RALEIGH - St. Raphael the Archangel Church now has a special prayer space for those experiencing infertility, a difficult pregnancy diagnosis or loss.
A Catholic lay ministry named Lily of the Valley, which serves families in the Diocese of Raleigh, was generously gifted with a first-class relic of St. Gianna Molla's hair and a second-class relic of her clothing. Installed at St. Raphael April 28, the items' presence offers hope for struggling families.
Whitney Whitmore, who co-founded Lily of the Valley Catholic Ministry with Lizzy Lineberry, said St. Gianna Molla is a modern-day, pro-life saint.
“In 1962, as a wife, mother and pediatrician, she lovingly gave her life for the life of her unborn daughter rather than receive potentially life-saving treatment for herself. She is the patron saint of doctors, mothers and the unborn. This same daughter, still alive today, has generously sent us a first-class relic of her mom-saint,” she shared. "We are thrilled that the grace of the Lord can bless our community through this relic. We hope this relic becomes a beacon of hope and prayer for women and families struggling with early family life difficulties, such as prenatal and postnatal challenges and loss.”
Both founders were moms who found each other after independently walking through complicated pregnancies with a prenatal diagnosis. They united in their faith and passion to bring comfort and peace to others who have struggled with complex early life challenges in their own families.
Whitmore, who is married to the principal of St. Raphael School, is a mom to three boys. As she described, "Two of them thrive alongside us here, and one was born into heaven." Two years have passed since the loss of the Whitmores’ youngest son, and helping other families facing similar circumstances helps overcome the sorrow.
“My journey through a difficult pregnancy and subsequent child loss taught me much about ‘Uniformity with God's Will.’ I leaned on Mary and began to understand what it truly meant to give your ‘fiat’ or ‘yes’ to God, ultimately leading to my conversion to Catholicism,” she shared. “A few months later, through prayer and divine intervention, I met Lizzy, and we began to unwrap our shared desire to pray for and support others in their faith when they face the difficulty of a prenatal diagnosis and /or child loss.”
Lineberry and her husband have three children. On her website, she shares her personal story facing a very challenging pregnancy.
“When our oldest two kids were 4 and 2, we received the fantastic news that we would have our third baby. All was going well with the pregnancy until the prenatal screening showed that our daughter tested positive for Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome,” Lineberry shared. “Around the 20-week pregnancy [mark], we learned that our daughter had a congenital heart defect and would need open heart surgery in her first few months. While we stuck firmly in our faith and knew that our daughter would be cherished and loved no matter what, we struggled a lot.”
Lineberry shared that she questioned why, but gravitated toward love and prayer.
“I believe these prayers, along with the grace of the Lord, made a huge difference in the relatively peaceful birth of our daughter and the success of her heart surgery when she was 4.5 months old in 2018,” she shared, adding that she felt called to help others and seek the intercession of St. Gianna and the Holy Family.
About Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley is a Catholic ministry that serves those experiencing infertility, difficult pregnancy diagnosis, and those who have experienced a pregnancy or perinatal loss. Through the intercession of St. Gianna Molla, our hope is to provide prayer and support to those who carry this cross and to bring comfort to those who are weary, that they will find peace and joy amidst a time of sorrow and suffering. More information on the ministry can be found at www.LOTVministry.org.
Photos
