Grace is Everywhere

Hello All,

We’ve shared this invitation/request with a few friends and family already, but we are “sending” it out officially now.

Last year, we lost our precious baby daughter Grace Elizabeth. She was born on January 4 and died the same day, just 10 hours later. The full story of our day with Grace is linked here – http://missionmoment.blogspot.com/2009/01/our-amazing-grace.html. Needless to say, those 10 hours, and the 9 months she lived with us in the womb will never be forgotten. To celebrate her short life on earth, and especially her peace and joy now in Heaven, we want to invite you to “seek grace” with us in the signs all around us… literally.

If there was anything that Grace taught us (and there was so much) it was that most blessings in life are unseen, or easily missed, passed by, or even unlooked for. So now, let’s look! If at any time you see a “Grace” sign, ie. Grace’s Nails, Grace’s Deli, Grace’s Chapel, please take your photo in front of it (that’s key), attach it to an e-mail, and send it to contact@missionmoment.org

We are compiling a photo album of Gracie’s pics, and we’d love to receive one everyday, until we’re old and grey. It will force us to slow down and think of her especially in that moment. Please keep a look out, Grace is everywhere!

Peace and Prayers,
Rebecca and Bill

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Inspiration for the New Evangelization
http://www.missionmoment.org

In Gratitude for the Gift of Down’s Syndrome

The number of children born with Down’s Syndrome has decreased in recent years. Those families found with such a “defective” pregnancy are encouraged by some doctors to “ease their suffering” by aborting their babies. Rebecca and I were so advised when we learned of our daughter Grace’s condition of acrania. But in so doing, in attempting to eradicate “suffering” from our lives or the lives of our children, we destroy the very gifts God has in store for us. Yes, gifts.

Father, forgive us, for we know not what we do.

God always sees a greater good in the things we label bad. He sometimes allows nature to take it’s course, and we are invited to move through this wounded world with eyes wide open, and hearts ready for anything.

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Inspiration for the New Evangelization
http://www.missionmoment.org

Prayers for Little Mary’s Family

For those who have followed the story of little Mary Coffey, please know that she went home to God yesterday morning. Having lost our daughter Grace this past January, their story has been especially close to our hearts. Grace lived just 10 hours, little Mary was nearly three years old, and now these precious ones will always be remembered… always! The cross of their pain and suffering has been planted deep in our hearts, and has already touched so many! Now Grace and Mary both dance in Heaven’s Song; as Catholics we believe in this reality! But the notes to that Song can sometimes seem very distant. May God comfort the Coffey’s now, and all who have lost a little one, with the healing balm of His peaceful Presence. 

My friend Tony has captured a beautiful memory of seeing Mary Coffey the day before yesterday  and I wanted to share it with you below. His blog is here – The Joyful Faith

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2009
Mary Coppa Coffey

Our great friends Jim and Felicia lost their beautiful and wonderful daughter this morning. We are so sad to lose this amazing treasure, but as Jim said to me this morning, they are at peace knowing that they have a Saint in heaven watching over them forever. they have all ready fullfilled their role as parents, they raised a Saint, they brought to the world a saint, and now she will be spending her time in heaven doing good on earth for her family and for others.

I wanted to relate a story about Mary, I went and saw her yesterday, and it was really a very meaningful experience for me. Here was a little child who just underwent heart-surgery, but she was performing heart surgery on me, literally, staring at her was ripping my heart open. In the 20 minutes I was with her, I was beginning to understand something of beauty, and how much the world needs Mary. I thought to myself many times, wow, she is so beautiful, it taught me an amazing lesson, to look past the surface and look right to the heart, look right to the soul. Her grandpop said something to me that also struck me, without souls like Mary, the world would fall apart,” Its good for our human hearts to burst when we see such beauty.

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Inspiration for the New Evangelization
http://www.missionmoment.org

Touched by Grace

The following words were spoken by my beautiful sister-in-law Linda, on Saturday, in the church where we celebrated Grace’s Mass of Resurrection. I asked Linda to write them out for me because they so clearly speak the truth we believe; that LIFE is good, always and everywhere, and that it is always a gift that should be received with love, regardless of the manner in which we were born or the path nature took in the womb, causing handicaps or disabilities. Where there’s life, there’s hope. Life is good, Life teaches us, Life is of God. 

LINDA’S WORDS…

“Many of you know the song Amazing Grace. One verse states “How precious is Grace that appeared the hour I first believed.” I’m 40 yrs old and have had times in my life when my faith went up and down. “How precious is Grace Elizabeth Donaghy that appeared the hour I first believed.” I believe she was God’s love. I believe she was a reassurance that this world is only temporary. I believe her frail strong body was a Tabernacle. In her profound moments/hours, she knew family. She changed the world. She changed all of us. I know she changed me. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son… Grace was made in the image of this Son. She was a reflection of the Alpha and the Omega-the beginning and the end. After her long journey began many years ago just like in the story of Horton Hears A Who (through the love of her mom and dad, Rebecca and Bill), Grace was finally able to “YELP.” She was able to make her little voice heard. Her little voice said; “ I AM” 

I am a Daughter. I am a Sister.
I am a Granddaughter. I am a Niece.
I am a Goddaughter. I am a Cousin.
I am Loved. I am Purity.
I am a child of God. I am a Miracle.
I am Life. I Exist. I Breath. I Feel. I Love.

George Bailey was given a great gift. He was able to see how the world would have been as if he had never lived. This is a gift I wish we all could have. Words cannot express what the world would be like without each of us. We are all connected. Our fingerprints are intertwined. As Father Kevin stated “Our understanding is not like His. His ways are not our ways. His time is not our time.” God always has a plan. God knows Grace lives on in each of us. Grace has had a Wonderful Life.”

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Inspiration for the New Evangelization
http://www.missionmoment.org

Our Amazing Grace

I’ve shared about our story of adoption, both with our baby boy (so new and so beloved to us), and of our little ones over the last few years, 12 of whom went to God before ever seeing the light of day. I’m so happy to say that, for a short while, Little 13 saw that light.

Baby Grace Elizabeth came to us early on Sunday, the feast of the Epiphany and of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (we think Gracie planned it that way). We waited, praying, while the c-section proceeded. Someone sneezed and we all whispered “God bless you.” And the doctor said “That was Grace.” What a way to come into the world! Blessed in her very first seconds.

She cried and squeezed our fingers, she turned her fragile head towards the light more than once. I baptized her with water from a tiny cup and we prayed, not knowing how long she would live in her condition. Then she fought for 10 hours before going back to God. She gave up her spirit just after the Angelus bells at 6pm.

For how this day unfolded in the plan of Our Father, we could not have asked for more. We had the tremendous blessing of family, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins around her, hugging and kissing her all day. Photographs and videos were taken, our pastor came and blessed her, and a dear friend from Maryland came too; he and his wife having lost their own precious daughter at birth, and truly knowing our pain.

We sang “Amazing Grace,” we prayed together, and Gracie met her big brother too. We wept, wishing she could stay, but at the end of the day we had a sense that she was going. Family left the room after saying their goodbyes, (over 20 people who had shared time with Grace), and then in our dimly lit room, Rebecca, S., Grace and I huddled up. We kissed her and sang hymns, and prayed some more. S. rested peacefully beside his sister for an hour, allowing his parents the grace to cherish every breath Grace took. For an hour, a holy hour, we kept vigil. And then she went home, and now she is whole.

We are so thankful for all of the prayers of people near and far. Messages have come literally from all over. What does this mean? That life is precious, that one little life so fragile and so fair as Grace’s can have such an impact on our hearts. Grace Elizabeth lived just 10 hours but filled our hearts with enough memories for a lifetime. Every little move she made was magic.

We have truly felt “carried” this week by so much love and support. So now, from the hospital, we’re just resting, reflecting, and praying. God has been with us at the foot of this Cross; on it in fact with Grace, we believe. We prayed for one miracle and got so much more…. “grace upon grace.”

Grace Elizabeth Donaghy
Born – January 4, 2009, 8:04am
Died – January 4, 2009, 6:08pm

Baptized, Beloved, and Beautiful. We will NEVER forget you, our little saint. Rest now in your Father’s arms. Love you forever, Mommy, Daddy, and your big brother S.

“Every human life is sacred, because every human person is sacred.”

– Pope John Paul II

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Read all the posts on Grace’s Story
Listen to Rebecca’s Song for Grace
Embryo Adoption
Amazing Grace

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Inspiration for the New Evangelization
http://www.missionmoment.org

A Song for Grace Elizabeth

Anyone who knows my wife Rebecca knows her gift for music. This is a song she composed for our unborn daughter, Grace Elizabeth, diagnosed with a terminal condition and not expected to live outside of the womb. The first image is of Grace and her siblings at the embryonic level, just prior to their transfer through the miracle of embryo adoption (click here for the original post of our story). Only Grace survived, and for this and for our time with her to date, we are eternally grateful.

As we near an election that could spell hope or doom for the most vulnerable among us, the unborn, may this music stir our hearts into a true and lasting love for human life. Thank you all for your continued prayers!

“Everything is a grace.”
– St. Therese of Lisieux

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Inspiration for the New Evangelization
http://www.missionmoment.org