Newsletter July-August 2010

Dear Friend of HLI (Ireland),

A big THANK YOU to all of you who so generously supported our call for prayer and financial help to open our exciting new Guadalupe Centre in Knock. Your response was fantastic and may God bless you richly for your help.

Come and visit the next time you are in Knock!

We will have a complimentary information pack awaiting you!

The Guadalupe Centre

Pulsating with the ethos of the Catholic Church, the Guadalupe Centre is no mere book shop. It is a Catholic information and resource centre providing a street front interface to our work with the general public, in particular the 1.5 millions pilgrims who visit Knock every year.

It showcases our mission statement which is

“ promoting and defending the sanctity of life, faith and family according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.”

It highlights our ASK Majella pregnancy counselling work, our Holy Face / Rosary propagation, our newly published book on contraception, HLI President Fr Tom Euteneuer’s new book “Exorcism and the Church Militant” and other projects.

Our Aim

We will be working to foster God’s plan for life, love and family, catechesis, as well addressing New Age, abortion, contraception, I.V.F., attacks on marriage, family and the dignity of human sexuality.

We will be outreaching to married and engaged couples, youth, and community and parish groups around the country.

This is YOUR centre and we want to hear from you about what you would like addressed in Ireland at this time.

We will off course be sad to leave our Dublin supporters as we move our offices, but we hope you will visit us on your pilgrimages to Knock

HLI (Ireland) on four TV programmes

I had the privilege of flying to the USA these last few weeks for four TV programmes with EWTN, the global catholic TV network based in the southern state of Alabama

A BIG thank you to all of you who wrote, phoned or emailed your prayer and mass pledges in response to my recent letter. It made a HUGE difference.

My first interview was on Fr Benedict Groeschel’s Sunday Night Live show, transmitted from New York.

Fr.Benedict and I discussed the state of Catholic pro-life Ireland.

After giving him my analysis of the threats and challenges to the Church and Gospel in Ireland, I proceeded to outline my grounds for optimism based on Christ’s forthcoming victory.

Then I issued a call to repentance to the three main political parties in Ireland. This was based on the attack on human life that each party has been involved in, in either their actions or philosophy.

You can watch the interview by clicking here or by navigating to the media gallery link in our Information & Resources menu at the top of this page.

Feedback from around the world has been very heartening.

Alabama EWTN

Then, off to Alabama to EWTN’s headquarters for three more interviews. (These three interviews were not filmed live, and have yet to be transmitted. I hope to notify you in advance).

Firstly, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Johnette Benkovic, host of the “Abundant Life” TV series.

This talented and gifted presenter and I discussed my new book published last year: “Who’s at the Centre of Your Marriage, the Pill or Jesus Christ?”

Then Tony Crowe from Ireland and I had a second programme with Johnette, when Tony movingly shared his experience as a husband of how contraception seriously impacted his marriage.

Finally, I had the pleasure of being filmed on “Bookmark”, presented by Doug Keck, Executive producer for EWTN. Again this was on my new book published last year.

Our Lady opened doors

The entire USA / EWTN experience was a wonderful example of how Our Lady opens doors. It was an unprecedented experience for me to have four TV shows open up simultaneously. EWTN transmits worldwide by Satellite and each show is seen by millions.

If my book helps even only one marriage worldwide, it will have been all worthwhile. I may never hear or know of it until after I leave this earth, but that I don’t mind. All for God’s glory.

I wish again to THANK YOU our benefactors of HLI (Ireland) for making this book possible and all the prayers and masses you have had offered. I am certain your contribution has borne much fruit and will, I believe, continue to do so.

Civil Partnerships

The so-called ‘Civil Partnerships Bill’ passed recently without even a vote. It encountered opposition from only a very small percentage of T.D.s /Senators. President Mary McAleese signed it into law on 19th July 2010.

Duty to oppose

So serious is support of such a bill that Pope Benedict XVI, when Cardinal Ratzinger, wrote that a Catholic lawmaker has a moral duty to oppose such a bill and:

"To vote in favour of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral.” (Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith June 2003)

Endangering souls

However, there are three principal consequences of passage of this bill:
1) It affirms a lifestyle whereby those who practice this lifestyle endanger their souls.
2) The politicians who support it endanger their souls.
3) By affirming the lifestyle it gives bad example, thereby endangering the souls of our young people.

Let’s pray for God’s mercy for our legislators.

Government targets rural areas with homosexual advocacy

Now, only one day after the president signed in the bill, the government has announced it will back a program aimed at promoting gay/lesbian values in rural areas!

Pat Carey, the minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, announced that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Diversity program will counter the “isolation” felt by homosexuals living in the countryside.

The government is working with eleven homosexuality advocacy groups towards this end!

Rural areas are traditionally more associated with Catholic values. Clearly, this profound attack on Gospel values has been waiting in the wings for the Civil partnership bill to pass with full participation of Government officials.

The programme is being funded by a group called Atlantic Philanthropies.

Keep Up your Holy Face Devotion!

In light of these grave developments, are you still maintaining daily your Reparation prayers to the Holy Face of Jesus? Will you renew your commitment?

Remember the Civil Partnerships bill was one of our principal intentions for 2010.

That the Bill is now signed into law in no way means the fight is over. One lady said to me she was so determined to pray the prayers daily she would say them before getting into bed regardless of how tired she was.

Serious moral Threat

These developments represent a serious moral threat to the well being and fabric of our society

They represent, in my view, yet another insult to the Holy Face of Jesus, who died for all men.

Let us renew our calling on Heaven’s mercy on our land through the daily Holy Face prayers and chaplet.

If you have mislaid your Holy Face booklet or temporarily ceased praying the prayers, contact our office by clicking here

Draft Guidelines on abortion withdrawn

We welcome the news that the British Government has withdrawn the flawed guidelines they had issued in Northern Ireland promoting abortion. Concerted action from pro-life groups does work.

Well done to S.P.U.C. NI and others. Thank you to all of you who specifically prayed for this through our Holy Face reparation. This was one of the 10 intentions we have adopted this year from the blue prayer card we distributed.

Let us take courage from this to continue fighting for the Culture of Life throughout Ireland and indeed throughout the world.

Your Talent / suggestions Welcome

We have been blessed with a number of people with different backgrounds, talents, skills and experience offering their time and help to us in HLI (Ireland).

Our Blessed Lady certainly seems to be on the move.

Please do pray the Lord continues to open doors that we couldn’t open.

One thing I notice is that our prayer-based approach to the pro-life cause is bringing HLI (Ireland) down a particular path. The key is to remain faithful, ever listening to the Master’s voice and trust-filled abandonment.

It is as if we are all pieces on a chessboard and God is moving his people into place.

Have you a particular area of expertise, talent or background where you can help us promote the Gospel of Life – in even the smallest ways?

EVERY ONE of us has our own unique gifts to share.

Even your smallest contribution can make a big difference in God’s plan – remember the little boy giving his loaves and fish to feed five thousand!

Local HLI (Ireland) group?

Perhaps you would be willing to start a special HLI (Ireland) local group in your parish?

We are also delighted to have been invited by local supporters for speaking engagements around the country.

What do YOU think Ireland most badly needs addressing?

Please submit your ideas by clicking here.

We look forward to hearing from you and to joining with you in this initiative.

All our benefactors, living and deceased, have recently been remembered in 100 masses offered specifically for them.

Yours Sincerely,

Patrick McCrystal

Chairman

HLI (Ireland)