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40-day anti-abortion vigil ends

By: Aldo Santin

5/04/2009 6:59 PM | Comments: 20

Myrna Howard (with pink scarf on facing towards the camera from the left) and Barbara Olson (wearing a black hat facing the camera holding up the sign

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Myrna Howard (with pink scarf on facing towards the camera from the left) and Barbara Olson (wearing a black hat facing the camera holding up the sign "Pray to End Abortion") were part of the closing rally for 40 Days of Life, an anti-abortion vigil.

A 40-day vigil in opposition to abortion ended this afternoon in prayer on a small patch of grass in front of Women’s Hospital.

More than 100 people attended the final hours of the event, organized by the Campaign Life Coalition.

Local spokeswoman Myrna Howard said the third annual event was a success, attracting supporters who aren’t members of Campaign Life Coalition.

"This was a peaceful vigil, with very little opposition," Howard said.

The vigil involved people walking quietly for 12 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., in front of the Notre Dame Avenue hospital, chosen, Howard said, because abortions are performed there.

Today's vigil ended at 5 p.m.

The Winnipeg vigil was one of five staged in Canada — Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton — and in 220 cities in the United States.

Howard said that on most days there were a minimum of two people every hour walking in front of the hospital, but at times the number had reached 10 to 16 people.

Howard said today's finale was the best turnout of the 40 days.

A spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said there were no disturbances or other incidents associated with the 40-day vigil.

Barbara Olson said she joined the vigil after hearing about it. She isn’t a member of the Campaign Life Coalition.

Sandra Dupont, who was leaving the hospital as the vigil was wrapping up, said she joined the event two weeks ago after a plea was sent to her church, St. Peters Roman Catholic Church.

"All the churches were contacted and people were asked to participate," said Dupont, who joined about 40 members from her church when they participated in the vigil.

Following the vigil, Maria Slykerman, the group’s Manitoba co-ordinator, placed a bouquet of red roses on the hospital steps, which she said was to commemorate the abortions performed there.



aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

 

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20 Commentscomment icon

Abortion IS MURDER!

It STOPS A Beating Heart

You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13 (NIV)

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

Over 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, and that was horrible. Over 48 million babies have been killed in the USA alone, and NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING.

Facts:
-1 % from rape or incest
-93 % from unwanted or inconvenience
-78 % from Christians
-Approx. 3,700 per day

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

"...neither death nor life... will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

Lord Forgive Us

My Heart Aches For This Nation And Fallen World, Christians, Establish The Kingdom Of God Here On Earth, Today

chief Eddie,

you know what else is a grind on health care that taxpayers pay for? Smokers and alcoholics, both legal, both by choice. nuff said.

I can't comment on the above group of protesters but I can speak for many who I have spoken to who oppose abortion. Many vote conservative and feel that capital punishment should be brought back as well. Many also seem to support any type of war and are generally supportive of former president George Bush (who is also anti-abortion but pro-death penalty). Could someone please explain this?? Or is it simply a matter of "having it both ways"??

Abortion is a personal choice. Protesting in public is just stating your opinion very loudly and trying to scare people into believing you are right.

Keep your opinion on the matter, but let everyone have their opinion about it as well. Abortion is legal, therefore if you want to change it, do it with the courts. Do not do it by trying to scare people with your banners and signs and your hatred for those who are having abortions.

If someone shakes a new born baby to death, people are shocked and outraged. But if that same baby was ripped and torn out from the safety of a womb a few months earlier it doesn’t bother you pro-choicer’s as you are all desensitized and morally handicap. Women (and men) always have and a choice, sperm just don’t magically appear inside a women’s uterus. ---Tax funded abortion is a strain on out health care system. Look at the wait times for ER, cancer treatment, surgeries, and other urgent medical procedures. It can take weeks or months just to see a doctor for a real medical problem. Need a heart by-pass to save your life? You have to wait up to a year. Need a hip replacement, wait 2-3 years. Need an abortion wait only a week. Why not make women who want an abortion wait a year? Because heaven forbid a baby would be born. And killing a baby is higher priority than someone who needs immediate life saving or changing diagnosis and treatment. These so called doctors that murder babies should spend time and resources saving lives instead of taking them.

what these people dont think about is that in that building is a group of women, everyday, 20 women, getting it done. 350 days a year or so. and those woman are inside that building, plagued with guilt and terror but know they are doing the right thing, which is a terrible thing, yes, but it's the right thing. and so they go and get their insides scrapped out and have nightmares for years, but at least they can finish their educations, get real jobs, and become good, functional members of a society. they are the people who may be sandbagging these churchgoers homes, paying taxes for these churchgoers future health woes, paying taxes for these churchgoers schools.

and they look out the window of that hospital and see this. it's never going to change anybody's mind what they're doing outside of that building. all it does is make you cry a little harder for the choice you had to make, the good choice, the right choice.

spreading hatred and pain. congrats on your 40 day of vigil of hatred and pain.

good christians you all are. im sure god's reserved a very special place for you all. it won't be in heaven... but its very special... indeed.

I wonder how they would like it if I came with a bunch of my friends and protested their church? Just leave people alone. It's not like someone wants to get an abortion like it's fun. People have a right to do what they want with their body. Just get over it.

Where are all these do gooders when the welfare system is overloaded with all the unwanted neglected children inthis city? You want to be helpful go out and adopt 5-10 FAS kids, let me know how that works out. Maybe then you will have some credibility with the real world.I can't believe that these women in this day and age would protest a fight that so many women have fought for for so many years. Shame on you ladies.

one more thing, to WFPreader. if we continue to stay in our bubbles and live our lives, minding our own business, we'll never see the child abuse. let alone care enough to take a stand against it.

well, i must say that it is nice to see people "fighting a battle that is long over" and not letting other people dictate what they should believe. if we all just went along with what we were told to think, would we ever actually think at all? and what's so wrong with people thinking? and having an opinion? should we be so quick to slam them, and feel that we are somehow better informed?

its funny how most of the comments talk about being pro-choice, when you aren't even letting these people that believe in something enough to actually get up off the couch and do something, have the option to say what their choice is.

Conserning your life and your body you have to be pro-choice theres not really any other option.

Anything else in the news? Maybe some actual problems?

I am pro-choice. I agree with double nickel and riseabove, go about your lives and leave others alone. What they do with thier lives is NONE of your business. People against Drunk driving or child abuse or anything else like that would be something worth holding a vigil for.

Funny that this is the first time I've heard of it LOL.

It's sad that they don't realize no one cares what they have to say or they would not have to be protesting...

I agree with the above comments, these people need to get lives and leave others alone. There are far worse problems in the world

What a worthy use of your limited time. Standing around for 40 days, acting as the voice for some lunatic fringe group fighting a battle that is long over. Keep up the good work! Maybe next you can all go protest the Vietnam war! I think thats over too!

Hmmm... I noticed these protesters were not out during the snow storms we had during this protest. Just curious, does that mean no one gets abortions in bad weather? Or perhaps they figured the snow storm was God's way of telling them to keep their opinions to themselves for a day or two?

I'm just sayin....

Yawn.

If you are seriously opposed to abortions...don't have one. Leave the people who choose to have one alone.

avatar

Wow 100 people! Not exactly a reflection of public opinion.

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