I first learned about Markie Works in the introduction to the Mother Angelica book that Raymond Arroyo edited entitled “Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality.” I’m retelling from memory but Markie was in despair in a hotel room in Chicago in the early 1990s when she chanced upon the “Mother Angelica Live” show on EWTN. She was about to change the channel as a nun show was not on her TV watching agenda, not with her life.  Someone had called in with issues concerning their mother (the mother in question had rejected and mistreated the caller all her life.) Mother Angelica looked directly into the camera and told the caller that “I’ll be your mother, now.” That was all Markie needed. Her own mother was murdered in cold blood by an uncle when Markie was about two; afterwards her life became one of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Always living on the margins, Markie found some solace in drugs and alcohol. But that night in Chicago, watching Mother Angelica, she hit bottom and began to crawl back up. Becoming  a faithful viewer of  Mother Angelica, her life turned around.

It has not always remained so. Given the start she had, it would never really be butterflies and sunshine. Markie now lives in Florida and has reached a point where she needs assistance. Multiple things have happened that when combined, have become overwhelming and financially unsustainable. Markie need help and has established a GoFundMe drive. You can read her complete story here: The Help Heal #BabciasBraindown Emergency Fund.

Quote: “My name is Markiemarie aka ( Babcia )

I’m here to ask for help , not something I’m used to but this is a situation in which I find that I must. 

 My life has never been easy due to circumstances I had no control over.

 In 1963 when I was only 2 years old, my drunken uncle, a Chicago Cop shot my mom in the head dead. That same man robbed me of my mother and my innocence.

( So did other men in my family ) I was routinely sexually abused and beaten for years by countless predators.

 I  carried that pain and shame with me my entire life.I prayed and cried and wondered why no one came to rescue me.I learned early that not many care to get involved and I had to fend for myself.”

 Furthermore, quote: “I recently moved from Ill. to Florida .

Last year and I started to experience panic attacks, debilitating anxiety and suicidal depression and agoraphobia. I attributed it all to lack of hormones from a Total Hysterectomy that was required from my uterine Cancer.

That wasn’t it.

 It was from being a trauma survivor , all that buried pain came to the surface and it parlayed me emotionally….

 …In addition to that, Several years ago I broke my foot when I slipped on some ice. MRSA  infections prevented it from healing right. I had to live in a non walking cast for 3 Years! Now it feels like I’m stepping on glass.  

 It kills me not to be able to function like I used to because I’ve always had a strong work ethic. I always tried to put on a happy face and positive attitude despite what I’ve lived through.

 I have been diagnosed with PTSD, Bipolar disorder and Severe Anxiety and Major Depressive disorder. I have to see a psychiatrist and take 4 different psychotropic medications to thwart the suicidal thoughts that keep intruding in my head….

...I’m a 59 year old woman that lives alone in a  trailer park who has no family to turn to and no income to pay for basic necessities. My estranged husband helps when he can but he has his own life ,bills & challenges to deal with.

(Anger Management)

 My prayer is that my GoFundMe campaign #BabciasBraindown 

inspires you to help me to be able to heal my soul and circumstances.

 I hope to be able to get some school and training to get a computer job but that’s not an option now , I can’t afford to pay living expenses let alone a computer or internet.The threat of homelessness is very real. I’m asking for a hand up not a hand out.”

 There’s more amongst the excerpts I quoted. But the story is there.

 I’ve donated to her fund. I do not know Markie personally and cannot guarantee anything; she is a Facebook friend after I discovered her name on a list of “People you may know” and I recognized it from the Arroyo book. I messaged her asking if she was that Markie Works and she said ‘Yes” and went on to tell me more of her life story.

 I thought about it, meditated and prayed about it and decided that I should donate. I took a leap of faith that it is the right thing to do. I am suggesting that you do likewise. Go to the GoFundMe link I posted above, read Markie’s story and pray about it. The spiritual life is always active, but this is the Easter Triduum and prayers are scorching the hotlines to Heaven. Graces are pouring down from Heaven as we participate in the liturgies concerning Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. Now is a good time to ask for intercessory prayers. And now is a good time to pray about offering help to another soul in need.

God rewards those who help others. We are all in need of help from time to time. I, myself, was the beneficiary from the charity and kindness of others five years ago when I was laid up at home recovering from hospitalization. My pride was humbled at the response to my wife’s pleas. We are not isolated, rugged individuals existing by our own efforts; although it seems that many people, including Catholics, think we should be. We are actually members of the Mystical Body of Christ; where one suffers, all of us suffer. When one rejoices, all rejoice. In giving to others, we help ourselves. The poor and needy are God’s representatives. Remember Matthew 25: 31-46

 So, consider helping Babcia. I consider her to be one of my ‘tribe,’ she’s a Polish-American, in recovery and a devotee of Mother Angelica. Donate what you can! Thank you! (Although I donated, I don’t remember if there was a place to write a note to the beneficiary of the fund. If there is, and you’d like to, kindly mention that you heard about the fund on SoberCatholic. If you can’t or don’t want to, that’s OK. I’m just curious as to how many readers of mine do donate.)

 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

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