This fall's worldwide 40 Days for Life campaign kicks off on Wednesday at 297 locations, in 13 countries, on 5 of the world's seven continents.
The fall campaign runs from September 24 to November 2.
The mission of the 40 Days for Life campaign, as described by its international organizers, 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.”
Each day during 40 Days for Life, individuals, churches, families and groups are asked to join together in prayer for a specific request so the entire Body of Christ can unite around a common focus.
These specific prayer requests will seek God’s help for:
- Women who are at risk of having an abortion
- Innocent children who are at risk of perishing
- Men and women who carry the pain of a past abortion experience
- Workers at Planned Parenthood facilities and abortion centers
- Local, regional, and national leaders
- Revival and renewal in our churches
- Repentance and healing throughout our nations
People of faith are also invited to fast throughout 40 Days for Life: fast from certain foods, fast from television, fast from apathy and indifference, fast from whatever it is that separates you from God.
“We believe that when God’s people fast with a broken, repentant and contrite spirit, our heavenly Father will hear from heaven and heal our lives, our churches, our communities, our nation, and our world,” says 40 Days for Life co-founder and campaign director Shawn Carney.
In Canada this fall, 15 cities in 6 provinces will hold 40 days of peaceful prayer vigil, fasting and community outreach for an end to abortion.
The 40 Days for Life campaign first came to Canada in 2007, with vigils in Ottawa and Halifax. Since then, pro-life groups have organized campaigns in more than 20 cities across the country.
One of these pro-life groups, the London Area Right to Life Association, is holding its fourth campaign this fall in front of the city's Victoria Hospital located at 800 Commissioners Road East.
“Here in London, there is a floor for birthing and the other floor for abortions in Victoria Hospital, which is called ironically the Children's Hospital!” London Area Right to Life Association office coordinator Bonnie Pember told LifeSiteNews.
Pember pointed out that 60,000 people drive by Victoria Hospital each day and that 40 Days for Life is an ideal opportunity to let these people know that life is sacred and people are willing to stand publicly for this witness.
“We have had at least one baby saved per year that we know about,” Pember said, “but only God knows how many little ones have been saved.”
“Last year was my first experience of the 40 Days for Life in London,” Pember, who now devotes her life to pro-life work after having been dispensed from her vows as a Discalced Carmelite nun, told LifeSiteNews, “and we had close to 500 prayer volunteers.”
“There were prayer groups from the Christian churches, both Catholic and Protestant, and my prayer is that this year we will have just as many and please God, more vigilers come out to be witnesses to the sanctity of human life in our world.”
40 Days for Life London will begin its campaign Tuesday, September 23rd with a 7:00 p.m. Mass at St. John the Divine Catholic Church, 390 Baseline Rd. West. This will be followed by a kickoff rally from 7:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with music and guest speakers.
40 Days for Life locations and contact information for Canada are available on the Campaign Life Coalition 40 Days website.
Worldwide locations and contact information for 40 Days for Life vigils, including first-time campaigns in Mexico, Brazil, and Latvia, are available here.