Rebecca Lewis Speaks at Closing Celebration

Peter Shinn of ProLife Unity has posted his video of Mrs. Lewis's remarks at our closing celebration. Click here to view the speech: http://www.prolifeunity.com/index.php/site/comments/video_-_ive_had_a_very_difficult_time_getting_to_black_churches/.

40DFL Manassas, VA -- Mom Prom Fundraiser

The Manassas, VA, 40 Days for Life team will be holding a "Manassas Mom Prom 2011 -- A fabulous “Girls Nite Out” for women of all ages!" on Saturday, May 21, from 7pm - 10pm at the Father Jack Fullen Memorial Hall, House of Mercy, Manassas, VA. All ladies are invited to attend and help raise money for AAA Women for Choice crisis pregnancy center and the 40 Days for Life - Manassas campaign team.

Day 41+: Final Report

Here's the report for our spring 2011 40 Days for Life campaign. Please feel free to read our campaign summary and statistics below. Remember, you were a vital part of making this happen, and we really appreciate all your support! Thank you for all your help. I look forward to working with you again soon!

Prayer

Coordinator: Claire Skidmore -- We printed a prayer card containing a 40 Days for Life campaign prayer and our local website which was distributed at many churches and at our vigil. We also revised the 40 Days for Life prayer booklet, adding several hymns, and printed 100 copies for use at the vigil. Many people prayed in churches and in the quiet of their homes, as well as several religious communities. We had lots of prayer and singing at the vigil.

Vigil

Coordinators: Mary Ellen McElfresh, Zachary Foreman -- We filled about 1200 1/2 hr slots over the forty days, which is an average of 15 hours a day, but since we had 2-3 people signed up at a single prayer time, we did not always have full coverage. There were also many people showing up who were not listed on the schedule. We will continue our vigil after the campaign during abortion hours at this location, beginning on Friday mornings and expanding to other days as more volunteers join in.

Outreach

Coordinator: Paul Spicer -- We printed 6,500 40 Days for Life flyers with pregnancy resources on the back and distributed them along with icare pamphlets and MaRiH center brochures. We also had around 1,500 pre-campaign outreach flyers with our kickoff rally advertised on the back. Some of these were distributed at parishes and at the vigil, so it's probably safe to say, all in all, we reached about 7,000 homes.

Events

Coordinator: Sara Dina -- We hosted an informational Cast The Vision meeting on January 28, and several sidewalk counseling and pro-life training sessions at various churches throughout the month of February. Our Kickoff Rally was held at Bishop Ireton High School with guest speaker Jim Nolan of Crossroads Prolife. We distributed flyers and signs and had a rainy prayer procession down to the vigil site. Our halfway rally was held at the vigil site, with prayer led by Fr. Kelly of St. Mary Church and song led by Bob and Susan. The joint Victory celebration was held at St. Lawrence Church parish hall with members of the Fairfax and Washington campaign teams in attendance, and featuring guest speakers Rebecca Lewis, Dick Retta, and Nancy Tanner, as well as musicians Bob, Susan, and Miranda.

Financial

Assistant: Ed Caughlan -- Thanks to the generosity of several donors, we were able to raise sufficient funds to cover all costs. Expenses included xerox and printing costs, flyers, supplies, 40 Days for Life gear and signage. There is even a small amount of money left over that we can use for the fall. A big thank you to all our financial donors!

Media

An article was published in the Baptist Banner (a conservative Southern Baptist Virginia publication), and the Arlington Catholic Herald published a half-page spread including information and events for three diocesan locations (Alexandria, Fairfax, and Manassas). The Anglican District of Virginia also published an announcement in one issue of its newsletter, an article and photo in the next issue, and later a reminder of the need for prayer volunteers. We were also present in several church bulletins throughout the campaign, including event flyers, invitations to participate, and ongoing notices.

What's Next?

• The Fall 40 Days for Life campaign will begin on September 28 and run through November 6, 2011. We'd love to include you in the fun! If you are able to participate again in this important effort, keep your eyes out for invitations around that time.

• In the meantime we have our continuing vigil from around 8am-6pm on Tuesday through Friday each week (see below for details). Contact Mary Ellen (maryellen.40days@verizon.net) if you would like to participate.

• Since pro-life work is an ongoing effort, occasional events may be posted on our blog. We won't be emailing you these stories, but if you'd like to stay up-to-date and be notified when new content is posted then visit our blog page, sign in with your gmail account, and click "Follow" on the top bar.

Day 40: The Last Day of Our Campaign!

We've reached the last day together, and I thought I would say . . .

. . . Thank you for all your support!

I'm hoping to see you this afternoon at our Victory Celebration (see details below), but if you have a previous engagement, or if you're stuck at home, here is your official thank-you note just the same!

Some of you prayed, others kept vigil as well, and a few handed out flyers throughout the city. You are our mainstay, and you made it happen! I think we made a great team, and I enjoyed meeting and working with every one of you in support of life.

On behalf of the whole leadership team, and all the men, women, and children whose lives you have touched, I am deeply grateful for all your help.

A big thank-you to the financial donors, who paid for the signs, bags, flyers, victory dinner, prayer books and prayer cards that gave us the "stuff" to accompany our witness!

I also thank every member of the leadership team, who donated their time and talents to assist with planning and running events, church networking, door-to-door outreach, vigil coordination and scheduling, materials preparation, budget planning, reporting and writing, blog management, media coordination, phone calling, emailing, and general assistance.

Sincere thanks to the clergy, who opened their doors to our efforts, and allowed us to speak to their congregations regarding our work for Life!

Finally, let's offer thanks to Almighty God for all the blessings He has wrought during these past forty days, whether they be babies saved, hearts touched, or personal blessings and fulfillment. For truly He is the Savior and Lord of Life! We may not have kept our commitments or witnessed as we should, but the Lord can supply for our weakness, and we can trust that He'll show us the wonders of His love in time. Let's ask him for perseverance and courage in the pro-life movement, for blessings on all our local leaders and prayer volunteers, and for life and resurrection at so many places of death.

The final report will come later but for now, let's rejoice and celebrate the conclusion of a truly exciting campaign!

Looking ahead, now that our campaign has reached the finish line, we are still needed at the front lines of the pro-life movement. By the front lines I mean the sidewalk! The next abortion day at our vigil location is this coming Tuesday, and Mary Ellen is organizing the continuing vigil (contact her if you are able to participate).

We will send you just one more email for our Spring 2011 campaign, to inform you of the final counts and statistics as they become available. With that our spring 40 Days for Life campaign will be completed, and it's "Adios!" until the fall!

Day 39: A Culture of Life

Today marks our last full day of the 40 Days for Life vigil this spring in Alexandria. Some of us are busy putting the last few flyers on doors. Some of us are busy getting ready for the party tomorrow (we hope you will be coming, even if you haven't RSVP'd! And Sara wants me to remind you to bring your side dish and items for the pregnancy center.). It is possible at this time to stop and ask what we are doing with all this activity. And the answer to this question is that we are actually building a culture of life.

To identify our efforts with a culture of life may seem far-fetched, even impossible. Culture is wide-ranging, encompassing all aspects of society. It has ramifications in history, politics, the arts. It is characterized by museums, concert halls, libraries, stadiums, bull pens, chicken coops, and kitchens. And it is reflected in the lives and activities of thousands of people, from youth to elderly.

Yet we are building a real culture, and that is a culture of life.

Culture at its root is defined by the things one worships, or in other words, what is important to people. We are a people of God, and our God is a God of life, thus, we are also a people of life. We spread our message through prayer, vigil, and outreach, and we speak through our words, actions, and example.

Over time, our message has begun to spread, as we can see by the eyes of the young who pass our vigil, many people who are affected by what we are doing, and 400+ babies that have been saved from abortion this spring. The change we effect is a change in the human heart, and the life we advance is the life of love.

Our message is not an isolated one, but part of the Christian tradition we have received from our families, one that we strive to live more fully each day. We are part of a larger whole, including churches and religious communities, families and schools, youth groups, pro-life organizations, crisis pregnancy centers, and countless pro-life leaders and individuals.

And this effort indeed brings forth a way of life, both wide-ranging and particular in its dimensions. We call our representatives, we walk our streets, we hold our signs and literature. We document our stories, sing songs, read about Abby Johnson, congregate for rallies and parties, and fast and feast. These efforts are consistent with the practices of thousands of other people around the world working for the same objectives, from youth to elderly.

I want to congratulate you for being a part of the solution, of this culture-building effort. We can see real change all around us, and we will continue our witness for the unborn in the lives we lead, and in the world we touch. The life of love is a life of growth, and nothing can stop its ever-changing power.

Hope to see you tomorrow at the party!

Day 38: A Few Bombs

Well, we haven't had any real bombs yet, but there have been a few rather bombastic exchanges related to our vigil, and I will share just a few of them with you today.

During the evening hours, a young angry woman has been seen several times, in a small sports car driving slowly past the vigil site, and spewing obscene and abusive language. On one occasion the lady actually got out and shouted at the vigil keeper, who had approached the car in order to offer her a flyer. The lady eventually got back in her car, closed the door, and drove away.

An elderly man and woman drove by and shouted at the vigil keeper for standing on private property and leaving trash (a 40 Days for Life sign). The vigil keeper watched as the man got out of his car, picked up the sign and yelled at the vigil keeper, and drove away with the sign in his trunk. No word has been received since then of the elderly couple or sign.

One man whose name is Thomas received a flyer during 40 Days for Life outreach and wrote a nasty email in return: "i received one of your flyers in my door today. do NOT ever send me or drop anything by that pertains to your odious organization, ever again. and stop your stupid vigils ... you are the real abortion! stand up for women's rights. i doubt you have any idea what that means."

Well, I could go on and on, but is it any surprise that some people become upset at what we are doing? Respect for human life extends from the fetus to the adult, and when a man favors killing an innocent human being, what person will be sacred from his violence?

Strangely enough though, the converse is also true. Ours is a mission of love focused on the unborn, but encompassing all human persons. People like this young woman, the elderly couple, and Thomas, are all upset about something that, in the end, will benefit them.

Day 37: A Few Good Stories

Well, today's the RSVP date -- come to our Victory Party this Sunday, and bring a friend along to find out just how fun 40 Days for Life can be! We're looking forward to seeing you!

Today we also have an opportunity to share several positive high-lights of our forty-day vigil. As you may know from personal experience, many wonderful conversations and personal interactions happen as a result of our prayerful witness on Duke Street, and it would be impossible to share them all. However, below are four recent examples, showing anew God's ever-present grace and mercy!

A few days ago, one man brought a young girl to Gynecare Associates in a white transport van. He dropped her off and then approached vigil keepers to ask them about their activities. When he learned that Gynecare was an abortion facility, he became very perturbed, and took flyers and information back to the clinic to speak with the girl. Shortly thereafter, the man left with the girl in the van, and gave a cheery wave to vigilers as he drove off. We have this man's contact information, and will follow up to determine the outcome of this situation, but in the meantime let us all keep this girl in our prayers.

Vigil keeper Liam sends in the following report:

I believe the gentleman's name was John. John parked in the lot next to the vigil site and walked over to myself and some other prayer warriors. He wanted to know what we [pro-lifers] would do if all the abortion 'clinics' were closed as this would lead to dangerous back-alley abortions. We spoke to him about this fallacy or red herring if you will, and he proceeded to make the accusation that religion was the root of many of the world's troubles and Pope Pius XII was somehow an ally of Hitler. It became apparent that his relationship with God or lack thereof was the basis for his unrest and probably why he stopped to talk to us. He mentioned how he had been raised Catholic and had seven children. Though most of his comments were shallow and he refused to acknowledge the points we made, the exchange remained civil.

In looking back at the whole encounter, I came to this conclusion: while it appeared John stopped to talk to us about the ominous danger of back alley abortions, God had something else in mind. While I may have said some things differently in response to his accusations, I'm proud that I and the other prayer warriors kept our cool and were able to leave John with a Christian example.

When it became apparent that he was getting nowhere, he left to go back to his car. We wished him well and told him we would be praying for him and his children. As John drove by he gave us a thumbs up. Though this positive gesture was unexpected, it was an affirmation of the importance of a Christ-like witness to those persecute us.

In addition, Mary Ellen sends in the following news which happened just this morning:

I had an opportunity today to let two people know about abortions taking place in the clinics. One woman came from the parking lot to ask if abortions were done there and was very disturbed to learn that they were. She was here for her first appointment with that doctor, for gynecological issues, and she had no idea that he did abortions... She was obviously upset at what her new doctor was doing and... went back to his office... The other person was a man passing by who struck up a conversation about our vigil and was surprised to learn about the clinics. He was very pro-life.

Finally, yesterday evening as I was keeping vigil with a friend, we spoke with Arturio, who told us that he frequently bikes past our vigil and shows his support for life. He told us that his first child was aborted, and that his current girlfriend went for an appointment at Gynecare (not knowing it was an abortion facility), where the receptionist appeared to be a "very young girl," as Arturio put it. He took several flyers to distribute among his friends, and joined us in prayer for a Litany in Response to Abortion, found in our Prayer Book.

As you may know already, incidents like these are frequent when we choose to be present to pray and witness for life at abortion facilities. We must continue to pray for all who are tempted or have been hurt by abortion, and thank God for those who have been saved or healed. Let's remember the children scheduled to die today at Gynecare Associates, and never stop working and praying on behalf of the unborn!

Day 36: Wrapping Things Up

Tomorrow is our requested RSVP deadline for the Victory Dinner Celebration, to be held this Sunday at 1:30 pm at St. Lawrence Church (see Events below for more details). Please help spread the word by inviting all your family and friends who have participated in the campaign, and send your RSVP so we know you are coming! Dick Retta will share stories of babies saved from the DC campaign, and Rebecca Lewis will talk about outreach to the African-American community. Bob and the other musicians will be practicing their guitar, violin, flute, and possibly even harp tonight, so you definitely will want to be there to hear them!

Also, Mary Ellen will be heading up continuing vigil on abortion days on Duke Street: Fridays, Wednesday afternoons, and perhaps Tuesdays and Thursdays. The previous posting on this topic, including the latest abortion schedule, is available here; you can sign up for the vigil at the dinner on Sunday or by emailing Mary Ellen (maryellen.40days@verizon.net).

All signs are due back in the bag or to the team leaders on Sunday unless you plan to use them for continued vigiling or use in the upcoming fall campaign.

For final reports and national updates on the campaign, see the national 40 Days for Life website at www.40daysforlife.com/blog.

A quick note about tomorrow: the US Senate will be voting on whether or not to continue subsidizing Planned Parenthood. Please pray and contact your representatives as able.

Alexandria campaign results this spring are mainly the sort you learn about in heaven, I suppose. We had a few positive stories and good experiences (look for these in tomorrow's report), and particularly this past week several negative and angry ones (see report on those this Friday!). However, for the large numbers of hours covered by our plucky vigil stars and the thousands of flyers distributed all over the city (come to Dinner on Sunday for final statistics!), we will never learn the destination of all those papers and prayers. One thing is for sure: our prayers and good efforts are never wasted, and in His good time, God will yield the benefit. It is all for His glory anyway, and for the good of His children!

Day 35: A Pro-Life Movement

In our 40 Days for Life Prayer and Hymn booklet, we frequently pray for pro-life leaders, and members of 'the pro-life movement.'

What is 'the pro-life movement,' may we ask? Well, it is obviously a common interest for the safeguarding of all human life, but in addition to that, let us remember it must be a MOVEMENT. Movement implies action, availability, assurance that the job will get done.

In other words, a pro-lifer who does nothing to stop abortion or even pray about it can hardly be viewed as a member of the pro-life movement. For me this is a good opportunity for self-reflection, and to ask myself the question, "How do my choices and actions each day mark me in regards to the pro-life movement: do I help the cause or do I merely talk about it?"

We can also ponder the meaning of the term "apathy," which is defined as "absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement," or in other words, a lack of movement. Perhaps we could say that apathy is the killer of movement. Some people might say our modern generation is distinguished by its great apathy. If this is true, it is one of the prime reasons why our problems have not gone away as they should.

To bring in another theme from our prayer book, "Silence always helps the oppressor, never the oppressed." Are we really speaking up and acting for life as we should? In these last few days of our 40 Days for Life vigil, let us unflaggingly advance to the finish line, and persevere in our pro-life efforts, no matter how difficult or inconvenient they may seem.

Thanks to Matt, we have another photo to share: three of our vigil keepers, Matt, Paul, and Zach, with a hand-made sign to boot!

A Few Pictures From the Vigil

The following pictures were sent in by Jonathan, and show a few of our star vigil keepers!



Please remember to send pictures and stories to Jacinta at jacinta.40days@gmail.com for inclusion in our daily reports. Thank you for your participation!

Request to Vigil Keepers Who Have Signs

The following is a request to all who have signs for use at the prayer vigil:

If you are not planning to use your vigil signs after your last hour at the vigil this spring, please return them to the vigil bag site or bring them to the Victory Celebration on Sunday April 17th, so that they will be available for the next 40 Days for Life campaign in the fall. You may also make arrangements for one of us to pick them up.

However, if you are planning to take part in our continuing vigil between campaigns, please keep your signs, and help yourself to more, in order to share them with others who may join you there.

A very big THANKS to all who have participated in the vigil this spring!

Day 34: For Those Who Feel Led to Continue...

Even though our 40 Days for Life campaign ends officially this coming Sunday, April 17th (see below for details about our Victory Celebration Dinner), sadly, abortions will continue to take place at the Duke Street clinics.

We would like to continue our prayer vigil at the Duke Street location during the hours when abortions are performed. Please consider prayerfully taking part in this effort to save babies' lives and help women make a choice they will not regret.

We have learned the following schedules for the two abortion facilities:

Gynecare Associates, 2807 Duke Street

Operating Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Out to lunch from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Abortion Days: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Annandale Women and Family Center, 2839 Duke Street

Operating Hours: Varies

Abortion Days and Times:
Wednesday at lunch time (abortion pill, local, or general anesthesia)

Friday at 8:30 a.m. (general anesthesia, possibly local anesthesia as well)

Also, the pill abortion is a two-step procedure, so after starting the process on Wednesday, a woman would return for the final step on Friday. (Note: there is no guarantee that the baby will die after the first step; thus, it's important to counsel against the second step even if the first has already been completed.)

Therefore we will continue the vigil at 8 a.m. on Fridays, and if we have enough people, we will try to cover other days as well.

To sign up for the continuing vigil, look for signup sheets at the Victory Dinner on Sunday, or contact Mary Ellen McElfresh at 703-780-2922 or MaryEllen.40days@verizon.net.

Day 33: Happy Sunday!

A blessed Sunday to you and your family!

We are now one week away from Day 40! -- and I hope you are planning to join us for our concluding victory banquet next Sunday (for more details see upcoming events below)!

If you haven't done this already, please help us spread the word about our concluding event by inviting everyone you know who's been a part of this campaign in Alexandria, Fairfax, or Washington, DC -- and might not be on our email list or know it is taking place! This is our way of thanking you for all your support -- and we want all of you if possible to be there!

We have a tasty dinner planned, at least two speakers, door raffle, music, pro-life tables, and lots of time for visiting and socializing with fellow pro-lifers. It's looking to be a great party, and we're really looking forward to seeing you!

To RSVP (if you haven't already), visit our Facebook event page, or email Sara Dina at jandsdina@cox.net.

Day 32: Respect Life - A Good Cause

It's Saturday, and we all like to work on our cars, yards and houses, but today some of us are busy putting flyers on doormats and praying at the vigil! Well, for all you wild and wonderful prayer warriors and paper boys out there, fellow vigil keeper Jack shares this light-hearted anecdote:

On my way home from Stations of the Cross two weeks ago, I had an unfortunate fire occur in my vintage VW. The car was totaled.

Yesterday, I was standing at the counter at the DMV surrendering the license plates to remove the car from the DMV roster.

The lady who was working the transaction for me was joined by another lady who needed information.

The second lady took a look at the plates and said, "I've never seen these before."

Lady #1: "Oh yeah, aren't they nice?"

Lady #2: " Well, I'm just going to have to get me a set when I register my car."

Lady #1 agrees.

They were the yellow Respect Life plates that I bought two years ago when VA first made them available.

So to mitigate the pain of losing the 1971 vehicle that was my pride and joy, I'll take satisfaction in knowing that it gave its soul for a good cause.

Also, we have good news regarding the prayer intention from yesterday. Lenny's baby was born a healthy 5 lbs. and last news they were waiting to finish all the procedures with the mother. So please continue your prayers for Mom Lenny, and let's praise God for the healthy birth of her baby!

Day 31: Lenny

Well, we're almost a week away from the finish line, and I hope you received your invitation to our victory dinner (see below if you haven't!). Also, here's the CBN news report from the Manassas vigil: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1947.

We have received news of a woman in grave danger due to a life-threatening pregnancy. Please keep in your prayers the following prayer intention:

The woman's name is Lenny... Lenny had a baby less than a year ago by C-section and became pregnant again right away. The pregnancy was not healthy... Doctors told her she had to have an abortion or she would die. She refused. They did an MRI at 22 weeks and cared for her as best they could... They will do another MRI on Friday and operate to do some surgery Monday to try and save her life and deliver the baby which is mature enough to live if they can get the baby out without harm.

Claire has been delivering babies for about 14 years and has never seen anything remotely like this, or any surgery ever so complicated. None of the physicians have either. The best medical team in Portland will be there Monday...

Lenny has been in the hospital for three months. Today the two women shared their faith and prayed. Lenny was crying and said she just wants to live to care for her babies.

Her husband is terrified.

Please keep this courageous faithful woman and her family in your prayers. She said she would like to be on prayer lists, so please also forward this message.

Day 30: Come to our Victory Dinner!

You are hereby invited to our

40 Days for Life Victory Dinner

to be held on
Sunday, April 17, 2011

at St. Lawrence Church
6222 Franconia Rd, 22310

beginning at
1:30pm

The favor of a reply is requested by April 14
RSVP: Facebook or jandsdina@cox.net

Day 29: Contact Governor McDonnell

Please take a minute today to call Governor McDonnell, and ask your friends to do the same.

As I understand it, our state government is about to adopt regulations that would compel adoption agencies to place children for adoption or foster care with homosexual couples or individuals...

... and according to Delegate Bob Marshall, "Governor McDonnell can still weigh in on the... regulations and propose an amendment, but he only has 15 days from April 1 to act."

I just placed my call myself, and it was very simple.

In case you are wondering, the regulations in question read as follows:

The licensee shall prohibit acts of discrimination based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, or family status to:
1. Delay or deny a child’s placement; or
2. Deny an individual the opportunity to apply to become a foster or adoptive parent.

The legality of such a regulation is in question since the General Assembly has repeatedly rejected laws making “sexual orientation” a “protected class.” However, Delegate Marshall comments,

These regulations would not only constitute an endorsement of “parenting” by same-sex couples, but they would also force church-based adoption agencies to either violate their sincerely-held religious beliefs or withdraw altogether from the ministry of adoption services (emphasis added).

In addition, Virginia state law reads, "The Governor may recommend amendments or modifications to any regulation that would bring that regulation into conformity with statutory authority or state or federal laws, regulations or judicial decisions."

Homosexual 'parenting' strikes at the very heart of the family and what 40 Days for Life is all about. Please pick up your telephone, and make a quick call to Governor McDonnell's office today encouraging him to weigh in on this decision, and amend the regulations to remove "sexual orientation" as a protected class, before it is too late!

Governor McDonnell's office: (804) 786-2211

Re: Vote on Health Exchange Bill

Also, please contact state legislators to oppose Governor McDonnell's amendment to the health exchange bill which is to be voted on today! Below is a suggested letter. (Please see list of members of House of Delegates and Senators at end of this email, which you can cut and paste to send to all legislators at one time.)

Re. Anti-Planned Parenthood Rally April 7

Thirdly (lots going on these days!), there will be an anti-Planned Parenthood rally early tomorrow morning in DC, combining an all-day GAP display with a 7:30-9:30 early morning outreach to 'Hill rats.' Note: this is not a 40 Days for Life activity. If you are interested in attending, please read the letters from Jack Ames, Dick Retta, and Missy Smith which follow.

Day 28: Thanks for Your Help!

Yesterday I wrote to ask you for help with our prayer vigil, as many time slots were still empty.

Well, thanks to our wonderful volunteers, it now looks like the vigil schedule is beginning to fill up nicely for our last few days, and we now only have -- at last count -- only 38 empty hours remaining on our calendar! Praise God!

I have listed the remaining hours needed over the next few days below. If you can spare some time to pray for the unborn as we wind up our campaign it would be much appreciated!

Despite wind, clouds and rain, spring is still here, and I am including a picture from yesterday's vigil to prove it! The picture shows vigil keepers Mary Beth and Claire, as well as members of St. Joseph church, with whom I was blessed to pray later in the evening. Doesn't that spring cheer just warm your heart!

This photo comes with the following comments from Marie:

While Mary Beth and I were at the vigil yesterday for about an hour, 10 people altogether passed through to stand vigil, including us. It was so encouraging... to see new faces and hear about their dedication to Life!... By the way, we think the abortionist drove by while maybe 6 of us were there... We prayed for him!

Yes, it was a beautiful spring day, and to pray with fellow believers is always an uplifting experience!

Day 27: Our Final 2 Weeks

253 babies saved so far through 40 Days for Life this spring -- thank you, God!

And thank you all for your prayers, as I'm sure they made a difference for these children!

Less than two weeks left to go, and alas, our vigil schedule still has many holes in it. Will you consider signing up for a few hours between now and the end of our campaign?

Twice this weekend I passed the vigil site...

...in the course of a long Saturday of door-dropping...

...only to see there was no one praying.

Let's step up the pace, team!

Click here to view the schedule or see hours needed below.

Since it's not fair asking people to do what you won't do yourself, I am making a personal commitment to two hours at the vigil site each day from now until Day 40.

Also, we have only two more Saturdays for our door-to-door efforts -- will you consider coming out for at least an hour to help us distribute flyers this weekend?

Door-to-door outreach is one of the most exciting parts of the campaign, but for some reason has the least participation. So I offer tremendous thanks to all the plucky souls who have assisted thus far!

I'm planning to walk all day on the final Saturday of our campaign - April 16. I'd love to have some friends join me -- any chance you can be there?

Just imagine what our city could be like if each person had the opportunity to learn the truth about abortion. Your time will not be wasted, I can guarantee that!

To help out with the outreach faction, email Paul.

Finally, I'm excited to tell you we finally have a location for our concluding celebration dinner, which will be a combined event including the Fairfax and Washington DC campaign teams. The festivities will take place at

• St. Lawrence Church (6222 Franconia Rd, 22310) on
• Sunday, April 17, beginning at
• 1:30pm

Mark your calendars now to attend!

We are working on some great entertainment, food, and speakers for your edification, but we could use some help with cooks, music, and miscellaneous tasks for the afternoon. If you or a friend can help out with that, let me know at jacinta.40days@gmail.com. Also if you know or work with a pro-life group that would like to present information to folks attending, feel free to let me know about that, too. Thanks!

Below are a few pictures, from two visiting vigilers from Fairfax: Jonathan and his friend Dave. Feel free to send pictures and your experiences for inclusion in our daily reports. We all need the encouragement!

Day 24: The Importance of Prayer and Fasting

Today is Friday: we remember Our Lord's death on the cross and the sacrifices He made so that we might live. In our vigiling and outreach we also sacrifice for life, which can be difficult at times, almost impossible. However, Peter Chrysologus, a 5th century Christian leader, notes how prayer, fasting, and mercy are inseparable from each other, if we are hoping our petitions will be heard and answered by God:

Prayer knocks at the door. Fasting obtains. Mercy receives... These three are one and they give life to each other... Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated. If you have only one of them or not all together, you have nothing.

So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God's ear to yourself...

...Let us use fasting to make up what we have lost by despising others... There is nothing more pleasing that we can offer to God, as the psalmist said in prophecy: A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God does not despise a bruised and humbled heart...

...Fasting bears no fruit unless it is watered by mercy... However much you may cultivate your heart, clear the soul of your nature, root out vices, sow virtues, if you do not release the springs of mercy, your fasting will bear no fruit.

When you fast, if your mercy is thin your harvest will be thin; when you fast, what you pour out in mercy overflows into your barn. Therefore, do not lose by saving, but gather in by scattering. Give to the poor, and you give to yourself. You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others.

So let's make our fasting generous, and our mercy rich in compassion for the little ones among us. We only have about two weeks left in our campaign, and they will be quickly spent. Let's make this a time of scattering, of giving, and of mercy, and in time we will surely reap abundant harvest!

Our Halfway Rally Yesterday

We had a very good halfway rally yesterday evening, with around 15-20 people participating. The rain held off until the event was concluded, and the vigil site was quiet and reflective, with grey skies overshadowing the proceedings. The clouds, however, did not dampen the spirits of participants, who shared stories and reflections about vigil experiences, sang hymns, and prayed together.

Special thanks to Fr. Michael Kelly of St. Mary Church, who provided spiritual leadership, and to Bob and Susan, vigil keepers who provided leadership for the music.

A Note From the Outreach Coordinator

Paul Spicer sends the latest from the door-to-door front and invites you to participate!