The spring 2014 40 Days for Life campaign is taking place in the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere from March 3-April 13. This year there are also campaigns in Croatia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
40 Days for Life was started by David Bereit, national campaign director, in Texas in 2004, with the goal of ending abortion. 40 Days is held twice yearly, once in the spring and again in the fall, at the local abortion facilities to peacefully sit, pray, and fast together as a community to help stop the killing.
The 40 Days for Life mission is “to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40 day campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God’s favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion.”
Participants commit to a one hour interval and pray for everyone involved with abortion from women thinking of killing their preborn babies to the abortion staff. On the 40 Days for Life blog, participants say that they have loved the experience and had numerous reports of clinics shutting their doors on days when abortions are usually scheduled.
According to the 40 Days for Life website since 2007, over 600,000 pro-lifers have participated in this event globally, with 16,500 churches taking part. There have been a total of 2,786 registered campaigns in 501 cities worldwide. It has been confirmed that 39 abortion facilities have shut down and the 40 Days campaigns have saved at least 7,536 babies and 83 abortion workers quit their jobs.
Campaign Life Coalition brought 40 Days for Life to Canada in 2007. Besides CLC organizing their own campaigns in Toronto, Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg, they also assist grass root activity in their own communities promoting and advertising their vigil.
CLC’s Matthew Wojciechowski told The Interim people are involved because they save thousands of pre-born babies, abortion centers close down, their workers quit their jobs, it brings people together as a community, brings churches together, and it starts conversations about abortion. “It’s easy and you fast,” Wojciechowski explained. “It’s encouraging to see it and you’re with people you know.” He also said, “you’re basically living your faith out with the pro-life ministry.”
This Spring, there is no campaign in Toronto, although there are 40 Days for Life in Montreal, Guelph (Ont.), Oakville (Ont.), Windsor, St. Catharines (Ont.), Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, Terrace (B.C.), St. George (B.C.), Campbell River (B.C.), and Whitehorse (Yukon).
CLC is asking for volunteers to come forward to help organize campaigns in their local communities, including Toronto. We hope that people will answer the call and make it their own.” Wojciechowski said.