Good Counsel Network
I'm very grateful that we don't often need to make an extremely urgent appeal for funds. But today is one of those occasions.
We are able to make and plan for the foreseeable, but so often in the lives of the women that we help the unforeseeable presents itself.
A good example of this is "Lydia" who spoke at the Brixton 40 Days for Life half-way event. She told us, “I went to Brixton abortion clinic for a consultation and they thought I was only carrying one baby when I arrived. They gave me a scan and told me there was more than one heartbeat. I was totally shocked. They told me they thought it was twins and I thought straight away at that moment I cannot go ahead with an abortion. They said they could not proceed because I could sue them because I was not mentally prepared to abort more than one baby so I had to have time to think about it and return for the abortion at a later date but I had already made up my mind that I was not going to return. I went for my first antenatal scan at the hospital and they told me that I was expecting quadruplets. I nearly collapsed. I was very shocked.” [You can read the rest of Lydia's talk here, https://mariastopsabortion.blogspot.com/2023/03/fighting-4-life-40-days-of-celebrating.html ]
She kept her quads and is very happy. We had to arrange to get a pushchair that could carry four babies! Day in day out we see women considering abortion because they have real practical problems and we need to find real practical solutions to those problems, so that they feel they can continue their pregnancies.
At the moment our funds are as low as they have been for at least the last 5 years. There are more than 20 women that we are currently providing ongoing help and assistance to, as well as many others who we provide a range of support to. This week we have given out almost £500 worth of food vouchers to women who have no recourse to public funds. But we do not have the money to be able to do this or anything like it next week.
It is Lent, a time of almsgiving, a time when Catholics are asked not just to fast and abstain, but to use the money saved to help those in need. I would ask you therefore at this time to please make a donation towards our work, so that we can continue to help these mothers and their babies, who don't qualify help elsewhere.
You can make a bank transfer to support our work [THE GUILD OF OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL, CAF Bank Ltd, Sort code: 40 – 52 – 40 Account no: 00032165] or donate through our Just-Giving appeal www.justgiving.com/campaign/keepgoodcounselopen and we are now able to take donations over the telephone 020 7723 1740.
God bless
Stuart McCullough
P.S. Please join us for 9 days in saying this prayer to St Philomena, for help with our financial situation.
NOVENA PRAYER TO ST. PHILOMENA
O FAITHFUL VIRGIN and glorious martyr, St. Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing, have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favourable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee, that Good Counsel will raise the funds they need and that as many lives as possible will be saved through their work, [& add your own petitions.] I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings and the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints. Amen
