Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

Every first Saturday in NYC there is a “Helpers of God’s Precious Infants” Vigil to the Margaret Sanger Center, a Planned Parenthood clinic on Bleeker Street. This month of October it is combined with “Forty Days for Life”, The forty day campaign seeks to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.

Helper’s Vigils, Founded by Monsignor Philip Reilly, are really very beautiful. Mass, Adoration, a procession to the clinic praying the rosary, then back to the church for Benediction. The prayers are for the unborn but also the abortionist, the staff, the protestors, the moms, everyone in the spirit of love. The hope – saving babies, saving souls. No talking, no engaging with the abortion supporters no matter what. (except designated counselors with the moms) Just prayer.

I must admit sometimes it can be difficult not to respond. Not out of anger, but in a desire to respond in the truth of abortions harm, but at these vigils we are there for one reason, prayer.

After a relatively quiet summer with next to no opposition, todays vigil was hopping with those who support abortion and who believe the church harasses women. Of course, this is very far from true. We love them enough to witness to the truth.

We prayed almost two entire rosaries before we could even get out of the church because they were determined to block us from getting to the Planned Parenthood. A Planned Parenthood who, in the past 9 months has had nine women taken out by ambulance. As we waited to begin the walk, I had such a “knowing” of Mary’s mantle over us.

Complete with horns, drums and vile chants, we were confronted by those protesting trying to block our way which they surely would have done without the NYPD. At one point, four women surrounded me screaming in my face, “what if it was your daughter?” as they tried to block my path. I could see the deep anguish on one of the woman’s faces as she came close to my face shouting it repeatedly. In the end, a NYC police officer had to tell them to back off.

I prayed the rest of the morning for that woman. If I could have spoken to her this is what I would have said. “I am that daughter. The one whose parents coerced her into an abortion as a teenager because they thought it was best. No matter how they may have believed they were saving my life, or that my life would have gone back to normal after terminating my pregnancy, they were wrong.”

“Like many women, I went into denial for years because there was no where to go with my pain, but the truth was that abortion impacted me in countless negative way. Depression, anxiety, fear, no self-worth, I could go on and on. And it not only impacted me, it impacted my entire family and my children not yet born.”

So, you ask me, “What of it were your daughter?”

“If it were my daughter, I pray I would be able to be strong enough to stand beside her in her pregnancy where there is already life. That I would love her enough to do the right thing no matter how hard. That I would guide her so she would not have to live with the fact that she killed her own child, a fact she may not really comprehend for years. If it were my daughter, I would explain why abortion is not the answer even though society wants us to believe it is. Abortion is a lie.”

I truly believe that woman was in deep pain and probably had a daughter who she brought for an abortion. I believe she loves her daughter and thought it was best. Sadly in time they will come to find out that is far from the truth. It may not happen for years. I have gotten women up to age 93 in the ministry finally coming forward for help, but in time, they will see abortions impact on their lives and how it infiltrates all they do and are.
Abortion kills, damages and makes people angry in order to justify. It is always sad to hear the vicious chants of those opposing us, but they too can be changed through the grace of God and prayer – perhaps even our prayer at the clinics.

Our walk back to church was uneventful. When we entered the church for Benediction you could hear a pin drop as everyone knelt in adoration. God’s peace – God’s mercy – God’s love. How very blessed we are.

Let us pray that one day those four women who confronted me will join us there.