‘40 Days for Life’ spring prayer vigil is under way

St. Malachy parishioners Zachary Duckett, left, and Owen Duckett of Brownsburg pray in front of the Planned Parenthood abortion center in Indianapolis on Feb. 22 as part of the “40 Days for Life” spring prayer campaign. The brothers were among a number of youths who prayed the rosary for an end to abortion. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)

By Mary Ann Wyand

Bitterly cold wind stung the faces of several dozen pro-life supporters and brought tears to their eyes as they huddled together in prayer on Feb. 22 in front of the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Indianapolis.

It was also extremely cold the last time that the “40 Days for Life” prayer group gathered to pray in front of the state’s largest abortion center at 8590 N. Georgetown Road during Advent last December.

Now it is Lent—a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving—and the “40 Days for Life” spring prayer vigil is under way.

St. Thomas Aquinas parishioner Shawn Carney of College Station, Texas, the national coordinator of the “40 Days for Life” spring prayer campaign, spoke to pro-life supporters during the kick-off rally on Feb. 22 at the St. Augustine Home for the Aged Chapel in Indianapolis before the group walked or drove two miles to the abortion center to pray the rosary.

In 2004, Carney helped lead the first “40 Days for Life” prayer campaign in his hometown, which reduced local abortion numbers by 28 percent.

Three years later, he co-founded the international “40 Days” campaign of prayer, vigil and fasting, which is now active in more than 200 cities in 47 states in the U.S. as well as in cities in England, Ireland, Canada, Brazil and Peru.

This year’s effort is the third “40 Days for Life” prayer campaign in Indianapolis and the fourth national pro-life prayer vigil. As part of the campaigns, more than 175,000 people throughout the U.S. have participated in prayers outside abortion centers and helped save the lives of 1,128 unborn babies, including 12 babies in Indianapolis.

Carney, who at 26 is known for his smile, enthusiasm, sense of humor and Eternal Word Television Network talk show “Being Human,” turned his keynote address at the rally into an inspirational call to action in the pro-life prayer vigil.

He told the gathering that pro-life supporters must work together to help end the lie of abortion—the lie that abortion providers tell each woman who is experiencing a crisis pregnancy to convince her that she does not have the capacity to love her baby because of her difficult life circumstances.

“This is the lie that is sold to 4,000 women every single day in our nation,” Carney said. “Today, the word ‘abortion’ is the second most controversial word in the English dictionary, according to Webster. Number one is a derogatory term for African-Americans. Number two is the most common surgery in America.”

Women who have experienced abortion cry because they believed that lie, he said, then realized the truth after it was too late.

“No matter how many abortions are done,” he said, “… the most basic, fundamental bond—the most beautiful bond in our humanity—between a mother and a child can never be ripped apart, and called ‘freedom’ and called ‘liberty’ and called ‘rights,’ no matter what laws we have, no matter who is in the White House.”

People who support abortion can only do that by dehumanizing the life of the unborn baby, he said, and becoming numb about the killing of a human life.

“Prayer and fasting is the hope of our world,” Carney said, “and that is what inspired ‘40 Days for Life.’ … When we were gathered around that table in 2004, and we talked about 40 days of prayer and fasting, 40 days of community outreach, 40 days of going door to door, 40 days of a nonstop peaceful vigil, we had no idea that we were doing something effective.

“Now that ‘40 Days for Life’ has spread, there is only one reason why it is successful,” he said, “and that is not because of us. It’s because you cannot justify an abortion in the face of Jesus Christ. You cannot do it. … When we take Christ to the sidewalks, get out of the way. He will work miracles.”

(For more information about the “40 Days for Life” spring prayer campaign, log on to www.40daysforlife.com/Indianapolis.) †