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After deeming the "40 Days for Life" national campaign during Lent a success, teams of volunteers from Albany and Schenectady are participating again in an autumn campaign of prayer, fasting and public witness to end abortion.

Local organizers are encouraging laity and clergy, both Catholic and Protestant, to join in a peaceful approach to protecting the unborn. The effort runs from Sept. 22-Oct. 31.

"Everyone has busy schedules, and to get out of our comfort zone requires an effort," said Viviane Strain, Schenectady campaign director and a parishioner at Immaculate Conception Church in Glenville. "But we have to decide this has to be done like everything else we have to do."

About 150 people in her area participated in the last campaign, spearheaded by the Ave Maria Pro-life Network, by holding signs, praying, distributing literature and speaking to passersby outside of Planned Parenthood in Schenectady.

The 40 Days for Life campaign does not promote shouting or displaying graphic signs.

"People don't see us as a threat without the signs that say 'murder' and 'kill,'" explained Maureen Silfer, event coordinator and a parishioner at St. Mary's Church in Ballston Spa. "It disarms people to see beautiful babies on posters. They are open to conversations."

The ecumenical national campaign began in Texas in 2004 and has since organized six such events in the U.S., Canada, Australia, England, Northern Ireland and Denmark.

The "40 Days" title refers to the 40-day period of transformation often used in the Bible: For example, Noah persevered through a 40-day flood; Jesus spent 40 days in the desert.

Several local clergy, women religious and religious organizations took part in the last campaign. Organizers hope more will join this fall.

"Priests are the shepherds, the leaders," Mrs. Silfer explained. "It is a visible witness."

Mrs. Strain added: "More priests are now aware of how peaceful and loving our campaign is."

Mrs. Silfer hopes that her outreach to Protestant churches will also result in more participation from those congregations in the fall.

Mimi Brown, director of the Albany 40 Days for Life effort, is a nurse. She has been recruiting fellow hospital workers to be public witnesses during the campaign and in their work.

"Life is precious - adult life and fetal life," she said, noting that 50 people from her area participated in the campaign during Lent.

In the upcoming effort, volunteers will stand at Albany's Planned Parenthood from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Ms. Brown foresees the campaign as "bigger, better, more moving than last time," when volunteers "offered prayers of hope to them as single mothers - spiritual support - and we directed them to local agencies."

In Oneonta, last year's 40 Days for Life campaign sparked the formation of the Central New York Coalition for Life to provide "a greater pro-life presence in this area," according to Jean Naples, a member of the organization.

"We are facing off with the culture of death," she said, since abortion and embryonic stem cell research are threats to life at its beginning stages and euthanasia is making news. "We can't say, 'It doesn't affect me,' anymore."

(09/23/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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