On Friday evening, March 4^th I spoke to at least 200 San Diego Helpers in the Church Hall of St. Gregory the Great Church, California. Roger Lopez the Director of the San Diego Helpers had arranged not only for the evening program that night but also the Helpers’ Prayer Vigil the next morning starting at Good Shepherd Catholic Church with its 8000 mostly Philippine parishioners. After Mass we prayed the Rosary in front of Family Planning Associates abortion ‘clinic’. After the Mass we drove to Pala where I was scheduled that Saturday afternoon, at the request of Carol Pallazola the organizer of the Divine Mercy California Conference, to speak to thousands of people on the right to life struggle and Divine Mercy. It went well. After the Conference we drove back to Roger’s home where we shared Dinner with his beautiful family and some San Diego sidewalk counselors. The next day I spent time with Deacon Ron Allen and his wife Dianne who has written the most popular book on Padre Pio published by Amazon. She is working on a book on the Helpers at the present time. Hopefully it will be coming out in 2012. After assisting me at six o’clock morning Mass, Roger Lopez drove me to the Los Angeles International Airport, where I was leaving on a plane for South Korea.

    The depopulation was the result of a number of factors. Although only about 4 percent of the annual 340,000 abortions met the above legal requirements, nevertheless the Court rarely prosecuted any illegal abortions. Moreover, the population control people were very successful in denouncing families with more than two children as unpatriotic. Great stress also was put on education, which was, and still is very expensive. Besides, many Korean obstetricians performed illegal abortions as an easy way to make money. However, today many Korean obstetricians are asking for forgiveness for selling their souls for money. The South Korean Government is also now trying to stop the depopulation of the Country by putting out public service announcements indicating that abortions are aborting Korea’s future and that having more babies is more patriotic.

     Eleven-percent of the approximately 60 million South Koreans are Roman Catholics. From the 1970’s to the present time, the Church has insisted on the sacredness of each person’s life and stated its opposition to the so-called abortion procedure. Now both President Lee, the Minister of Health, and the Parliament are more supportive of the Church’s message. Thus Msgr. Anton Trauner, the Korean National President of the World Apostolate of Fatima, recognizing this new openness to life, invited me to come to South Korea to share with the Korean people the Helpers spirituality and apostolate.

     Shortly after the phone call, North Korea suddenly started to bomb South Korea near the Capital City of Seoul. I have learned that God, in this struggle for life, often allows apparent difficulties for pro-lifers to test our trust in God, and so I called Msgr. Trauner back and said “Yes”. Then I thought should I fly to Busan by way of Seoul or Tokyo. I decided in spite of the recent bombings to trust totally in God’s providence and so I departed on Monday morning, March 7^th , at 11:00 a.m. from Los Angeles International Airport on Korean Air #18 to Incheon International Airport. I arrived on Tuesday, March 8^th , at 5:25 p.m. Then on Korean Air #1405 at 8:40 p.m., I left for Busan Gimhae Airport where I arrived at 10.p.m. Tuesday. Going to Busan by way of the City of Seoul rather than Tokyo was clearly the right choice, for while I was in the City of Busan, North Korea stopped bombing South Korea, while at the same time Japan experienced a major Earthquake, a Tsunami Wave, that also caused serious leakage of Radiation from a nuclear power plant, negating any flight from Busan to Tokyo.

    From Friday, February 18^th , to Monday, Feb. 21^st , Jack Schaefer a former graduate of the Franciscan University at Steubenville, Ohio, but now a major seminarian at St. John’s Seminary for the Archdiocese of Boston, arranged for himself and six other Major Seminarians to come to the Monastery for a Pro-Life weekend retreat. Among the Seminarians was Chris Bae, who was born in Seoul, South Korea. By the end of the Retreat Chris wanted to come with me to South Korea as my translator. At the Kim Hae Airport in Busan, Chris Bae, the seminarian, and I were warmly greeted by Msgr. Anton Trauner, some religious sisters and some beautiful women of the Blue Army of Fatima dressed in equally beautiful traditional Korean garb, who presented to us bouquets of flowers. After leaving the Airport, we soon arrived at the Blue Army National Headquarters where Chris and I stayed while in Busan. Chris Bae, now a major seminarian, who also possesses a Masters from MIT University, was not only my excellent translator for the first half of my stay in Korea but also encouraged and showed me how to eat Korean food.

    On Thursday, March 10^th , I spoke about the Helpers to some pro-life people at East Port Church in Busan. The first major presentation was to more than 300 people at the Central Church in Busan. The program was organized by Msgr. Trauner and the members of the Blue Army in Busan. Chris Bae spent many days looking up the correct Korean words to translate the technical words and pro-life terminology he learned while attending the pro-life retreat in February of 2011 at the Precious Blood Monastery with seminarians like Ton Do from Vietnam who also invited me to come to Vietnam. Chris’ hard work manifested itself in his fine translations.

     On Saturday, March 10^th , after an early morning Mass, Msgr. Anton, Chris, myself and some Religious Sisters, who also did the driving, set out for Kkottongnae which means Village of Flowers and is located near the middle of the Korean peninsular. A visitor might ask why is the place called Village of Flowers since there are few flowers there. And Father John would tell you that humans bloom more beautiful than flowers when they experience forgiveness, reconciliation and love.

     How did the Village start? It was started by Father John Oh Woong-Jin, who was born in 1944. As a young priest, providentially in1976, Father John encountered an old man begging, named Choi Gui-Dong.. The encounter changed Father John’s Life. Out of curiosity Fr. John followed the beggar only to be shocked and startled to find out the old man was begging for 18 other beggars who no longer had the strength to beg for themselves. They were all huddled together at the foot of Yongdam Mountain. He began to realize, even if you only have the strength to beg for food, especially when you beg for others, God will bless you. At the foot of that mountain Father John built a house with 5 rooms to house the 18 beggars and Choi Gui-Dong. The people in the neighborhood called it the “House of Love.” That was the origin or beginning of Kkottongnae. Today in Kkottongnae there are facilities for the homeless, the mentally ill, the elderly, the disabled, the abandoned orphans and a Hospital for the sick and even a Cemetery for the deceased.

     The greeting of Kkottongnae, now known and used throughout South Korea, is ‘Saranghamnida’ which means we offer our love to you. One makes the greeting by putting both hands over the head, making a heart. The social issue for Kkottongnae is promoting the ‘Pro-Life’ movement to remove abortion and overcome the culture of death. The Religious Congregation of Kkottongnae, Brothers and Sisters of Jesus, is now approved by the Church. Young people throughout South Korea and beyond come and do volunteer work in the Village of Flowers. People, including the Government, financially assist the Village. The priest who is second in charge after Father John gave me a personal tour of the whole village, visiting and blessing the people in each of the buildings. Father also brought me to the Field of the Crosses where a thousand white crosses stand as a visible reminder to all viewers that each day in South Korea one thousand innocent unborn babies are unjustly aborted. Smaller versions of Kkottongnae have now started in the Philippines, Bangladesh and even in the USA.

    The Catholics in South Korea are about six million or 11 % of the population. There are 3 Archdioceses, Seoul, Daegu and Kwangju, and 13 Dioceses. In North Korea there are three silent Dioceses. In 1985, in South Korea, there were 1364 priests and today close to 5000 with 1500 Seminarians and 150 Institutes of Religious. In 1984 Pope John Paul II on his visit to Seoul canonized 103 Korean Martyrs of the approximately 10,000 martyrs who died for the Faith from 1791 to 1886 during the 5 major persecutions. Freedom of Faith law was passed in 1895.

     Providentially at the time of my visit about 50 talented, South Korean Pro-Life leaders, like Kyung Soo Kwon, Ph.D. President of Korea’s Catholic Society were meeting at Kkottongnae that weekend in prayer and reflection to discern how to stop the culture of death that is wiping out the people of South Korea with a thousand abortions a day. Msgr Trauner informed them of my visit and so they welcomed me to speak to them on Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday morning for a total time of four hours. The presentations were enthusiastically received. After the first talk on Saturday afternoon, the Priest who is a Religious Superior, a Medical Doctor and the Assistant Director at Kkottongnae drove me to the Hospital and each of the Houses of Love. In each place I had the opportunity to meet and bless many of the sick, the abandoned, the orphans, and others. To say the whole experience was moving is an understatement.

     On Saturday evening, I gave a more general presentation about the Helpers and its apostolate to 1000 pro-lifers. This was followed by a post-abortion healing prayer service and then individual blessings to at least five-hundred people. Later that night I met with a group of young Korean pro-lifers who wanted to start the Helpers Apostolate. It was now 2 A.M. time to go to bed since I was giving another presentation to the Leaders on Sunday morning. Following the Sunday presentation to the leaders, Sunday Mass was offered for all the pro-life Korean leaders by Bishop Gabriel, who is the Bishop in charge of Pro-Life Activities in South Korea. Following the Mass, and a prolonged conversation with Bishop Gabriel, Msgr Trauner, myself, and our wonderful driver, Sang Kyung Park, left for the Maryknoll Residence in Seoul where Msgr.Trauner and Myself stayed .

      In Seoul we were greeted by a wonderful group of Maryknoll Fathers, among whom was Father Joseph Slaby MM and Father Gerald Farrell MM. Father Slaby accompanied us on our life mission to the City of Incheon, where we spoke in the Cathedral Church to people interested in the Helpers Apostolate. Later we had dinner at the Residence of Bishop Choi, who is the Head of the Bishop’s Conference in Korea. Here I also met a wonderful pro- life Capuchin Father Laurence Kettle OFM who is stationed in Incheon. After a tour given by the Bishop’s assistant, Father John the Baptist Shim, of the wonderful home for the unwed mothers and the Life Center in Incheon , it was time to return to the Maryknoll Residence in Seoul. Again that wonderful Christian woman, a convert to the Faith, Sang Kyung Park, drove Msgr. Antun, Father Slaby and myself back to the Maryknoll Residence.. The next morning on leaving Seoul for the Incheon Airport, we passed the Shrine in honor of the Korean Martyrs. Finally at the airport, I reluctantly left South Korea but felt confident that my trip to Korea would be fruitful, since I was given ample opportunity to explain the Helpers apostolate and spirituality to people like Msgr.Antun and Father Slaby; and the good Korean Bishops and Korean pro-life leaders who are clearly desirous of working together to restore a culture of Life in Korea.

      On Sunday afternoon, Aug. 21^st , here at the Monastery about 40 local Helpers, who regularly pray and counsel outside of the main abortion mills in New York City, came together to share food, conversation, and finally adoration time before the Blessed Sacrament, which ended with Benediction. During the get-together, I had time to encourage the volunteer Helpers and thank them for their weekly, even daily sacrifices. I often refer to the Helpers as unknown ordinary people who in ordinary ways do extraordinary things, like what happened outside a Brooklyn abortion ‘clinic’ on Tuesday, Aug. 30^th . While a half dozen Helpers were quietly praying, five women, who earlier had been spoken to by one of the Helpers Counselors, within a forty minute period of time, came back out of the abortion ‘clinic’ and confirmed that they were keeping their unborn children. By 1 p.m., nine mothers had come back out, indicating that they were keeping their unborn babies. Praise God, it was a Grace-filled, uplifting morning in this prolonged battle for life. Yet great as the above conversions were, the recently released abortion statistics sound the siren for the battle for life to continue, especially here in NYC. The 2009 abortion statistics soberly indicated that New York City is still tragically the abortion capitol of the World. In the year 2009, in New York City, 41 out of every 100 unborn babies were aborted; 45 out of every 100 Spanish babies were aborted; 60 out of every 100 Black unborn babies were aborted; and tragically 70 out of every 100 Black unborn babies in Brooklyn were aborted.

    The Helpers in Chicago, Illinois are experiencing a rebirth, particularly under the dedicated, strong yet gentle leadership of Philip Moore, a member of the Focolare; Cathy Severance, the leader of the “Crusaders for Life” and Father James Heyd, Cardinal George’s designated respect life priest. After a holy hour and talk at St. Cletus Church, on Friday April 8^th, I was privileged, together with Father James Heyd and Father Gerald O’Reilly, to celebrate the Helpers’ Vigil Mass on Saturday morning at Old St. Patrick’s Church in downtown Chicago. I knew permission was given to the young people, to hold on a ten-foot string, attached to a yellow helium filled balloon, with the word life printed on each one. I was surprised when the young people offered the yellow balloons to the adults attending the Vigil. The adults accepted the offer. Suddenly on the streets of Chicago were young and old making their way to the abortion clinic, carrying a rosary and a yellow balloon for life. The atmosphere outside the clinic seemed like a birthday party. Indeed, any need for a pregnant woman to have an abortion clinic escort to enter the building became tragically laughable. The discipline of prayer and song was maintained by all to the end of the Prayer Vigil. At the end, all the yellow balloons were released into the Heavens, sending a message for Life throughout the City of Chicago. After the Vigil, I conducted a Helpers Workshop back at St. Cletus where Wayne and Marianne had prepared some food for those attending. On July 16^th Father James Heyd led another Helpers Vigil, from Immaculate Conception Church in Chicago, to Planned Parenthood. The Rebirth of the Chicago Helpers is a reality.

     Before his death, Dr. Chu , a professor at Yale University who dedicated much of his time and effort in establishing and directing the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants in New Haven, Connecticut assured me that a young married couple Mike and Kerry were well prepared and qualified to continue the New Haven Helpers Apostolate. He was right. On June 11^th , Dr. Chu’s son, Paul, participated in a New Haven Helpers Prayer Vigil in honor of his father. After the Mass in St. Paul’s Church on the Yale Campus we went in prayer and song to the New Haven Planned Parenthood abortion ‘clinic’. While we were praying, people came back out, approached the counselors, took the pamphlets, and left. Following the Vigil I spoke to all the Helpers in the Parish Hall and then I drove back to the Monastery in Brooklyn. On Friday August 12^th I arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas for a prayer service and a talk on the Spirituality of the Helpers to all the Right to Life Directors in Arkansas who were gathered together in Little Rock for their Annual Conference. Patrice Wolfe drove me from the Airport to the Diocesan Center. I got lodging in Fletcher Hall which is on the grounds. The next morning everyone took part in a Helpers Prayer Vigil to the abortion mill in Little Rock. After lunch the Director Marianne Linane took care of Diocesan business with the Directors, and then, I conducted a two-hour workshop. After supper I went back to Flecther Hall. The next morning Danny Gunderman, a real Christian gentleman, assisted me at the 7:00 A.M. Mass and then drove me to the Little Rock Airport. I would have to say Marianne Linane did a professional job in organizing the Arkansas Conference.

     We have had many monthly large Prayer Vigils go to Roosevelt Ave in Queens, to the abortion clinics, where Jorge Bernal and his faithful Helpers’group pray each Saturday. Jorge’s prayer group does things differently. They experience few people leaving from the clinic, but the clinics at which they pray, God simply closes them. A few months ago, it happened again. It is miraculous. God has used them to close the abortion clinics at 79^th Street, 85^th Street, 93^rd Street, 95^th Street, 102^nd Street. Jorge assured me the new abortion site will not be opened for long. I now believe him. We had 33 Helpers from Australia, who spent ten days here at the Monastery and joined Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio for the June 25 Prayer Vigil from St. Michael’s Church to Ambulatory abortion mill. The mill started in June 1971. They spent from Monday to Friday on an intense Retreat here at the Monastery. Paul Hanrahan and his lovely wife Elizabeth watched over the many talented, mature and well-balanced young men and women, who came here from the main Cities across Australia. The group impressed all that met them. Indeed they did Australia proud. Their group was followed by the Philadelphia Helpers under the leadership of Erin Maguire. They came from July 15^th to 17^th. From Marx Pennsington to Mary BethWorthington, they too were a wonderful group. Finally a group of twenty-five students from across the U.S.arrived on Saturday July 24^th and stayed until Wednesday July27th. Most of their time was spent at the UN.Youth Conference It was indeed a busy June and July.

     You might have read in the papers, that in July, the people in New York City were shocked and outraged when a deranged 35-year-old man in a macabre fashion chopped up an 8-year-old boy and stuffed the body parts into black plastic garbage bags. He put them into a red suitcase, which suitcase he later put into a dumpster located in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn, two miles away from the deranged man’s home. I mention this tragic event, since the police found the body parts in the dumpster, located two blocks away from the abortion ‘clinic’ outside of which I pray and counsel five times a week. How can so many adults, who were rightfully outraged at the fate of the little boy, remain in a state of denial, or indifference or even acceptance about what happens to the little unborn baby boys and girls inside the abortion ‘clinics’. I realize mothers coming to the abortion clinics do not want the unborn child, but neither the mothers, nor their friends supporting their choice have asked themselves some basic questions. What does the unborn child look like? How is the abortionist going to get the child out of the womb? What does the so-called ‘clinics’ do with the unborn child’s body parts after they are ripped out of the mother’s womb? Adults frequently use language to soften and disguise distasteful reality, even from themselves. Young people often do not. Indeed I have heard young people on the streets, when referring to the abortion ‘clinic’ outside of which I daily pray, bluntly say to one another, in their own realistic slang language: “Are you going to the ‘Chop Shop’?” Where is the outrage for the dire fate of so many of God’s Precious Unborn Infants in these infamous Shops?

      At the request of the Medical Doctor Majlinda Gjoni, the Director of the Caritas Dioqezan and the Archbishop Msgr.Rrok Mirdita of Tirana-Durres, Albania, I arrived on Friday May 13^th at Mother Theresa’s Airport where Dr. Majlinda and the Chancellor, Father Henry Veldkamp, a more than competent, holy priest, met me . Not only was Mother Theresa born in Albania but tradition has it, that St. Paul the Apostle on his way from Macedonia to Rome started the Catholic Church in Albania. St. Paul is the patron of the Diocese. I stayed in the St. Paul Cathedral Residence where the Archbishop resides. The Archbishop Rrok is a humble, happy, holy man of God. Dr. Majlinda a well organized, holy, dedicated woman made sure my time in Albania was well used.

      On the evening that I arrived, she had me speaking on Radio Maria. The Director Father Preke Lazraj, asked me a number of questions ,which I was able to answer without difficulty because Kimete Klenja, a woman who works closely with Dr. Majlinda, was my excellent translator. Kimete works as a translator for the local U.N. On Saturday at the Conference for University students, Kimete was again my translator. Dr. Majlinda had me speaking to TV reporters, speaking at the Cathedral and back again on Sunday night at Radio Maria . On Monday morning I spoke at the State University of Medicine,to Catholic and Muslim young men and women studying to be medical doctors. I challenged them to be uncompromising in their profession, in their respect for all life.

        My translator was a young man, Dritan Koka. He also did a fine job. On Monday night we drove to another Diocese and spoke to an auditorium filled with pro-life people. Afterwards we had supper with the leaders, including Msgr. Ottavio Vitale, Bishop of Lezha, Albania.

       I was leaving on Tuesday May 17^th but to my surprise, I received on Monday evening a phone call from the TV News station, inviting me to come the next morning for a fifteen- minute live interview on the National News Program. In Albania, the Hour of News is live at nine in the morning ,and is shown again at noon, evening, and at night . I arrived at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning at the TV Studio, with my young but excellent translator, Dritan Koka. I had the opportunity not only to speak to the Albanian people, about the evil of abortion but to explain to them also the teachings of the late Pope Paul VI expressed in his great Encyclical Humanae Vitae. I was able to explain in a reasoned fashion why the Church does not accept the use of contraceptives for anyone. Indeed I was able to point out the incredible negative effects that the contraceptives have had on society in general and to our young people in particular. Before I left the Archbishop gave me a beautiful book on Mother Theresa and Dr. Majlinda gave me a golden bust of Mother Theresa.

      Following the example of the Polish Parliament, the new Hungarian Constitution on Jan.1, 2012 will protect human life from conception until Natural death. No small credit for this belongs to Dr. Imre Teglasy who, with the encouragement and participation of Bishop Lazlo Biro who was the Head of Hungary Family Life Committee, organized Helpers Prayer Vigils for Life outside of Hungarian Hospitals. In Romania, Msgr. John Chisarau, who with the support the Greek-Catholic Bishop Alexandru, leads Public Prayer Vigils for Life on the streets of Timisoara, Romania. In eastern Europe the Croatian Dr. Antun Lisec continues to be a one-man army in Eastern Europe, as he tirelessly gives lectures for life in one country after another in Eastern Europe. Russia keeps restricting abortion. Now it is down to twelve weeks. The Russian President recently signed a new Law that requires abortion clinics to include in their advertisements for abortion that it is not a safe medical procedure. Many years ago after speaking to the Major Seminarians and the Archbishop and pro-life people in Cape Town, I led the first Prayer Vigil for Life in Cape Town, South Africa to a modern day Golgotha, namely Marie Stopes International abortion mill. I was pleased to learn that recently Archbishop Stephen Brislin led the 55^th monthly Prayer Vigil for Life to Marie Stopes abortion mill in Cape Town South Africa.

      On Thursday, March 10^th, I spoke about the Helpers to some pro-life people at East Port Church in Busan. The first major presentation was to more than 300 people at the Central Church in Busan. The program was organized by Msgr. Trauner and the members of the Blue Army in Busan. Chris Bae spent many days looking up the correct Korean words to translate the technical words and pro-life terminology he learned while attending the pro-life retreat in February of 2011 at the Precious Blood Monastery with seminarians like Ton Do from Vietnam who also invited me to come to Vietnam. Chris’ hard work manifested itself in his fine translations.

      On Oct. 29-31^st 2011 a very large group of Franciscan University Students from Steubenville, Ohio will be coming to the Monastery. On Nov. 18-20^th 2011 Catholic University Students, due to the organization of Mary Elizabeth Murphy, from Washington D.C. will arrive at the Monastery Students, from St. John’s Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts, due the leadership of Chris Bae, will be here from Feb. 17^th –Feb. 20th. 2012. The Mexico City pro-life counselors, with the encouragement of Aracely Duarte, are planning to come to the Monastery for a Helpers Life Retreat Training Program. January13^th –16^th .

     On Saturday evening, I gave a more general presentation about the Helpers and its apostolate to 1000 pro-lifers. This was followed by a post-abortion healing prayer service and then individual blessings to at least five-hundred people. Later that night I met with a group of young Korean pro-lifers who wanted to start the Helpers Apostolate. It was now 2 A.M. time to go to bed since I was giving another presentation to the Leaders on Sunday morning. Following the Sunday presentation to the leaders, Sunday Mass was offered for all the pro-life Korean leaders by Bishop Gabriel, who is the Bishop in charge of Pro-Life Activities in South Korea. Following the Mass, and a prolonged conversation with Bishop Gabriel, Msgr Trauner, myself, and our wonderful driver, Sang Kyung Park, left for the Maryknoll Residence in Seoul where Msgr.Trauner and Myself stayed .

      Please keep in your prayers Ed Ryan, the husband of Dr. Ada Ryan and Pat Scarry, the husband of Terry Scarry who recently passed away. Those two couples for the past forty years were actively involved in the pro-life movement, including organizing the First March for Life in Washington D.C. on Jan. 22^nd 1974. It was Dr.Ada Ryan, who contacted the wonderful, dedicated pro-lifer Nellie Gray, who still acts as President of the March. On that day about fifteen thousand of us, gathered in front of the Capitol Building and from the top steps, Senator James Buckley and Dr. Ada Ryan delivered the first keynote speeches. We then walked around the Capitol Building. From that humble beginnings, grew each year on January 22^nd the Great March for Life in Washington D.C. protesting the infamous, immoral Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court Decision that has already resulted in the loss of more than fifty million American Citizens. If those citizens and their children were with us today their would be no economic recession. Please keep Ed and Patrick in your prayers and all the Helpers who have died this year and those who are sick. I continue to remain grateful to all those who were financially able to assist the Helpers to provide for the pregnant moms and their children, whose number and economic needs keep increasing, in these very difficult times.