Hello! My name is Roseline Moroney . I come from Calgary, Alberta Canada. I was adopted when I was 7 from Haiti into my amazing family. I come from a big catholic family of ten. enjoy cooking, singing, dancing and traveling!!!


At a young age I was able to start my journey in the pro-life movement; having been given up for adoption very young I could never understand why? Why God allowed that to happen? I remember feeling as if my life was basically over. Little did I know that my mother made the greatest act of love, she chose life!

With life we learn so many lessons but the greatest lesson that I have learned is that of a mother’s true love for a child, to be able to choose life for it. No matter where we are in life, no matter what stage we are in , we must remember our mothers love for us !!! Someone once said “I don’t want your sympathy, but rather your muscles” This summer I have taken these words into my actions. I am glad to be able to work with EMC and counsel these young mothers. I am thankful that my mother chose life for me and I can only hope and pray that I will be able to help these young women choose life for their babies.

A Mother Steps Up

In this ministry, one frequently encounters girls bent on procuring an abortion at any cost-physical or emotional. They see our advertisements for the pregnancy center and free pregnancy testing and assume we provide abortions. So when I fill out each client’s intake form with them and I ask them what they are planning to do if their pregnancy test is positive they often look at me with raised eyebrows and reply, “Abortion, of course.” While we often are able to educate these girls and, through the grace of God, elicit a change of heart, some still turn away.


Yesterday, as I counseled in Brooklyn, I met a girl who brought me great joy and affirmed the heroism it takes a young mother to accept her unborn child. Let’s call her Anna.

Anna came in and with a look of trepidation asked what services we provided. I assumed she was looking for an abortion so I took her form and began to ask her the questions. When I asked her what she planned to do if her test was positive she began to physically shake and told me that she and her boyfriend wanted this child but her mother was pressuring her to abort. As we spoke, Anna’s mother thought she was having an abortion. At twenty years of age, Anna was still living at home as she worked her way through school and her mother was threatening to kick her out if she went full-term. We gave her a pregnancy test and discovered that she was already five months pregnant! While in our office Anna called her mother and informed her that she was going to keep her child and her mother, after a debate with Linda, the Brooklyn center director, she told Anna she could stay at home.

During this altercation I asked the sonogram tech if she knew the sex of Anna’s baby because Anna had wanted it to be a secret, but I just wanted to know out of curiosity. So when Anna approached me not five minutes later and asked if she could find out the sex of her child, I was able to tell a mother with anticipation in her eyes that she was having a girl! Anna let out a little gasp and covered her mouth and squeaked, “Really?” I nodded and she threw her arms around my neck and gave me a hug.

Her openness to life and her bravery in the face of parental disapproval allowed her to find joy in the miracle of the little girl in her womb who will be born in less than four months. Though she was terrified she rose to the occasion and stood up to her mother telling her she was going to keep the child she already loves. As she left, Anna asked me if she could call me to talk and I was surprised as I normally ask the girls I counsel if I may call them. But I gladly assented. She promised to call when her little girl is born. And I am left reflecting on these words regarding motherhood as Anna’s heroism brought them to mind, “To be a mother, to feel maternally, means to especially turn to the helpless, to incline lovingly and helpfully to every small and weak thing upon earth.”

Refreshing

Having women come into our centers wanting to have abortions, can get redundant. Even though it is a blessing to be able to talk with, and educate these women, it can sometimes be disheartening to see how little they know of the truth.

Saturday morning, however, came with a breath of fresh air. We had several women come in hopeful, and excited to be mothers. Two of them were sisters who were anticipating that their pregnancy tests would show positive. Although, only one of the sisters ended up being pregnant, it was a joyful celebration shared between them and those of us in the office. 

                "Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother" - Lin Yutang

Enemy lines

+JMJ+

This past Saturday, a returning intern named Charlie accompanied me to Dr. Emily's "womens' health" clinic. Now, we wouldn't spend our Saturday morning praying outside the gate if her place were truly a beacon of womens' health. It's no secret to us that abortions take place there at least three times a week.

We arrived at the gates just before 8 a.m. to offer prayers for all inside and to hopefully turn a woman or two away from the danger inside. Shortly after finishing our first rosary, a couple of regular sidewalk counselors came over to introduce themselves. It was such a relief to know that the Culture of Life is being regularly represented on the front lines!

Just a few minutes later, a large crowd of smiling faces walked up to us. They were high school students all the way from Nebraska! They had come all this way to spend a week with the New York Franciscan Friars of the Renewal  (CFR's). Just as we began to put on the armor of Christ in prayer, the opposition decided to strike. One woman began strapping anti-life (and anti-catholic) signs to the fence behind us while the other circled our group taking pictures of all our faces. Then the woman with the signs prowled around us like a lioness on the hunt, beating a poster that read "I love choice" into the eyes of anyone who dared look up. 

Several of us dropped to our knees, mindless of the fresh puddles the morning rain had created. We prayed four rosaries this way. And at the end of every decade, we sang a sweet "Ave" to our Mother in Heaven.

Eventually, the students left with the priests, and Charlie and I were once again alone with the clinic guards. They immediately began questioning our beliefs and belittling our intelligence. The entire conversation boiled down to us being told what a waste of time it was to come to this clinic in the first place. We should have been fighting for war veterans, or defending policies on affordable daycare they said. They even challenged us to protest on behalf of gay rights! It was an exhausting affair, but I kept remembering an expression I once heard in my youth--"truth is never wasted". I believe firmly that our presence outside Dr. Emily's clinic did more than save the lives of mothers and children. We planted a seed in the hearts of those escorts that will one day blossom in their barren hearts. For truth is a hearty thing and I have never known it to be lost in the brambles.

"To set the whole world ablaze"

“If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze.” St. Catherine of Sienna’s quote echoed through my mind as I set out for our center in Queens yesterday morning. I didn’t know what to expect from the day ahead, but I knew that I had come to the Lifehouse to serve these women and bring them a truth they may never have encountered before. Then yesterday, as I counseled my first clients I saw firsthand the shock on their faces as they heard the extensive risks abortion posed for them including sterility, infection, heightened risk of breast cancer, and even death. As I showed them a film of an abortion I saw the terror and disgust on their faces as they contemplated going through this procedure themselves. All the girls told me they did not want to have an abortion, but some felt they didn’t have a choice. A few of the girls said they wanted their babies to have a better life than they could provide right now. These beautiful, strong-willed girls were left feeling totally vulnerable and as if they had no choice but abortion. Presenting them with other options, as well as information on adoption gave them a way out. Through the grace of God, many of them changed their minds, or agreed to come back for a sonogram.  I may not set the world ablaze, yet I am satisfied in lighting a few wildfires here and there. Keep these girls in your prayers, and please pray for the interns here, that we may speak the words of Christ, as our own are insufficient.

Adoption

Everyday is an adventure at EMC. Yesterday in the Bronx, a woman came in who has 2 children, and has had 4 previous abortions. Currently carrying her 7th pregnancy, she said she needed to have an abortion because financially, it's not possible for her to take care of another child. After a long talk, this woman saw that she could not go through with another termination. She wanted to keep her child desperately, but truly did not see how it would be possible. When the possibility of adoption was presented, she agreed that it truly was the best choice. Although she admitted that she doesn't know how she will be able to part with her child after carrying it for 9 months, she agreed that as a mother she needs to protect the child she is bearing. I have such admiration for this woman. Her choice shows tremendous love and selflessness. It's amazing to see the instinctual love a woman has when she becomes a mother. 

Gifts

When a pregnant woman comes in, talking about how much she appreciates everything we have done for them, it really is an incredible feeling. They just thank me over and over for all the support we have given them in their time of need.

Such a beautiful moment!

Adoption

In queens, I had a woman come in wanting an abortion. She was very sure of what she wanted. Kept saying she didn't have any other choice.

So I introduced adoption as another possibility. There are three different types of adoption available-- open, mid-open, and closed. She was so happy to know there was a better alternative to abortion.

This week we will be looking at possible parent profiles.

Help

A few days ago in Queens, I had this lady come in asking for an abortion. Although she was very upset with the decision she was making, she felt that this was the only way out of the problem she was faced with.

I told about all the dangerous side effects that come with a routine abortion, but she was still firm in her decision. I led her into the sonogram room so that we could see how far along she had progressed in her pregnancy. To our surprise, the baby was three weeks older than what we had expected. She had already entered into her second trimester.

This woman began crying so hard, saying that she just couldn't go through with the abortion, but that she really had no other option. I took her hands in mine and said "Let us help you. We want to help you. We can help you-- just let us. You don't have to do something you don't want. Please... let us help you". She was shaking her head saying no the whole time, so I let go of her hands and got up. As I stood, she got up also.

She wrapped her arms around me and said "Help me."

Crossed Paths

+JMJ+

It was a beautiful day at the clinic in South Bronx. Mary and I arrived together bright and early to learn the ropes of this particular office. Soon this counseling center will be run primarily by us, so we are anxious to learn how to locate anything from the dust pan to the medical referral sheets.

One woman I was able to counsel today had an incredible story. She had stepped into a Planned Parenthood clinic a few days prior. On her way out, she was stopped by a young man with a mobile sonogram unit across the street. This man works for EMC a couple of days a week, and spends his time asking abortion-minded women to step into the mobile unit for free ultrasounds. This tactic has saved many lives in the past, and it was no exception in the case of this particular woman.

After talking with the sonographer, and being educated on how an abortion procedure is actually done, she agreed to come into our counseling center in the Bronx for a consultation.

It didn't take long for me to realize the firm resolve this woman had mustered to keep her child. But we continued to chat and get to the heart of why she had pursued abortion as an option in the first place. Her one stumbling block was not having an insurance provider. Of course, we were able to refer her to a clinic that would supply her with the letter she needed to qualify for free pre-natal insurance. But praise God for the special grace He granted to allow the sonographer and this young woman to cross paths. He is so good to His little ones!

The power of a sonogram..

Hello hello!

Yesterday was very encouraging in Queens! We had 7 women come in who wanted an abortion, and left excited to keep their child! I witnessed for the first time, how powerful a sonogram is for a mother to see. A few of these women did not decide to keep their baby until they saw the little hands of their child on the screen or heard his/her heartbeat. It's amazing to see how instinctively protective these women are. They are going to make incredible mothers.

"And if we can accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love… And we remeind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts…" – Mother Teresa


At EMC we are constantly being reminded to love these mothers. We are not here to place judgement but to love them unconditionally. And to do this, we must be willing to provide these women with the truth.

God writes straight with crooked lines

+JMJ+

Hello, everyone! Katie here. It was another moving day at the clinic in Brooklyn. I work there with Linda, who has directed the Brooklyn office for almost 13 years. Today we truly experienced the Providence of God and were reminded once again that "God writes straight with crooked lines".

This story has to be built up just a little bit. I will start with yesterday afternoon. Mary and I decided to catch the train to Manhattan and visit a friend of hers in the Opus Dei center at Murray Hill. In the midst of saying our goodbyes, a group of women made their way over to say hello. We chatted for a minute or two, and Mary and I left the center to find a bite to eat.

This morning, shortly after I arrived at the clinic, we had some unexpected guests. Can you believe it was the same group of beautiful ladies Mary and I had met the night before? Apparently, visiting Linda had been on their agenda from the beginning. They had seen her speak in D.C. and wanted to see her in action. So, I am making a shout out to Mrs. Fowler, her sweet daughter, and their close friend. They came with all kinds of goodies for the mothers. I'm talking baby blankets, outfits, and even cookies. We were thrilled to have their company and their prayers. 

Shortly after, we had one more unexpected guest. This particular woman brings in abortion minded women from other areas and asks them to come to us before they make a decision to abort. This woman is essentially saving them from the clutches of Planned Parenthood by getting them to our door first. It was her first time actually visiting the clinic she had been referring young women to. I pray her visit left her with a deeper resolve to help the girls she encounters in the future.

We are so blessed to know that the Lord is ever by our side. I have heard him described as the "Ever-loving Mender and the Ever-Mending Lover." On days like today I find the tapestries of our lives especially beautiful.

Here we go...

Hey everyone!

My name is Mary St. Thomas and I am from the tiny but AWESOME state of Rhode Island. I know everyone thinks Rhode Island has nothing to offer, but I promise you we have the most beautiful beaches you've ever seen! Although I'll miss little Rhody, I love everything about NYC (apart from the Yankees fans everywhere...) and am already starting to feel at home. 

I recently graduated from Sacred Heart University where I studied philosophy and psychology. I have absolutely no idea what my future holds, but I'm surprisingly OK with it. I do however, know that my heart is in the pro-life movement and working in the Bronx for EMC is exactly where I need to be this summer. 

I grew up in a pro-life family, but never became truly interested in the subject until recently. I began to learn more about the issue and the hidden truths behind abortion. Once you know the reality of the situation, there is nothing left to do but act. So that's why I'm here!

I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can from both the workers and the girls who come to the centers. It is such a privilege to be doing this work and I can't wait to share my stories and experiences throughout the summer! 

The sweetest of dreams

+JMJ+

I have spent the majority of my first week here at the clinic in Brooklyn. Almost all of the girls we see are abortion minded when then they walk through the door. It's our job to inform these young women what abortion really does to the body and to take the time to find out where they are coming from. It's so important to build a relationship with these girls in the short time we have with them.

After working with a particular girl, I still couldn't tell how she felt about everything I had told her. She went down the hall for her sonogram and found out that her child is already 6 weeks along. The baby already has a heartbeat and doctors have detected brain waves in children this young! Hearing the heartbeat is always an important moment for the mother, and this case was no exception. This particular young woman left our office without making a firm decision, but it was clear that she no longer believed her baby was just a mass of cells. 

The next day she came back with an incredible story.

The night after the appointment, she had an incredible dream. With a light in her eyes, she told me she had seen children climbing all over her stomach. Laughing, playing... loving her. She remembered rubbing her belly and hearing a voice tell her that "This-- this child-- is a great blessing. Protect him." She woke up immediately and knew from that moment that there was no other way. Her baby would come into this world and he would be loved. Fiercely. Constantly. And he will love her back. Praise be to God! 

From backwoods to Bronx

+JMJ+

Hey y'all! This is Katie Adcock posting from the Lifehouse for the very first time. I flew in from Cullman, Alabama just this past week. And let me tell you, New York City is a whole other world!

I am currently attending Auburn University as a student of anthropology. Recently, a woman asked me what it is I will be doing with my major. So, of course, I informed her-- told her how I would be able to spend my time digging up historical artifacts, studying ancient cultures, and possibly finding a well preserved Neanderthal or two. And do you know what she said to me? She looked at me for a good five seconds and said "So.... you like dead things, huh?" I just had to laugh at the irony, since I have committed to spending my entire summer as a pro life intern here.

Which brings me to the heart of the matter. Our country was founded from the very beginning on three very simple, profound principles. We all know the line, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Notice that the right to Life came first? That isn't an accident. I am here to fight for the first, the most basic right of all.

And yes, I know I can't save the whole world. But when a young woman walks into my office, dead set on an abortion procedure, the first and only thought in my mind is "I want to save her". And that's how it's done. All by the grace of God, one child, one mother at a time. Pray for us, as we pour the Father's love into the thirsty hearts of his little ones.

Not alone anymore

In queen I got a young girl who has no family her dad she has never met and her mom die at the age of 15 and has no aunts or uncles she got married in her country at the age of 16 her husband would travel back and fourth to her native country Colombia then he asked her to come to the states as a good wife she came at the age of 23 but she says 8 days after coming to the states he would beat her up and force her to have sex she took her things one day and hasn't been back or even seen him and now she found out she pregnant at first she didn't know what she wanted to do with her pregnancy I explain to her the risk of an abortion and told her how develop her baby was and the reaction was oh wow no I want my baby I can't do that besides as of right now this baby is my family now

Delivering good news

In queens I have a young lady who has been going to center almost every month for a pregnancy test because she had an abortion about 2 years ago and ready feels bad about because she didn't know that she was taking someone life and now is scared because she know that maybe she don't be able to have a child she was very upset every time she would come in and test be negative but today she came in and it was positive she was to happy even call her husband and told him the news and can't wait to come back and get a sonogram and see her baby

Another lie

Yesterday in queens I got a girl who had already gone to another abortion clinic i asked if they gave her a sonogram she answer with a yes but was told they couldn't see the baby. When she told me that I surprised to hear this because she was over 10 weeks pregnant I asked her when did she go to this place, she she a week ago. This kind of stories happend so many time. When we showed her her 10 week baby she said wow it so big I can't have an abortion

Mother / daughter

So in queens I got a young lady do as super stressed out she has had 3 abortion but after finding Christ she realized what she need was wrong and is seeking help but she found herself again after just giving birth 16 months ago and was super stress out because when she found out she was pregnant she called her mom and while in the office her mother text her saying "I know that you are now like super religious but you can travel another baby you just had one if you planing to keep it then don't come to me or your father for help" she was so sad to know she doesn't have her mother support but says she doesn't care she going to keep it and that she know god will help her am so proud of this girl

Oh brother !!!!!!!!!!!!

So I been working for this organization for a while now and I have become more open to talk to people abortion,so I found a parish that wants to start a prolife ministry in there church they asked me to go to there meeting and talk to them about how the abortion industry works so I took some of the metrical from the queens office to show them what I knew about the abortion indrustry and boy where they surprise about all the statistic and the side affect and after my speech and the movie they all came up to me and said we defiantly have to help this woman now what they are doing is wrong not only for the bsby for them and I am proud to say this organization is going to help new prolife ministry start

Double the love

In the queen office I got a couple who have been married for over 10 years and couldnt get pregnant they didn't believe in invitro or any artificial way of getting pregnant and today they found out there pregnant and when we did the sonogram we found out she having twins

Welcome to the world

this was the first girl I ever counsel and she just gave birth to this wonderful baby boy name Noah aiden cortez born March 22,2012 at 4:47

Under cover

So I decided to make phone call to an abortion clinic to see what lies they would say to me and may a say I wasnt really aware of how sick this people really are I seen video of undercover people but untill your the one actually asking question you get a different feeling one of the things that really got to me was that I was told having an abortion is safer than giving birth this was probably one of the weirdest thing I ever herd

Miracle

In the queens office I had a young lady come wanting a pregnancy test even though her doctor had told her she couldn't get pregnant at a very young age she been married for 5 years but still had faith that one day she would get pregnant we gave her a pregnancy test and it was positive her and her husband started to cry I told them we need to sonogram to see how far long she was pregnant and to our surprise she was 13 weeks and 4 days they couldn't believe it the husband call to there country to tell the family the news it was a miracle baby