The Daughters of the Virgin Mother, a religious community based in Gastonia, receive the Outstanding Service Award during the 25th Annual MiraVia Banquet Oct. 24. (Photos by SueAnn Howell and Deacon Ruben Tamayo)CHARLOTTE — MiraVia celebrated a milestone anniversary at this year’s fundraising banquet “Lighting the Way for 25 Years.” A record number of more than 1,500 people attended the event Oct. 24 at the Charlotte Convention Center Crown Ballroom in support of this pro-life ministry.
Bishop Peter Jugis was acknowledged at the banquet for his unfailing support of MiraVia over the past two decades. He was presented a framed image of the Holy Family by former MiraVia directors Jeannie Wray and Cindy Brown, as well as current director, Debbie Capen.
MiraVia, which began as Room At The Inn in 1994, helps abortion-vulnerable women choose life and build independent, healthy lives for themselves and their children. MiraVia offers life skills classes, material assistance and moral support to the women who come to them for help – free of charge. Since its founding, MiraVia has helped 8,816 women and their children at its outreach facility in Charlotte.
Abby Johnson, whose pro-life journey is now documented in the bestselling book and movie “Unplanned,” served as keynote speaker at the 25th annual event. Johnson is a former manager of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Texas who left the abortion industry in 2009 after witnessing firsthand the brutal ending of the life of a child in the womb during an abortion.
Johnson, now a mother of eight, who herself had two abortions, now devotes her life to educating people about the tragedy of abortion and at the same time proclaiming the Gospel message of Jesus Christ – His mercy, forgiveness and healing.
She and her husband Doug converted to Catholicism in 2012.
“I was coming from such a broken, wounded place when it came to my faith,” she said during a pre-event interview. “The more I learned about the Church, the more I realized that all of these questions I had my whole life – questions of faith that couldn’t be answered in the Baptist church I grew up in, or the non-denominational churches I had attended in college, or the Episcopal church I had attended – all of the questions kept being answered in the Catholic Church.”
She said this past year with the lead-up and release of the movie “Unplanned” has been a meaningful time for her. “It’s been affirming that I am walking in the will of God. I see Him doing these really mighty things through the film – people’s hearts being changed, babies being saved, and people coming to Christ because of what they are witnessing… It’s been a tremendous blessing to see that happen and to be a small part in God’s plan.”
During her keynote address, Johnson said the pro-life movement has to focus on conversion of hearts.
Pro-life activist Abby Johnson delivers the keynote address.
Bishop Peter Jugis receives a framed image of the Holy Family from former MiraVia executive director, Jeannie Wray, in recognition of his support for the ministry.“I am standing in front of you today as a testament to the power of conversion. No one is beyond the power of conversion because no one is beyond the power of Jesus Christ,” she said. “That’s what this movement must be about. It must be about conversion of heart. Conversion for women who are scared, who are contemplating abortion, who are vulnerable. It cannot just be about just saving one baby. It must be about converting the heart of that mother. Because that is what makes real cultural change; that is what brings about eternal change. It is conversion.”
“We must also work for the conversion for the fathers involved,” she added. “I believe one of the antidotes to abortion is fatherhood.”
At the end of her remarks Johnson encouraged everyone present, “I know we will see victory, because I know who wins in the end. But until that day we must fight with every fiber of our being. We must fight. We must act. We must serve. We must provide. We must pray. Lives are literally depending on it.”
Debbie Capen, MiraVia’s executive director, then shared the good news of how donations to the outreach ministry helped women and children over the past year: Donors contributed more than 40,187 diapers, 1,256 bags of clothing and 4,798 pounds of food to MiraVia moms and their babies.
Capen also shared that in the past year, 14 mothers and their babies were served by MiraVia through its residential facility for college student mothers on the campus of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont.
The Daughters of the Virgin Mother, a religious community located in Gastonia, were recognized during the banquet for their tireless service to the mothers and children of MiraVia’s residential facility in Belmont.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Learn more
At www.mira-via.org: Get more information about how to volunteer or donate to MiraVia