Sex-education programs promoting abstinence have been demonstrated to work in reducing teen pregnancies, according to an analysis by the American Life League of recently-published research by the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. In Canada, the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (CFSH), the Canadian branch of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, supports Canadian Youth for Choice, which also claims that abstinence-only programs fail to reduce pregnancies.

 To read how Planned Parenthood’s programs promoting contraception have led to increased teen pregnancies, click here . . .

A Culture of Life Student Conference with the theme Youth Supporting Life: Created, Called and Sent will gather students from all eight Halton district Catholic high schools as well as from other separate high schools across the Hamilton Diocese on Friday, February 12 in Hamilton. The main speaker is Father Tom Lynch, National Director, Priests for Life Canada who will address the issues of abortion and euthanasia.

Halton Pro-Life will be presenting our booth at the conference, being held at the Nicholas Mancini Centre, Hamilton. For more details, go to http://www.haltonprolife.com/pro-life-youth-conference-created-called-and-sent

Two dates to mark in your calendar:

Halton Pro-Life AGM, Thursday, March 25, 7:30 pm, at St. Gabriel’s Parish Hall, 2261 Parkway Drive, Burlington. Main speaker: TBA.

Respect Life Dinner, Friday, November 5 — details to be announced.

Many mothers know for sure that their babies hear and react to their voices and even to music while in the womb, and now scientists in Germany and Ireland have caught up with them. When our son was in the womb, he heard Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. How do we know that affected him? Go to my Executive Director’s blog to see, and to read about the research.

Induced abortion is a significant risk factor for breast cancer. This is not news to anyone familiar with pro-life, but what is new is that this has now been stated in a paper by the (U.S.) National Cancer Institute co-authored by a scientist who had previously claimed that the absence of a link had been scientifically “established.”  Read more here . . .

Rachael de Souza, a student in her final year at the University of Western Ontario, spoke at the Halton Pro-Life Respect Life dinner on how her experience of a conference at her high school led her to become a pro-life activist and to found a pro-life club at her University. To read her presentation click here.

It was a busy year promoting life in Halton for Halton Pro-Life. On our new Halton Pro-Life News page is a round-up and pictures of just some of our events and activities in the past year, from Jason Jones’ inspiring story to the successes of our Walkathon and Respect Life dinner, our public witness at the Life Chain and our outreach at the Halton high school students Culture for Life conference.

Debate in Parliament on the bill to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide has been delayed by the Prime Minister’s decision to prorogue Parliament. Second reading and a vote on the bill, previously scheduled for February are now likely to occur in mid to late March, according to Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. Read more . . .

Students from all eight of the Halton Catholic high schools came to Holy Trinity school, Oakville, for the recent Culture of Life conference hosted by the Holy Trinity pro-life club, Titans for Life.

Halton Pro-Life set up our booth in the atrium, which attracted not only students attending the conference sessions but also others passing by between classes. Shown here are Marjorie Matthews, our Executive Assistant, and Theresa Gilbert (in green) of National Campus Life Network, addressing students’ questions.

Below, students gathered around the booth found the fetal models most compelling. This is a most important part of HPL’s work, to help educate the next generation build the culture of life.

A courageous young woman in Northern Ontario is pregnant and needs help. Jakki Jeffs, executive director of Alliance For Life Ontario, has spoken with her and learned that all that stood between her and carrying her baby to term was a need for $8000.00, to tide her over during her maternity leave. Jakki promised that if she decided to keep her baby, she would find her help.

Baby Hope is due in January. People have already given enough money for January, February and March. If you can help and make a donation, please contact Jakki at 519-824-7797 or email at aflo@mgl.ca.

For Jakki’s email telling the full story of this Mum-to-be and her baby, whom Jakki calls Baby Hope, click here.