The
Woman at the Well
"Give me a drink of water."
John
4.7
"WHOEVER DRINKS the water that I will give will
never thirst again. The water that I will give
you will become a spring which will provide
life giving water and give eternal life. " "I
know that the Messiah will come," the
woman said, "and when he comes he will
tell us everything." Jesus answered, "I
am he, I who am talking with you." The
woman returned to her hometown and said, "Come
and see the man who told me everything I have
ever done. Could he be the Messiah?" So
they left the town and went to see Jesus.
John 4:13
Divorcees'
Experience with “the Church”
This woman, you may recall, was in her sixth
marriage.
Some Catholic marriages end in divorce. Statistics
give us some information, but do not tell about
the rejection, loss, hurt, confusion, anger,
distrust, and other feelings that people experience.
"I feel bad about myself, being a Catholic,
who is about to be divorced."
"Many people have a preconceived notion
that they will not be accepted in the Church
when they are divorced."
"When I was going through my divorce
I went through a period of loss of hope, a
period of desperation and despair. I came to
the Shrine and was received with kindness,
understanding, and patience from both old and
young friars. I have been coming here ever
since. I am a member of the Separated and Divorced
support group at St. Anthony Shrine. Our ministry
is that of helping others the way I was helped."
On the other hand, many divorced Catholics
were disappointed in the treatment they received
from the Church but they refused to leave it.
They did not abandon the Church that failed
them, but rather sought to change it from within.
For many of these people their Catholic faith
was, and is, a great source of strength in
helping them cope with the pain of divorce.
So recently many thousands of Catholics have
formed support groups to help each other through
the trying times, the very difficult journey
of the separated or divorced Catholic.
Our support group does not promote divorce,
no more than support groups like AA, Al-Anon,
and Bettors Anonymous support drunkenness or
gambling. During the past decade, many separated
and divorced people have come to St. Anthony
Shrine to find strength, support, safety and
some laughter from time to time.
Please visit us so that we may be of help
to you. Your presence will certainly help us.
We generally have from six to a twelve people
at our support group meetings.
"I call heaven and earth today to witness;
I have set before you life and death, blessing
and curse. CHOOSE LIFE, then that you and your
descendants may live."
Deuteronomy 30:19
Spiritual Director
Dr. Donan
McGovern, OFM, is the Spiritual Director of the Separated/Divorced
Catholics Support Group
at
St. Anthony Shrine. He has been an ordained priest
for over forty years and has extensive experience
with Separated/Divorced Catholic support groups.
Fr. Donan McGovern, OFM
St. Anthony Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Downtown
Crossing, Boston, MA 02107
Phone
(617) 542-6440
