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Since 1973, when the Supreme Court legalized abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, an estimated 50 million unborn children have lost their lives in America.

Local pro-life advocates are using means other than court decisions to stem the tide. When all else fails, they reason, pray.

"Even if Roe v. Wade is overturned, [decision-making] will shift to the states," said Viviane Strain, a parishioner at Immaculate Conception Church in Glenville. "But there is reason to have great hope. It is a campaign called '40 Days for Life.'"

Mrs. Strain is director of the 40 Days for Life campaign that began on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, and continues until Palm Sunday, March 28, outside Planned Parenthood in Schenectady.

Another campaign was scheduled for outside Planned Par-enthood's office in Albany. Both are organized through the Ave Maria Pro-Life Network, which includes members from a dozen parishes in Albany, Schenectady and Saratoga Counties, Knights of Columbus and others.

Peaceful voices
The ecumenical, national campaign began in Texas in 2004 and has since organized five events that included all 50 states, several Canadian provinces and other countries. Participants rely on prayer, fasting and presence at abortion clinics to end abortion. Through their presence, they also bear witness to clinic employees and the community at large.

Participants must sign a statement agreeing to maintain peaceful standards of behavior, including non-confrontational actions and no screaming or hateful messages, Mrs. Strain said.

"No 'abortion kills' signs," she explained. "Even with clinic employees, we must present a message of peace and loving kindness."

Ecumenical effort
"Many members of different churches - mostly Catholic and some Protestant and Evangelical - will be participating, as well as Knights of Columbus members and other respect life organizations," said Mrs. Strain. "Pastors and ministers are asked to encourage their flocks to participate. There will also be all different kinds of prayer and song at the vigils."

At the Schenectady event, Mrs. Strain said that about 20 people had already participated in the first six hours.

Glenn Smith, a Schenectady participant who attends Holy Family parish in Albany, said the national campaign was scheduled to take place in 140 cities during Lent. In an email message, he recalled that Pope John Paul II, in his document "Evangelium Vitae" ("The Gospel of Life"), called for prayer and fasting to end abortion.

Vigil coordinator Joann Buff hopes to have at least three people praying from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day during the campaign.

"It does not matter how you pray," she told The Evangelist, noting that some participants sing hymns or read the Bible. "Your presence gives witness. Just by standing there you can stop a woman from having an abortion. Women have told us that."

"We are not relying on our own strength to do this. We just pray," said Elaine Carrubba, who's coordinating Protestant and Evangelical participants. "This is a way for all churches and all denominations to gather in one place. God will richly bless this effort."

On the website www.40days forlife.com, participants claim to have prevented the abortion of more than 2,000 children "that we know of," as well as having prompted clinic workers to quit their jobs or curtail operations.

The significance of a vigil lasting 40 days is scripturally-based: Jesus spent 40 days in the desert; Noah outlasted a 40-day flood.

"Pro-life work is the great sanctifier," commented Dan O'Con-nor of St. Mary's parish in Albany, community outreach coordinator for the campaign. "You will grow closer to God."

Mr. O'Connor encouraged potential participants: "Stop thinking of pro-life as a vague cause. Think of actual women who need your presence. It is our duty not to change the law, but to love our neighbors as ourselves."

From the perspective of Kyle Moffett, a Catholic student at Union College in Schenectady, "one-third of my college class is missing because of abortion. This moment is our chance to keep the promise of life alive. Stand up as one people and say that 37 years is enough."

(Chris Ringwald added to this story.)

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