Budapest, Hungary

Hungary has 11 prayer vigils in 9 different cities this Lent, by far a record, with reports that abortions are declining in the city of Vac from 15 a day to 10 a day with strong Episcopal support. Both Protestants and Catholics are joining vigils in Hungary.

Vigils are happening outside Kistarcsa and Kecskemet, close to Budapest, where prayer vigils are happening, and an interview for local television. Kecskemet has a memorial to unborn children in the town. Communist architecture pervades everywhere, including the Government hospitals!

The Catholic auxiliary Bishop of Budapest joins the Budapest vigil for a rally. Once again, the unique practice of prayer through flag-waving is practiced!

Levente Bodnar is just about to be married in 2 months, having supported Budapest leader Magdi for many years now. We meet Father Zoltan Osztie, who has started an umbrella pro-life organization to support the pro-life movement in Hungary, being a Priest at a Church over 1,000 years old downtown. We interviewed with the national radio and met a new CitizenGO employee in Hungary, doing petitions for the first time.

Austria, Vienna

Thomas Buswell is running a 24-hour prayer marathon camping outside the Museum of Abortion and Contraception, also the largest abortion center in the country, taking turns to do the night vigil. His colleague Jeremiah C Wilcke is now the general secretary of the Youth for Life organization and is post-abortive from just a couple of years ago. He has the fire and passion to take the pro-life movement to the next level here in Austria, in the German-speaking realm of Europe.

The tent is a brilliant vision for a campaign, and they have been visited by employees of the museum asking them what they are up to. Thomas registered for the campaign, finding out about it from the Habsburg family and through the Catholic network in Vienna.

They have already witnessed a Private Catholic school go to visit the abortion museum. Since then, the teachers have promised not to take the children back there after reaching out to them. 3 times the police have nearly moved on his 24-hour vigil, but no permit is needed, and he has galvanized considerable support from the Vienna pro-life movement and also inspired our international leaders.

In previous years, an abortion centre closed in Austria following a campaign. Now it is time to channel the passion and enthusiasm found from this campaign into scaling growth and opportunity for vision and mission for pro-life efforts in this region. Thomas tells me of a turnaround reported from a previous campaign, anecdotally, after that campaign finished.