September 21, 2026

40 Days for Life Campaign begins Wednesday, Sept. 23

REGIONAL
Story and photo by Carolee McGrath

40 Days for Life campaign director, Steve Karlen, visited Bethany Assembly of God Church June 3 to meet with pro-life advocates about the upcoming prayer campaign.

AGAWAM —  The fall 40 Days for Life Campaign begins Wednesday, Sept. 23 and runs through Nov. 1. Steve Karlen, the campaign director of the international 40 Days for Life Campaign, visited the Diocese of Springfield in the summer to give local pro-life advocates some encouragement and advice on how to increase participation. Karlen, who was visiting with local campaign directors in Connecticut and Massachusetts, visited Bethany Assembly of God Church in Agawam June 3.

“Our message is to encourage people to come out and pray for an end to abortion and we encourage that because we know that it saves lives,” said Karlen. The husband and father of five began as a volunteer at a local 40 Days for Life in Madison, Wis.

The 40 Days for Life is centered on prayer, peaceful witness and outreach. Parishes or volunteers are asked to sign up to cover one day at the vigil site, outside of Planned Parenthood on Wason Avenue in Springfield.

“We have former abortion workers that have told us that when there is someone out there praying in front of an abortion facility, the no show rates for those abortion appointments can go up as high as 75 percent. We might not see that, but the abortion workers see that and we are getting our numbers from them,” he said.

In August, Gov. Maura Healey signed an abortion expansion bill which removes all restrictions on abortion past 24-weeks. There is an effort underway to repeal this law through a referendum petition. In addition, the number of abortions in Massachusetts has doubled due to telehealth and the abortion pill. According to Mass.gov statistics, there were 24,355 abortions in Massachusetts in 2023. In 2024, the number skyrocketed to 49, 450. More than half of those abortions were performed on out of state residents. Thirty-one-thousand of the abortions were medical abortions, or the abortion pill, prescribed through telehealth.

“The proliferation of the abortion pill is a problem, but it is a bit of a misconception that showing up to pray at an abortion clinic no longer makes a difference,” Karlen said.

 “The vast majority of abortion, including pills, are still being performed or distributed through brick and mortar abortion facilities. Yes, the pills are a problem, but it doesn’t mean that prayer isn’t effective, particularly when we are showing up where they are distributed and dispensed,” he said.

The 40 Days for Life is an ecumenical campaign. Bethany Assembly of God Church has been participating in the campaign, covering hours in front of the abortion clinic.

“I think that this is a partnership that works well and because we do agree that life is created by God from the moment of conception,” said Bethany Assembly pastor Stephen Thee. “We’re able to cooperate and make a bigger impact in the community by just partnering together,” he said.

Since the ecumenical campaign began in 2007, in College Station, Texas, organizers report more than 26,000 babies have been spared from abortion.

To sign up for hours, go to https://diospringfield.org/40daysforlife