CRANSTON — It was 10 years ago that Julie Lamin had her abortion at the Broad Street clinic. Today, Lamin, 42, stands at the same clinic, with a sign that reads: “I regret my abortion,” and uses her experience to help other women who have had abortions confront their past and accept God’s grace, forgiveness and healing.
“I am a post-abortion woman,” said Lamin. “I stand and I tell what I know about how much abortion hurts and what I know those girls need to hear before they go in there.”
Lamin shared that she spent a lot of time deciding whether or not she could come back to the place where she had her abortion.
“It took me a while to actually show up,” she said. “I found a desire to go but I was always afraid to do so. Even though I had even spoken publicly about it at rallies, it was something that the Holy Spirit was calling me so strongly to do. I showed up and I felt an absolute need and urge to be able to talk to these girls that are going from a different perspective.”
Through the grace of God, Lamin said she is able to be at the clinic each Saturday.
“The first time I went I cried terribly,” she said. “I felt like I was going to my son’s funeral. I know there are woman who need to hear the truth from someone who has experienced this. You can’t deny that sort of witness. I feel an absolute need to go. It’s a matter of life and death I just try to witness to the best of my ability.”
Often a well-kept secret among many people, Lamin explained that it is a silent suffering for post-abortive women.
“If there is only one person who is out there holding a sign that doesn’t mean that there aren’t hundreds of thousands of women screaming on the inside for the truth to be spoken,” said Lamin. “It’s a very silent and private pain that hundreds and thousands of women go through.”
Lamin said that Rhode Island is fortunate for the strong support of a bishop who is unafraid to speak up for the protection of all human life.
“We are so grateful to have Bishop Tobin who is increasingly working as a soldier for life,” she said.
Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, who concelebrated Saturday’s Respect life Mass at St. Paul Church in Cranston, thanked everyone for their devotion to the protection of human life. Hundreds of people were present at the Mass, many processing from the Broad Street Women’s Medical Center of Rhode Island with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“Thanks to all of you who stand on the front lines in our battle we have for human life,” Bishop Tobin said in his homily. “We come here this morning to renew our commitment to life. We have a very serious responsibility to do our part. We cannot ignore the challenge. We have a part to play in promoting the dignity of human life.”
Bishop Tobin asked that Catholics pray constantly and fervently that God would give legislative leaders the wisdom and the courage to do what is right. He also asked that they contact their congressional delegation as soon as possible to share their opposition to the health care legislation coming through the Senate.
At last week’s Rally for Life at the statehouse, lawmakers, clergy, and youth from across the state joined in their support for life and to echo the need to contact legislators.
Father Bernard A. Healey, governmental liaison for the Diocese of Providence, said that the annual Statehouse Rally for Life sponsored by Rhode Island Right to Life was an important reminder to state leaders that the pro-life movement is alive and still kicking.
“It was especially edifying to see so many young men and women joining in the call to respect the lives of the unborn,” he said. “Protest and prayer are a great foundation from which to build public policies that truly respect the sanctity of human life and protect the dignity of every human being.
Carol Owens, coordinator for the diocesan Respect Life Office, said that the rally created great awareness of human-life issues especially efforts to force taxpayers to fund abortions.
“People need to be more aware of what is happening with this health care bill,” she said. “It’s is really frightening for people of all ages. I think having young people there is very encouraging. It was really a variety of different age groups that were there. Trying to get people to step up to the plate and call their representatives is vital. I think this is probably the most critical issue of our lifetime.”
Mitchell Clough, sophomore at Bishop Hendricken High School explained that he was happy that the speakers offered helpful information to him and his classmates.
“They gave a lot of good ideas of what you can do to help,” said Clough.
Contessa Brown of Providence said that it was energizing to see dedicated individuals standing for the same cause.
“I feel like it’s very encouraging to see so many people who are pro-life and here today without being afraid to go with what the world is pushing us to do,” Brown said.
In a time when the health care debate is on the minds of many, Will Sousa Grapentine of Bristol shared that it is a catalyst for people who are passionate about the dignity of life that will encourage them to step off the sidelines.
“It’s a really big motive to get people to put their beliefs in the votes,” said Sousa Grapentine.
Becky Miller, education coordinator at Rhode Island Right to Life said she was excited to see so many high school students from LaSalle, Hendricken, Masters Regional, and other schools at the rally their continue their stand for life.
“It was wonderful to see so many pro-life leaders in our state come together at the rally,” said Miller. “I am thankful for our proudly pro-life governor and his wife and for their support. I hope that Speaker Murphy and our representatives in the House will listen to the will of the people strongly expressed at the rally today and give the Women’s Right to Know Bill a floor vote after holding it in committee for 15 years.”
It is the power of prayer, Lamin shared, that will provide strength to mothers contemplating abortion, and will motivate legislators to stand up for humanity at every stage, and will bring grieving post-abortive women to the fullness of life again.
“The power of prayer in numbers makes a dramatic effect on the gifts that God presents to us,” Lamin said. “Even if they are walking into that clinic, you just don’t know how God has touched their hearts. It is through the intercession of Mary and the power of prayer that people are turned away from the clinic. A few women turned away on Saturday. It’s always good to let people know because some people get discouraged and feel that maybe their prayers are not working when in fact they are. We are on the front lines of the war on good vs. evil. Everyone who is involved in the process needs our prayer.”
For information on the post-abortion healing ministries offered by the Diocese of Providence, call 421-7833, ext.119.
