Chicago Catholic Examiner: Introducing 40

Today is the third of a trilogy of articles I’ve done to mark the March for Life and the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. My first column covered the local Chicago version of the march, the second covered a local Mass being said in the Chicago area in solidarity with the marchers, and the third is about a widely acclaimed pro-life film that recently debuted. What does that have to do with Chicago, you may wonder. As it turns out, there’s a great deal.

40 premiered last December, and is the brainchild of John Morales, a nationally known pro-life activist who is well known to Chicago area residents from his work as a local sports broadcaster. The film made its national premiere on Jan. 22 – just in time for the 41st annual March for Life, and was released by the Chicago-based not-for-profit company Prolife Champions. It was produced in conjunction with Chicago’s Spirit Juice Studios. The film is a documentary about 40 different people who have been involved or affected by the pro-life movement. John Morales says he got the idea for the film while in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament at the Women’s Center, a pregnancy help center in Chicago.