November 23, 2011 | CatholicDaily.net

(Mystic Post) – Just last week we have another major news event involving Medjugorje – this time in Austria. On November 17, 2011, Cardinal Schonborn, Archbishop of Vienna, one of the most prominent men in the Catholic Church, a member of the CDF, close confidant of the Pope, and chief architect of the Catholic rule book known as the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” invited into his church a man from Medjugorje who claims to see the Virgin Mary on a daily basis.

The visionary is Ivan Dragcevic, and he came to the Church to visit with the Blessed Mother and experience an apparition inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral as the esteemed Cardinal looked on in peace.

According to reports, over 230,000 people, representing 100 countries, watched the events live as it was streamed around the world over the internet. Witnesses to the events – events that included prayer of the rosary, testimony from the “visionary”, Mass, and adoration – claim they were moved by the dignity and beauty of the catholic experience. To many it was magical, momentous and historical.

I was certain, given the growing interest, and some say rising controversy of Medjugorje, that the U.S. Catholic press would be sure to report on the astonishing events that took place in Austria. Wrong. To my surprise, I discovered…..

Read More: http://catholicdaily.net/mysticpost/2011/11/23/u-s-catholic-press-–-“what-am-i-missing”/

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November 14, 2011 | Priest for Life

Fr. Frank Pavone, Pastoral Director of Rachel’s Vineyard, issued the following statement today after Cardinal Daniel DiNardo (Galveston-Houston), Cardinal Sean O’Malley (Boston), and Cardinal Donald Wuerl (Washington, DC) addressed this morning’s meeting of the United States Catholic Bishops regarding the topic of healing after abortion:

We at Rachel’s Vineyard and Priests for Life are grateful for the strong affirmation today, on the part of the bishops, that nobody who has committed abortion should be afraid to approach God and the Church for reconciliation and healing.

As the largest ministry in the Catholic Church for healing after abortion, Rachel’s Vineyard, which operates under the umbrella of Priests for Life, is a key resource for the Church’s Project Rachel ministry. Some 70 dioceses in the United States alone utilize Rachel’s Vineyard as part of (or in some cases their only) ministry of healing after abortion. Rachel’s Vineyard, as an interdenominational ministry, also serves other Christian Churches with its retreat program.

This year, Rachel’s Vineyard will have completed close to a thousand retreats worldwide for both women and men who have suffered from abortion.

In the year ahead, we look forward to continued growth, not only with retreats but with training for priests, counselors, and other professionals based on the research and teaching of Rachel’s Vineyard founder Dr. Theresa Burke and her husband Kevin, and the other pastoral resources provided by Priests for Life.

Along with more training, the bishops have also called for increased efforts to get the word out to the tens of millions of people in need of this healing. The Silent No More Awareness Campaign (a project of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life), the world’s largest mobilization of men and women who have experienced healing after abortion, is one of the ways to do this. Their testimonies, shared in Churches, at public rallies, and in the media, evoke in the hearts of those who are alienated from the Church the confidence that they can return and find the peace for which they long. The Campaign is gearing up for a large public gathering in conjunction with the January March for Life in Washington and Walk for Life in San Francisco.

For more information about the healing and testimonies that are available, and about the January events, visit www.SilentNoMoreAwareness.org and www.RachelsVineyard.org.

In addition to this statement, Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries also issued a statement clarifying the distinction and complementarity between “Rachel’s Vineyard” and “Project Rachel.” That statement accompanies this release and can be found by clicking here.

Priests for Life is the nation’s largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.

Q & A with Margaret Scuarrino of Priests for Life and Silent No More:

Q: What is Priests for Life and Silent No More? Priests for Life is an organization of priests and laity who work hard to educate the public about what abortion really is and fight to protect the unborn and their parents to end it. The Silent No More Campaign is a project of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life. The Campaign gives a platform to men and women who have been damaged by abortion either physically, spiritually, or emotionally to speak out and warn others that abortion will not only kill a their child, but will damage them in ways they don’t realize and are not told by the abortionists. I take this ministry to heart because I, unfortunately, can say that at 17 years of age, I had an abortion and this had a negative effect on so many years of my life.

Q: What inspired you to get involved with Pro-life work? Having had a child killed by abortion that I had deep guilt and grief over, I wanted to help others from this plight. I started looking for ways to do that and I was drawn into volunteer work for crisis pregnancy centers, joined Respect Life Committee at my parish, and prayed outside of abortion mills, all the while keeping silent about my own abortion – I was so ashamed. I could not admit to anyone what I had done, always feeling that is was all my fault; I had been a coward.

Q: How did you heal from your own abortion, How did you come to terms with the power of God’s Love? My healing came when my mom became terminally ill. Although I went to confession many times, I still felt that God could not love me. I was afraid of Him, but I approached Him for help for my mother. I started reading scripture looking for the meaning of life and begged God to help her. In that search He helped me too. He eventually led me to the Diary of St. Faustina. He told her that although your sins be as scarlet, He will always forgive a contrite heart. I finally understood that He had forgiven me and I had also to learn to forgive.

Q: What advice would you give to a woman considering an abortion? I would plead with her not to have an abortion. I would show her what the developing baby looks like, show her that it is not just a blob of cells, as the abortion clinics still tell naive people. I would show her the little baby with arm and legs inside of her. I would tell her that the baby will be brutally torn apart in an abortion and that the innocent little heart will be broken in what should be the safest place in the world: it’s mother’s womb.

Q: What are some alternatives to abortion?   Adoption. I know that is not easy, but if the maternal mother really feels that she is incapable of being  good mother for some reason, then she must be shown that there are so many loving couples and families who would love to raise her baby, and that the baby would still be able to have life and be saved from the torture and death from an abortion.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who has recently had an abortion? First, as painful as it is, they need to confront the reality of what happened in the abortion.  Then they need to take it to God.  They need to repent of this act and seek forgiveness, make reparation, and they should definitely check out a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat. They need to be open about it to their families and friends. After all, so many people are affected in abortion: that child’s sisters or brothers, aunts, uncles and grandparents have all been robbed of this special person who was killed in the abortion.  They should not be afraid. I myself have never been condemned, but surprised by the compassion shown to me by all.

Q: One common argument the Pro Choice groups make is that Pro-Life groups are opposed to women’s healthcare or have no concern for the woman. Why is this wrong? This is wrong because abortion is not healthcare. It doesn’t cure any illnesses; in fact it causes them. Pregnancy is not a disease. Once pregnant, the mother-child bond is part of the woman’s innate nature. As soon as the baby is conceived, this connection is present. . The quality of the woman’s life is also negatively affected. Many will even begin self-destructive behaviors like promiscuity, drug or alcohol abuse, and have low self-esteem. Abortion can cause illness, such as depression. I have never heard of a woman who, after an abortion, say that she is proud of it. Instead, I always see her hiding it, with shame, guilt and regret. Not to mention the physical problems and even death that can occur during the procedure.

Q: Where should s person start to help the Pro-life movement? First, pray for the end of abortion!  Secondly, educate one’s own circle of friends with educational materials about what happens during an abortion. Even those who have never experienced or known someone who has undergone an abortion need to take this personally; abortion is everyone’s problem. They need to realize that if something is not done, an innocent little member of their own family could be murdered, and others damaged.

Priests for Life can only do what they do because of the generosity of donors. Donations are always welcome. Anyone who can help in this way should contact Priests for Life at 888-735-3448 or go to www.Priestsforlife.org

By Royce Hood