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40 Days for Life supporters outside Planned Parenthood's location at Bush Street, San Francisco on March 9. (Courtesy photo)
March 18, 2021
Nicholas Wolfram Smith
As 40 Days for Life’s spring campaign draws to a close, an organizer of the seasonal prayer vigil in San Francisco praised the dedication of the pro-life men and women who support it.
“Pro-life people are resilient, they are fighters, they’re willing to go do something because it’s right, even though much of the culture is against what you’re doing,” Clarisse Siu said.
Siu, an organizer with San Francisco 40 Days for Life, said the prayer campaign has had “its best year to date.” Siu highlighted an encounter where one woman decided not to go into the clinic and asked the pro-life supporters there about alternatives to abortion. The campaign has also seen high turnout, with 45 people attending the first week.
When Planned Parenthood of Northern California closed its clinic on Valencia Street in the Mission District and opened a new location on Bush Street March 9, 40 Days for Life called for a strong pro-life witness, and 3-5 people prayed outside each hour.
In a press release, Planned Parenthood of Northern California said the new flagship health center at 1522 Bush Street would host executive staff, fundraising and outreach personnel as well as a research department and a clinic providing abortions, sexual health and mental health services. The organization estimated it would see 13,000 patients annually at the new location.
With the campaign closing March 28, Siu reflected on pro-life activism in San Francisco. Witnessing against abortion in the city “feels like an uphill battle,” she said, compared to campaigns across the country that seem to have plenty of volunteers and success in persuading women to not have an abortion.
“It feels here like there's a lot less visible success,” she said. But pro-life supporters are determined to "follow the spirit," Siu added, and are energized by their cause. Praying is the most important task they have, and “when something does happen that is positive, you treasure it so much more," she said.
“We trust in God no matter what. Even if we don’t see any visible fruits, we trust in God,” she said.
After 40 Days for Life ends March 28, Siu encouraged anyone interested in continuing to pray outside the clinic to join other groups, like Star of the Sea Parish's weekly prayer vigil or St. Mary's Cathedral's monthly Mass and rosary procession to Planned Parenthood.
“I definitely encourage people to come out and join us, either every Saturday or when we come back in the fall,” she said.