tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46717294595312973572024-03-13T05:03:18.224-07:00Crossroads Canadap.taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15015008310328387294noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-56749569259714042572013-07-08T14:25:00.002-07:002013-07-08T14:26:07.239-07:00Mapping Out A Pro-Life Canada: Part 1: The West.<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Dear friends and supporters,</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Here are some reflections on our experiences in the great Canadian West.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">First, some thoughts on our great country's heritage. Canada is a Christian nation. By this I do not mean that
this country was or is governed by theocrats, nor do I mean that all its citizens
are on fire for the Christian faith. I mean that this land was claimed for God by the first explorers, and He blessed them in their adventures and missions by allowing this land to grow up in a thriving Christian culture. Conversions were made. Churches were built. Schools and hospitals founded. Canada was explored and built by Christians. We on Crossroads aim to revive Christian culture, especially with regards to respect for the dignity and sanctity of all human life. This land was claimed for God, and yet the light of faith has been dimmed. A simple look at abortion statistics (around 100,000 a year in Canada) shows that we have to turn on the lights again, as it were. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The Canadian West was explored by such men as David Thompson, who was the first man to cross the Rockies. Everywhere he went, he proclaimed the Gospel. He mapped over 3.9 million square kilometers in his lifetime - an unimaginable feat accomplished by one man. Thompson read the Bible to Indians he met. He spoke of Christianity as "giving force to morality." This great man literally walked and canoed West, spreading the Gospel as he made his maps. Our Crossroads team started where he left off, and we are heading East towards the secular wasteland of Quebec and the battleground of Ottawa where abortion laws were struck down in 1988. Using GPS and atlases, we are trekking for life, like Thompson did. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The western provinces have been very good to us. The response to our mission in British Columbia was moderate, though still more positive than negative. The mountains gave our legs and feet trouble but once we emerged from Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains into Alberta, we felt much better. The instant peace and quiet provided to us by our evening walks in the fields provided a refreshing change from the mountain air. The reactions of drivers were immediately more positive than in BC. We received many thumbs-up and honks. People stopped their cars and talked to us and gave us donations. Saskatchewanians were very generous, and the amount of positive responses topped Alberta's. Manitoba was good to us as well. While we were only there for a week, reactions were mostly positive. While praying at the abortion clinic in Winnipeg, things were much more confrontational than on the road, but we still got many honks and well-wishes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">We are now in Ontario, walking out of Thunder Bay. We are almost one month away from reaching Ottawa, my hometown. This is the longest walk home I've ever experienced!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">In conclusion, I am comforted by the fact that God willed Canada to become
a Christian nation through explorers missionaries who quite literally walked and boated
across the land. They went West. We are going East. A
Christian culture, a culture of life, can happen again because it happened
before. God is on our side. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">God bless you all. Please keep the team in your prayers!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Ian Gallagher</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Walk Leader </span></span></div>
Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188102055569748392noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-73445827962108028732013-07-08T13:49:00.001-07:002013-07-08T13:49:48.010-07:00Life And Death - by Amy MacInnis<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><i>It is better to die than to live.</i> There is some truth to this statement, in the sense that our heavenly life will be better than our earthly one. But our culture's infatuation with death does not seem to be motivated by a longing for union with God. Instead, death is seen as an escape from the excruciation of life, whether into bliss or nothingness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The crux of the problem with the culture of death mindset is that suffering has been deemed to outweigh the joys life has to offer; life in and of itself isn't good enough to surmount poverty, disability, illness, or loneliness. Therefore, many people rationalize their choice to abort or euthanize: it is the loving and merciful thing to do because death is better than being poor, being disabled, being sick, or being lonely. <i>It is better to die than to suffer.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br />But can we really put a quantitative value on one life experience and weigh it against another? An hour of tears versus a minute of laughter, blindness versus warmth, confinement versus imagination, a handicap versus a hug...? I do not think the suffering in each case outweighs the joy because there is such an inestimable abundance of goodness in even the most mundane things in life. If people saw life for the astounding gift that it is, they would realize that love is greater than death. Love wins, hands down, every single time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The culture of death has lost sight of the profound goodness and beauty inherent in each human life, regardless of condition. If we really stop and think about the miracle of our existence, it's easy to be overwhelmed by how full-to-bursting this life is with glory: the colours of a sunset, the sound of music, the smell of vegetation, the refreshment of water, a loved one's embrace...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br />Can you feel the <i>weight</i> of it all?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">watching</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">feeling</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">remembering</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">dreaming</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">imagining</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">listening</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">longing</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">embracing</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">speaking</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">playing</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">crying</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">praying</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">eating</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">smiling</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">laughing</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">searching</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">loving</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">living</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><i>being</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Just to exist. How wonderful!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br />And yet there <i>is</i> suffering in this life—agony, torment, pain—suffering for which <i>there is no satisfactory explanation</i>. We must look to the Cross to find that suffering can be answered only by the compassion of another, by an enduring love that does not seek to eliminate the sufferer, but to restore him or her to fullness of life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br />To be pro-life is to know that love triumphs over suffering and death. With our own appreciation of the staggering goodness, beauty, joy, and glory of this life, we need to share with our culture that <i>it is better to live</i>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Walking on Crossroads has rekindled my appreciation for life, through the beauty of my surroundings, the simple pleasures of exercising, eating and sleeping, and especially through the people I see at Mass and those who have hosted us in their homes. All I can do is thank Life Himself that despite the culture's current captivation with death, love has already won.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> - Amy MacInnis</span></span></div>
Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188102055569748392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-81638084302260693682013-06-27T15:37:00.001-07:002013-06-27T16:22:04.593-07:00The Saskatchewanian Hits The Manitoba Border - By Kelly Aalbers - June 25th, 2013<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;">
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trip has been a journey. The road is long, the days are fun, and we are all growing closer to Christ. As I have journeyed into Manitoba for the first time, I am really getting a feel for the province and I wanted to share some of my thoughts. I was really impressed as we crossed the border from my homeland (Saskatchewan) to see the gentle peace of the province east of us. There is a stillness that covers the land here… I am trying to discern what it is; it seems to be brought about by a deeper respect for the created order and a love of all that God has given us. I would say that I didn’t expect this much of Manitoba. I had very few expectations, but the province has shocked me for the short 7 hours we have been here. The people are the friendliest that we have encountered and almost everyone slows down, and honks or waves. The west side of this province has been so good to us. I feel that my homeland is becoming polluted with riches-seeking gold miners who want a get rich fix. Manitoba seems to be still ever in tune with the divine. I feel that the support of our cause is very strong and the people seem to be amazing. I look forward to the rest of the journey ever onward and upward.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are always amazed at the generosity of the people we encounter and we continue to be ever aware of the generosity of God, of His Love and His Providence. Our time in Carlyle and Manor, Saskatchewan last night was truly blessed for me personally, because I got to see family for the last time of the trip and the parish and Knights of Columbus treated us so well in Carlyle. We continue to pray for all those we encounter and once again ask for prayers as I know that the gift of those prayers is what gives us the grace to take the next step, to do the duty of the moment, and to love.</span></div>
<br />Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188102055569748392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-2371898340703031632013-06-16T14:46:00.002-07:002013-06-16T14:46:14.303-07:00He Has Vanquished Sin and Death? by Mariana Mazzarolo <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">We have encountered so many lovely people and experiences
along our journey thus far. The presence of God is manifested to us daily in all
that we see—beautiful skies, butterflies, and yes, even mosquitoes! Crossroads is an adventure of so many seeming
contradictions, much like the adventure of life and the inner journey towards
God. For, we say that Christ has conquered sin and death, and yet, why do we
still see so much suffering, selfishness, and hurt around us?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Throughout the past week we have encountered the theme of
hope in so many little ways. At one of our host homes this past weekend, our
hostess shared with us a story about a man who had a vision of aborted babies
as he grappled with the horror of it all. The babies told him to not be afraid
and sorrowful. While abortion is evil and they wanted to live their lives, the
aborted babies rejoiced at the opportunity to offer themselves in sacrifice for
their parents. Thus was revealed the tremendous power of God to bring good out
of any evil, even abortion. For, by the power of Christ’s Cross, we are assured
of victory. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">But the battle is not over...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Christ invites us to enter into His suffering and death, that
we may also enter into His resurrection. This is what it means to be pro-life.
Crossroads really magnifies and reflects the reality that in order to come to
the fullness of life in Christ, He calls us first to a personal encounter with
Calvary. On Crossroads, there is much time to enter into oneself, to see things
about oneself that were formerly hidden. This process is often painful, but it
is beautiful to thus walk with Christ to Calvary. It is only when we recognize
our own brokenness and lowliness that we can reach out to others. As we walk,
it is not so much about getting publicity. Rather, it is about journeying with
Christ through prayer and sacrifice, service to one another, and ultimately,
love. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">As Pope Francis said not too long ago, where there is no
love, there cannot be truth.<b> </b>In
Edmonton this past weekend, we really felt the spiritual warfare being fought
around us. First, we were stuck in traffic right in front of the ‘gay pride’
parade, on our way to pray outside of an abortion clinic. Rather than being
discouraged, we turned to prayer and offered up our suffering brothers and
sisters. The hostility often received by such demonstrators illustrates their
great need for love and healing, and so we love and pray for them, that they
may come to accept the Truth of the Gospel of Life. After the parade passed,
our RV suddenly overheated and we just made it into a gas-station parking lot
to cool off. When we finally arrived at the abortion clinic, we were extremely
late and Ian was waiting for us with his own adventure stories. While taking
Lucy to the airport in the van, his GPS and phone both broke down and he got
lost trying to find the clinic. But as soon as we came out of Saturday evening
Mass, both started working again and the RV hasn’t malfunctioned since. These
experiences serve to fill us with hope, for we know that we are fighting a
battle—but in, with, and through Christ. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">And so, we continue on in our days of seeming contradictions,
but united in Christ. Hence, a horde of blood-thirsty mosquitoes become a gift
when we see that God is giving us an opportunity to enter into His redemptive
sufferings as we journey, one foot in front of the other, to Calvary—the
ultimate sacrifice of Love. And thus we are faced with the amazing reality that
our experience this summer is actually a micro-view of what God is calling all
of us to in life. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Blessed be God!</span></span></div>
Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188102055569748392noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-2436218232043716962013-06-03T22:30:00.001-07:002013-06-10T22:55:59.797-07:00A Mother's Love - By Corinne Kelley<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">“My whole life, I have been looking for the mother-love that I missed.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">-Dr. Morgentaler, The Globe and Mail, 2003</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">In his crusade to legalize abortion in Canada, Dr. Morgentaler's anguished life does not deny, but only serves to demonstrate the complex and intricate relationship between a mother and her child—a bond he would later make a living by destroying.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">As a young Jewish boy growing up in Poland during WWII, he became convinced that his mother loved his younger brother more. These feelings of rejection only amplified when he was exiled in the infamous internment camp of Auschwitz, the place where his mother was murdered. For five years, he struggled against the atrocities of the Nazis beneath the watchful sign, “Arbeit Macht Frei” (translated: “Work will set you Free”)—a euphemism concealing the fact that the prisoners were not working towards freedom, but were rather being worked to death in the form of slave labor. Sadly, Dr. Morgentaler would relive this message in his life's work of abortion, procuring the death of a child under the guise of 'reproductive rights' to give 'freedom' to the mother. By victimizing the unborn child, Dr. Morgentaler sadly continued the victimization he faced from the Nazis and the neglect from his mother.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">In a sick and twisted defiance of Canada's protection of life laws, Dr. Morgentaler televised himself performing a live abortion on Mother's Day. His flagrant disregard for the law also translated into a profound disrespect and mistrust of women. Championed as a “woman’s rights” advocate, he was at the same time known for having multiple extra-marital affairs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">His rationale for supporting abortion as a professed humanist: “If I help women to have babies at a time when they can give love and affection, they will not grow up to be rapists or murders. They will not build concentration camps.” Yet, although he did not experience the “love and affection” he wanted from his mother and grew up during a horrendous time, he could reflect on his life and remark that he was “tremendously satisfied.” He defied his own justification for abortion when he examined his own life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">As Our Lady picks up the pieces of the orphaned three million plus unborn Canadians torn from their mothers' womb in the wake of Dr. Morgentaler's violence, we pray that she cradles him with the same compassion, enabling him to experience the love he never knew—the love of a mother.</span></div>
Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188102055569748392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-61987119605098711622013-05-27T22:46:00.001-07:002013-05-28T08:20:05.336-07:00Saving Face<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Beside an empty Vancouver bus stop on Crossroads Canada's first official day of walking, I found a DVD of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Even though someone forgot it, the movie features the problems we face as humans when trying to</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> remember.</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> For those who have not seen or heard of the film, the plot centers around Joel (played by Jim Carrey), as he struggles to undo a procedure</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> that erases</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> his ex girlfriend, Clementine (played by Kate Winslet), from his mind by hiding her throughout his memories.</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">As we survey Joel's desperate scurry through memory after memory to safeguard the last remnants of Clementine, an interesting phenomenon reoccurs that reminds me of what we as walkers encounter on the road: The faces of the characters warp and disappear when a memory deletes from Joel's mind. Just as Joel could not hold onto a memory when the faces slipped from recognition, so not having a face to place on the abortion debate creates a challenge when proposing that people should care about the issue. While ultra sound technology gives us a window into the womb and an opportunity to view the unborn child in her secret secure habitat, these pixelated portraits can sometimes portray the child as something more alien than human. This challenge of placing a face on the issue could stem from the fact that the human brain has developed a specialized area for recognizing faces and extracting them. Interestingly enough, every human face you see when you dream is a face that you have seen before, although you might not have known the person.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Trekking through Canada, many people stop to simply ask us, “What is pro-life?” They do not understand the issue of abortion or the humanity of the unborn child. Therefore, our mission as walkers involves not only spreading awareness and education, but being a representation of the faceless unborn child. In becoming the face of the unborn child, we hope people may recognize the dignity and respect the unborn deserve as members of our human family.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Joel identifies Clemintine on the beach even when the memory erasing was deemed a success and falls in love with her once more. Much like how Joel instinctively draws himself to the beloved through her image, perhaps the reason why the human brain places so great an emphasis on the recognition of face foreshadows the experience of one reuniting face-to-face with God. Whatever the reason for such strong facial recognition, we are now called to search out His face that we have forgotten by remembering that each human being provides a glimpse of His expression of love for us, no matter what they look like. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> - Corinne Kelley </span></div>
Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188102055569748392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-8621153064425980882013-05-22T11:43:00.000-07:002013-05-22T12:15:41.165-07:00Early Days in Beautiful British Columbia<h2>
<b>Hello from Hope, BC!</b></h2>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are at a campground under the shadow of snow-capped mountains covered by trees. BC is a great place to start our journey. The mountains, small farms, lakes and rivers provide excellent eye candy for us as we walk and pray! </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLqzlgQzt60/UZ0QfQULtII/AAAAAAAAAGk/QgZm03LaMzo/s1600/IMG-20130521-00051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLqzlgQzt60/UZ0QfQULtII/AAAAAAAAAGk/QgZm03LaMzo/s320/IMG-20130521-00051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is Day 3 of our cross-Canada walk. The team is getting along very nicely. There is much joy, laughter, and of course prayer! Our devotions include daily Mass, morning and evening prayer, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and many rosaries. We are praying for many intentions which we have brought with us, and also those intentions that come our way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have met several individuals on the roads who support the pro-life cause. In Vancouver, we stopped on the sidewalk to chat with a doctor, who was ashamed of his colleagues who performed many abortions by day (even partial birth abortions). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please pray for us daily. This is a spiritual battle we are fighting which we are only just starting. There are months ahead of combat! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CrossroadsCanada, and on Twitter at @CA_Crossroads. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God bless you all,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ian, Mariana, Amy, Corinne, Anthony, Lucy, Bethany, Anna, Kelly, and Michael. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188102055569748392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-4437686284672326062012-08-22T05:46:00.003-07:002012-08-22T05:50:20.620-07:00A Crossroads Reflection<b><span lang="EN-CA">Beautiful
British Columbia --- The Best Place on Earth</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"> <i>Provincial Flower: Dogwood<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Starting off the trip in Vancouver, the
community life at all of the parishes was awesome---we often had coffee and
donuts with parishioners after Mass. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">There was lots of fine mist rain, snow in
the mountains, and wild animals. The
trees were tall and beautiful, and the mountains were majestic. We received a lot of apathetic responses on
the road; although, many people stopped to see if we needed help. One truck driver gave Steve a newspaper around
2 AM … we are still trying to figure that one out. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Our group has pretty good dynamics. We often sing the same songs over and over,
including “Ben Dennison” to the tune of “Carol of the Bells.” We often speak
full conversations in just movie quotes. Alex was given a Lord of the Rings
“One Ring” at the beginning of the trip by Maria. We’ve pretended that it’s
heavier for him while praying at the abortion clinics, and that it must be
destroyed in the Eternal Flame in Ottawa on August 11th. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">St. Clare and St. Anthony are our amazing
intercessors on the journey. We began
our journey in Vancouver at St. Clare of Assisi parish, and were informed that
we end on her feast day, August 11th. She is the Patroness of media, television,
and good weather. We also live somewhat
like Franciscans on this journey, which fits perfectly with St. Clare. We’ve also asked for St. Anthony’s assistance
when lost on the road, or with lost items in the RV. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">At the first parish that Ben Dennison and I
fundraised in, a woman wanted to donate.
She gave us everything she had with her----two pennies. It reminded me
of the woman in the Bible who gave her two pence in the Temple. When Lindsay was collecting after Mass, four
little boys wanted to donate. They had no money, but they gave us the lollipops
they had just received after Mass. One
gentleman accidentally soaked his donation in holy water, by placing the money
in the holy water font, instead of in our basket. As he noted, we now possess “a blessed $10
bill.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-CA">Alberta
--- Wild Rose Country<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Provincial
Flower: Wild Rose<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Mountainous
for the first part, and then very flat. The sky in Saskatchewan and Alberta is
limitless. Imagining the explorers
discovering the Rockies and B.C. after experiencing Alberta and Saskatchewan’s
prairies has intrigued a few of us, and has inspired me to read more historical
fiction. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Walking
through Alberta on night shift, I happened to look at the water in the field on
our left. I thought the stars were
reflecting in the water, when Cesar noted that they were twinkling too much for
stars. We realized that we were looking
at a field of fireflies. Neither of us
have seen so many fireflies in one place!
They were truly beautiful stars of the field.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">The response on the road and at the
abortion clinics in Alberta was often negative, but the host families and
pro-life groups were great. We have stayed with many wonderful host homes on
the weekends. These families, who have
opened their hearts and homes to us, have definitely made an impression, as
their pro-life witness shines through their generosity. During the weekends, we pray in front of
abortion clinics and rest from the week.
The pro-life advocates in every city never cease to amaze me. Many of these pro-life heroes have prayed in
front of hospitals and clinics, a couple of times a week, for <i>decades.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-CA">Saskatchewan
--- The Land of the Living Skies<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"> <i>Provincial Flower: Tiger Lily<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"> On
night shift, the van would pull forward from the starting point, drive 5 km,
and then pull over, all within sight. The Corner Gas theme, “So you tell me
that your dog ran away…and then you tell me that it took three days!” does
apply to Saskatchewan! Seeing so much of southern Canada has given me
perspective on the ridiculousness of overpopulation. Canada is so vast, and
there are long stretches without even small towns. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Night shift is a lot of fun, though very
tiring around 4 AM. Hearing the coyotes
barking and yipping at night is an eerie experience. Breakfast at 9 p.m., when we are on night
shift, will forever boggle my mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Very Pro-Life---lots of support on the
road, and at parishes. We had two
Barbeques by pro-life groups, one of which was hosted by youth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Cesar and I invested in Tim Horton’s travel
mugs, so we could refill with our own coffee, or Tim Horton’s if the RV was not
plugged into a power source. Cesar made
the point that we would not confuse our coffees with other people’s coffee---while
he was holding my medium mug, and I was holding his large mug! We often joke that we could write an awesome
Gas Station Coffee Guide for Canadian travelers. I personally enjoy Husky’s and
Petro Canada’s coffee the best.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-CA">Friendly
Manitoba<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Provincial
Flower: Prairie Crocus<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Manitoba is the perfect blend between the
Saskatchewan prairies, and the Ontarian hills and trees. The people definitely
live up to their licence plate claim, “Friendly Manitoba.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">As the pro-life battle is very much a
spiritual one, we often experience minor set-backs. A flying object hit our van’s rear windshield
and completely shattered the glass.
Bethany and my guardian angels worked over time, as the object narrowly
missed our heads! We were delayed a couple of hours while it was being
repaired. Our van has various troubles;
the battery dies, or disconnects, sometimes very often. Continually being on
the run and <i>camping</i> is, for me, the
biggest sacrifice----I have seen enough RV park washrooms, along with the
complete absence of washrooms in the woods---to last a lifetime. I have often experienced homesickness, and
especially felt it when I endured the stomach flu. I’m sure the other team members wished they
were home, when they also caught the stomach flu the following week. Ben and I ran into a bit of a marshy bog
along the side of the highway. I lost a
sandal, but thanks to Stephen for his heroic search for my sandal, and to Becky
for a replacement pair! We all offer up
different sacrifices, whether it is lack of sleep, camping, or suffering from
intense blisters. As this walk is in
service of others, I’m sure we have all experienced redemptive suffering by
uniting our sacrifices with Christ’s Sacrifice, in order to help others through
Christ’s grace and merit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-CA">Ontario
--- Yours to Discover<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Provincial
Flower: White Trillium <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">It is so great to have arrived in my home
province. The day shift included all of
our Ontario team members when we passed the Ontario sign, so we took a picture
of us all kneeling and kissing the soil. I had sorely missed the Great Lakes,
the escarpment hills, and the trees.
Kenora was absolutely beautiful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Recently at a BBQ, the guys were taken
aside for an "annual tradition." A few minutes later, they returned
with buckets of cold water, which they threw on us girls! Of course, a full-on
water fight took place after that.
Despite our Niagara Falls experience at the BBQ, the guys on our team
are seriously dedicated. As there are
only four men and six women on our team, on day shift or night shift, one guy
has to walk with a girl the entire time.
So, for two guys per shift, one rests while the other walks, and they
have to switch non-stop, while the girls get longer resting breaks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">We stopped on Thursday night and Friday in
Barry’s Bay, ON, and had supper provided for us by Our Lady Seat of Wisdom
Academy, a liberal arts school which is faithful to the Catholic Church’s
Magisterium. 7 members of our group are
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy current, past, and future students. We “recruited” Lindsay to OLSWA, and Maria picked
up an application form while we were at the Academy. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4671729459531297357" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-CA">Quebec
--- Je Me Souviens<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-CA">Provincial
Flower: Blue Flag<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Quebec was beautiful. We were fortunate to visit St. Anne de
Beaupre, Blessed Kateri, and many gorgeous old churches in Quebec City. In Montreal, we prayed in St. Joseph’s
Oratory. We almost did not see Notre
Dame, but then a generous group from Massachusetts gave Alex and Adrian tickets
for our group to see a lights show inside of Notre Dame. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">The people in Quebec were very helpful and
friendly---I truly enjoyed our time there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">We received various reactions to our peaceful,
“Pro Life” t-shirts on the road. We did
receive positive feedback about how our message positively impacted individuals,
but the main reaction we received was <i>nothing
at all</i>. Canadians are mostly
apathetic towards this serious issue, and it was oftentimes hard for us to see
the good that we were accomplishing.
However, I find the words of Archbishop Charles Chaput nicely sum up the
hope we must have in this pro-life mission:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">"Nothing we do to defend the human
person, no matter how small, is ever unfruitful or forgotten. Our actions touch
other lives and move other hearts in ways we can never fully understand in this
world. Don’t ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in
your pro-life work."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">- <i> Eleanor van den Enden<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Pat Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890097667924545503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-37383896825042119832012-08-02T12:58:00.000-07:002012-08-02T12:58:54.772-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3WUm-3KRdR8/UBrbuyCmeEI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Rnzq4hMiTk0/s1600/603525_10151115401776475_404719975_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3WUm-3KRdR8/UBrbuyCmeEI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Rnzq4hMiTk0/s320/603525_10151115401776475_404719975_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On Monday, July 30 2012, we walked through Toronto, starting downtown on
Shuter Street. All eleven of us walked, so as to get noticed as much as
we could. I think we were expecting to get a majority of negative
remarks as we walked through this large city, but we were surprised to
find the opposite. Many people were apathetic, but those that did speak
up were supportive. We walked by some construction workers who cheered
us on, yelling, "Pro life! No Abortion!" from the building they were
working on. People on the sidewalk told us they were proud of us, and
others gave us the thumbs up. It was surprising and heartening to see. <br /><br />In
the last few weeks, our walking schedules have changed. Since the death
of Andrew Moore, a walker with the Central Walk in the US, who was hit
by a car during night shift, we have cancelled night shift and now only
walk during the day. So now we are split into crews and walk a day on,
then have a day off. We cover a bit less ground, but are still offering
that up for the success of our Pro-life mission. <br /><br />In the last few
days since walking through Toronto we have been along Lake Ontario,
which has provided us with the awesome swimming. The towns are really
beautiful, and the parishioners are very supportive. Very welcoming and
friendly, and happy to see us and hear about our journey.<br /><br />So we
continue to walk. I'm writing this from a McDonald's, somewhere between
Brighton and Napanee. In a little under two weeks we will be done, so
please continue to keep us in your prayers, and pray for the success of
our witnessing and the hearts of the people who see us. God bless!<br />
<br />
Maria KalinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-62250358527423928092012-07-16T07:22:00.003-07:002012-07-16T07:22:36.808-07:00Ontario<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Hello all,</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Well, we've made it
to Ontario, which means we have covered 4 provinces, and have 2 to go. Who
would have thought that nearly half the trip would be spent in these last two
provinces, and primarily Ontario? This is not to complain, however - I think
many of our Ontarian team members are excited and happy to be back in our home
province, myself included. We are happy to have lakes, trees and rocky hills
surrounding every turn in the road, and for those of us who are or have
attended Our Lady Seat of Wisdom in Barry's Bay, ON, it feels like home. It is
incredible how fast and dramatically the landscape changes as soon as one
crosses the border into northwestern Ontario from Manitoba. Manitoba has trees,
certainly, but the Ontario border dramatically brings the Canadian Shield with
it. Unfortunately, it has also brought a plethora of mosquitos and black flies
with it as well. Something else for us to offer up…though the sheer number of
them does make for a good laugh when one looks at the interior roof of our
minivan after a night shift, where our swatting walkers create a suspended
graveyard for the mosquitos. The front grille on our white Dodge minivan
doesn't fare much better…makes for a good laugh from onlookers when we pull
into a gas station after night shift! Some of them have actually congratulated
us for getting so many of the bloodsuckers.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
This trip has not
been without its interesting run-ins, and many of them have been very
inspirational. One of the most memorable occurred in Winnipeg, when I was
driving with two other teammates to our host family. We were sitting at a red
light when a pristine '68 Impala convertible pulled up beside us. I had my
window down, so I commented to the dude that he had a nice ride. I wasn’t
expecting much conversation to happen after that, but he asked what we had
written on the other side of our van (Walk Across Canada) so I told him we were
doing a pro-life walk. "Pro-life?" He asks in a slightly elevated
tone. The light had since turned green, but he kept pace with our van. "As
in not pro-choice?!," he continued. Great, I thought. Here comes a verbal
tirade. Turns out to be quite the opposite. "I'm adopted," he says,
"and if it wasn't for people like you, I might not be around today."
We carried on a conversation between our cars for about a kilometre down a busy
Winnipeg street. Once again, it's these experiences that help boost our morale
when it seems like most are against us. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Another thing that
is encouarging, and reminds us of just how great of an undertaking this trip
is, has been talking with those who don't agree with our cause. This might
sound strange, but some of the most inspiring encounters have been with those
who vehemently oppose our cause, but deeply and truly respect us for standing
up for the pro-life cause. First of all, I actually prefer it when people take
a confrontational stance when we tell them we are walking for the pro-life
cause. It is annoying to tell people our cause, and, when you can tell that
they are pro-choice, they still just ignore the issue and half-heartedly wish
us luck on our journey. None of that! I know that I am probably guilty of the
same crime with standing up for my faith, but you can tell that these people
just do not care, which, as I have discussed previously, is typical Canadian
apathy and is slowly rotting this country away. On the other hand, I have
gotten into some heated discussions with pro-choicers I have met along the way,
and at the end of each of those conversations, they still congratulate us on
our mission to walk across the country. And the difference here is that they
truly mean it, and you can tell. I have been thinking that this is where this
walk can truly make a change in the hearts of Canadians. If we can get people
to respect us for what we are doing, then they are much more likely to consider
our cause or mission with at least a more positive eye than beforehand. And if
we can do that in the hearts of enough people, then who knows how many hearts
can be changed on this walk?</div>
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We are currently in
Marathon, ON, and heading towards Sault Ste. Marie. Though we spent this past
weekend in "The Soo", the distance between the northwestern Ontario
border with Manitoba and Sault Ste. Marie is definitely the longest and most isolated
stretch of this walk. It is beautiful country, but we need to make it to more
populated southern/central Ontario in order to be in cities large enough to
host our weekend visits. Though this stretch is isolated, we have still managed
to receive great support! In the span of a couple of days last week, we met two
different individuals who were members of the Thunder Bay Right to Life group,
who were both previously unaware of our walk, but we very impressed to see us
and our mission. Another man, Doug, was driving home to Mission, BC from his
holidays in Cape Breton, and happened to know a couple of my close friends and
had walked with last year's Crossroads team for a few days. Small world! It is
hard to believe we only have 4 weeks left before we finish off, but I'm sure
our witnesses and interesting experiences will only increase as we get closer
to the final and most populated stretch of our walk. </div>
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Thanks for reading,
and we'll try to keep you posted!</div>
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Pat Wilson</div>Pat Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890097667924545503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-88869459922060528022012-06-26T22:42:00.000-07:002012-06-26T22:46:47.886-07:00Saskatchewan!<br />
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Hello all,</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm sure you all
understand, but I feel obliged to apologize on the lateness of this post once
again. I hate being kept in the dark with things such as this, so I understand
your situation. I started writing this post nearly two weeks ago - but the
reason I didn't finish it until now is because it has been two crazy weeks. Saskatechwan has been quite the province, and has also managed to destroy every stereotype I've ever had about it. Yup, it's not even
that flat. But one thing that is straight in this province is its unchanging
pro-life stance. I think it is safe to say (since I am from Ontario, and I
think we can all agree on how Quebec stacks up) that Saskatechwan is this great
country's most pro-life province. Being from the East, this walk has really
helped to dispel some stereotypes that us Easterners typically have of Western
Canada. Perhaps the most surprising is that, through our observations, it seems
that SK takes top baby-defender status over Alberta. While Albertans are
certainly economically conservative peoples (though even that seems to be
increasingly questionable), they are not the torch-bearing social right-wingers
I once took them to be. Or at least they aren't anymore. I can't help but feel,
with the growing oil economy and prosperity of the West, that maybe Alberta is
trying to prove itself as the yuppies of the West…Calgary as the new Toronto,
so to speak. I'm probably offending quite a few Albertans here, so I'll stop.
We still love you Alberta, and the pro-life community in places like Edmonton
was phenomenal. Drumheller is pretty cool too…</div>
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<br /></div>
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Anyhow,
Saskatechewan. The pro-life community in Saskatechewan has been too good to us,
particularly in the (likely) hundreds of burgers and other meals that have been
cooked up for us in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Davidson, Regina, and last night,
Redvers. I'd love to thank everyone by name who put these awesome events on,
but for sake of brevity, I'll cover the highlights. In Moose Jaw, the pro-life
community gave us a generous donation, and threw on a great event in which we
were joined by a local Moose Jaw MLA, Warren Michelson, who is pro-life, and
brought the local media to cover our walk. [Check the article here: <a href="http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/Local/News/2012-06-20/article-3012689/Young-abortion-opponents-stop-in-Moose-Jaw-on-cross-Canada-walk/1">http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/Local/News/2012-06-20/article-3012689/Young-abortion-opponents-stop-in-Moose-Jaw-on-cross-Canada-walk/1</a>
] In Davidson, we were given a huge banner by the pro-life community to put on
the back of our RV. They have had these banners in past years so we were all
elated to have one of our very own for our walk. Once we wash the three
inch-thick prairie dust and dirt off the back of our RV, we'll be throwing the
banner on. I'll try and post a photo as soon as it's on. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Redvers was a
special experience for us. It's just a tiny town in SK near the border with
Manitoba, but the pro-life community in this town felt like our biggest welcome
yet. About 15 youth showed up with some parents, and after sharing food and
chatting with them, we had about a 6 km walk through town with them. It was a
great experience, and so awesome for us to see the youth who look up to us. For
us to meet some young pro-lifers was also encouraging to us. Not only did these
young people walk with us, but they had even raised money for us at a freezie
sale at one of their schools, raising over $200. One of them had even written a
song for us on piano, which she performed for us. You guys were amazing! I wish
we could have these kids along for the whole way - we had a ton of fun!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Right now, we are
getting close to the Manitoba border, and will be in Winnipeg next weekend. It
will be our last city-stop before the way-too-large Ontario, where we will be heading towards Thunder Bay. We will be sorry to see one of our walkers, Cesar, leave in Winnipeg as he has other commitments to attend to, including going to work with a religious community in Belgium. We'll miss you Cesar!</div>
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I'll end this post
with a little insight I had the other day when I was walking with one of our
team members, Becky. We were thinking about how many steps we must take in a
single shift, and we decided to figure out how many we take, roughly, in our
summer of walking. We concluded it was around 2-2.5 million steps for each
walker…obviously, a huge number! Thinking of large numbers, I decided after to
look up the number of abortions in the US per year. This was also huge: 1.37
million - per year. To put it into perspective, this means that for close to
every second step we take on the walk, a child is aborted in the US. This
really and truly shocked me, but it also gave me encouragement as to why I am
spending this crazy summer on this crazy walk. It is sometimes easy to want to
just want to skip out on a PR event, or sleep through the knock on the window
calling your turn for night shift. But we're doing this for something greater.
And anything that can be done to stop this genocide is worth the sacrifice.</div>
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Lastly - we like our
followers to know that we make sure to unwind from time to time. Also, the
craziness of the night shift schedule, and accompanying lack of sleep, often
leads to some pretty interesting, but hilarious scenarios. Here's one of them. </div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x0v9nAN9o0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x0v9nAN9o0</a>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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God bless,</div>
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Pat Wilson</div>Pat Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890097667924545503noreply@blogger.com1Redvers, SK49.577077 -101.699192149.566781000000006 -101.7189331 49.587373 -101.67945110000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-39254532256876831202012-06-14T23:37:00.001-07:002012-06-14T23:37:35.285-07:00Entering the Prairies<br />
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Hello all,</div>
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<br /></div>
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It's week 4 and
we've hit the plains! Update in a flash: After descending the Rockies into the
plains of southern Alberta, we have since jumped north and continued walking
east from the Calgary area. We are now in mid-western Saskatchewan heading to
Saskatoon.</div>
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<br /></div>
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While BC was
incredibly diverse and interesting in its wide-ranging terrain, our experience
on the Prairies has not been so plain as one might expect. Yes, while the
terrain is largely unchanging, we have had some of our most powerful and varied
encounters on the plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan. This week has brought
some interesting encounters that I have to share. Firstly, this past weekend in
Edmonton proved to be yet another great weekend for our team. Not only was our
mission extremely well received at the parishes we visited, but we were fed too
well - two barbeques were held for the team, one at one of our host families
(Diane Middleton) and the other at the house of last-year walked, Nelson
Morris. Thank-you to both, and to our equally generous host family, the
Maddens! Also, one religious, (her name escapes me at the moment - my
apologies!), bought our entire group lunch on Saturday afternoon. Needless to
say, our stomachs were looked after this weekend! I never thought that I might
gain weight by going on Crossroads, but if people keep feeding us like this…</div>
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This week has also
brought some special encounters for our team. On Monday morning, we were hoping
to go to Mass at the chancery office in Edmonton before heading out 5 hours
south to Drumheller to continue walking. However, because of traffic and our over-reliance
on the unreliable GPS, we missed the Mass. However, I figured I would ask the
office if there was a later Mass anywhere in the area. I couldn't find the
office, but the Western Catholic Reporter newspaper office was there, so I
thought I would ask them. They weren't able to find a Mass, so we turned to
head out. Just before pulling away, one of the newspaper reporters stopped us
and asked us to do an interview. We had a great discussion and some action
walking shots. Good to see that some good comes out of these less-than-good
situations! I just found out that the article has been printed - check it out
here: <a href="http://wcr.ab.ca/WCRThisWeek/Stories/tabid/61/entryid/2634/Default.aspx">http://wcr.ab.ca/WCRThisWeek/Stories/tabid/61/entryid/2634/Default.aspx</a>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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The following day
was even more eventful. The only Mass in the small Albertan prairie towns along
Hwy 9 was in Hanna, AB at 7 PM. Hanna also happens to be the hometown of
Nickelback, and so I wouldn't be too surprised if this grave misfortune was
also responsible for the fact that Mass was cancelled that night, as the priest
was on holidays. We were just about to leave the locked church when a dude
riding a Harley pulled into the church. This man also happened to be Fr. Ian,
the parish priest, just arriving back from his holidays in BC. He was more than
happy to offer us a private Mass. He also let us use his facilities to cook and
get washed up. But it doesn't end there. Just before we were about to leave, a
few of us were hanging outside the church with our PRO-LIFE shirts on. A couple
walking a dog were looking at us somewhat curiously, so we started chatting
with them. It so happens that the woman, Delia Girard, was adopted and
struggling that very day with friends who were being hostile to her pro-life
views. We chatted and prayed together, and it strengthened both her spirits and
ours to have such a providential encounter on the street. </div>
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So far, our
experience in this province of Saskatchewan has proven to be most supportive
overall, judging by the amount of positive response we are getting from passing
cars and those we meet in the towns along the way. We have even got some
donations on the road! We were also given a royal treatment last night in
Kindersley, SK, from Fr. Cooper at St. Joseph's Parish, who swamped us with
food and gave us much-cherished beds and showers to use last night. Such
hospitality has really made me appreciate the generosity of others, as there
has been so many who have laid down so much to accommodate us, particularly our
weekend host families. Thank you to all, and </div>
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Now to enjoy the
night prairie sky…it really is as phenomenal as
they make it out to be.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Pat</div>Pat Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890097667924545503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-58680286925967491572012-06-05T23:29:00.000-07:002012-06-05T23:37:57.368-07:00Week 2<br />
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Another week has cone and gone! I think the entire team can agree that our second week has passed much
more quickly than our first week. Getting into the routine of walking 25 km
each a day, irregular sleeping schedule, the whizzing cars, and the constant PR
that accompany the trip, you could say that we have achieved some degree of
normalcy in the trip at this point.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I am also happy to
report that we have sustained no real injuries as of yet - despite some fairly
bad blisters for some - but everyone is more than happy to walk, even though it
may at times be painful. In that vein, the phrase "offer it up!" has
already become a bit of a joking cliché term - and though we joke about how
frequently we say it, there is still much truth in the idea of offering up any
pain in our walking for the unborn and the intentions we receive along the way
at parishes. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The general response
we have received so far along the road has been interesting. While the majority
of actual response we visibly receive has been so far positive - friendly horn
blasts, thumbs up and waves - it is still tough to gauge exactly what the majority
of those who drive by us actually think. Looking into the cars of passerbys (we
do not try to make it look obvious!), nearly all drivers notice us, and with
some degree of interest. It is easy to notice the turning heads, or the glance,
and the averted eyes. We very rarely get middle fingers, angry yells, or any
negative response. It is interesting to note, because I think it is sadly
indicative of the typical Canadian tendency towards apathy on topics such as
abortion. I feel that many of these people likely do not disagree with our
cause, or respect us for standing up for it, but might feel that since abortion
is not directly their problem, then they should not be concerned or excited
about the movement. How do we reach these apathetic Canadians? This is not an
easy question to answer. But I only hope that our shirts have at least got
these apathetic passerbys to think about the issue a little more, and maybe
open their minds to consider that maybe there is something wrong with the
genocide that we are inflicting on our future generation.</div>
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<br /></div>
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One of the things
which has surprised me the most on Crossroads - in a good way - is the
importance of the parish mission on the weekends. Visiting local churches, we
share with parishoners what our walk is about, and ask for spiritual and
financial support. I was initally reluctant to do this part of the walk, but
have since found it extremely rewarding for both the parishoners, and our own
motivation. For one, while many of these parishoners are deeply concerned about
the pro-life movement, many feel that there is no hope for the future of the
cause, resigning like many other Canadians to the lie that legalized abortion
has become a closed issue in Canada. For them to see young people active and
engaged in the mission, who care deeply enough about it to want to walk across
the country for the cause, is very encouraging for many of these people. Their
encouragement, in exchange, is very encouraging for us. To feel and receive
this abundant support on weekends has helped to strengthen our resolve to walk
with purpose this summer. Thank-you parishoners!</div>
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<br /></div>
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As I write this, we
are currently marching east towards Fernie, BC, headed for the Crowsnest Pass
and the Alberta border. While the mountains are beautiful, our legs are looking
forward to some flat walking on the plains, which we should reach later this
week. We spent this past weekend in Calgary - thank you to Anne Engel for
hosting us in Calgary, and to the parishoners there who were very hospitable as
well! We spent a few hours praying outside the Kensignton Abortion Clinic in
Calgary on Saturday, and were met with our most hostile response yet - a number
of fingers and yells were shot at us. It was sad to see, but also good, in some
way, to actually receive some response rather than the apathetic blank stares
we have often gotten so far in BC. Last weekend, we prayed outside the hospital
in Kelowna, BC, where abortions are performed, and actually got some positive
responses - great to see!</div>
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<br /></div>
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On the 5 hour drive
back to Cranbrook, BC from Calgary, we were fortunate enough to see a great
deal of wildlife! 3 black bears, 1 wolf, and a plethora of deer and elk. We
have seen a great number of deer while walking as well - luckily, no black or
grizzly bears have been spotted during walking. I guess our bear bells at night
are working…</div>
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<br /></div>
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Continue to pray for us on our walk, and we will keep you posted on our progress!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Pat Wilson</div>Pat Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890097667924545503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-31061517247757969292012-06-03T10:04:00.000-07:002012-06-03T10:04:03.851-07:00Check out our pictures from the walk!We've uploaded our first set of pictures from the walk. Head over to this link to check them out:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/crossroadscanada">http://www.flickr.com/photos/crossroadscanada</a><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Save the link because we'll be uploading more regularly!</div>Pat Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890097667924545503noreply@blogger.com0Calgary, AB, Canada51.045 -114.057222250.885273000000005 -114.37307919999999 51.204727 -113.7413652tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671729459531297357.post-10965226146669506072012-05-27T11:20:00.000-07:002012-05-27T11:21:57.208-07:00The feet are moving!<br />
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Hello all!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Firstly: I'd like to
apologize for not posting until now. It has been a crazy, but rewarding
beginning to our trip. We are just now getting settled into our routine, as
crazy of a routine as it is proving to be!</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Secondly: Wow, what
a start! After five nearly 24 hour days of collective walking, we have covered
over 300 km through beautiful and widely diverse terrain. It's tough to know
where to start writing about our experience so far - it feels like we have been
on the road for a month! So I may just begin by outlining exactly what
Crossroads <span style="font-style: italic;">does</span>, and move into how we
are doing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Many of you are
probably wondering - how does this Crossroads operation work? 24/5?! Do you
guys walk the whole thing?! Yes and no. As a group - <span style="font-style: italic;">collectively</span> - we will be walking all the way from Vancouver to
Quebec City. Individually, we will be walking probably anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3
of the entire distance. This isn't because we are weak and only somewhat care
about the cause - but merely for the
fact that we have time constraints. It would take us more than twice as long to
all walk the entire distance - which would make our mission at least a 6 month
operation. As college students, this isn't exactly feasible. Furthermore, our
mission isn't for selfish reasons - ie. being able to boast at parties that we
walked the entire country, or to achieve the best suntan possible. Rather, we
are walking to witness to the pro-life cause. This is done just as effectively
with our walk being done in rotating shifts, as there is nearly always someone
on the road, witnessing to the cause.</div>
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<br /></div>
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With that sorted
out, let me inform you of how we organize the walk itself. Firstly, the team is
divided into two groups every week: day shift and the (in?)famous night shift.
Each shift aims to cover about 50 kms a shift, totalling 100 km over a 24 hour
period. When one group is walking, the other is resting or sleeping. The
transitioning point between the shifts is daily Mass in the weekday morning -
if it is available remotely near where we are camped out or walking. This is an
important time for our team, as it is one of the few times during the weekdays
that the day and night shifters can see each other, catch up, and have a bit of
team-building, before the shifts move off to either the road or bed. It is
great that the team is able to recoup and regather around the Mass, which
emphasizes our community of shared faith.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As far as our walk
itself, our team has so far covered nearly 400 km over the first week, which I
am very impressed with considering the fact that none of us are used to 25 km
of daily walking! We have been relaxing with an incredibly generous host family - the Ziebarths - in beautiful Summerland, BC. (They live right beside one of the oldest vineyards in the province!) We are currently speaking at parishes in the Okanagan region this weekend. While we are all physically and mentally exhausted after our
first week, it has been extremely rewarding. One of the most uplifting things
in our first week on the road so far has been the support and kindness we
receive at the churches we attend and speak at. During our training in
Vancouver, the team got especially close to the parishoners at St. Clare of
Assisi parish in Coquitlam, BC (a suburb of Vancouver). The priest, Fr. Craig
Scott, was incredibly accomodating and supporting, inviting the entire team
down for coffee after every morning Mass! It was our experience at this parish
where our patron saint for the trip - St. Clare of Assisi - was chosen. We were
informed by the parishoners here that St. Clare's feast day is on August 11 -
the exact day we will be concluding our walk in Ottawa on Parliament Hill!
Being the first parish we visited as a full team, it only made sense to choose
St. Clare as our patron, as her namesake both commences and concludes our trip.</div>
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The hospitality has
followed us down the road. We visited a gorgeous little parish in beautiful
Hope, BC for two days, and were welcomed with much support there. I have to say
a few words about Hope itself - as the scenery surrounding the town is incredible,
even by BC standards. Lush green, with the mighty Fraser River running through
the town, and surrounded by impossibly steep mountains, I felt like I had
stepped into a fantasy movie. For those Stallone fans, it might also be
remembered as the town where Rambo: First Blood was filmed. To the delight of
the male contingent (all Rambo fans!) present on the trip, we were delighted to
find that our campground was located right adjacent to the bridge where the
opening bridge scene of the film was shot! It was a nice little treat for us
movie buffs, despite the fact that Rambo might not be the most ideal role model
for our cause (though he certainly wasn't apathetic about his beliefs, so we
can respect that!)</div>
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There is so much
more to inform you all of, particularly regarding our walking itself, and the
varying backgrounds of our team members, so I will be posting more as soon as I
have a chance. Stay tuned for picture updates as well. </div>
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In the meantime, I
have also been posting semi-regularly on Twitter for the walk, as it is easier
and faster to do on the road from my smartphone, and I don't need to find a
WIFI signal and a power outlet for my laptop in order to post. So, if you want
to check out our Twitter, you can find it at this address: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/CA_Crossroads">https://twitter.com/#!/CA_Crossroads</a>.
You don't need to sign up in order to see our posts, but make sure to check
back regularly to see our updates. You can also like our page on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsCanada">https://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsCanada</a>
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Please inform any of
your friends or family of this blog address as well. All team members who wish
to blog will be doing so here, so expect many more posts and pictures from
myself and others!</div>
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Please also keep us
in your prayers! We will keep you, and all the unborn in our many prayers on
the walk as well, and you can forward us any prayer requests, which we will
make sure to pray for as we walk.</div>
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Pat Wilson</div>Pat Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890097667924545503noreply@blogger.com1Kelowna, BC, Canada49.8879519 -119.496010649.724267399999995 -119.8118676 50.0516364 -119.18015360000001