Holy Year of Mercy: Forgiveness for abortions

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Tammy Alcala holds a “Rosary of the Unborn” which she obtained during a March For Life event in Washington, DC. She knows of at least one unborn baby who was saved from abortion through her prayers on this special rosary.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

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Tammy Alcala lived with her secret for years, never telling anyone and her pain was devastating. As a 19-year-old college student, she had an abortion. She was young, single and did not think she had any other options.

“Of course, if I could go back in time, I would have never had an abortion. No one told me statistics of depression, or that at a young age I would be told I could never have children or even that my baby had a heartbeat,” she lamented.

“I was from an abusive background and scared. I didn’t think I would be a good mom and didn’t want my child to be abused the way I was, so I did what I thought was the right thing to do,” she said.

Pope Francis recently reaffirmed, as part of the focus of the Holy Year of Mercy, that priests have the power to forgive the sin of abortion during confession. In a letter released by the Vatican on Sept. 1, Pope Francis declared he would “concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it.”

For Alcala, forgiveness from the Church is a blessing.

Tammy Alcala, married for 21 years and the mother of two children, has devoted 10 years of her life to Rachel’s Vineyard, an organization that helps men and women find healing from a past abortion. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

“Confession is an important sacrament in the Catholic religion. We need to know the sin of abortion is forgiven. I personally needed to hear that I was absolved from my sin in order for me to start healing from my pain,” she said.

Alcala added that two key things have changed over the last two decades that has helped save more unborn babies: laws that require women to have a sonogram before an abortion and Rachel’s Vineyard, a safe place for men and women to find peace and healing after an abortion.

“Rachel’s Vineyard is a national organization and has been supported by the Diocese of Corpus Christi for over ten years now. There are 190 sites in the United States and 25 countries around the world,” she said. Alcala has been a part of Rachel’s Vineyard for 10 years and currently serves as the regional coordinator.

Rachel’s Vineyard offers hope for men and women hurting from the pain of their role in abortion through life-changing retreats. The next retreat in Corpus Christi is scheduled for Feb. 5-7.

Valerie Uriegas has been part of the Rachel’s Vineyard team since 2007. For the last six years, she has served as site coordinator/retreat facilitator.

“Joining the Rachel’s Vineyard team was my way of thanking God for the love, mercy, healing, restoration, grace and forgiveness he showed me on my weekend retreat. My heart has been redeemed and I’ve never been the same. The passion I have for the ministry is endless,” she said.

Uriegas said she hopes the pope’s decree will also encourage more priests to attend a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat.

“Imagine the compassion that would spread through the confessionals across the globe and into the pews of every church,” she said. “Our team has been truly blessed to have compassionate and loving priests on our weekend retreats.”

The retreat environment is an integral part of the healing process for those recovering spiritually from an abortion, she said.

“Retreats at Rachel’s Vineyard offer a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the healing process of restoration, renewal and healing,” Uriegas said.

Although forgiveness from the Church is an important part of recovery from an abortion, Alcala said it is just one part of the entire process.

“There is no right way to recover. It is a layer in life. The sweet part of an onion is found under the layers, in the middle, in the core. Abortion was a layer of my life that I needed to take off. We are all on different journeys in life and our walk with Christ is different.
Surround yourself with the same positive people and know that you can be forgiven,” she said.

Alcala said sharing her story of abortion has also been a big part of her healing.
“I am a link in a strong link that will one day end abortion. If my story can help one man or woman, if I can save one baby from abortion, then I have done my job in my journey of life,” Alcala said.

One in three people know someone, helped someone, drove someone, paid for someone to have an abortion or are post-abortive themselves. If you or someone you know is hurting from the pain of abortion, Rachel’s Vineyard can help. The next retreat is Feb. 5-7. Find more information at [email protected] or www.rachelsvineyard.org.