By Robert Colquhoun. International Campaigns Director

"Everyone, WONDERFUL news! Our prayers have been answered, the abortion clinic is CLOSED, CLOSED, CLOSED!!!!’ Father Dave had just started praying the Joyful mysteries and this chap came up to us with a smile on his face. He said, “Do you know, it is closed.” We were expecting abuse, so I don’t think I took it at first. He is the neighbor next door, and he really is happy it is closed too. At the end of the prayer, Simon had arrived, so the 3 of us went to the front door as I presume an office manager and 2 of the nurses were there. She said the clinic was closed. I asked when the last abortion was performed and she said the 25 January. I said I would pray she got another job, she politely said thank you.”

With a skip outside the building, this is how we heard the news that NUPAS was closing. In 2012, a mission trip with Shawn Carney and David Bereit, we visited London, Birmingham and Manchester in one day. And now, all three of those abortion centres have closed: BPAS Bedford Square, MSI Birmingham and NUPAS Manchester. 

Admittedly in that time, the abortion law has been liberalized beyond belief, with now half of abortions happening by pills by post, and abortion rates skyrocketing. But It does not take away, where 3 major prayer vigils happened from that mission trip twelve years ago, all three abortion centres closed. Praise be to God! 

At the end of 2019, MSI Birmingham closed, the fourth largest abortion centre in the UK and one of the UK’s oldest abortion clinics with a litany of safety issues. 50 years to the month after it opened, the facility went out of business. 

Another abortion center, MSI Manchester, is not without considerable scandal and abuse. One former staff member described how he was racially bullied and given false charges of sexual assault, while employees Sue Smooker and Julie Ackroyd lied in court about him, while they then got promoted at Marie Stopes. The staff member complained of psychiatric damage and the abortion provider changed its name because of the Marie Stopes eugenics link.

The staff member described how managers watch porn during working hours and organize sex theme parties, medical decisions were made by non-medical managers, with the place described as a conveyer belt. Employees were forced to sign consent forms without having seen patients in advice and employees then forced to anaethetise against the protocols of the Royal College. It was this sickening culture the local council decided to protect with a buffer zone that was established outside MSI Manchester to ban prayer outside the abortion centre in 2020. 

Employees boasted that GMC and Royal Colleges were in the abortion providers’ pockets and that they don’t pay taxes because they are a charity, empty vulnerable doctors and cheap rate nurses and exploit girls from Ireland, Scotland and England. The Care Quality Commission said there was nearly 400 botched abortions in two months at Marie Stopes clinics.

Manchester compares differently to Marie Stopes Ealing, where a woman died in a taxi, then the staff were convicted and then acquitted of manslaughter, where a doctor was struck off the medical register for almost killing a woman and also performed laser surgery on women to improve their sex lives. Another woman described how she was forced into abortion after deciding against it, while another woman jumped out of the window of the abortion centre to avoid being coerced into abortion by her family. 

In Twickenham, funeral staff complained of late term babies being defrosted in the microwave, while in Birmingham, the abortion centre staff agreed to gendercide (sex selection abortion). 

Evidence from the Care Quality Commission shows there were policies across Marie Stopes centres leading to pressure being put on women to proceed with abortions, including bonuses to staff to encourage women to have abortions. In 2019, a transgender activist appeared to make a scene and started attacking some of the prayer volunteers. 

John Marechal a leader nearly 90 years old passed away last year. He was the leader for almost 10 years outside MSI Manchester where around 100 babies were saved from abortion in that time from 40 Days for Life campaigns. 

In 2018, a Sister Supporter group was set up after abortion rights Ireland (funded by George Soros money) came over for a meeting. Historically many women travelled from Ireland to this abortion centre prior to 2018.

In Manchester, many women took advantage of the support offered and kept their babies because of the 40 Days for Life vigil. These women would not have been able to do so if the vigils had not been present. The vigils exist to offer support and help to often vulnerable, and at time, very frightened pregnant women, some of whom really want to keep their babies, but felt as thought they don’t have any option but to have an abortion. 

One woman cried with joy with her decision to keep her child in 2017 and waved goodbye as she left in a taxi. One woman thanked a volunteer saying, “It was just what I needed” and said she was keeping her baby. 

Another woman was 6 weeks pregnant with her 4th child and she left smiling saying she couldn’t go through with it. Another woman was asked to “see the scan.” She was relieved, grateful and said she was keeping her baby. 

A woman 24 weeks pregnant had a scan which showed she was 25 weeks. Her partner was delighted as she decided to keep the baby. Another woman found out she was expecting twins. He boyfriend wanted her to abort but she didn’t. 

An 18 year old university student, wanting an abortion, came with her mother who wanted her daughter to keep the baby. After talking to a prayer volunteer, the daughter changed her mind. The mother was greatly relieved and said, “Thank God you people were here.” 

Another mother, 4 weeks pregnant, was approached by a pavement counsellor. She took the ‘client information’ and after some discussion went into the clinic. On leaving the clinic she told the pavement counsellor she was keeping the baby. 

One of the prayer volunteers, who was bedridden in the terminal stages of cancer, said about praying with 40 Days for Life, “It was the best thing I ever did in my life!”

The testimony of a lady who had an abortion said, “I wish there had been someone to offer me an alternative solution.” Another lady who chose life after an ordeal in the abortion centre said she was able to have “my bouncing baby boy. So cute, hairy and gorgeous, so blessed to have him. Can’t stop looking at him.” 

John Marechal was a heroic leader, who helped to save 100 lives from abortion over 10 years outside a bustling abortion centre, despite being over 80 years old. The witness of women who chose life is a testimony to his bravery and courage to stand for life in an adverse environment. May we see many more closures like this, and as always, to God be the glory!