[9] The organization was founded in Bryan, Texas in 1998 by Shawn Carney, a Catholic student, in reaction to the presence of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility.
[10] ProLife 365 says that four members of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life decided to start the prayer campaign 24 hours a day for 40 days with the goal of closing the facility, and credits this campaign for a rejuvenation of local anti-abortion activities in the Bryan-College Station area.
[19][20] The US-based Christian Broadcasting Network reports that more than 16,000 confirmed instances where potential patients did not have a planned abortion.
[4] An American Civil Liberties Union spokesperson called 40 Days for Life "the most dangerous threat to choice".
[23] They have pursued legal avenues such as buffer zones, especially in Canada and Europe, to prevent anti-abortion activists from approaching women or standing near abortion facilities.
[26] According to Holly Baxter, writing for the British publication The Guardian, the vigils' participants harass women and pregnant girls trying to access clinics by singing hymns, distributing rosaries, and distributing leaflets disguised as NHS literature, which are described by a Marie Stopes representative as "pseudo-medical" and "misleading".