CHARLESTON — 40 Days for Life, an around the clock pro-life prayer vigil, will begin its spring campaign Feb. 25 through April 5 at the Charleston Women’s Medical Center, located at 1312 Ashley River Road.
A “Cast the Vision” rally will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 18 at Immaculate Conception Church, 510 St. James Ave., in Goose Creek. Child care will be provided.
The campaign dates of Feb. 25 through April 5 coincide with Lent this year.
According to their Web site, 40 Days for Life is 40 days of prayer for an end to abortion, 40 days of constant vigil outside abortion centers and Planned Parenthood offices, and 40 days of active pro-life outreach.
The site listed three major components to the campaign:
Prayer and fasting: Christ told us that some demons can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. The two go hand in hand. Prayer keeps us rooted in the fact that it is our desire to carry out God’s will. Fasting is a sacrifice that helps us reach beyond our own limitations with God’s help. Fasting is a form of physical prayer. You can abstain from fast food, TV, alcohol or anything that separates you from God.
Constant vigil: The most visible component of 40 Days for Life is a constant prayer vigil outside a place where children are aborted. It is hoped that the vigil is maintained 24 hours a day, seven days a week in a prayerful witness. The vigil shows the clinic’s patients, employees and the community that evil is in our midst and that with God’s help, it will be defeated.
Community outreach: The pro-life message is proactively taken to the community through focused educational efforts. People are given the opportunity to show their support for 40 Days for Life through door-to-door petitions or informational flyers that raise awareness about abortion. The outreach can include church involvement, media contact and campus outreach.
For more information visit www.40daysforlife.com. To volunteer, contact your parish Right to Life coordinator or George Barber at (843) 797-1131 or georgebarber14@bellsouth.net.