As I've mentioned before, the National Catholic Register ran an article about post-abortion ministry which attracted a flurry of response.

There's yet another letter in the October 5 issue. It's written by a Jennifer who lives in Maryland. It says:

"I sure hope that Ginalynne Mielko from Georgia ('Stop the Spin on Sin,' Letters, Sept. 7-13) never considers becoming a post-abortion counselor, because she would sure do a lousy job in getting any woman suffering from an abortion to go back to the sacrament of reconciliation.

I, too, 'must sound off' on a particular way in viewing those of us who have had an abortion. I had an abortion when I was 17 years old, not because I said, 'You know what, it seems like a great day to kill my child.' No, I was alone, desperate, very, very young and uneducated.

Yes, I was the one who walked into the clinic and let them murder my child, and it is a decision that I have to live with for the rest of my life. We're not stupid. But because I've had an abortion means that I have to walk around being called 'murderer'? Whatever happened to 'whoever is without sin cast the first stone?'

Just because someone refers to their child who has been aborted as 'losing' that child to abortion does not lessen the sin. I would give the Church more credit than that.

I'm sure these women are well aware of what they've done without someone constantly reminding them of what a horrible and terrible sinner they are. Christ forgives and wants these women to come back to him so they can be mothers to their children in heaven. I'll tell you one thing, if I read a Catholic article that referenced 'unable to forgive herself for the role in the murder of her baby...' I would have never come back to the Church for fear of being chastised forever.

Please, have a heart and stop worrying so much about how magazines are grammatically referring to women having abortions and go out and see what you can do to help these women before they have one.

Thank you, Register, for allowing those of us suffering from abortion to mourn our children with dignity."

It's a good development in post-abortion ministry when women who have had abortions feel empowered and allowed to speak up like this.

In the bad old days, we were all too ashamed to say a word.