Even though she was the third member of her family to contract breast cancer, Vickie Race was nonetheless unprepared when her teenage daughter told her she'd probably develop the disease herself one day.
Knowing her daughter was anticipating breast cancer was "like running into a wall," said Vickie, a two-year breast cancer survivor.
Vickie, 50, and her husband, Mark, 55, a fourth-year candidate in the archdiocesan permanent diaconate program, don't want breast cancer in any child's future, so they have stepped out in faith to organize the first archdiocesan Mass focusing on a cure for all types of cancer.
The Mass, scheduled for Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m., at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, is being planned in association with the Races' home parish, St. Bernadette in Los Angeles, members of the ACCW and staff from the Cathedral. The day before, from noon to 2 p.m., a cancer prevention seminar will be held at St. Bernadette's parish hall with representatives from the American Cancer Society.
The Races are hoping the slogan, "Pray for a Cure," imprinted on pink event t-shirts, will become as well-known as the familiar "Walk for a Cure" used in many medical research fundraiser walkathons.
"We need to go backwards and start where we should," said Mark, a member of the St. James the Less diaconate group which is scheduled to be ordained in 2007. "We need to ask God to bless what we're doing. We're praying for the future."
First, they cried
Their four children, ages 15 to 28, cried when hearing the news of Vickie's breast cancer diagnosis. "Then we came together and dealt with it," said Vickie.
"Cancer attacks the family," said Mark. "Everyone mentally needs to be involved with the healing process." In the Races' case, that meant --- besides their immediate family --- members of their diaconate group and St. Monica School families from their daughter's school in Santa Monica, who rallied around the couple with prayer support and hot meals.
Though initially intending not to tell the diaconate group the "devastating" news, Vickie shared her diagnosis with a fellow group member who noticed something was wrong.
"They immediately came around and started praying," said Vickie. "I knew then that [breast cancer] is something you should never feel ashamed to talk about. I knew I could get through it. When I was feeling down, I knew people were praying for me."
Keeping vigil in hospital waiting rooms during Vickie's treatments, Mark was amazed at the steady stream of patients. He counted 40 women in one four-hour period. "This is a problem of epidemic proportions," said Mark.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 213,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in American women last year. Studies show one in eight women will have breast cancer in her lifetime.
Cancer ministry
Since the Races began organizing the "Pray for a Cure" event, people have been "coming out of the woodwork" sharing their personal and family cancer stories. Families coping with cancer from as far away as San Bernardino and Santa Clarita have called the couple to thank them for planning the Mass.
"Catholics had no place to go with their pain," explained Mark. He hopes the October Mass will "take away the fear" from cancer sufferers and reassure them that God is walking alongside them. During the Mass, there will be an Anointing of the Sick for cancer sufferers.
"We have decided to dedicate our lives to this," added Vickie. In addition to the annual Mass in October, national breast cancer awareness month, the Races are planning periodic retreats for women cancer survivors as part of their Faith, Hope and Charity Catholic Cancer Ministry. The first retreat will take place Oct. 27-29 at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre.
"We want people to come with sincerity in their hearts and come with faith and belief that God is listening," said Mark. "We will pray that God will allow a cure for cancer."
For Mass and retreat information and instructions on how to record a family member's name in the Prayer Petition Book, go to www.faithhopeandcharityccm.com, or call the Races at (310) 590-6751. For information on the Oct. 14 cancer prevention seminar at St. Bernadette Church, call (323) 293-4877. To contact the American Cancer Society, log on to www.cancer.org or call (800) ACS-2345, day or night, for information or support. |