provinces came up with different regulations surrounding it. Who qualifies for MAID? What is the waiting period for it? And because the law is vague, there’s been a push to extend its boundaries. More people are asking to qualify for MAID. Which contributes to the MAID mindset.

Surely treatments have improved, so why would one make the leap to MAID?

That’s one of medicine’s ironies. There’s increasingly better pain management. Better than ten years ago, and exceedingly better than at the turn of the century. One would think that fewer people would choose MAID.

From a medical standpoint, when people suffer, we continually figure out how to reduce that suffering. We figure out how to cure diseases or reduce symptoms. We introduce new treatments, deal with drug side effects, and build programs to keep people alive. We invest our energy and resources in healing and improving quality of care and life.

Palliative care has also greatly improved…

Absolutely. The sad truth is that we don’t fund that many beds for palliative care. Especially in the country. People in rural areas have much better access to MAID than palliative care. And if you’ve developed the MAID mindset, of course you may start to think I want to die peacefully. There aren’t resources here and I don’t want to drive out to the city to access them, because I don’t want to be a burden to my family.

Since Bill C-14 was passed in 2016, there hasn’t been much of a public debate on MAID…

That’s one of the more troublesome aspects of the current situation, because our culture is somewhat apathetic. Canadians often think that if an issue doesn’t affect them, they don’t feel a need to speak out. Take abortion. Canada has no actual law on abortion. There’s been a legal void since the Supreme Court declared in 1988 that Section 251 of the Criminal Code had no force or effect. And yet, Canadians simply act like there is a law. And many who think abortion is wrong won’t go out of their way to object to someone else having one.

Which is why it’s important for people of faith to state their beliefs. We Catholics need to talk about MAID, abortion and other life and death issues. Not just amongst ourselves, but with our friends who have a different view, and in the public square. We need to make known the solid reasons why we object to MAID. We need to push for more funding for palliative care and medical research. Above all, we need to share our fundamental vision: that we are called to preserve life from conception to natural death.

Katarina Lee is Manitoba born, and was raised just outside of Carman. A devout Catholic, she became interested in questions surrounding medical care at age 12, when her grandmother was hospitalised for 19 months. Those questions led her to study philosophy, law and bioethics. She is the clinical ethicist at St. Boniface Hospital and an assistant professor in Family Medicine at the University of Manitoba.

(1) The Marriage, Family and Life Service of the Archdiocese of Saint-Boniface is pleased to offer a Free Advance Care planning, End-of-Life Decisions & MAID workshop, Saturday, March 2, 2019, from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM in the Saint Boniface Cathedral Hall. Presented by Katarina Lee, this workshop will provide education, benefits and pitfalls regarding advance care planning, including the use of advance care directives and health care proxies. Discussions from a Catholic perspective of medical decisions such as nutrition, hydration, resuscitation and ventilation will also be explored, as well as, palliative care and an overview of Medical Aid in Dying and the impact recent legislation has had on society and the practice of medicine. Space is limited, please register online at: bit.ly/careplanning1

For more information: mfl2@archsaintboniface.ca or 204-594-0295. To view the poster,
click here.