B
bklynbrat
Guest
I have two stepsisters & one stepbrother. Their mom is married to my dad.
Anyway their grandfather (on their dad’s side) was on his death bed a few weeks ago, so they went to see him. I’ve never met him, or their grandmother, but they’ve told me stories about their grandparents & they seemed like wonderful people.
While they were there in the hospital Grandpa needed to tell his family things that happened in his life, etc. that I guess no one ever knew.
He told them that their grandmother was Catholic. Just to fill you in the three of them were never raised in church, so this was kind of shocking to them.
Well it turns out when their grandma was a teenager (I’m guessing this was in the 1920’s or so) she was raped, became pregnant, & had an abortion. I don’t if this was her decision or her parents. Anyway she went to confession after the abortion, and the priest told her she was damned & that she could never step foot into the church again. I just could never imagine what it was like for this young girl to hear these words.
For the rest of her life she never did step foot into church. Instead she would go up to the front doors & listen to Mass through the doors.
When grandma was dying (late 1980’s) she requested a priest & told him about her past & about that particular confession. He apologized to her b/c what that priest told her was wrong. And he also apologized because she went the rest of her life with unnecessary suffering because she felt she could not live her faith.
When my sister told me this story this overwhelming sadness came over me & is still with me three days later. I’ve been praying for her family (grandpa died last week), but especially for her grandma.
I feel that I need to do more, but what more can I do besides pray?
God Bless
Anyway their grandfather (on their dad’s side) was on his death bed a few weeks ago, so they went to see him. I’ve never met him, or their grandmother, but they’ve told me stories about their grandparents & they seemed like wonderful people.
While they were there in the hospital Grandpa needed to tell his family things that happened in his life, etc. that I guess no one ever knew.
He told them that their grandmother was Catholic. Just to fill you in the three of them were never raised in church, so this was kind of shocking to them.
Well it turns out when their grandma was a teenager (I’m guessing this was in the 1920’s or so) she was raped, became pregnant, & had an abortion. I don’t if this was her decision or her parents. Anyway she went to confession after the abortion, and the priest told her she was damned & that she could never step foot into the church again. I just could never imagine what it was like for this young girl to hear these words.
For the rest of her life she never did step foot into church. Instead she would go up to the front doors & listen to Mass through the doors.
When grandma was dying (late 1980’s) she requested a priest & told him about her past & about that particular confession. He apologized to her b/c what that priest told her was wrong. And he also apologized because she went the rest of her life with unnecessary suffering because she felt she could not live her faith.
When my sister told me this story this overwhelming sadness came over me & is still with me three days later. I’ve been praying for her family (grandpa died last week), but especially for her grandma.
I feel that I need to do more, but what more can I do besides pray?
God Bless
Definitely have Masses said for her and for the grandfather - and like other posters have said, invite her by name to Mass with you.
