Denver Catholic

8 NOVEMBER 10-23, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC BY MOIRA CULLINGS A few years ago at a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil in Madison, Wis., Steve Karlen met a man passing by the abortion clinic who stopped when he noticed the group praying outside of it. Curiously enough, the man began taking photos of families at the vigil. Karlen came to realize the man's daugh- ter was pregnant with a boy who had Down Syndrome, and she and her hus- band planned to abort the baby. The man was taking photos of fam- ilies who o¢ ered to adopt the child. He showed the photos to his daughter, and she and her husband ultimately chose life for their son. "To me, that's about as good as it gets," said Karlen. "We talk about saving babies and, by the Grace of God, that's exactly what we do." Karlen is the Campaign Director for 40 Days for Life, a campaign that encourages people to fast and pray for an end to abortion — both in private and outside of abortion clinics. This fall, the campaign ran from Sept. 26 until Nov. 4 in 415 cities throughout the world. The success stories that came out of it were abundant. "We've got former abortion workers who have reported that when there's people out there praying in front of an abortion facility, the no-show rates for those abortion appointments can go up to as high as 75 percent," said Karlen. The Respect Life O• ce here in Denver reports that they know of at least three local babies saved during this campaign. For Lynn Grandon, Program Direc- tor for the Respect Life O• ce, this cam- paign brings great hope for the future of these babies. "Each of us has gifts and talents given to us by our ancestors that God uses at precise moments in the time he chooses to place us here," she said. "Someday, in some way, these chil- dren will be surprised to learn that they were slated to die in 2018 but were spared. Just that knowledge alone can be a tremendous impetus to fi nd their life purpose and make a di¢ erence with their lives." Karlen explained a reason why women change their mind on abortion. "They know there's something not quite right about it," he said. "They're not there because they're pro-choice. The feel that they have no choice and they're looking for some way out, and they're praying for God to give them a sign. "And they show up, and they meet somebody there praying for them, smil- ing, holding a sign, being there in their hour of need," he continued. "And that's the sign they were looking for." Karlen is grateful for those here in Colorado who participated in 40 Days. "It's heroic," he said. "We just learned of the 15,000th saved baby through the prayers of 40 Days for Life volunteers. Those are just the ones that we can count." The campaign knows of nearly 200 abortion workers who have quit their jobs and become pro-life, and 99 abor- tion facilities have closed and gone out of business following a 40 Days campaign. "It goes to show the power of prayer," said Karlen, "which is the primary form of activism." Around the Archdiocese SEVEN MINISTRIES, ONE PURPOSE TO SERVE ALL PEOPLE Your Gift of $100 Could Help: • Provide overnight shelter for four people • Supply 400 diapers for newborns • Buy a bus pass for one month • Feed 58 people at Samaritan House Give to any of our ministries in Denver, Weld and Larimer counties — and on the Western Slope. Child Care Contribution Credit or Enterprise Zone Tax Credit are available! Giving is easier than ever – don't wait until Dec. 4! Pre-schedule your donation today at coloradogives.org/ccdenver 15,000 babies saved since 40 Days for Life began PHOTO BY NISSA LAPOINT | CATHOLIC CHARITIES

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