December 15
Crossroads Saturday 15th December 2012
3:06pm
Jill’s House
Angela Schumann
This morning we did our first abortion vigil for the walk. We stood outside the Spring Hill abortion clinic with the Helpers and prayed from 7-8:45. It’s always the most sobering and confronting point of the pilgrimage, or of anything, really, I’ve found. You suddenly remember why you’re doing all of this, and everything becomes very real as you know that just metres away (we were across the road), kids are being killed and women are being broken.
It’s always a challenge as well to stand still for that long. Daniel was good in reminding us of how important it was that we focus on our prayers and giving us a few good tips on how to concentrate and not let your mind wander, as it’s so easy to do. A couple of the local Helpers came to pray with us as well, and were sidewalk counselling outside the clinic.
Afterwards we went to Mass at the Villa Maria Church nearby, and then Fr. Rego invited us to a Christmas party that Mother Theresa’s Sisters were putting on for the homeless. It was lovely. I made friends with a hilarious older man named Mel, who knew the answers to all of the trivia questions. We got to explain to quite a few people what our T-Shirts (with the very subtle “PRO LIFE” printed across the front) were about, and what we are doing.
We came home to Jill’s to have lunch and just chill out. We might go to Stephen’s soon so we can leach off his wireless internet and try and upload these blogs. Tonight we’re speaking at our first parish- the vigil Mass at St. Patrick’s in Beenleigh. Four of us are going with Allison so that she can show us the ropes, and then we’ll partner up with the other four tomorrow and go and speak at other parishes. Andrew and I are doing the Latin Mass community, which means that we will only be speaking at one Mass that morning. I confess that the lazy part of me (which is in about the same proportion as water in an iceberg lettuce) is secretly celebrating over this easy workload, although we may take one of the Masses for one of the other groups, as James said they have four.
I’m a bit nervous about the talk, just because I haven’t memorised it yet and don’t feel well prepared, so I might go and do that now so that it runs smoothly. I was initially a bit sceptical about giving a talk that I had not written, but once I read it I realised that it was exactly what I would’ve said, and so I intend to just learn it (not word-for-word obviously), but memorise the main points and then add my own personal touch.
