Prayer Vigil Information for all Peaceful Vigil Participants
Dates: Wed, September 28th – Sunday, November 6th
Times: 7am-6pm
Registration: Individuals can register for the hour(s) they will be present and praying at the vigil site throughout the 40 days at www.40daysforlife.com/Denver.
Location: Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains – 7155 E 38th Ave, Denver (E. 38th Ave and Pontiac St.)
Parking: Park along the west side of Pontiac Street or in the abandoned lot on the west side of Pontiac St directly across from the entrance to Planned Parenthood
Sign-in: Only if you are arriving to pray between the hours of 8:30am-4:30pm (Monday-Friday) or 8:45am-12:45pm (Saturday), please sign-in for your vigil hour by following these instructions (before and after those hours the gate will be locked):
- After parking your car, walk to and through the gate at the back of Lighthouse Women’s Center (this will lead into the Stations of the Cross garden behind the facility). Upon entering through the gate, please direct yourself to the large unlatched supply and materials box, which will be located directly to the left along the back wall of the fence. There is a large white binder labeled “40 Days for Life Vigil Sign-in Binder.” Please sign in, and pick up any pro-life signs, devotionals or prayer materials that you will want to use during your vigil hour(s). These materials are located in their own black hanging file box within the larger unlatched supply and materials box.
40 Days Banner: There is a 40 Days banner which is kept next to the vigil supplies box. If you are the first prayer vigil participant at 7am, the last prayer vigil participant at 6pm or if you are leaving your vigil hour, and there is not another prayer vigil participant arriving/staying, you will be able to retrieve/return the banner through the spaces in the iron rod gate which leads into the Lighthouse Women’s Center garden.
Praying: Pray in the abandoned lot on the west side of Pontiac St or pray while walking on the sidewalk around Planned Parenthood (Do not cross the yellow line at the entrance and onto the property of Planned Parenthood – stay on the sidewalk.) During hours of operation, you are welcome to pray the Stations of the Cross in the garden behind Lighthouse Women’s Center (Monday-Saturday).
Colorado’s “Bubble Law”: Revised CODE 5-3-10: No person shall knowingly obstruct, detain, hinder, impede, or block another person’s entry to or exit from a health care facility. No person shall knowingly approach another person within 8 feet of such person, unless such other person consents, for the purpose of passing a leaflet or handbill to, displaying a sign to, or engaging in
oral protest, education, or counseling with such other person in the public way or sidewalk area within a radius of 100 feet from any entrance door to a healthcare facility.
Materials for Interactions: Almost every vigil participant is simply there to pray. The 40 Days for Life National Team, estimates that 90% of vigil participants are called to be the peaceful presence of Christ’s hope, love and mercy. In the event that a prayer vigil participant is approached and an interaction does take place, always uphold the standards set by the Statement of Peace, and be calm, kind and loving. Within the black hanging file box within the larger supply and materials box, individuals will find the following materials for various interactions:
- For women and men seeking abortion services: pamphlet of local alternative resources, and pamphlets for Lighthouse Women’s Center
- For women and men seeking non-abortion services: pamphlet of local alternative resources
- For post-abortive women and men: Project Rachel cards
- For clinic workers: And Then There Were None flyers
- For persons from the public inquiring about 40 Days for Life: 40 Days for Life flyers (in English & Spanish)
Signs: Only positive signs are permitted and no images of aborted children (Acceptable Examples: “You still have time to change your mind;” “Ask to see the Ultrasound;” etc.)
Safety: It is recommended you do not walk around alone, particularly in the very early morning, or late in the afternoon when there is less light. Avoid walking through any alleyways. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Always be aware and practice common sense.
Statement of Peace: All vigil participants must sign the Statement of Peace. If an individual signed up for his or her hour online, he or she automatically signed a Statement of Peace. If an individual did not sign-up for his or her hour online, he or she must sign a hard copy of the Statement of Peace, which is located in the same black hanging file box as the prayer materials and devotions. The completed Statements of Peace can be slipped into the labeled envelope that accompanies the blank versions.
Restrooms: There are no public restrooms available at the vigil site. Lighthouse Women’s Center is not available for public restroom use as this is a conflict of interest with client privacy and confidentiality.
If restrooms are needed, we recommend entering Wal-Mart (located on the east side of Quebec St.) or using the restroom located in the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center at 3880 Newport Street, Denver, Denver, 80207. The recreation center hours are limited, and the facility is closed on Sundays.
Lighthouse Women’s Center & Tours: If desired, the staff at Lighthouse Women’s Center is happy to lead tours, but it must be scheduled in advance so as not to interrupt or conflict with client appointments. To schedule a tour in advance, contact Shaina Palumbo, Program Manager of Lighthouse Women’s Center at .
Emergency Numbers: These are also located in the vigil sign-in binder -
Medical & Safety Emergencies: 911
Non-Emergencies: 720-799-9299
- Alert if called 911 or non-emergency line about the situation
- For directing any inquires from the media
To Note: Station 26 Brewing Company located at the corner of E. 38th Ave and Pontiac St. is owned by Planned Parenthood.
Instructions for Masses at the Vigil Site: If a priest would like to celebrate Mass at the vigil site (the lot across the street from the main entrance to Planned Parenthood), please inform the Respect Life of the timing of the Mass and the celebrant(s). Keep in mind the following instructions:
Altar
Lighthouse Women’s Center (located across the street from Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains) has a table that is used as an altar. LWC has a schedule of all the Masses being celebrated during 40 Days for Life, and will have the table by the supply box in the garden behind Lighthouse Women’s center. After the Mass, the table can be returned to the same spot. A LWC staff person will bring the table inside later in the day.
For Masses celebrated after 4pm, a Respect Life staff person will pick-up the table prior to the scheduled Mass, and will also return the table the following day.
Linens
The sacristan is also responsible for providing linens for the Mass
Mass Kit
Every priest is responsible for providing his own Mass kit, and determining the appropriate amount of hosts that he will need to have available for the Mass.
General Tips:
Be sure to pack a bottle of water and sunscreen.
First time praying at the vigil site? Contact the 40 Days Leadership Team if you would like to be set-up with a veteran prayer partner. If possible, we’ll do our best to arrange this! Contact the 40 Days Denver Leadership Team at .
The Tough Questions
Q: What you are doing sounds political. I don’t want to be involved in politics.
A: 40 Days for Life is not a political campaign, and is intentionally not affiliated with any political party or legislation. This is a campaign that addresses the spiritual crisis in our community, and places God at the center of the solution to this spiritual crisis. It is a short term campaign that unites the Body of Christ during a focused 40 days of prayer and fasting, peaceful vigil, and community outreach, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God’s favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion.
All vigil participants must sign a Statement of Peace, which means each participant must agree to be Christ like in all demeanor, words and action and also abide by all local ordinances.
Q: I can pray at my home or in my Church. Why do I need to go and pray at an abortion facility?
A: Abortion facilities are where abortions take place. The Lord promises that where two or more are gathered in His name, He is present. We pray as missionaries at the abortion facility to bathe Pontiac Street - the babies lost there, the mothers wounded there, and the abortion workers who are being dehumanized there - in His presence - His grace, His hope, His love and His mercy.
Q: I hear there may be other pro-life people protesting at the vigil site that use graphic images and have a more vocal and confrontational approach. How can I be expected to bring my family to that environment?
A: In the pro-life movement, there are different approaches and messaging. The confrontational tactics that you may see are not a part of the 40 Days for Life campaign. In the midst of the ongoing more confrontational tactics, it is important that we take courage, and be kind to bring the peaceful presence of Christ’s hope, love and mercy to Pontiac Street.
Depending on the day or tactics of the pro-life protesters, we recommend to persons praying with younger children to pray while walking around the Planned Parenthood facility or praying in the garden behind the Lighthouse Women’s Center. The garden is set-up with the Stations of the Cross and is available Monday-Saturday.
Q: What do I do if I am praying and I am approached by someone? What do I do or say?
A: Almost every vigil participant is simply there to pray. The 40 Days for Life National Team, estimates that 90% of vigil participants are called to be the peaceful presence of Christ’s hope, love and mercy.
At the same time, do not be afraid to exude an approachable spirit – be warm, and kind in demeanor, smile, and wave. In the event that an interaction does take place, always uphold the standards set by the Statement of Peace, and if you are approached be calm, kind and loving. The person approaching you – the woman or man seeking an abortion, woman or man seeking non-abortion services, post-abortive woman or man, abortion worker, abortion advocates/volunteers or passers-by – are not our enemy. Our enemy is the evil one and these people, no matter their words or demeanor, are the patients of our field hospital, which is the Church. Like Blessed Mother Teresa, we must see Christ hidden in the wounds of each person in front of us.
At the vigil site, there will be a designated file/folder with resources (see information on ‘Materials for Interaction’) in the event of an interaction. Should they occur, here are some responses to these interactions:
Women (& men) seeking abortion:
- First Priority of vigil (life is at stake)
- Be loving, kind and use simple statements:
o “Good morning, we’re here to help you”
o “Can I give you this free information before you go in?” (Lighthouse Women’s Center brochure, more will be available in designated file/folder)
o “There are free resources available to you because you deserve to know all of your options.”
Persons seeking non-abortion services:
- Inform them this is an abortion facility & ask if they would like to be referred elsewhere (using information in designated folder/file)
Post-abortive women (&men):
- First sign of mercy, compassion and hope
o Use a tone of compassion, acknowledge you know it’s a hard day
o Refer to post abortion healing (use attached cards, more will be available in the designated file/folder)
o If they approach you with anger, respond with humility and peace
Abortion Workers:
- They want their perceptions of you to be true (i.e. angry and violent, trying to put them out of a job, judgmental, losers with nothing better to do) to justify their actions
- Your surprisingly calm, peaceful demeanor is the most powerful witness
- Best chance for productive dialogue
o And Then There Were None (resource will be available in designated file/folder)
- Be at ease to return a friendly greeting or mention of the weather
- If you can’t say anything nice, it is best to not say anything
Abortion Advocates, Volunteers:
- Maintain a positive demeanor and tone
- Endure the nonsense, and remember the turnover for this group is high
Passers- by
- Smile and be kind if someone stops to talk
- Be prepared to answer why you are here
o Brief “elevator speech” on 40 Days for Life , praying for babies, women and workers
- Keep in mind they may fit into other categories of interaction (may be post-abortive)
Denver Respect Life Office | | 40daysforlife.com/Denver