And as they led him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country; and they laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus.
–Luke 23:26 DRA
We all carry crosses, and for those struggling with infertility and loss, the cross can be particularly heavy. But this burden need not be carried alone. We can be “a Simon” for each other! On the Way of the Cross, we pray through Jesus’ walk on the difficult path to Golgotha and His crucifixion. Each “station” tells the story of this walk, and at the Fifth Station, when Jesus is at His weakest and can no longer carry His Cross alone, Simon of Cyrene is pressed into service. At the Fifth Station, Simon comes alongside Jesus and takes some of the weight on himself. As a member of The Fifth Station Society monthly giving program, you will be an integral part of Springs in the Desert’s ministry and our mission to help alleviate some of the weight of the cross of infertility and loss. Join us today—and be a Simon to those who need your help along their path. Have questions? Learn more below!
Learn more about The Fifth Station Society:
If you’ve ever prayed the Stations of the Cross during Lent, you know that it’s the “stop” along Jesus’ path to Calvary where He falls, and a man named Simon is enlisted to help Jesus carry His cross.
Those of us carrying the cross of infertility and loss can relate to Simon’s reluctance to come alongside Jesus and bear the weight of that cross. Like him, we didn’t expect to have to shoulder such a burden. But something beautifully unexpected happened to Simon: he spent several precious moments in intimate closeness with our Lord and was privileged to help lighten the heavy weight of the world that was built into the Cross, even for a short time.
The Springs in the Desert community strives to “be a Simon” to those carrying the cross of infertility and loss, wherever they are on their path, so that we can help each other shoulder some of the burden and draw closer to Christ.
Since Springs in the Desert was founded in 2019, a lot has happened. Our Core Team and group of Contributors and Volunteers has grown – and keeps growing! They bring with them a diversity of experiences (primary and secondary infertility, pregnancy loss, male factor infertility, post-hysterectomy, menopause, and more), which has allowed us to touch the hearts of many more people, growing this community beyond anything we ever imagined. It’s also allowed us to create more resources, expand our blog offerings, produce a weekly podcast, and consult with dioceses and develop partnerships to make the support and accompaniment so needed on this path accessible in our local communities.
All of this work is so life giving! But it also requires the financial resources necessary to produce content and make the support we offer possible.
As part of The Fifth Station Society, you will be a very special part of this community. We’ll send you periodic ministry updates and testimonials, spiritual encouragement, sneak peeks of new products, resources, and events before they are made public, and materials to help spread awareness in your own community, such as social media captions, text message suggestions, email templates, and short video guides. You’ll also receive our Annual Report so that you can see your gift in action and special communications from the Team during important liturgical seasons. Finally, you will be in our weekly Team Prayer, because we want to continue supporting you spiritually, and in all of the ways you need to be lifted up and encouraged.
This is an important question, because we know that any gift you give us is a sacrifice, and you want to be sure it is well spent. Like any ministry, we have overhead costs that keep things running. But your monthly support helps us to do much more than keep the lights on. Your gift helps us to develop, print, and send helpful resources that show up in dioceses, parishes, doctor’s and counselor’s offices, and conferences we attend around the country.
We are also excited that our Clergy Toolkit—a project that’s been a year in the making—is almost ready to launch. The custom-made box will contain a comprehensive guide for clergy to help them offer pastoral support and accompaniment to those struggling with infertility and loss, Confessional cards, ministry brochures, samples of our print resources, and icon cards of our patrons, Saints Joachim and Anna. We will eventually send a sample Toolkit to every diocesan bishop, creating awareness of this pastoral need and giving them the opportunity to order Toolkits for their parish priests, deacons, and even seminarians, which will bring pastoral support to your community.
Finally, we are in the design phase of our first Springs in the Desert Small Group Guides for participants and facilitators, which we hope to roll out in the Fall of 2023. We are already hard at work thinking about future small group topics and studies, both for women and couples.
And so much more, such as retreats, webinars, consultations with diocesan offices, and video production that will offer support, create awareness, and advocate for those who are struggling with infertility. There is so much work to do, and we are so blessed to be called to do it!
Yes! Regardless of the size of your monthly gift, having the assurance of your support helps us to plan and execute the program and resource development that accompanies those on the path of infertility. When you choose to entrust yourself and your financial resources to us, we are honored, and we take seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of your generosity.
Not ready to join? A one-time gift would mean a lot to this community!
