Saturday, March 12, 2011

40 Days for Life

"I will never attend an anti-war rally; if you have a peace rally, invite me." 
- Mother Teresa

That's what I like about the 40 Days for Life prayer vigils in front of the Bellin Medical Arts building on Webster.  I've been walking it for a few years now and I've gotta say, it's never been boring.

What 40 Day is is a peaceful, prayerful rally that calls for not only an end to abortion but for building a culture of life.

Now you may have a preconceived idea of what a pro-life rally is.  Protesters yelling at women and threatening doctors who perform abortions?  Nope.  We don't do drama.  What you will see is people holding peaceful signs and often praying rosaries up and down the sidewalk.  They are praying for women, doctors, and the unborn babies.  No drama, but the results are dramatic.
There have now been seven coordinated 40 Days for Life campaigns since 2007.
These efforts have mobilized people of faith and conscience in 337 cities across all 50 of the United States plus six Canadian provinces, three Australian states, and communities in Northern Ireland and Denmark.
During these unified efforts:
  • 1,085 individual campaigns have taken place in 337 cities
  • More than 400,000 have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion
  • More than 13,000 church congregations have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns
  • Reports document 3,599 lives that have been spared from abortion — and those are just the ones we know about
  • 43 abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry
  • Nine abortion facilities completely shut down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns
  • Hundreds of women and men have been spared from the tragic effects of abortion, including a lifetime of regrets
  • More than 1,200 news stories have been featured in newspapers, magazines, radio shows and TV programs from coast to coast ... and overseas
  • Many people with past abortion experiences have stepped forward to begin post-abortion healing and recovery
After so many years of legalized abortion, many people of faith are experiencing a renewed sense of HOPE!  (from www.40daysforlife.com)
Today it seemed like I'd be walking solo for my shift.  Before long 11 people joined me and before longer that grew 16! 

Now this will never get the media attention that the protests of the teachers at the capitol or the NFL players, but it gets attention of every car that passes by and it get results of changing/saving lives. 

There are still 36 days left, I'd like to invite you to our peace rally.

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." - Mother Teresa

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