Denver Catholic

6 JANUARY 23-FEBRUARY 12, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese CULTIVATING MINDS AND HEARTS FOR CHRIST Enjoy a sneak peak of the redesigned Seeds of Hope logo! More updates and changes COMING THIS SPRING! Seeds of Hope Charitable Trust was created to help low-income families in and around the inner city of Denver afford Catholic education. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we provided more than $1.5 million of assistance to nearly 950 students last year. seedsofhopedenver.org SEEDS OF HOPE 1996-2016 CULTIVATING MINDS AND HEARTS FOR CHRIST FOR 20 YEARS A s a Cover Girl spokeswoman for some 30 years, Jennifer O'Neill became a familiar face and a household name in the '70s and '80s. It wasn't until years later, however, that she discovered what brought true fulfill- ment—a relationship with Christ. Her life today at 67 years old is radically dižerent from her modeling and acting days, and at the Catholic Charities' Beacon of Hope Gala on Jan. 30, O'Neill will speak about her conversion from hopelessness and guilt to healing and love. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, her career began at 15 when her family moved to New York City. She was discovered by Ford modeling agency and appeared on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen. At 17 she wed her first hus- band and at 19 years old had her first child, Aimee. Before long, O'Neill was selected as a star opposite John Wayne in the 1970 film "Rio Lobo," which led to a series of movie roles in the next decades. The fame that followed left O'Neill empty and looking for love in a series of failed marriages and relationships. In 1971, she divorced her first husband. Months later she found herself engaged for a second time, and pregnant. She was thrilled, he was not. "Even my medical doctor said to me that under three-months gestation I was just carrying a blob of tissue," O'Neill said from her home in Nashville. "I had the abortion and truly, deeply and profoundly hated myself. I was broken and wounded." Her pain was further compounded by the nine miscarriages she sužered afterward. "I thought I was being punished every time that happened," she said. At 38, O'Neill and became pregnant with her third child. It was during this time that she experienced a deep conversion. A Christian friend began to speak to her about Jesus and she said the Holy Spirit opened her ears and her heart. She opened the Bible for the first time and was drawn to the story of Jesus in the Book of John. "I felt a relationship with him that was personal, and I felt valued," O'Neill shared. Over time, she allowed God to move into the deep crevices of her heart and heal the pain from her past abortion. "I felt that my abortion was bigger than what Jesus did on the cross, but I realized Jesus forgives all of our sins, even abor- tion," she said. Jennifer was baptized as a born-again Christian and became fervent about advocating for life. She published a series of works to help other women who expe- rienced an abortion, including From Fallen to Forgiven: A Spiritual Journey Into Wholeness & Healing and You're Not Alone: Healing Through God's Grace After Abortion. She also produced a DVD titled Life After Abortion. She often tells other women, "If you have experienced the horror of abortion, there is hope, forgiveness and reconcili- ation in life." She helps to bring awareness to the devastation of abortion—and the silence surrounding the resulting pain—as a spokesperson with the "Silent No More" campaign. Jennifer said there is hope—Christ will lead people to the truth and provide healing. "If God can work with the likes of me, he can work with everybody," she said. "He wants us to receive his grace, and he wants us to be healed in his name and be used for his glory." The Beacon of Hope gala will benefit Lighthouse Women's Services and Cath- olic Charities' continuum of care for women in need. Jennifer O'Neill is "Silent No More" on lie of abortion BEACON OF HOPE GALA January 30 4 p.m. Mass at Risen Christ Church 5:30 p.m. dinner and auction at Wings Over the Rockies http://bohgala.org i BY DENVER CATHOLIC 303-715-3230 | denvercatholic@archden.org www.twitter.com/DenverCatholic Jennifer O'Neill will speak at the Beacon of Hope gala Jan. 30. PHOTO PROVIDED

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