Pro-Choice Catholic Testimony
“Giving birth at that time in my life, when I was not ready to care for a child, would have been harmful to both of us.”
I am a 69-year-old woman who was educated in Catholic schools through age 13. I stopped attending church in high school, and during my college years and into my 20s, I struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. When I found I was pregnant at 22, I immediately decided to have an abortion without discussing it with anyone. I was ashamed and deeply confused, but I knew I was in no condition to provide a child with loving stability.
Later in life, through grace, I got married, had three children, and found sobriety. I think about my lost child often and feel great sadness that she (I think of her as she) was not able to live a full life. However, I believe I made the only decision at the time that was available to me. Giving birth at that time in my life, when I was not ready to care for a child, would have been harmful to both of us. As the parent of three children, I know how much work and spiritual presence is required to show up for one’s child. Not everyone has that strength at different times and for different reasons. This is why I support choice. The decision to have an abortion is a deeply personal one that deserves to be made by a woman and her higher power –– whoever that may be. I have returned to Mass, and I feel deeply connected to Catholic fellowship and committed to working for social justice, including abortion access.