South Africa Needs Our Lady

South Africa Needs Our Lady

Winning the heart and soul of South Africa for Mary by spreading the Fatima Message

Winning the heart and soul of South Africa for Mary by spreading the Fatima Message

Roses to Guadalupe

A Cry for Life

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In our beloved South Africa, the silent tragedy of abortion continues year after year, leaving untold harm in its wake. Since the legalisation of abortion in 1997 under the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, a massive number of pre-born children have been eliminated. It is estimated that more than 2 million babies have been legally aborted in South Africa since that law came into effect — a number that, according to some political and pro-life sources, surpasses the total deaths from crime and road fatalities over the same period.1

A Nation of Lost Potential

Official health data shows that over 1.4 million abortions have been recorded in public health facilities alone between 2014 and 2024.2

These figures do not include the number of terminations that take place in the private sector or those in the “back-street.”

Each year, tens of thousands of children never take their first breath. Attitudes among South Africans vary profoundly. It would appear that generally speaking, a majority oppose liberal abortion access. Nevertheless, outlandish figures are always trotted out to indicate support for “reproductive autonomy,” an international euphemism for abortion.

At the same time, data suggests that only a small percentage of registered health facilities actually perform abortion procedures.3 In fact, the resistance on the part of many institutions and doctors since the liberalisation of the laws, has been very encouraging. Abortion always stops a beating heart and is a sin that cries out to God for vengeance!

The Human Faces Behind the Numbers

Statistics can numb us, but each number represents a real, hard fact of life:

  • Pre-born children intentionally destroyed.
  • Grief and depression affecting countless souls.
  • Far-reaching societal consequences, especially for the family institution.

Although official South African mortality statistics don’t count legal abortions as a cause of death, the sheer number reflects profound moral questions facing our nation. Compared with other tragic causes of death – such as murders or road accidents – the loss of unborn lives over decades is a catastrophe, whose ultimate consequence are yet to be seen!4

The Catholic Teaching on Life and Dignity

The Catholic Church teaches that every human life is sacred, from conception to natural death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls abortion “a grave moral evil” and urges us to defend the most vulnerable and dependent among us. Every aborted child, no matter the stage of development, is created in the image and likeness of God. We are called to zealously defend the prerogatives of God Almighty while being compassionate with all those caught up in the fear, coercion, loathing and horror of this abominable practice.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn, stands as a powerful intercessor for life. In her beautiful image, indelibly printed on St Juan Diego’s tilma, she reveals the dignity of every human being, especially the most vulnerable in the womb.

Sending Roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe

On the South Africa Needs Our Lady website, we invite you to join a special and deeply spiritual act of intercession this February:

🌹🌹🌹 Send a rose to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico 🌹🌹🌹

Each rose represents an earnest prayer for:

  • An end to abortion in South Africa
  • Healing for women, families and others wounded by abortion
  • Your personal intentions and petitions

Our Lady of Guadalupe is beloved as the Patroness of the Unborn, and we entrust to her maternal care all those affected by abortion. When we send roses with love and reverence, we join a prayerful petition for mercy, conversion, and protection of life.

Your name and intentions will be placed at the foot of the shrine in Guadalupe alongside the bouquet of roses. This is a beautiful and visible expression of faith and hope, uniting South African hearts with the Blessed Virgin’s maternal intercession.

🌹 Click here to send your rose 🌹

Joining Hearts and Hands for Life

We also encourage you to support and pray for all the pro-life organisations active in South Africa – groups of men and women who tirelessly serve mothers in need, those who protest outside abortion facilities, student groups, those educating in schools and communities, and everyone standing up for the dignity of the unborn.

May Our Lady of Guadalupe inspire renewed enthusiasm for the culture of life in every corner of our nation. May her gentle eyes look lovingly upon every mother in doubt and fear, and may her loving presence bring calm, courage and confidence!

A Prayer for Life

O Mary, Mother of the Unborn,

You who protected life in the womb of your Most Holy Son,

Look with mercy on the children lost to abortion.

Turn our hearts toward life,

That every womb may be a place of love,

Every future may be nurtured,

And every soul may be welcomed in joy.

Intercede for us, O Mother of Guadalupe,

That abortion may cease in our land

And that we may cherish all life,

At every stage and in every circumstance. Amen.

FOOTNOTES:

  1. https://gatewaynews.co.za/as-legal-abortion-death-toll-passes-2-million-acdp-vows-to-fight-for-pre-born-babies/
  2. https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/abortions-pregnancy-termination-healthcare-motsoaledi/
  3. https://www.news24.com/citypress/voices/voices-a-look-at-new-abortion-guidelines-20210928
  4. https://gatewaynews.co.za/as-legal-abortion-death-toll-passes-2-million-acdp-vows-to-fight-for-pre-born-babies/

2025 Roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe

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Roses for Our Lady of Guadalupe

14 dozen beautiful roses to were delivered to Our Lady of Guadalupe this year on 22 February, Feast of the Chair of St Peter, on behalf of South Africa Needs Our Lady.

Our friends from America Needs Fatima, kindly organised this for us together with all their roses.

Below we share their feedback about the event:

 A worthy mention to the florist Dona Ara, who had to source these roses from all across Mexico as the national supply had been depleted by Valentine’s Day. Unlike past years when it was sunny and hot, this year we were graced with cooler temperatures, rain and thunderstorms throughout the day. Yet, as our Blessed Mother often does, she smiled upon us, the clouds parted, the sun shone forth, and the brilliant roses dazzled the crowds of pilgrims making their Jubilee pilgrimage of Hope.

As is our custom, along with the presentation of the roses to Our Lady, we light a candle for each state in the U.S., beseeching La Virgen de Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn, for the total and complete victory over the sin of abortion in every state, from New York to California, and from Minnesota to New Mexico. Masses were also requested for the intentions of all ANF members and supporters.

Something Extra

In 1921, a young man named Luciano Perez Carpio placed a bouquet of flowers concealing a bomb before the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The subsequent explosion destroyed the marble altar and damaged a large crucifix. The miraculous image of Our Lady was completely unscathed. Following this event, a great devotion started, honouring Our Lord Jesus Christ under the invocation of “Santo Cristo Del Atentado” (roughly translated as Jesus Christ, Victim of the Violent Attack). This devotion consists of writing one’s intentions and placing them along with a stipend below the damaged crucifix. Many graces and miracles have been attributed to this devotion.

So, we took a moment to entrust all the ANF and SANOL supporters who sent roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe, asking Our Lord Jesus Christ to protect them, just as He protected His Holy Mother.

Damaged Crucifix at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Holy Hour

After presenting the roses and intentions to the Virgin of Guadalupe, ANF representatives were able to spend a holy hour in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament in the old Basilica for the intentions of ANF and SANOL members and supporters.

The Jubilee Year of HOPE

A special part of this year’s Roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe presentation is that it is a Jubilee Year.

Jubilee years have a long and rich history rooted in religious tradition and biblical precedent. The term “Jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word Yobel, which refers to the ram’s horn used in ancient Israel to announce the year of release and return.

Over the centuries, the Catholic Church began to regularize the practice of Jubilee years, though not every year was declared one. Beginning in the 15th century under Pope Sixtus IV, the Church decided to celebrate a Jubilee every 25 years. Later, Pope Urban VIII (1625) established the rule that Jubilees would occur at 25-year intervals unless a special Jubilee was declared.

The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City has been established as a Jubilee pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee Year. We were able to walk through the Door of Hope as we presented the roses to Our Lady.

Portico at the Shrine of OLG in Mexico-Jubilee Year Door 2025

A Mother gathering her children

As pilgrims gathered at the Shrine from all over the world, it was beautiful to see and sense their unity in the love and protection of Our Blessed Mother. For example, it was beautiful to see a small family of Aztec Indians dressed in their traditional cultural attire to pay homage to their Mother, who so many centuries ago brought their people to the True Faith.

Another beautiful sight was the group from the Colegio Guadalupe Victoria Monclova, Coahuila, that had come from hundreds of miles away on pilgrimage along with about 450 000 other people from different parts of Mexico. It is hard to describe the experience of seeing so many devotees honouring Our Lady with prayer, penance, song and dance.

During our days at the Shrine, we saw many priests, nuns and religious. The devotion of the laity and clergy was inspiring.

Indigenous family and the group from Colegio Guadalupe Victoria Monclova, Coahuila
Nuns at the Shrine

Roses were not only sent from devotees in the United States; the devotion of sending roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe is starting to spread. This year, roses and intentions came from Canada and as far away as South Africa. We hope there will be many, many more next year.

Thank You

We want to thank each and every one of you who sent roses and entrusted us with your special intentions to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Without your support and prayers, none of this would have been possible.

We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Dona Ara and her family team of florists for their dedicated work in creating the magnificent floral tribute to La Virgen de Guadalupe.

Dona Ara and her family of workers who put together all the beautiful rose arrangements.

Dona Ara and her family of workers

Going forward….

The struggle to protect the unborn continues; now, let’s end abortion everywhere, now and forever! Let’s intensify our prayers to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, Empress of Latin America, Queen of Mexico, Protectress of the Unborn, and demonstrate our profound desire to safeguard the unborn and end abortion once and for all.

So, if you would like to be one of the first to present roses to Our Lady on behalf of the unborn and place your intentions at the top of the list for 2026, click here now!