The internationally celebrated “40 Days for Life” campaign begins Wednesday as pro-life activists pray to end abortion during all-day peaceful vigils in front of abortion businesses.
This year, the campaign begins during “the year of infanticide,” says its president and CEO Shawn Carney on the organization’s website.
“We are in uncharted waters,” he states. “The barbaric nature of abortion – and infanticide – is front and center right now in America. Many in Washington and the media are willing to leave a baby girl who survives an abortion on a table to die.”
Carney says, this year, 40 Days for Life will be held in 505 cities.
“Please pray for our nation as the world looks to see how America responds to the unprecedented attacks on our most innocent children,” he invites.
In Bristol, Tennessee, former Planned Parenthood manager and current 40 Days for Life director of outreach Sue Thayer is an upcoming speaker at Bridge Assembly of God, reports the Rogersville Review.
“40 Days for Life volunteers in the Tricities area have worked tirelessly for the cause of life,” Thayer said. “We know that prayers in front of an abortion facility save lives and change hearts. Around the world, we’ve seen expectant moms turn away from abortion facilities and choose life for their babies.”
Using herself as an example, Thayer added that abortion workers “are walking out of their jobs, and facilities are closing their doors forever.”
In College Station, Texas, people gathered Tuesday evening at Thomas Park for the kick-off of 40 Days for Life.
“We’re praying for an end to abortion,” said Patricia Hefti, organizer for the College Station event, reported the Eagle. “We’re praying for our community’s leaders, we’re praying for women and men who have been through abortions and need healing — we’re just praying.”
Hefti emphasized the 40 Days for Life campaign is peaceful, with all participants asking to sign a statement of peace and pledging to act “in a Christ-like manner at all times.”
“There is nothing mean or judgmental — anything like that,” she added. “It is the love of Christ for people that we want to see … save lives, and we want women to be empowered to be the moms that they can be or to give the child for adoption, but to give that child life.”
Jennifer Saucier shared the story of her decision to “choose life” with the College Station participants. She carried her pregnancy to term after rape in 2016, though she knew she could have an abortion, the Eagle reported.
Standing with her toddler, Saucier told the crowd, “I am why you guys do what you do.”
In Ireland, where voters decided last year to strike down the country’s Eighth Amendment banning abortion, Life Institute says in an email letter the first 40 Days for Life campaign is being held across the road from National Maternity Hospital in Dublin.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted in July his social media company banned a number of pro-life ads on the platform just ahead of the Irish abortion referendum.
Nevertheless, Life Institute reports the campaign organizers say, “Contrary to what secular media is claiming, 40 Days for Life is not a protest, it is a group of Christians gathering to pray to end abortion, which is happening in the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin.”
“We are praying because abortion is overwhelming, it ends the life of a human being and it causes a woman to think she has no other option than to pay a doctor to end the life of her child,” the pro-life campaign says.