When Chuck Raymond stood outside the U.S. Supreme Court during this year’s March for Life, he held a sign that read “I Regret Lost Fatherhood.”
In his testimony for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign that day, the St. Louis resident said: “The pain of my lost fatherhood remains with me every day but now through God’s grace and mercy and His unconditional love, I live with joy and peace.”
Tens of millions of men suffer from that same regret and have not yet found the joy and peace that Mr. Raymond spoke of. These men, regardless of the role they played in an abortion, are the focus of Silent No More’s Healing the Shockwaves of Abortion initiative in June.
Healing the Shockwaves of Abortion is an ongoing international effort to reach all the different groups of people who are impacted when a child dies from abortion. Those groups include grandparents, siblings, survivors, spouses, abortionists and their staff, and pro-life advocates.
“Shockwaves seeks to give a voice to all those who have been hurt, all those who regret the abortion they took part in, and all those who mourn the loss of each innocent child,” said Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and Pastoral Director of Silent No More.
He noted that June’s focus on dads is an acknowledgement that Father’s Day is often a painful day for men who have lost children to abortion.
At SilentNoMore.com, visitors to the Shockwaves page will find testimonies, prayers and information on healing resources. Clergy looking for ideas on how to preach on abortion loss for men will find suggested sermons.
Kevin Burke, LSW, co-founder of Rachel’s Vineyard and an expert on men and abortion loss, said that men are often seen to be peripheral figures in the abortion process, detached and unaffected by the woman’s choice.
“But the reality is that men are involved in 95 percent of all abortion decisions,” he said, “and they are profoundly impacted by their participation in the abortion of their child. Similar to women, when men experience deep healing of abortion pain, they are freed from the shame and guilt that feeds silence and isolation.”
Janet Morana and Georgette Forney, co-founders of Silent No More, noted that men can play many roles in an abortion decision. Some men coerce women into abortion; others had no knowledge until it was too late. Some are complicit in the decision and some are just silent.
“We know through our work with Silent No More that no matter what role a man played, he is often thrown off guard by his reaction to the abortion,” Mrs. Morana said. “Many feel they have failed as men by allowing, or insisting on, the destruction of their own child.”
“Men are often pushed to the margins of the abortion debate, but after the baby and the mother, fathers are the most directly impacted,” Mrs. Forney said. “We want them to know they are deserving of healing and we want to help them restore peace to their souls.” (Written by Leslie Palma-Simoncek, Priests for Life/Silent No More Awareness Campaign 2015)
ABORTION HEALING PROGRAMS FOR MEN:
As many of us celebrate the Father’s and influential men in our lives, there are many men grieving their lost fatherhood. Post-abortive healing is not just for women. Rachel’s Vineyard offers and encourages healing for women and for men who are suffering after abortion. If you or someone that you know is hurting this Father’s day, we encourage you to reach out to Rachel’s Vineyard, and find peace, help and healing. Visit RachelsVineyard.org, or call our national hotline at 1-877-HOPE-4-ME.
