40 Days for Life: First shifts

My old friend Carol Crossed and I served our first shifts at Planned Parenthood this morning as part of the 40 Days for Life campaign.

7 - 9 a.m. Just in time to greet some of the Planned Parenthood staff as they arrived. It drizzled a bit - but not bad. Even my car "assisted."

Two of the coordinators joined us for prayers, including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Frank, one of the coordinators, reported that in addition to the woman in Rochester who changed her mind about getting an abortion the other day thanks to the campaign, a woman in Buffalo had also done so.

At least two lives saved in our two cities. More on the way? How many nationally?

We got a few honks and thumbs up from passing motorists. Otherwise, quiet - but it was early on a Saturday.

Interesting conversations between prayers - including life histories (Frank telling us about the abortion he'd been involved in decades ago and now deeply regrets, for example). And even though two of us had been involved with Democrats for Life, we wondered how any Catholic can vote for Obama with a clean conscience. We also thought that it would be great to buy a building for sale across from Planned Parenthood and open a pro-life coffee house to keep a presence there.

I think after two hours in the intermittent drizzle we had coffee on our minds!

(And life, of course!)

Bob George was smart, bringing a bar stool and some coffee of his own as he and Paul Duprey relieved us at 9.