CATHOLIC SUN ARCHIVED PHOTO

Hundreds of pro-life advocates carried signs and prayed aloud during a Jan. 20, 2008 march and rally at the state Capitol. The event marked the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion

40 Days for Life fall campaign
gears up for prayerful presence

Organizers of the 40 Days for Life prayer campaign say they will hold 12-hour vigils outside two local abortion clinics Sept. 22-Oct. 31.

Both locations -- one in Chandler, the other in Glendale -- are Planned Parenthood clinics. Planned Parenthood is the single largest provider of abortion in the United States.

“This vigil is a prayerful witness to the clients and employees of the abortion center, and to the entire community, that evil is in our midst and that -- with God’s help -- it will be defeated,” said Debbi Gambert, one of the organizers, in an e-mail sent out to prospective participants.

Since 2007, when the U.S.-based 40 Days for Life campaign began, 35 abortion clinic workers have quit their jobs, six abortion facilities have closed and hundreds of women have decided against abortion.