Blog By Sr. Rosemary Loomis, OP[/caption]
There is a place of help. It’s found with The Parents of Murdered Children/Other Homicide Victims Survivors (POMC). It is a national organization with chapters in many states. Members of POMC are survivors themselves and are journeying through their loss one minute, one day at a time. Some have been on this path for a month, some for thirty-plus years. POMC understands murder loss.
Murder loss has its own dynamics: someone has purposefully chosen to take another’s life. It never ends for the survivors. The case isn’t solved in an hour or two as in the movies. Families deal with the apprehension of the killer (hopefully); the court system; victim’s right statements (when allowed), sentencing; and parole blocks, to name a few. Cold cases may finally be solved, but the new normal the family has built over the years is shattered, and everything about the murder is re-lived.
Families of murder victims have sought out groups that understand the particular pain and dynamics of murder loss. POMC offers support and the wisdom of the journey at both the local and national level. I am a non-survivor and have been with the Central Ohio Chapter for ten years. I continually witness the understanding and compassion of the members for one another at our monthly support meetings and other events. Tears, anger, frustration, and even laughter are shared. They have welcomed me into their courage.
To learn more about POMC, please view the official national website at www.pomc.com for information and state chapter locations.
Sr. Rosemary is a certified Bereavement Specialist. She is a member of the National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved and Parents of Murdered Children and Homicide Victims Survivors. 