A Day of Silent Solidarity With Children in the Womb

What if we spent a moment of silence for each child who has died in the United States because he or she was aborted?

The stunning fact is that it would take well over a century.

Nothing claims more human life than abortion, and no victims are more helpless and vulnerable than children still living and growing in the womb of their mothers. The law does not recognize them as persons in the context of abortion, and they do not even know the danger they are in.

They cannot protest, or organize, or vote, or even pray.

That is why the movement to defend them — the pro-life movement — often invokes the Biblical mandate to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” (Prov. 31:8)

The voices of young people are among the most important in the fight to end abortion. But on Oct. 15, pro-life youth will raise their voices in a unique way — through silence.

The Director of Youth Outreach for Priests for Life, Bryan Kemper, founded the annual Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity. Now in its 15^th year, this special event invites people of all ages to lose their voices for one day, or part of a day, to represent the voices of nearly 3,000 children permanently silenced by abortion every day in our nation.

This year, the Day of Silent Solidarity has been included on the official calendar of National Days.

Over the years, youth who have taken part in the unique witness have reported being sent to the principal’s office at school and running out of red duct tape that observers wear — emblazoned with the word LIFE — across their lips. One year, a radio station in Florida allow its DJs to remain silent in solidarity with the unborn and played just pre-recorded content that day.

The idea for the day of silence was sparked in 2004 after a college student in Louisiana asked Bryan how students across the country could work together to save the unborn.

“A spark went off in my head,” Bryan recalls. He headed to his basement computer and what was then a small email list to ask students to stand together in silent solidarity.

“We asked the students to take a vow of silence for a day, wearing red duct tape with the word ‘life’ or ‘silenced’ and pass out fliers explaining their silence to fellow students,” he said.

“Now, something that started its first year as just a few thousand students from 300 campuses has grown into a worldwide outpouring of love and action.”

The Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity has been observed in all 50 states and in 40 nations by schools, ministries, businesses, and individuals.

Fighting abortion requires us to act in solidarity with the babies abortion kills. By giving up our voices for a day, we remind others in a striking way that there is a whole segment of silent humanity waiting for us to recognize and protect them.

We know that this silent witness has saved babies. One young girl told Bryan than when she came downstairs at her house with red tape across her mouth as she got ready for school, her mother realized what her daughter was doing, broke down in tears and confessed that she was scheduled to have an abortion the next day. The abortion was canceled and the girl had saved the life of her own sibling.

Another girl told of being mercilessly mocked by her teacher for her pro-life stance and silent witness, but later was approached by another student who said she had changed her mind about the abortion she had scheduled.

“Solidarity” is a powerful word, invoking for many people a stance of active unity with those who are fighting for their rights against some form of deprivation or oppression. On October 15, we have an opportunity to exercise solidarity for a group of people who often do not come to mind, our unborn brothers and sisters, who live and die in silence.

Fr. Frank Pavone is one of the most prominent pro-life leaders in the world. He became a Catholic priest in 1988 under Cardinal John O’Connor in New York. In 1993 he became National Director of Priests for Life. He is also the President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, and the National Pastoral Director of the Silent No More Campaign and of Rachel’s Vineyard, the world’s largest ministry of healing after abortion. He travels to about four states every week, preaching and teaching against abortion. He broadcasts regularly on television, radio, and internet. He was asked by Mother Teresa to speak in India on abortion, and was asked by then-candidate Donald Trump to serve on his Pro-life and Catholic advisory councils. He has served at the Vatican as an official of the Pontifical Council for the Family, which coordinates the pro-life activities of the Catholic Church. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.