April is National Abortion Recovery Awareness Month

Healing the wounds of abortion.

This month, we remember the women in our communities who have had abortions and pray for their physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. The post-abortion healing process is often long and complex, but there is no better place for the wounded than in the hospital of the Orthodox Church with Christ as healer.

As members of the Church, we must reach out to these post-abortive women who may feel isolated, and show them the love which flows from Christ. Only within this love can they begin to heal from the pain and brokenness which abortion creates. Abortion is life-destroying, but Christ is life-giving. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us,

“God loves us more than a father, mother, friend, or anyone else could, and even more than we are able to love ourselves.”

In the spirit of healing, we would like to share with you some excellent presentations on the topic, given by our parish ministry leaders at the two most recent OCAMPR conferences (Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion):

• "Post-Abortion Healing," by Nancy Brown, MA, LMFT

• “Healing Wounds of Abortion and Wounded Eros,” by Nancy Brown, MA, LMFT, and Cindy George, RN MA.