“Behold, the Virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.”
Which means “God is with us.”
Summer 2011
“Have pity on me, O God; have pity on me, for in you I take refuge, till harm pass by. I call to God the Most High, to God, my benefactor. May he send from heaven and save me; may he make those a reproach who trample upon me; may God send his kindness and his faithfulness.” Psalm 57: 2-4
My Dear Family in Christ,
Wishing you a blessed and Merry Christmas! The above scripture reminds me of the plight of many women who participate in the Healing Hidden Hurts Ten-Step program. Many have been abused and abandoned by those they loved and trusted. God is their only hope and benefactor; he is faithful, kind and merciful!
As we finish another year of ministry I would like to share with you where the grace of God has taken us. First, I had the opportunity to speak with more high school youth than in previous years. I think it’s wonderful to reach these young people with the reality of today’s culture. Research shows that approximately 50 percent of all abortions occur before age 25. Recently, Roncalli high school offered the Junior class a ‘Day of Reflection’ which was comprised of two talks during the morning, followed by holy Mass. The students had an early dismissal that day so they could reflect on the sobering messages they heard. I shared my witness and ministry stories with the girls while a gentleman spoke to the boys about the dangers of pornography, then we switched and he spoke to the girls while I spoke to the boys, so each group heard our messages. The students were very attentive and some very thoughtful questions were asked. May the Holy Spirit impress these young people to ponder this information and share with peers.
This year I received more crisis calls than previous years. It is really heartbreaking when a woman calls who has had a recent abortion and she is so distraught that she can barely speak. It’s important to listen and comfort her while she shares what she is feeling. Most of the time, I do not hear from her again - it’s too painful, it’s too soon. I do what I can to help, but for most, it will be years before she will be able to express and process her experience. The average time for a woman to begin an abortion recovery program is 10 – 30 years post-abortion.
This year the number of women who participated in the program remained about the same as last year. Where do they come from? Some come from Parish Visits, others have been referred by a family member, counselor or clergy. Regardless of how she learned about HHH, she will benefit the most when family and friends offer prayer support. Healing from abortion is a gradual process, a work of grace.
Parish Visits are one of the goals of HHH, to speak to ‘the great congregation’ in order to reach those in the pews who are suffering silently from past abortions. Because of the size of the crowd a Mass will feel safe to her. As she hears my story she may feel personally touched as she sees how it resembles her own. She may come to realize that she too has been traumatized from past hurts and would benefit from the program. My message allows her to feel heard and understood as she witnesses compassion from the pastor and parishioners. Most importantly, she will receive HOPE that God wants to heal her hidden hurts too.
And finally, a few words about finances. When money is tight, small ministries like HHH can suffer. Yet those who are committed to HHH not only remained steadfast in their monthly giving, but even increased their pledges. Some new people have pledged to support the ministry regularly and the smaller venues either took up a collection or gave a donation to support the ministry. Because of these generous responses we were able to meet our budget and now look forward to another successful year. I give thanks to God and each of you for your faithful support. May the child Jesus bless you with His wonderful gift of peace!
Wishing you a Blessed Christmas and a happy New Year!
God bless,
Debbie Miller
Some private comments during Parish Visits:
“I just want to give you a hug … thanks so much for sharing your story and for helping women.”
“I’ve had an abortion too, when you were sharing your witness, I felt I received healing.”
“When you shared your story I remembered a second abortion I had, but have not confessed.”
“Although I am pro-choice, your message did not make me feel like you hate me.”
“Your message was not what I expected. Thanks for sharing your story, I had an abortion too!”
“My wife had an abortion over 30 years ago, she never got over it. She died recently.”
“Thanks for sharing … now I understand!“