On Palm Sunday, people of goodwill from across Auckland gathered for the annual peaceful, prayerful Candlelight Vigil for the Unborn, marking the conclusion of 40 Days for Life.
The vigil was held at a highly visible corner of Potters Park, situated between the Epsom Day Unit at Greenlane Hospital and the Auckland Medical Aid Centre (AMAC), New Zealand’s oldest abortion provider.
Despite the rain, well over 100 people turned out to pray for the protection of all preborn children, and for the conversion and healing of those who participate in, and are wounded by, abortion.
The vigil marked the conclusion of Auckland’s participation in the global 40 Days for Life prayer effort. This year, people from across New Zealand signed up to unite their prayers with those able to maintain a physical presence on the street.
Prayer and presence change hearts
Participants were given a powerful reminder never to lose hope, as two regular vigil attendees shared a story from several weeks earlier.
They recounted a conversation with a local man who had once joined the prayer outside AMAC as a passerby. During that time, he encountered another passerby who revealed he had previously worked as a doctor in the abortion facility. The doctor described experiencing unexplained disruptions, including equipment failures and other disturbances, which he came to understand as connected to the presence of prayer outside. This experience led him to reconsider his work, recognise its reality more fully, and ultimately leave.
Alongside this encounter, many other conversations and moments of encouragement took place. One mother brought her young child to view the foetal models on display, and he stood in awe at how tiny and wonderfully made babies are before birth.
Not everyone welcomed the vigil. One individual repeatedly expressed the view that a woman has a right to choose to end the life of her pre-born child, using the surrounding footpath and streets as a canvas for graffiti. Despite Council efforts to remove it, the messages would reappear overnight.
Never give up
Before the vigil began, Family Life International Director Michelle Kaufman addressed the crowd, acknowledging that rising abortion numbers can make efforts to protect life feel futile.
“Every effort you make,” she said, “no matter how small, so long as it is done out of love for God our neighbour, is worthwhile.”
She continued, “Every prayer is heard and answered in the way that God sees fit. You do make a difference. You are saving lives, and you are changing hearts.”
Emphasising the importance of physical presence near abortion facilities, she reminded participants that they bring “the light of Christ into the world.”
While affirming that prayer can take place anywhere, she added that “to be physically present at the place where our innocent children are slaughtered, where evil seems to have the last word, is transformative.”
Vigil is not the end of the work
The Candlelight Vigil marked the end of 40 Days for Life, but not the end of the work. For those gathered, the message was clear: public witness matters, prayer has an effect, and presence outside abortion facilities is not insignificant. In the face of rising abortion numbers, the call is not to withdraw, but to remain steadfast, visible, and committed to defending life.
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