Giving 5 babies away

From my journal....”Back in 2010, when I was at the Cathedral, a young woman called, informing me that her brother just died and they wanted to attend the funeral, somewhere between Nevada and California, and asked me if I can give them at least a voucher for gasoline/petrol. When she came in to the office, I talked to her and consoled her because she was still very upset.  I noticed also that she was pregnant and asked her when the baby is due and she said in May. My next question was if she had any more children, and she responded “I had 8 babies, but I gave 5 of them away for adoption!” She said she does not believe in abortion and so delivered the babies and gave them away one by one, all from the same father. However she did keep the last 3 babies and will be keeping the one she is carrying right now. I complimented her for giving birth to all of them and keeping them alive and reminded her that on Friday, January 22^nd, was the 37^th anniversary of the legalization of abortion here in the USA. I asked her if she keeps in touch with the 5 babies she gave up for adoption and answered in the affirmative, telling me also that they are placed in good homes, all in California. Some of the stories I hear are truly mind-boggling, and you may think that such stories happen only to other families in big and poor cities, not right here in Baker City. I cannot comprehend how a mother can give away 5 of her children, but at least I admire her for not aborting them.”

A few days later, I was given this note by one of the parishioners.....“Dear Father Julian, I am writing to thank you for the letters, thoughts and reflections that you read during the Holy Hour for Respect for Life. As you read the thoughts of the baby that was aborted, my heart was breaking. I wish I had heard a priest speak as you did when I was in my 20s. Now I‘m Pro-Life - too late for my 3 babies that I aborted who would have been in their 40s now. I wish every teenager could hear you speak. God bless you.”