October 21, 2026

Bishop Byrne leads the rosary at the 40 Days for Life

REGIONAL
Story and photo by Carolee McGrath

Close to 40 people gathered to pray the rosary with Bishop William D. Byrne for the 40 Days for Life Campaign, Tuesday, Oct. 20.

SPRINGFIELD – Close to 40 people joined Bishop William D. Byrne to pray the rosary, Tuesday, Oct. 20 outside of Planned Parenthood on Wason Avenue in Springfield for the 40 Days for Life campaign, which runs through Nov. 1. The international pro-life prayer campaign relies on peaceful witness and outreach outside of the abortion clinic. Parishes or volunteers are asked to sign up to cover one day at the vigil site,

“The key to the success of the pro-life movement is prayer. That’s the key to everything, but prayer is our key,” said Bishop Byrne. “It’s where we find our strength. It’s where we find our victories. It’s the true most powerful weapon that we have and we just have to keep at it,” he said.

In August, Gov. Maura Healey signed an abortion expansion bill which removes restrictions on abortion past 24-weeks in Massachusetts. 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.

“As things are getting more and more hostile in this state, we have to stand up even stronger, and more prayerfully,” the bishop said. “Perseverance is an important virtue that we need to keep developing as a community, as a faith community: perseverance in prayer, in declaring what we know to be the truth. Life is precious and is God’s.”

Father Daniel Pacholec, the director of the Respect Life Office, Deacon George Nolan and Deacon Daniel Prats helped lead the rosary with the bishop. 

“It’s important to be here because we want to save those babies, not only the babies, we want to save the moms, their hearts,” said Dora Lopez, a member of St. Jerome Parish in Holyoke.

“These babies can’t speak for themselves. My heart cries out for them. Every time we come and pray, we hope that this clinic will close and all the staff here will convert to God’s love,” she said.

According to the 40 Days for Life, since the international campaign began in 2007, 26,715 babies have been saved from abortion, 187 abortion clinics closed down, and 279 abortion workers quit.

A sign up link can be found at iobserve.org