40 Days for Life Pro Life Rally in San Antonio

San Antonio -- Here in this parking lot of the Cocina Mexicana Restaurant, over 50 people have met with one purpose in mind: The 40 Days For Life Campaign. It is a campaign that has gone national and San Antonio has not been left out. Amy Voorhees, the head coordinator for San Antonio's 40 Days For Life, has been hard at work since early August organizing the group, holding meetings, getting signs made and staying at home with four boys! She was part of the very first 40 Days For Life campaign in College Station, TX three years ago. This year there are over 90 communities in over 30 states participating simultaneously from September 26^th through November 4^th.

But, Amy is definitely not alone. With the help of others they have managed to put together a close to 24 hour constant vigil in front of the Planned Parenthood at 104 Babcock. Talking about the goals of this campaign in San Antonio, Amy stated it was here "to raise awareness of the Pro Life cause in San Antonio and the true nature of Planned Parenthood."

The kick off rally began at 7pm and lasted well past 9pm with Father Will Combs speaking about the abomination of abortion and the love of Christ and the crowd responding with clapping and Amen being shouted all around. There was an opening and closing prayer with the first verse of Amazing Grace being sung by all in attendance.

For Father Will Combs, a parochial vicar at St. Mary Magdalene, this was his first year being involved with the 40 Days For Life, though he had been involved in Pro Life masses, praying in front of Planned Parenthood and more. Father Combs says the role of Christians in the fight for life has to do with witnessing and praying for life and for souls because "worse than losing your life is losing your soul through sin." Churches have a role by educating their congregation and praying for the babies, women, relatives and workers in the abortion facilities. Churches, according to Father Will Combs, should also "provide homes and hearts for all."

A Pro Life advocate, Janie Lopez, was there for the first time with the campaign as well. She has been involved in Life Chain and feels that Catholics need to be holding "rallies and let people know abortion is wrong. God gives life and only He should take it away."

These people all feel that abortion affects our society by creating a "culture of death" and "affects especially our young generation by us allowing them to have abortions. We are sending them the wrong signal in saying its ok to kill." Some Christians feel that prayer in public is wrong since the Bible does say we should go and pray alone in our room with our door closed - praying in secret. But, as Janie points out, Jesus prayed (Matthew 19:13-15) and performed miracles in public.

This campaign is Biblical, loving, compassionate and Christ centered. The over fifty of us that were out there were out there to save lives, not condemn them; to reach out a hand, not hinder the love of Christ. We are united and for forty days we intend to show you just how united we are. Please join us in our efforts to show the city of San Antonio just how much abortion is no longer wanted in our city.