Events

Gratitude & Blessings to All Who Supported Life in October

Our Lady of the Wayside’s Respect Life Ministry would like to extend its deepest gratitude to, and abundant blessings on, OLW parishioners — including volunteers and teens in our Youth Ministry — who participated in Respect Life activities during the month of October (Respect Life Month).

Activities included: 40-hours of Perpetual Adoration for Life, the Northwest Families March for Life, The Aid for Women Gift Card Drive and Praying the Respect Life Novena.

We would also like to extend our gratitude to Harmony, our Respect Life speaker who bravely shared her personal experience about tough choices and the support of Aid for Women at the 9:30 and 11:30 Masses last weekend. Thank you also to so many parishioners who shared personal stories and offered encouragement, gratitude, and support to Harmony and her beautiful family in the Gathering Place afterwards. For those of you who missed it, here is the text of her presentation.

Good Morning everyone. I’m Harmony and I received care, compassion and guidance from the committed advocates at Aid for Women.

I began my journey to motherhood in 2020. I had no health insurance at the time and needed confirmation of my pregnancy so I sought out a place where I could get a free pregnancy test done. I received so much more. I did not know that I would be given 1 to 1 support every step of the way, parenting classes on topics ranging from what to expect throughout my pregnancy to navigating being a mom and the importance of self care, and the opportunity to participate in support groups that have given me community. I felt safe with Aid for Women.

When I found out I was pregnant again in 2022, 2 months after suffering a miscarriage and feeling decidedly content with my family of 3, I was not excited about it. I had so much more to consider, I was feeling spread thin and I doubted my ability to care for two kids the way that I was able to when there was only one. I made the hard decision to end my pregnancy. I wrestled with this and was heartbroken.

I called Aid for Women the night before my scheduled appointment and was told that there was an advocate who would come all the way from Waukegan to the downtown location just to meet with me. We met the morning of my appointment. She reassured me. She prayed with and for me and my unborn child. She held my hand and committed herself to my journey. She ensured I was not alone and that I had support. I cancelled my appointment. I had my daughter and I thank God for Aid for Women’s dedication to the ladies in their care.

I am also thankful to the parishioners of Our Lady of the Wayside who have been generous in their donations to pregnancy centers, including Aid for Women, to make sure they have the ability to support women like me.

Thank you.

We’d love for you to join our ministry! Email RespectLife@olwparish.org today.