MERCY SEAT…Standing up for truth, no matter what!
The photo above is the cover a book that was published this past summer by one of our own 40 Day for Life team members, Maggie Kelty. I just finished reading it, and I was so moved and inspired by it that I just have to write about it in today’s blog.
I have known and admired Maggie for many years. Known her through our pro-life witness on the sidewalk, and admired her for her sweet and passionate love for our Lord, and for the pro-life cause. In addition to heading up the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Susan B. Anthony list, which goes door to door prior to elections, to educate folks on the pro-life issue, she has served as a shift anchor during many 40 Days for Life campaigns. That is why I was shocked to discover in this book, the extent of her past suffering, due to false accusations of child molestation during the day-care hysteria that swept across our nation in the 1980’s.
This book is written like a gripping fictional novel…one that you just can’t put down, but it is all true. Unbelievably, she was accused of ridiculous charges while teaching at a Wee Care Daycare center. The charges were truly bizarre and would have been laughable if anyone had had the use of normal reason during that crazy time. What happened to her reminded me of the story of Job. It seemed that just when things couldn’t get any worse…they got much worse. And then even more unbelievably terrible. She ended up being convicted and sentenced to 48 years in prison. She served five…three of them in solitary confinement for her own protection. Her description of her years in prison are absolutely heartbreaking. The cruelty and inhumanity, the depravity and suffering…it truly was like a hell on earth for her.
When sanity returned to the collective consciousness of our nation, her sentence was overturned and she was set free. She is in the process of writing another book that tells the account of how this ordeal helped to bring her back to her childhood faith, and back into the Catholic Church. Stay tuned. But, in the meantime, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be encouraged by her story.
Maggie’s story is an encouragement to all of us, who, by enduring whatever suffering comes to us on the sidewalk, refuse to cave into the culture’s hysterical insanity that insists that the killing of an unborn child is “healthcare“, and a woman’s “right”. Maggie could have avoided the trauma and suffering of a 47 year prison sentence by simply listening to her court-appointed attorney’s recommendation that she plead insanity. She could have denied the truth to save her own skin. She stubbornly refused…willing to suffer whatever came for the truth. Just as Job’s “friends” encouraged him to repent of his “guilt”, when he knew he was innocent, Maggie never gave up proclaiming her innocence…and accepted the suffering that came because of it.
Like Maggie and like Job…we also stubbornly proclaim the sanctity of all human life, and the right of every unborn child to be born. No matter what may come. We will not cave to the pressure of this crazy world which denies the truth of the humanity of the baby in the womb.
Thank you Maggie, for your courage. For not giving up. For not hating your enemies (and there were many of them). Thank you for showing us how to forgive in the face of injustice. We continue on this discouraging battle, until the day when we are vindicated and the precious unborn children’s death sentence is overtuned and they are set free.
God bless us all.
Nikki
Order “Mercy Seat, An American Odyssey of Injustice and Redemption” HERE!
Cathy & Susan 8-10
(From Cathy) – Sue and I had a relatively quiet shift. “Only” 5? people went in, not wanting any information. If only they knew the consequences!
Larry & Julie 10-12
(From Larry) – . Julie and I saw several women and couples head into PP and several come out. The couple Julie is speaking to in the picture went in, after accepting a pamphlet from Julie. They then came out and spoke with Julie. The woman is behind the pole. They said she wasn’t pregnant and they were looking for a breast exam. There was another couple that pulled up in an SUV and said they were there to have an abortion, but probably weren’t. They took info from Julie and were apparently waiting to pickup their daughter who jumped in the SUV and they drove away. We and Seamus released us at Noon. Julie is such a blessing. She has the ability to communicate with the women heading into PP in a very relaxed and non-confrontational manner. She also spoke to a man and another woman on separate occasions who stated they didn’t believe in God and they were ok with abortion. Julie said we would pray for them and they walked away.
Seamus, Arleen & Karen 12-2
(From Seamus) – Faithful prayers warriors Beth Ann and Karen joined Arleen and I from 12:00-1:00 and then Arleen and I continued on until 2:00pm. It was busy today and much more of a challenge as workers on the construction next door removed the brick facade with a great deal of continuous noise and concrete/brick dust everywhere. Nonetheless, God is good!
John, Kevin & Judy
(From Kevin) – The 2 to 4 pm prayer shift today included Sidewalk Advocate Judy of St. Joseph the Worker Parish and Prayer Partners John and Kevin of Regina Coeli Parish. The construction next door was producing a cloud of dust blowing at us at the beginning of the shift. Combined with the contractors’ blaring radio, it was a bit challenging to pray. Fortunately, it was relatively quiet as far as traffic in and out of Planned Parenthood. Judy noted a couple with two small children enter Planned Parenthood. Within a short time, the father came out with the two children. Later in the shift, he returned with the children, they entered Planned Parenthood and came out with the mother who, we have to assume, must have received the abortion pill. Judy offered pregnancy resource literature, but they refused. A passerby offered the comment “Protect the children, Protect the children!” We prayed the Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows rosary along with the Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries and finished with a Litany of Our Lady of Sorrows.
P.S. Nikki’s husband Joe would like to thank everyone who prayed and is praying for him, following his groin surgery last Thursday. He is still in a lot of pain, mostly staying in bed, but is improving slightly each day. He is very grateful for the prayers! May God bless you and reward you!
Thank you, Nikki, for the information and beautiful photo of Maggie Kelty. She certainly is an inspiration to us who endure less violent but equally frustrating and hurtful opposition as we champion life. God bless all who witnessed on the sidewalk today despite the aggravating noise and pollution from the construction site nearby.