380 pro-life leaders met in Nashville, Tennessee from July 12-14 for a post-Roe symposium to enable and equip leaders to lead their best local 40 Days for Life campaign ever. 

Sister Mary Madeline Todd O.P., a Dominican Sister of the Congregation of Saint Cecilia with three decades experience of teaching and religious life opened the event with a keynote speech reflecting profoundly on what it means to be pro-life. Sister Mary has a specialization in the theology of woman in the writings of John Paul II. 

Sister Mary noted how Jesus sees our heart, and at the heart of 40 Days for Life is seeing and being seen. Compassion means to suffer with someone, and as God is abundantly generous, pro-life starts with “I see you” and “I hear you.” Love is stronger than death and in the end love triumphs. 

Sister Mary recounted giving a speech at a University in Sydney called, “Why pro-life is pro-woman” which generated considerable interest in a secular environment. She described the lie of abortion means that two heartbeats walk into an abortion centre but only one broken heart leaves. Even Planned Parenthood’s website notes how lack of financial support and emotional support are key reasons for someone to have an abortion. 

Local leader Kathy Forck from Columbia, Missouri was given the leader of the year. As an exemplary leader, she has been praying for 15 years outside the local abortion centre where the abortion rate in that time has completely plummeted.



Shawn Carney, President and CEO of 40 Days for Life described the hurricane that recently blew through Texas, showing some of the devastation it caused. He provided a detailed analysis of Post-Roe America and said that leaders where like water in the desert and that they need to stay the course and dig deep in the post-Roe era. 

Father Paul Felix, chaplain to 40 Days for Life and Pastor at Annunciation Church in Houston opened the following morning telling leaders that Jesus Christ is encountered through their service, and that we should be instruments that God can work through. Discernment, prudence and a constant firm will helps us to do the common good in responding to the call of holiness, co-operating with the grace of God. Fortitude includes avoiding fear. 

Matt Britton, General Counsel for 40 Days for Life, gave a legal presentation summarizing campaign issues from the front lines along with the new legal team of the Institute of Law and Justice. Recent developments have seen law fare, selective prosecution, weaponization of law enforcement, feelings over reason and ‘rights’ over responsibilities. Current legal issues include FACE, buffer zones, abortions pills, abortion pill reversal and assaults and threats. 

The Institute of Law and Justice has the back of leaders with knowledge, expertise, experience, dedication, understanding and resources. Each campaign sees 80 enquiries, and 180 so far, which has included harassment (33), Assaults (17), State interpretations (13), Theft of signs (10), local law enforcement (7), Trespass (7), Buffer Zones (6) and verbal threats (6). 

Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law not abolish it, and at times some groups have used law to gain an unfair advantage over others. Other projects have included a post-Roe map on the website, a state constitutional map, help with Abortion pill reversal in California, anti-human sex trafficking guidance, and emergency operations plan and a short list of “What ifs.”

Former abortionists Ramona Trevino and Haywood Robinson then gave tips on how to get into Churches, which sometimes can be an impossible task despite 40 Days for Life being an ecumenical endeavor. Ramona said the Catholic Church is a hierarchy, start from the top and approach using all angles including RCIA and Confirmation groups. Many Churches consider abortion a political issue and don’t want to touch the issue. Free food, fellowship, trust and relationships are crucial for building empathy and success with Church relationships and events to build support for your campaign. 

Haywood Robinson called for leaders to be greedy with God’s grace as the Holy Spirit is speaking through so many different voices. He said that bold and abundant prayer inspires God, that we do not serve a Walmart God and that God has no boundaries. In some parts of the country the abortion rate of blacks exceeds the birth rate. He also recommended the resources such as the movie Maafa21 and the book Target Africa by Uju Ekeocha. He told us to not forget post abortive women in Church and a story of the tragedy of a Pastor who did not help a woman in a crisis pregnancy with the consequences for the woman. He said that we meet the enemy on the streets and we should not let the enemy to divide and conquer the Church through division.

The US campaign team were next with a back to basics presentation of how to get people to pray at abortion facilities. We should not take Bible lessons from the abortion industry when they quote Scripture to pro-lifers. Abortion workers are not the enemy, and we should invite people to make an appointment with God on the sidewalk. Theresa Endsley called leaders to build credibility and activate interest by stories, relationships, commitment and rapport with synergy through relationships. 

Barbara Constable suggested inviting pastors to participate, sponsor a day, write to thank them and outreach to everyone. She also mentioned having a pastors prayer breakfast, how a mobile van can help and the power of post abortion healing ministry. She said to use events to fill your schedule, we bold and courageous to get people through continuous invitations. 

Steve Karlen, Campaign Director mentioned that effective events included a very clear ask, thank people for coming, make sure they sign up and reach out to those who could not make the event. A good structure for an event and follow up are keys for success. 

Dr Michael New is a campaign leader in Washington D.C. and Assistant Professor at the Catholic University of America. He told leaders to never give up, and that the abortion rate had declined 50% since 1980, a huge success. Pro-abortionists would fall over backwards to give pro-lifers any acknowledgement for such a change. 

Today, a smaller percentage of unwanted pregnancies are choosing abortions. Crisis Pregnancy Centres are helping and change is happening through public opinion, hearts and minds and pro-life laws. The number of abortion centres has declined from 2,076 in 1991 to 704 in 2017 (a 67% decrease). Crisis Pregnancy Centres have grown from 2,180 to 4,026 in that time (a 86% increase). Abortion numbers in Texas have plummeted thanks to the Heartbeat Act. 

The effectiveness of pro-life laws is undeniable with parental involvement and informed consent laws having a clear impact on the abortion rate. In the post-Roe era progress and victories are evident in more pro-life laws, legislators and public support for the pro-life position. 

Dr. Monique Ruberu, vice board chair for 40 Days for Life spoke about abortion pill reversal and abortion pills. With abortion pill reversal what is critical to get to a woman early and progesterone is what is vital with APR. Dr Donato Borrillo, director of medicolegal affairs for 40 Days for Life said that with the abortion pill being used at home, many women are emotionally scarred seeing a child in the toilet, not knowing what to do, with the emotional trauma some women store their child in the freezer after an at home abortion. 

Steve Karlen, campaign director and Shawn Carney gave a presentation on their new book: What to say when 2, a follow up apologetics book on how to speak about abortion. The book includes how to speak about transgender issues related to abortion with facts, compassion and humor. They mentioned the hypocrisy of corporate policies paying for abortion travel, with no maternity leave, encouraging women to come back to work as being degrading to women. After Dobbs, the world did not end. The book includes how to speak about abortion and rape. 

One leader during the question and answer session mentioned they had an abortion 47 years ago, had through about it every single day, saying the pain never goes away. 

Pearl Corbin, a leader from the Bronx in New York, ended with a powerful, awe inspiring presentation saying God is being honored and praised and that if God can do it in the Bronx, He can do it anywhere. She compared the Bronx to Bethlehem, when today people ask if anything good can come from the Bronx. 

Today’s lie is that you need to get rid of children to get ahead. Lying puppet politicians lie about abortion. Pearl encouraged people to focus on God, not the enormity of the problem. She said the devil hates singing, that we should resist the enemy and that even in New York, God is God. 

Shawn Carney finished the symposium telling leaders that they are not alone, and those who are angry, not healed or burnt out should not lead. We should take our mission seriously, not take ourselves too seriously but tend to our own souls. 

Overall this was a genuinely superbly organized event in a country that has made huge strides to ending abortion. The quality of talks was matched by the integrity and authenticity of the participants.