Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

I would like to begin with a quote from Pope Francis' homily this past Divine Mercy Sunday.  

“Dear brothers and sisters, let us be enveloped by the mercy of God; let us trust in his patience, which always gives us more time. Let us find the courage to return to his house, to dwell in his loving wounds, allowing ourselves be loved by him and to encounter his mercy in the sacraments.” Pope Francis, Divine Mercy Sunday 2013

When I read this, I was immediately reminded of Fiona, a post abortive woman with whom I corresponded for a number of months. Fiona was 96 years old and had written to Father Benedict Groschel who then passed her letter on to me. She was writing about abortions she had had more than 60 years prior.  

Just think, for over 60 years she lived in the fear that she was not and could not be forgiven by God even though she had gone to confession. Talk about a living hell.

I saved some of Fiona letters and would like to share part of one with you tonight.   

“I particularly wanted to write because many, many, years ago I had 3 abortions. I can truthfully say I am intensely sorry. These were awful sins. I confessed these, but it is so very long ago and my memory is so poor I do not remember if the priest gave me absolution. I think he did. I am working on forgiving my husband who is deceased and was an alcoholic. Do you think there can be forgiveness for me? I am praying and hoping."

Fiona and I exchanged letters for a time speaking of God’s mercy and post abortion healing, but then one day she wrote telling me I would not be hearing from her again because she needed to go live with one of her children who did not know about her abortions and she was fearful they would find out and hate her. I am sure Fiona has passed by now but I think of her often.  There are countless Fiona’s in this world, women and men who live with the pain and reality of abortion for decades, but the good news is, “His patience always gives us more time. He is always waiting for us no matter what our sin.”

What a great message of evangelization to those who have been involved in an abortion. With over 55 million abortions, just think of millions of men and women separated from God, but, He is patient, there is hope and He is waiting for us no matter what our sin. Even the sin of abortion!

I am not going to lie; this work of post abortion healing is not easy. The devil attacks from every side because it is truly the work of bringing souls back to Christ. Just for a second, think of how many souls are lost to Christ because of abortion – women and men directly involved, perhaps grandparents, friends, doctors, nurses, the list can go on and on. Then think of  how much the devil does not want them to be reconciled.

This work is a constant standing at the foot of the cross “dwelling in His wounds” because it is only there, in the deepness of his wounds that healing from the deep sin of abortion can be found.  It is there that He won our salvation.

But, it is also a work of indescribable joy, for after the cross surely comes the resurrection. We are also so blessed to watch many who came to us full of despair, find joy in their lives again through the forgiveness and mercy of Jesus Christ. A God who can take their worst sin and use it to bring them to His merciful heart, transforming the horror of abortion into an act of indescribable love.

In truth it is amazing to see what God has done with Lumina, a tiny, hidden ministry, isolated in the view of the world, run with just one full time person, a part time social media employee, and the generosity of some volunteers, along with the wonderful priests who help us.

The scope of our reach can only come from God, as tens of thousands continue to be touched each year, through Lumina, by His grace. I find I cannot even really think about it, but continue to try to just stay out of His way, as His hand reaches out to touch those suffering, mother, fathers, and siblings, all of us!

Our Prayerful Remembrance service, which has been broadcasted on EWTN and done in St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Basilica in Washington, D.C.,  and numerous other dioceses is continuing to spread with Massachusettes, Minnesota, and Canada being our latest additions.

This past August I was blessed to be asked to do a workshop on men and abortion for the USCCB at their pro life director’s conference, where our post abortive men’s retreat manual was distributed. As a recent man who attended our retreat told me when he called, "I have been waiting for over 20 years to see something just for men."  As a result of that conference, requests have come in to help other dioceses begin outreach to post abortive men.

Entering Canaan, the post abortive retreats I developed with the Sisters of Life, are spreading across the country and the world, with more and more asking for assistance in beginning them including Croatia and most recently a request from Columbia.

We also have recently received requests from 3 more dioceses interested in having Father Marisuz and I come to do priests trainings, which in turn reach countless souls as the priests then feel equipped to return to their parishes and speak on post abortion healing.

Our sibling retreats are the talk of the town as more and more siblings reach out and desire to come for healing. As one siblings from our last retreat said, "The Lumina Sibling Survivor Retreat was a turning point in my life. The day’s gentle, intent pace; Eucharistic focus, and intimate setting allowed time to stop and expand, encompassing both the pain of the past and hope for the future. … It was so strange and deeply comforting to be in a place where the central spiritual wound of my life was acknowledged and soothed, not idolized, but transformed through a call to acceptance, forgiveness, healing, and celebration of my youngest sibling’s brief life on earth and eternal life in Heaven, where she or he now intercedes before the face of God for the healing of my whole family.

Now I know that this wound I bear is becoming like Christ’s wounds: welling up with God’s love so that everyone – my mother, father, all my siblings, and the generations before and after us – may be drawn to Him. – “

Tens of thousands of others continue to be reached through Luminas social media, our web site, blog, Facebook & Twitter which are now expanding thanks to the help of Tricia who has been working with me a few months, but who, believe it or not, I just met in person today!

It is exciting, and humbling. It is awe inspiring, at times painful, and miraculous. It is God!

I am so grateful for all of you because we could not do this work without your support.

I often speak of how amazing it is that God used my son who I aborted not only to bring me to Him, but to call me to this work. Out of the depths of despair He freed me, and no one can take that experience from me. It is that experience that gives me the faith, trust and desire, to let others who I know are suffering as I did, know about the goodness of God.

Most people feel called to save the babies, and that is right and good, and we should always do that, but we are also called to save souls, souls that may be separated from God for eternity. I sometimes feel like we are walking through the battle field picking up the dead while stepping over the wounded. Imagine if we could bring all the wounded to the healing power of God, how He would use them to stop the war against the unborn whether that is by publically speaking, silently ministering, or just healing in order to have healthy families that nurture the gift of life.

As we prepare this advent for the Glorious Expectation of birth of mercy Himself, let us remember He came into the world to save us from our sins.  He suffered and died on the cross and rose from the dead for our salvation.  Let us trust in His patience, which always gives us more time. Let us find the courage to not only return to His house ourselves but to dwell in His loving wounds, in order to bring others to His house allowing them be loved by Him and to encounter His mercy. Thank you!