About Me

The picture above is of our family and the Divine Mercy Icon commissioned by the Diocese of Arlington Virginia. The Icon made a pilgrimage during 2007 through the diocese.

About Me: Mary Kidd Flemming, Foundress
Handmaids of Mercy

This website is dedicated to my little Sister Amy, whose merciful heart has taught me so much. She tirelessly has cared for family members with great love, mercy and sensitivity. Throughout the years....from little girls to thirty-somethings her kind and gentle compassion continues to inspire me.

Normally, this page would be a listing of academic achievements, awards, and employment history, but instead I'm choosing a different route.

EARLY LIFE

I was born to a teenage mother and barely twenty-something father that chose LIFE in the face of adversity when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. For this, I owe them my very existence. Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me live. My father had his first nervous breakdown at the age of 19 and was diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder. Needless to say, this played a major role in the divorce of my parents when I was four years old and my younger sister was two.
My mother remarried and soon we welcomed three new siblings, brother, sister, brother. Although, my younger sister and I lived with our father, my mother maintained her relationship with us through weekend visitations and many phone calls during the week.

My father moved in with his parents after the divorce. My Grandmother Kidd played a major role in my faith formation from the time I was old enough to listen and learn until her death in 2006. Thanks Grandma for keeping the faith. My family is full of intelligent, strong, faith-filled women that had a major influence on me throughout my childhood. Also, the women in my local Presbyterian church at the end of my street played a HUGE role in my faith development.

Due to the turmoil in my family life, I grew up lacking TRUST and security most of my life. But, in spite of it all, I continued to cling to my faith. I learned very quickly that I had to PROVE my worthiness to the world through my academic and musical achievements. And this was my mission during my school years....to put myself on the map and to earn scholarships.

TEEN, COLLEGE YEARS, And ADULTHOOD

I graduated from high school ninth in my class and with four scholarships. This, inspite of some very poor decisions and the unrelenting continuing family turmoil associated with the mental illness of my Grandfather, uncle and Dad. I was blessed to have a wonderful faith-filled chorus teacher ( daughter of a Methodist minister) whom I learned to TRUST with my whole future. She worked with me and even made a special all expense paid weekend trip to take me to the college I would go on to attend. I love you Mama Heath, I would not be who or where I am without your love and merciful deeds.

On to college, where within a number of days I met my husband, John. John was also majoring in music and had the most wonderful voice and big blue eyes. He was faithful in many things...especially his religion. I trusted him with my heart first and my soul followed when I converted to Catholicism while still in college. Thank-you John, I am eternally yours. When preparing to return to college without John, (he'd graduated that May) for my senior year, my father informed me that his physical difficulties from asbestosis were worsening and he was forced to retire early. That, combined with financial difficulties brought on by one of his recent maniac phases, meant that there would be no money for tuition, my senior recital, or expenses associated with student teaching. I was devasted. My trust in God's plan plummeted. I couldn't understand why this was happening to me. How could God allow this to happen? Was this the end of the road? My little sister, Amy, one of the greatest gifts God has given me, held me afloat with her undying optimism and merciful and kind nature.

The finances did not materialize and I was forced to not return to school. John's parents welcomed me with open arms to move to the D.C. suburb where they lived to find work. John and I had planned to be married the summer after I would have graduated and we decided to keep with our plan and were married on St. Clare's Feast Day, August 11th. I had been diagnosed with endometriosis while in college and was told I would have great difficulty conceiving due to my female problems. The doctors all told me birth control was my best chance of controlling my endometriosis and regulating my periods so I'd be able to get pregnant in the future.

Within a few months after we were married, I learned I was pregnant. But, after a harrowing experience involving one of my students breaking his collar bone during recess, I miscarried our first little blessing. Again, I was mortally wounded in my soul. I wondered if the birth control pills had played into my miscarriage, had I done this to myself? My trust factor in God's goodness hit ground zero. After much prayer, and throwing the birth control pills away for good, we conceived our first born son, John Matthew. We then went several years without being able to conceive. In addition to this, my Dad passed away suddenly at the age of 47. This propelled me into depression like I'd never experienced before and surely added to my inability to conceive.

Just when I was resolved that my son would be an only child inspite of novenas to St. Anne and St. Rita, I found I was pregnant with our first born daughter, Reagan Elizabeth. My trust with God's goodness really began to grow as did my faith.
From that time on, the flood gates opened, with the addition of Justin Patrick, Jacob Kolbe, Ryleigh Elizabeth, and Jack Killian. I found myself the mother of six children, in what now seems like the blink of an eye! During this journey, John and I went from birth control Catholics to trusting totally in God to provide for our needs. Through God's amazing grace we made the decisions to use Natural Family Planning and for me to be a stay-at-home Mom. I quit my job and cut our income almost in half. I have to say, we've not been any poorer than we were the day I quit my job. We managed to make adjustments and change our lifestyle to change our lives. In fact, each time we have welcomed a new life, we have welcomed financial blessings as well. Our TRUST in God has grown by leaps and bounds.

God's bountiful mercy has graced my life time and time again. In the thoughts, words and deeds of so many has his mercy been shown to me. With each act of mercy, my faith and trust in Jesus has grown. That is why the Divine Mercy message is so important to me and why I have founded the Handmaids of Mercy. It is my heart's desire to spread the message of Trust in Jesus to the world.