Digital Marian Helper Winter_2019

F ather J oseph W rites By the grace of God, in September Marian Press released my boo k After Suicide: There’s Hope for Them and for You, written with co-author Jason Lewis, MIC. Laying bare the Church’s real teaching about suicide, the book charts a path forward for those who’ve lost loved ones to suicide or any other cause of death. We’ve also revealed how our prayers can bring hope for the salvation of those who die by suicide, even those who died long ago. News headlines continue to underscore the critical importance of this work. Just this October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the youth suicide rate has increased by 56 percent in the last decade. That dire statistic follows news of record high suicides among active military personnel. Worldwide, a person dies from suicide every 40 seconds. As Br. Jason and I traveled the country this fall, we were greatly moved by the powerful and tragic stories people shared with us. For instance, I’ll never forget the woman I met in Illinois who’d lost her husband and both of her sons to suicide this past year. She looked so rattled, so forlorn. As she clutched the book and promised to read it, I prayed, “Please, God, may this book bring her hope.” I beg you to pray for this woman. And please pray for the South Carolina woman I met who had also recently lost her husband to suicide. She told me that a friend of hers had sent her the book. Soon after, another friend invited her to a Divine Mercy con- ference. She had no idea that the author of the book she was reading was the featured speaker. When she learned this, she said she just about fell out of her chair in amazement at God’s mercy. She’s certain God was speaking to her through this series of events. And please pray for Maria Eby, a Marian Helper from Michigan, and her close friend, who lost a brother to suicide this fall. She’s been reading the book to him. He’s thankful to discover how the Church acknowledges that serious psychological disorders can play a factor in suicides — factors that can diminish the responsibility of those who take their own lives. Indeed, there’s hope for the soul of his brother! And please pray for the soul of the father of a woman in New Jersey whom I also met. “Father Chris,” she said, “I came here today because 20 years ago my father killed himself, and for 20 years I thought he was in hell. I much better understand now there’s hope for his salvation, and I trust now that there is hope for him to be in Heaven.” And please pray for a Michigan man who lost his brother to suicide. He told me his family has been rocked to its core. He bought books to give to each of his nine siblings. And, please, pray for the woman I met in San Diego who approached me, joined by her two daughters. She had lost her husband to indirect suicide, through addic- tion. Together, we prayed for her husband’s salvation, which brought them to tears. These are just a few of so many stories. So many peo- ple are in need of prayer. There’s so much pain out there. Yet how amazing it is to get such a first-hand glimpse of how God works. He clearly wishes to bring healing mer- cy to those who hunger for it. I humbly thank all of you who have been praying for us in this critical ministry. I invite you to visi t SuicideAndHope.com to add a name of a loved one to our list of prayer intentions as I personally pray and celebrate Masses for all the names listed there. A s you may know, we at the Marian Helpers Center have been putting a great deal of emphasis recently on a particular ministry that God set before us, one that the world so desperately needs at this moment: ministering to those affected by suicide. IN TRAGEDY, A GLIMPSE OF GOD “Father Joseph, MIC,” is the honorary title of the director of the Association of Marian Helpers. The current director i s Fr. Chris Alar, MIC. M arian H elper • W inter 2019-20 • marian . org 3