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Helpers History

Image by Omar Lopez

History of the Pro-life Movement in the UK

The 1960’s in the UK heralded in a movement pushing for ‘women’s rights’, with marches demanding that women be given the right to decide whether their unborn babies should live or not. “It’s our bodies, we can do what we like!” It is worth noting that a very large number of men were involved in this movement – in spite of women claiming “What’s it got to do with men?

The Helpers Worldwide

Msgr. Philip J. Reilly, who holds a degree in Philosophy from Cathedral College, a degree in Theology from the Catholic University of America, D.C., a Masters in the Classics from Fordham University, N.Y.C., and an Honorary Doctor of Science from the School of Medicine of Tinava State University in Slovakia, has served the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, as Parish Priest for 5 years, and for 26 years at Cathedral Preparatory Seminary as Seminary Professor, Prefect of Discipline, [...].

The Early Days of the Helpers

Among other pro-life organisations which sprang up, was Pro-Life Action Network. The marvellous people who belonged to PLAN actually went outside the abortion mills to offer help to women and to stop them from going ahead with the abortions; the only pro-life organisation in the UK together with Rescue which did this. But as in most new things, we had to learn the best way to do it. And in 1999, an American priest, Monsignor Reilly, came to England to tell us how he did things in New York.

A Tree Grew in Brooklyn

Although 1973 ushered in the infamous Roe v Wade ‘law’ in America, abortion had already been ‘law’ in America for a number of years. The difference was that Roe v Wade allowed the baby to be killed at any time throughout the pregnancy including up to birth. So, before this time Monsignor Philip Reilly and others had already spent years fighting hard in the pro-life battle. Mostly this took the form of “Rescue”, which meant blocking the entrances of the abortion mills, as they came to be called.

Beautiful Landscape

Contact Helpers

Suite 13, 17 Holywell Hill
St Albans, Herts
AL1 1DT
United Kingdom
T: 01727 763832
marg@helpersuk.org

Important Contacts

The Good Counsel Network

Rachel's Vineyard

40 Days for Life

UK March for Life

Arch Post Abortion Help

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