Toledo Area 40 Days for Life - Day 41...

Last night, I received the following wrap-up email from the Toledo area 40 Days for Life campaign:

Recapping the final hour for those of you who couldn't be with us yesterday [Sunday]:

40 Days for Life ended yesterday with a beautiful hour of prayer led by Fr. Monte Hoyles outside the Center for Choice. While we've been standing on the sidewalk in front of the abortion center throughout these past 40 days, we stood in the parking lot across the alley from the center and faced the windows of the rooms where the abortions are performed each week. As Father led us in the rosary, preceding each mystery with a pro-life meditation, people would arrive quietly and join in prayer. When we began the Divine Mercy Chaplet shortly after 3pm, Father dropped to his knees and most of the 65 participants followed his example. It was such a blessing to behold! Just when it seemed it couldn't get any better, Fr. Hoyles gave us a brief yet inspiring send-off--telling us that the victory has already been won by Jesus Christ our Lord but that we have to continue fighting this evil with prayer. After his blessing, we headed off to the Rosary Cathedral gym where we shared food--sweets galore!--and friendship!

Our blessings throughout these 40 days have been numerous: over 300 people prayed at the Center for Choice and an unknown multitude were in "off-site" prayer support; at least 3 women chose life over abortion; many people came to know that there is an abortion center in their own midst--some who lived or drove by that building for many years and didn't even realize it; friendships were formed; post-abortive men and women were able to talk to someone who cared; the list goes on...

Now...where do we go from here?? Prayer, of course! Let's all take these next 40 days and just give thanks to Our Lord for all the answered prayers, the blessings, the sufferings, everything! We don't and won't always know what fruits came from the 40 Days for Life but we know that all good comes from God and so let's just thank Him--for what He did and what He is going to do and for being so kind as to allow us to help Him!

If you're anything like me, you might have found that you have some extra time now because of making room for all those hours at the Center for Choice. Please take at least one hour and spend it at an Adoration chapel--I'm sure there are substitutes needed for hours and it would be a great way to help out. Then, consider coming to the abortion center to pray on a regular basis. To one person, that might mean once a week, to another, once a month... If you want to let me know what would work out for you so that I can loosely coordinate a schedule, that would be great! This would enable those who don't want to go alone to find that someone else will be there. Please feel free to continue contacting me! There will be no vigil supply box to worry about (or for the chairs or extra rosaries, etc.) but it would be so nice to keep this momentum going in a casual sort of way.

If you weren't able to physically join us during the 40 Days, Helpers of God's Precious Infants will still be there praying each week! We don't have a set schedule yet, but we're generally there on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings and hope to add in Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If we know others will be there, too, we'll be sure to get a little firmer with our own hours! (By the way, a training/informational meeting for Helpers will take place on Monday 11/19 at 6:30pm at St. Pat's Heatherdowns. Sign up for this, too!)

Finally, THANK YOU!! Each and every one of you--for your prayers, time, help, encouragement, fasting...!! We couldn't have done 40 Days for Life without YOU!!

All for Him!