鈥淕iven the uphill battle we face in the coming four years, with a very anti-life cultural and political leadership, we have to maintain a persistent pit-bull mentality,鈥� said Helena Czakowski, who co-ordinated church and ministry group participation in this year鱿鱼视频app 12-hour a day prayer vigil in front of the Morgentaler abortuary in downtown Ottawa.
The 40-day campaign ended with a rally of between 50-75 people across the street from the abortion facility and a candlelight procession to St. Patrick鱿鱼视频app Basilica.
Czakowski said participation in this year鱿鱼视频app campaign 鈥渨as the best ever,鈥� with 30 churches, mostly Catholic but a few evangelical as well, committing to taking a vigil day or part of one. Four special ministry groups, including NET Ministries Canada, Catholic Christian Outreach and Couples for Christ, also took part. Though she did not yet have a tally of this year鱿鱼视频app volunteers, she expects it to exceed last year鱿鱼视频app more than 800 vigil participants.
鈥淭his is gaining momentum every year,鈥� she said.
She contacted 90 churches and expects many more will be ready to take part next year. 鈥淚 know word is spreading.鈥�
40 Days for Life began in the United States in 2007 and since then the movement has spread around the world. Campaign Life Coalition researcher Paul Lauzon told the rally this year鱿鱼视频app worldwide involved 650,000 volunteers in 579 cities in 30 nations with 3,588 local campaigns.
The movement claims that through the vigil鱿鱼视频app presence and prayer since 2007, 10,331 lives have been saved from abortion, 121 abortion workers have quit their jobs and 64 abortion centres have closed, Lauzon said.
鈥淭his place behind me is the coldest and darkest place in Ottawa,鈥� said Lauzon. 鈥淎nd some politicians are happy to keep it that way. But we are not here for the politicians; we are here for the lives of the babies, for the souls of the mothers, the fathers and all who work in this macabre industry.鈥�
Doris Gagnon, leader of the Ottawa-Gatineau chapter of Helpers of God鱿鱼视频app Precious Infants, an organization committed to keeping a prayerful presence outside abortion facilities year round, told the rally she believes the 40 Days for Life campaign saved at least one life this year. There was a pregnant girl who came to the clinic 鈥渇eeling conflicted,鈥� Gagnon said. 鈥淪he was asking God to send her a sign.鈥� There were about 10 people praying out in front of the clinic the day she came, Gagnon said. 鈥淲e handed her a flyer,鈥� and she changed her mind and left. 鈥淪he鈥檇 been praying for that sign.鈥�
Gagnon said that even if lives are not saved, those praying outside the clinics are witnessing 鈥渇or those little ones who have been abandoned.鈥�
鈥淭his is the least we can do,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t least we can be there at their hour of death.鈥�
Natalie Steiner, 22, on staff with NET Canada, said she only recently became 鈥渙n fire鈥� about the pro-life movement after her best friend became passionate about spreading the truth about abortion. This was Steiner鱿鱼视频app first year participating in 40 Days for Life. She found the experience both beautiful and hard.
鈥淭here will be people who will either say 鈥楪od bless鈥� or they鈥檒l give you the finger,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app also heart breaking because it gives you so much time to reflect on what鱿鱼视频app going on.鈥�