The 40 Days for Life campaign near the Barre Planned Parenthood building on Washington Street kicks off with an opening rally 1 pm Sunday September 19 in the basement of St. Monica’s Church in Barre, organizer Tom Kelly said. Vigils will be held on the public sidewalks near the clinic at 90 Washington Street.

The vigil commences on Wednesday, September 22 through Sunday, October 31. Barre will be among a record number (over 600) of U.S. communities holding prayer vigils near abortion clinics this year. The national 40 Days for Life website also lists 40 Days for Life events in Burlington (Lisa Laverty, contact person) and Rutland.

40 Days for Life is “a campaign to ask our God in prayer to end the scourge of abortion in our community, state, nation and world. More than ever we need individual prayer and fasting, community outreach and the public witness fostered by the prayer vigil,” Kelly said.

Kelly, a veteran organizer of the Barre 40 Days for Life, can be reached for information and registration at 802-224-6309 or thomaskelly.tom@gmail.com.