(Image source: Pro Life Campaign)

There’s a danger of getting downcast as pro-lifers. As Muireann pointed out last month, the evidence suggests that by now Irish people are generally pro-choice. We could all benefit from encouragement, a reminder that we are not alone, that there are other pro-lifers out there who are motivated and driven and committed to the cause of pre-born rights.

Look at everyone who attended the March for Life in Dublin on Monday. And like bioethicist Dr Calum Miller, who spoke at the march (and who we interviewed back in 2021), highlighting the importance of freedom of conscience for healthcare workers. ‘Erode conscience,’ he told the marchers, ‘and you remove the healthcare professionals with the most integrity, who are willing to do what is right rather than what is convenient.’  

Or take the Dublin-based Zoe Community (now with long-awaited charity status!), which offers support to women during and after pregnancy. When we interviewed Zoe’s founder Katy Edgmon, she gave this perspective: ‘So many women go through crisis pregnancies alone, either by a reluctant choice (shame) or because they actually have nobody around them. We think that no woman should have to do this by herself.’ (If you’d like to seek support from, support or apply to volunteer with the Zoe Community, see here.)

Take too the fantastic volunteers behind Community Connect, a charity supporting pregnant women and new parents in need, with branches around the country. For more information about the brilliant work that Community Connect does, check out our interview with the charity’s national coordinator, Elaine Noonan. ‘Many women experiencing unexpected pregnancies,’ said Elaine, ‘struggle with the nagging question: how will I provide for my baby? Community Connect exists to help answer this question with practical, material support, so that mums and parents feel more secure and supported in bringing their baby into the world.’ A group from Community Connect hope to take part in the Women’s Mini-Marathon on 2 June. If you would like to join them – or sponsor one of the participants – see here for more information.

Finally, let’s not forget those activists willing to sacrifice their freedom for the sake of the unborn. Like Rehumanize International’s executive director Herb Geraghty who was convicted last August – along with four other pro-life activists, Lauren Handy, Will Goodman, John Hinshaw and Heather Idoni – of conspiracy against rights and FACE Act violations. This came after the activists took part in a rescue action at the Washington Surgi-Clinic abortion facility. Herb remains incarcerated in the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alexandria, Virginia, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for a week from now, Wednesday 15 May. See here for details of how to contribute to Herb’s legal defence.

So take heart! You are not alone, and there’s plenty you can do. And after all, if we acknowledge abortion for what it is – a mass atrocity – giving up is not an option.