Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of 40 Days for Life's peaceful vigils

Friday, Feb. 19, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY — Prayer and fasting, community outreach and peaceful vigils are what individuals in the 40 Days for Life in Utah and internationally have pledged to do to get their pro-life message out and to put an end to abortion. 

The pro-life group began praying outside of Planned Parenthood on 160 South 1000 East in Salt Lake City on Ash Wednesday and will continue through March 20. 

What started with one hour of prayer in 2007 has grown across America and into a worldwide movement with 675,000 volunteers in 607 cities across 32 nations, protecting mothers and children. Because of the movement, 11,165 babies have been saved from abortion, there have been 127 abortion worker conversions to pro-life and 66 abortion centers have closed, according to the 40 Days for Life website. 

The Salt Lake City 40 Days for Life group consists of Catholics from Kaysville to Provo as well as members from the Church from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and evangelical churches. 

On Feb. 9 the Salt Lake group held a kick off to get all those participating in the peaceful vigils together to sign up to pray outside of Planned Parenthood and to meet newcomers to the campaign. 

“Sometimes when we pray in front of Planned Parenthood on our individual shifts, there might be only one or two people praying at a time, and we don’t see the other participants because we all come at different times,” said Jeana Jones, Salt Lake 40 Days for Life volunteer coordinator. “The kickoff was a good way to show the new people the site where we pray, answer questions and pray and sing together.” 

The Salt Lake group has already met one of its goals by having people sign up for at least one hour to pray in front of Planned Parenthood on all 40 days of the campaign, said Jones, but volunteers are still being accepted.

“We would prefer having more than one person praying at a time,” Jones said.

The purpose of 40 Days for Life is to pray for mothers and fathers and their unborn children. 

“We have a presence, and then God does whatever he is going to do with each situation,” said Jones. “We are there to be a spiritual family to the children inside who are losing their lives. We also pray for the abortion workers; we want to be able to love them and pray that God will work in their lives.” 

Maricela Flores is the Spanish volunteer coordinator for the Salt Lake 40 Days for Life. Two years ago she passed out Respect Life pamphlets in front of Planned Parenthood from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. 

“I approached a girl and asked her in Spanish if she wanted a pamphlet, and then saw her reading it in her car; I thought she would throw it away,” said Flores. “A year and a half later I gave an announcement about 40 Days for Life at St. Francis Xavier Parish and I was feeling down, thinking no one listens or cares. But following that announcement, the same girl I had given a pamphlet to approached me with a 6-month-old baby in her arms; she thanked me for the pamphlet. ‘It changed my mind about this little one,’ the girl said. To this day it gives me chills. That makes it worth it.”    

“We aren’t here to argue with people; we are just here to pray for an end to abortion and to have a presence,” said Jones. “God works in ways that we can’t see.”

The vigil hours are from 6 a.m. to midnight daily until March 20.

To volunteer or for information, contact Dominic and Jeana Jones at 801-582-1198 or jonesd@xmission.com or visit 40daysforlife.com/saltlakecity.