Diocese launches prayer campaign to oppose new abortion clinic

By Bonnie Toombs

All the faithful across the Catholic Diocese of Wichita are invited and encouraged to participate in a diocesan-wide prayer campaign for the closure of Wichita’s newest abortion provider, Aria Medical Clinic. 

In an effort to make participation simple and accessible, a SignUpGenius link has been created for the initiative, called “911 Intercessors.”

The name reflects the urgent need for prayer during the nine hours each day when Aria Medical offers the abortion pill to women within the 11-week legal window for chemical abortion in Kansas. 

The facility falls within the parish boundaries of St. Thomas Aquinas, which prompted the St. Thomas Aquinas Respect Life Committee to develop the initiative. The faithful are encouraged to commit to 15 minutes of prayer once a week from any location – home, work, or on the go – during a chosen hour that aligns with the clinic’s hours of operation. The campaign runs through Oct. 1, 2026, though participants may opt out at any time. Prayer resources are available on the 911 Intercessors homepage to help guide personal or group prayer.

Faithful throughout the diocese are encouraged to sign up and share this invitation with friends, family, and parish communities, uniting the Church in a shared mission to defend the sanctity of human life through prayer and spiritual solidarity, inspired by passages in scripture such as Mark 9:29: “This kind can come out only through prayer and fasting.”

Sign up to pray here.

Background

Aria Medical Clinic quietly opened in 2023 as a stealth provider of medication abortions for unborn children as old as 11 weeks. Located in the lower level of 555 N. Woodlawn, building 1, the clinic operates with no visible signage and emphasizes privacy, brief appointments, and low-cost or free services. 

Owned by California-based physician Dr. Kelly Pfeifer, Aria Medical’s low-profile approach appears designed to minimize public attention and avoid engagement with pro-life advocates. In its first year, the clinic reportedly had more than 3,100 clients, many of whom traveled from out of state to Kansas because of its loose abortion laws. 

The 911 Intercessors Prayer Campaign seeks to respond to this growing threat to human life with the Church’s immensely powerful tool of prayer. 

Bonnie Toombs Directs the Catholic Diocese of Wichita’s Office of Respect Life and Social Justice.