40 Days for Life

MORRISTOWN  For 40 days starting on Sept. 23 and commencing on Nov. 1, pro-life advocates throughout the world are invited to participate in the 40 Days for Life campaign to pray and be an important witness for the protection of babies in the womb at the locations where they are being aborted.

In the Paterson Diocese, there will be a vigil outside of Planned Parenthood at 196 Speedwell Avenue here. The Morris County Right to Life coordinates it.

“This is an important time in our pro-life movement,” said Frances Spilman, a member of Morris County Right to Life and parishioner of St. Bernard Church in Mount Hope. “We want to change the hearts and minds of people so that the very idea of abortion is unthinkable.”

Those who are interested are asked to sign up for an hour during the hours of operation. The vigil will be socially distanced safely and participants are asked to wear masks. Because of social distancing, advocates can also participate at home and pray for an hour. Outside of Planned Parenthood, one to three people will gather at a time during the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to pray. Most often, the rosary is also prayed during the vigils.

“We quietly gather outside of Planned Parenthood or in our homes and pray. If we pray in public we have signs such as ‘Pray to End Abortion’ or ‘Choose Life,’” Spilman said.

To sign up, participants can log into the 40 Days for Life website, which shows a calendar that allows participants to see the available times and to choose the specific time and date they would like to participate. Many from around the Diocese are expected to attend, including priests and religious sisters.

Spilman especially encourages parents with children to attend the prayer vigils. “Now is the time,” according to Spilman, “to educate our young about the importance of being pro-life.” She added, “As my nine-year old nephew remarked, ‘Each of us is unique. The DNA that makes us will never be seen again and we should protect it.’ The best way to do this is through education and prayer. We educate people when we carry pro-life signs but also through our acts of prayer. Just a simple, ‘Oh, have to go now, I promised to pray for an hour at home for unborn babies’ may influence others.”

40 Days for Life is held in the fall to coincide with the observance of Respect Life Month, which takes place in October, and during the season of Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday. This year during Lent, the campaign was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in its early days.

An important aspect in past vigils is educating women or providing support as some walk into the clinics. Many times, they are afraid or forced to go into the clinic according to those who have participated in the past. Often participants would share resources about First Choice in Morristown, Birthright of Dover, Good Counsel Homes and Several Sources. Last spring, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launched “Walking with Moms in Need,” a year of service where Catholic parishes and communities “walk in the shoes” of local pregnant and parenting women in need. Information on the program is available at walkingwithmoms.com.

Life Chain Sunday will also take place outside clinics throughout the U.S. and Canada in honor of the millions of unborn babies whose lives have been lost to abortion. In the Diocese, it will take place on Sunday, Oct. 4 down Speedwell Avenue in Morristown from 2-3:30 p.m. The National Life Chain will also take place on Sunday, Nov. 1, All Saints Day.

“Prayer, we all know how important it can be — the battle of Lepanto and the fall of Communism are just two instances of the power of the rosary,” said Spilman. “We will never know how many hearts are changed through our offerings at Mass or our recitation of the rosary or the chaplet of Divine Mercy or even our sufferings. But quiet persistence and peaceful prayer will convert hearts.”