In conversations with other women, we ve discussed how Mary the mother of Jesus is often used as a model for us, but in what we consider a caricature as only mother, pure and chaste, asexual, dedicated to serving others and submissive, and leaving out her need for support, her independence, courage, questioning, strength and authority. Image: a statue of Mary at Our Lady of Fatima in Brazil (Unsplash/Mateus Campos Felipe)
There has been much written recently about rising incidents of abuse and violence against women, including an important meeting of the U.N. Commission on Women. Through conversations about this, I also learned of another kind of abuse: spiritual/religious abuse. Although the term was new to me, the stories from women who have experienced it are not new. It was and is experienced in the context of obedience to church leaders, church teachings and projected images of women that tend to shame them.
A high school classmate was moved
Christy Acevedo, Sanchez s high school, saw her post and was moved by it. She told Good Morning America that she had a lot of conversations with her friend. The McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital nurse said she decided to help her friend shortly after reading Sanchez s post. She told the outlet that she and her friend both cried because it was unforgettable.
According to WSYM, Acevedo said she felt it was her calling from God to help Sanchez. She and her husband talked about how blessed they were because they have two daughters, so they wanted to give another woman the same opportunity.