'Special motherhood is a call to sanctity'

[Guest guest]

Friday, September 7, 2007

'Special motherhood is a call to sanctity'

A guest post by LETICIA VELASQUEZ of the Dr. Jerome Lejeune SocietyWhen

I gave birth to , my five-year-old with Down syndrome, it was

into a supportive community of Catholic homeschoolers, who cooked two

months' worth of meals for me, and a family who called the hospital

nonstop. Her baptism was celebrated by over one hundred guests who

braved the pouring rain on Mother¢s Day 2002 to fill our home to

bursting with loving fellowship. We live in a community dotted with

group homes for special-needs adults, many of whom have Down syndrome,

who can be seen all over town, leading happy and productive lives.

has had no medical complications of Down syndrome, since the

small hole in her heart healed in her first year of life. Compared to

so many parents of children with Down syndrome, I have had it easy. If motherhood is a vocation, then special motherhood

is a call to sanctity. Sanctity is achieved by uphill battles, lonely

dark nights, and surprising moments of grace. As Catholics, we are

called to help one another, using the great gifts of the Church, the

sacraments, the intercession of the Blessed Mother and the Communion of

Saints. One such saint is Dr Jerome Lejeune, the French geneticist who

identified the chromosomal abnormality known as Trisomy-21 or Down

syndrome. He dedicated his life to seeking the cure for Trisomy-21, and

working to defend the dignity of our children against negative public

opinion, and the majority of the scientific community who still seek to

destroy rather than heal these children. Unborn babies diagnosed with

Down syndrome are aborted at the scandalous rate of 90%.Under the patronage of Servant of God, Dr. Jerome Lejeune I have begun the Dr. Jerome Lejeune Society,

as a support for Catholic parents raising children with Down syndrome,

a means to encourage pro-life research to enhance their lives and find

a cure for the syndrome, and to create a Culture of Life in our society

where our beautiful children are welcomed rather than rejected. If

you are a Catholic parent raising a child with Down syndrome, please

join us in this mission, and become members of the Dr. Jerome Lejeune

Society by e-mailing me through the site and reading the blog.

If you would like to co-author the blog, or post your story of raising

your child with Down syndrome, please feel free to contact me through

my site. Thanks, Dawn for giving me this guest post on your popular

blog.

9:44 AM

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http://www.dawneden.com/2007/09/special-motherhood-is-call-to-sanctity.html Carol in IL AIM doihavtasay1Mom to seven including , 6 with TOF, AVcanal, GERD, LS, Asthma, subglottal stenosis, and DS.My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me. Join our Down Syndrome information group - Down Syndrome Treatment/ Listen to oldest dd's music http://www.myspace.com/vennamusic

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