The experience of abortion is a complex emotional time for many women.  Feelings of relief combined with sudden waves of self-doubt, shame or anger can mark the days that follow.  Some women find it helpful to talk with someone, especially if they felt rushed to make the decision, lack the support of family members or friends, insecure about the future, or have unmet spiritual needs.  Often women recognize that the crisis in their life that preceded the abortion still challenges them, making it difficult to cope with their feelings.  At times like these, women need friends, someone to listen and help sort things out. 

It's true that some women want to forget about the abortion and move on with their lives as if nothing happened. Or we try to manage our feelings in other ways so that we can leave these memories behind.   But if the day comes when this no longer works and the memories of the abortion make the challenges of daily life painful and overwhelming, it might be a good time to reach out.   

We are the Community of Jesus, the Living Mercy, a Catholic lay community of women and men, some of whom have also experienced abortion and have been trained to help others in the days and years that follow.  

If you live at a distance, we can Zoom, Face-Time, Email.  You could schedule a private retreat.  

If you live in the area, we can meet at our ministry home called Bethesda House of Mercy.  We have a chaplain and priests trained by us who are available for confession, and we have a psychologist and therapist who understand how to help without minimizing what you feel. 

It’s true that healing takes time, but we're here to help. It might feel strange to reach out to someone you don’t know.  Many of us remember what it was like to make that first call to Bethesda. We hope that just knowing that we're here will be a first step towards healing.