BRIDGEPORT—Twenty-five hundred lives have been saved, 263 abortion workers have been converted and 155 abortion centers have closed. Over one million people have volunteered for life in over 60 countries. These statistics, reflecting progress in the pro-life movement over the past 17 years, show that the efforts of 40 Days for Life are making a difference.
The organization’s fall campaign launched on Wednesday, September 25 with a dozen volunteers, mainly from St. Theresa Parish in Trumbull and Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Fairfield, standing vigil on the sidewalk near the Planned Parenthood facility at 4697 Main St. in Bridgeport. Holding signs and praying the Rosary, the group gathered for about an hour, maintaining a peaceful, positive presence.
According to Barbara Grabowski, leader of the Bridgeport campaign, these 40 days, from September 25 through November 3, are a period of prayer and fasting to end abortion, a movement that began in Texas over 25 years ago.
“We keep a focus on the Lord with vigils that are peaceful and educational,” she said. “We offer women hope and alternatives to abortion.”
Though they strive for a continuous presence from 7 am until 7 pm, people’s schedules don’t always allow for such a commitment. Any time that one can give is appreciated and can save a life, Grabowski added.
Along with St. Theresa, whose volunteers host a regular presence on Wednesday afternoons, other parishes involved include those in Shelton, St. Jude in Monroe, St. James and Our Lady of Peace in Stratford, and St. Rose of Lima in Newtown. While their vigils are consistently at the Main Street location, a group in Stamford also gathers regularly during the campaign, the only other location within the diocese.
Grabowski, who has been active in Bridgeport for the past five years, said people often stop on the sidewalk and encourage them to keep praying.
“I know there have been at least two saves because of our presence. If someone is confused, they see our positive affirmation,” she said.
That positivity comes from the joy and hope of saving lives and offering women alternatives. To those who inquire, volunteers distribute literature with names of shelters and safe houses for mothers and babies, including Malta House, Hope Line, Project Rachel, and Ruth’s House. Grabowski said that if someone asks, “we hand them a postcard. There are no lengthy discussions.”
Volunteer Sheelah Brown of St. Theresa’s has been praying at such vigils for years.
“I want to be a witness for life,” she said. “We’d like the women to think about adoption, not abortion. There are so many children who could be adopted.”
For Paul Gifford and his wife Irene of Our Lady of the Assumption, it’s about visibility.
“I’m a pro-lifer,” he said. “It’s important for us to be here and to make our statements public. I wish there were 100 of us out here.”
Those who were sent a powerful message of life, of love and of options for women who may be unsure.
“There is hate too,” Grabowski said, “but that’s our badge of honor. The babies have no voice. They’re innocent so we are their voice. We come for the babies. The babies and their mothers.”
40 Days for Life continues through November 3. For more information or to learn about volunteering for the Bridgeport campaign, visit www.40daysforlife.com/en/Bridgeport
By Emily Clark