40 Days for Life launches Ash Wednesday

posted on February 8, 2010

Toronto one of six Canadian cities taking part

BY SHEILA DABU
The Catholic Register

This year’s 40 Days for Life campaign of prayer, fasting, community
outreach and peaceful vigil kicks off on Feb. 17, Ash Wednesday, in
162 cities across Canada, the United States, Australia and Northern
Ireland.

Toronto will be one of six participating Canadian cities for the pro-
life campaign, running to March 28. Participants will gather at the
intersection of Dufferin Street and Lawrence Avenue West near the
Women’s Care Clinic to pray for an end to abortion, said Nicole
Campbell, national director for 40 Days for Life. Other vigils will
take place in Montreal, Guelph, Ont., Edmonton, Red Deer, Alta., and
Kelowna, B.C.

The vigil will begin daily at 7 a.m. and end at 9 p.m.

On March 8 Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins will celebrate Mass at St. Charles Borromeo Church.

Campbell said this year’s campaign is also reaching out to other faith groups. Letters have been sent to all denominations in Toronto urging participation.

“It’s not a protest. It’s a prayer vigil. It’s a safe place for people to come out and pray," she said.

Over the years, the prayer campaign has produced results. Campbell
said women have turned around and not entered the abortion clinic
where the participants gathered “because they see us pray."

“It’s an outreach to women, hoping they’ll change their minds. We want to be Christ to all people," she said.

According to Statistics Canada, there were 96,815 induced abortions
performed in Canada in 2005, down 3.2 per cent from 100,039 in 2004.

See www.40daysforlife.com or call (416) 204-9749.

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