Conversion: From Abortion to Pro-Life Campaigner

(Photo courtesy: Jean-Mark Arkalian)

Recently, I was awestruck by an article in The Tablet: The International Catholic Weekly published from London (Issue 23 March 2019, p.9, Vol 273, No 9294) with a title “A Prayer for Life” by Laura Keynes who happens to be the editor of The Tablet’s Living Spirit Column.  

This is a story of Keynes herself who once went through an abortion at the Marie Stopes House in Fitzrovia, Central London.  She recounts her earlier life story when she entered this clinic as a young woman who chose to terminate a crisis of pregnancy two pro-life women shouted at her, “Don’t do it luv. You are taking a life”.  As one of them holding a large Rosary at her said, “You’re taking a life!” 

Keynes who was irritated at that time asked the receptionist of the clinic “Can’t you get rid of them?”.  “We’ve tried, but they’re on public land here. Nothing we can do” was the sober reply.

Today, Keynes who is Catholic, is a mom of three.  She is a different woman.  She believes that the prayers of those two pro-life women must have played a significant role in turning her into a pro-lifer herself.  Recently, she participated in “40 Days for Life” an international campaign of prayer, fasting and peaceful vigil which ran from 6th March to 14 April.  Even though, she is unable to explain the power of prayer and grace behind her conversion, certainly, she is a converted pro-lifer. 

In her article, Keynes explains the way she participated in her first pro-life campaign, which was not necessarily well organized.  In spite of the freezing temperatures, the rain turning to sleet, she along with other four bedraggled souls made it happen on that evening.  She writes very warmly how much she was excited to participate in it in the evening hours living behind her husband, three daughters - one year, three year and four year old - all who were begging not to leave them on that precious evening.  On the way to the prayer vigil, Keynes explains how even the nature seems to have been against them with traffic getting jammed, rain splashing, wind blowing so heavily making the vigil happen was almost like a battle. 

Strangely, the vigil was held just outside the Marie Stopes House with not many attendees where once Keynes went through an abortion.  She held the placards with words “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”  This time the pro-lifers were not left with peace but with verbal attacks by the passers by.

  

The way Keynes concludes this episode is very heart warming.  As she returned from the prayer vigil, probably it must have been quite late, she found in her bedroom a little envelope on her pillow with one word in crayon:  “Mummy”.  She concludes her article with these words, “What a blessing of a word.  A scrumpled scribble inside; a child’s declaration of love for her mother.  I thought of all the women robbed of this moment, and of all the children who will never have a chance to write the word “Mummy”.  My heart broke for them.”  

I find this personal encounter of a woman with the reality very inspiring in a world where humanity does not like to listen to the inner voice.  There is always still voice crying out inside but the person will have to open the eyes, ears and the heart to the reality of humanity and life.  In our overcrowded life, finding a sacred space is need of the hour in order to cultivate a culture of life instead of culture of death.  

- Ovin Veigas, SJ

05 June 2019