From left Archbishop Donald Wuerl, Christa Lopiccolo, executive director of the archdicoese's Department of Life Issues; Michelle Carper, program director for the Department of Life Issues; and Samuel Deas, a 40 Days for Life participant.
Special to the Standard
As Archbishop Donald Wuerl led a small group of mostly college age people in praying the rosary outside Planned Parenthood's Metropolitan Washington clinic on Oct. 24, three sidewalk counselors tried to reach out to people walking into the abortion clinic.
Archbishop Wuerl then spoke quietly to encourage those praying there as part of the 40 Days for Life Campaign against abortion, which began on Sept. 23 and continues through Nov. 1.
"Thank you for being here. Thank you for being a witness. To do it quietly and in prayer is a beautiful form of witness," the archbishop said. "Abortion may be legal, but it's wrong. If enough people say it, someday it will cease to be a part of the fabric of our nation."
While members of the group prayed, pro-life sidewalk counselors offered women headed for the doors pamphlet and told them about services to support them and their child.
Clinic escorts, wearing orange smocks, walked alongside patients and their family or friends, trying to block the pro-life sidewalk counselors from reaching them.
40 Days for Life is a nationwide movement to enlist pro-life Catholics to stand and quietly pray outside of abortion clinics 24 hours a day for 40 days.
The campaign is active in 212 communities compared to 177 last fall, according to the campaign web site.