News

WASHINGTON, DC, March 5, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On March 10 men and women who have had abortions and who now regret their choice will be joining 40 Days for Life campaigns across the country. Women who are involved with the Silent No More Awareness Campaign will carry signs that read, “I regret my abortion,” and men will hold signs saying, “I regret lost fatherhood.”

“We are highly encouraged that the Silent No More Awareness Campaign is urging women and men who have found healing in the wake of abortion to stand witness in front of abortion facilities on March 10 in connection with 40 Days for Life,” said Shawn Carney, spring campaign director for 40 Days for Life. “The message of post-abortion healing plays an important role in the dismantling of the abortion culture and the construction of a new culture of life.”

The date, March 10, was chosen because it is the same date that the abortion industry has marked as Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.

“That concept flies in the face of the destruction we know abortion causes,” said Carney, “not just for the baby whose life is taken, but for the mother, the father – and many others including extended family and friends.

“It is our fervent hope that women with abortion appointments on March 10 will see the silent, prayerful witness of others who have walked in their shoes, and avoid making a tragic decision that could haunt them physically, psychologically and spiritually for years and years to come.”

This outreach is the product of an effort that took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, where two of the local 40 Days for Life campaign leaders are also regional coordinators for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. One day of last fall’s 40 Days for Life vigil was set aside as Silent No More Day, where women and men with abortion experiences were asked to bring their signs and join volunteers outside the Charlotte abortion facility where the prayerful vigil was being held.

According to these local coordinators, the message “I regret my abortion,” displayed during the peaceful vigil, helps demonstrate that there are women and men in all communities who have been devastated by abortion.

“We have already seen evidence that the 40 Days for Life concept of prayerful vigil leads people with abortion experiences to seek healing,” said Carney. “This partnership will strengthen that message and hopefully bring others to reconciliation.”

The local leaders in Charlotte see post-abortion healing as “one of the most important mission fields today.”

40 Days for Life is an intensive 40-day program of prayer and fasting, community outreach, and constant vigil outside abortion facilities, Planned Parenthood offices and other public locations. The 130+ communities in the United States, Canada, Australia and Northern Ireland taking part in these simultaneous campaigns are listed online at https://40daysforlife.com/location.cfm.