Umbrellas were raised and prayers sent heavenward as a small band of Catholics gathered in a relentless downpour to celebrate the midway point of the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s 40 Days for Life campaign.
The annual Lenten pro-life campaign has yet to bear legislative fruit in Canada, as the country’s politicians continue to refuse to pass laws to place any restrictions on abortion.
But the two dozen men and women at the March 23 rally showed no signs of discouragement as they joined with Father Larry Lynn, the Archdiocese’s pro-life chaplain, in saying a heartfelt Rosary.
“I’ve never heard the Hail Mary prayed with so much reverence and, well, ardour,” said participant Alex Fantillo. “It was truly inspiring.”
The rally’s guest speaker, Father Mark McGuckin, boosted spirits with a speech that celebrated pro-life activists’ courage and faithfulness.
Father McGuckin, the pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Burnaby, said the commitment shown by campaign participants evoked the spirit of Our Lady of Sorrows.
“Matching Our Blessed Mother’s wounded heart as she knelt before the cross on Mount Calvary, our collective hearts are heavy with the manifold tragedies that lie before us,” Father McGuckin said later. “The steamroller of the culture of death in our society continues to crush our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.”
Father McGuckin said the pro-life faithful are responding by matching “the fearless, forward motion” of the Blessed Mother who drew close to Our Lord at the foot of the cross when most devotees and loyalists abandoned him.
“Our call is just to remain faithful, in the lighter times and in the heavier times,” he said. “We are kneeling in sorrow with Our Blessed Mother, and we also stand, resolute, next to her.”
As he stood under an umbrella held by Father Lynn, Father McGuckin encouraged Catholics to remain faithful to their convictions and to continue to put that faith into action.
“This is the age now of victory,” he said. “This is the age of the Church, and no amount of darkness will be able to eclipse that truth about the sacredness of life that we have been entrusted with to share.”
Fantillo, a parishioner at St. Joseph’s in Mission, said he was motivated to drive 75 kilometres through stormy weather to gather with his fellow pro-life faithful and hear Father McGuckin, who “never fails to inspire.”
“Father Mark needs thanks as he took us to the next level, promoting the most holy missionary call that will, sooner or later, stir in us all,” he said.
Father Lynn, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Coquitlam, said he was inspired by Father McGuckin’s address. “It was really wonderful to hear such stirring words, encouraging people to never give up,” Father Lynn said.
“And I agree that change is possible. As Father Mark said, this is an age of victory, perhaps not yet in Canada, but certainly in the U.S. Everything is changing.”
Campaign Life Coalition reports that abortion has killed 4.5 million preborn babies in Canada since 1969. The country recorded 97,211 abortions in 2022 alone, 10,000 more than the previous year but still less than the recent high of 109,000 in 2011.
While the numbers are staggering, Canada’s rate of 12.3 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 ranks 112th in the world, far lower than Vietnam’s highest recorded rate of 64 per 1,000, and lower by two points than that of the United States. Algeria’s rate of 0.4 abortions per 1,000 is the world’s lowest.
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