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In Tulsa and Around the World, 40 Days For Life Aims to End Abortion
As Catholics, we recognize that life begins at conception and can only end at natural death. Now, during Respect Life Month, we have a fantastic opportunity to promote the sanctity of life through 40 Days for Life, an international effort to end abortion.
Holy Family Cathedral Parish will once again take part in 40 Days for Life, set this year for Sept. 23 through Nov. 1. The effort consists of a peaceful prayer vigil and fasting, with community outreach. Those taking part will be active from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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“We will go to abortion clinics or Planned Parenthood during the 40 days,” says Deacon B.D. Tidmore. “This will be only peaceful activity, no screaming. We just pray. We are ecumenical — we have Anglicans and Presbyterians join in, and in Tulsa, it is led by the Catholic Church.”
In addition to 40 Days for Life, there are other continual efforts to promote the sanctity of life in Tulsa and beyond. One such effort is the year-round prayer at the Garden of Hope to end abortion. A small corner area of peace and solace, the Garden of Hope was established in 2006 by Bishop Edward Slattery, who obtained the land across the street from the Tulsa Women’s Clinic. Each Thursday at 11:30 a.m., a group of 20 men gather there to pray the Rosary. The Garden of Hope is also a gathering place that offers shelter from the weather for those taking part in the 40 Days for Life effort.
Another year-round effort is that of the sidewalk advocates, who gather on Monday through Friday, when the clinic is open, offering informational pamphlets to women approaching the clinic.
“They pray, and ask the women, ‘Can we talk to you?’ and hand them the bags,” Deacon Tidmore says. “Sometimes a woman gets to her car and sees the information, and sometimes she will go to the Garden of Hope, where she receives help.”
While many work toward this goal through prayer, these efforts to end abortion are also put into action by the Go Life Mobile Medical group. This pro-life organization has an office behind the Garden of Hope, as well as two RVs that are equipped as mobile ultrasound units.
“They offer free ultrasounds throughout Tulsa, and they also go to different rural areas,” Deacon Tidmore says. “We found that when women see the baby, 70 to 80 percent will choose life. They go into the Go Life unit and the staff doesn’t say, ‘Here’s your baby and good luck.’ They have abundant resources to help in a pregnancy crisis.
The group helps with the baby, food, jobs and providing resources. As the group has found, if the woman sees the baby, it changes her heart.
“When they go to the abortion clinic, and they call them a ‘women’s clinic,’ they have to have an ultrasound, but the woman doesn’t have to see it,” Deacon Tidmore says. “We’ve been told by women who did, that they were told not to look, that they didn’t need to see it. When they do see it, they chose life and the clinic loses money. The clinic charges $100. Last year, we had 25 babies born because women chose life.”
Deacon Tidmore relates an incident that happened several years ago when a young woman in nurse’s scrubs ran out of the clinic. She was covered in blood and obviously distraught.
“She came across the street and said, ‘I can’t do it anymore — can you help me?’” he says. “We sent her to the nuns at the Garden of Hope and they told her they would help her get another job.”
Recalling another young couple who came to the clinic, Deacon Tidmore says that a young man came out of the clinic and asked what the group was doing.
“We told him we were praying for him, and we sat and talked,” Deacon Tidmore says. “We told him, ‘You know what’s going to happen.’ We told him he needed to bring her out because there is another way. He grabbed her out of the clinic and they ended up having the baby. It happens. Peaceful love comes from God.”
Bishop David Konderla often will join those in prayer at the Garden of Hope.
“He is originally from Bryan, Texas, where 40 Days for Life started,” Deacon Tidmore says. “He was actively involved with Abby Johnson, the Planned Parenthood director who became pro-life.”
Deacon Tidmore encourages Holy Family parishioners to become involved in 40 Days for Life, and emphasizes just how important it is to uphold the sanctity of life.
“All life matters, and 40 Days for Life is a peaceful vigil of prayer and fasting with the aim to find an end to abortion,” he says. “I don’t think a lot of people realize that the Catholic Church believes life begins at conception and we do, too.”
