“A Mother’s Love” by Kelly Fratamico

“Mother and Child (A Goodnight Hug)” (1880) by Mary Cassatt, Source https://www.wikiart.org/en/mary-cassatt/mother-and-child-1880 (PD)

Readers of my other blog A Lawyer’s Prayers will be familiar with Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia https://www.clcphila.org/, a non-profit whose predecessor I had the opportunity of co-founding.

Through the efforts of volunteer Christian attorneys and paralegals, CLCP provides the poor of Philadelphia with legal services at no charge.

This is one story [1]:

“In 2016 Maria, a native of the Dominican Republic, sent her two young sons, to live with their father in the US.  She could not afford to come with them, so stayed behind…Maria made this sacrifice so her sons could receive a better education and not be influenced by violence in their town.

Maria was finally able to join her sons and their father in the United States…in the summer of 2021.  However, their father became abusive with Maria and tried to keep the boys from her.  With the help of the police and her sister, she was able to retrieve her sons and move into a place of her own.  However, Maria…was scared that he would use the court system to take  her sons from her.”

“Maria…came to…[CLCP] in the fall of 2021.  She only spoke Spanish [and] could not afford an attorney.  During her initial consultation, she was assisted by Staff Attorney Kelly Fratamico and volunteer interpreter Alejandro Recio.  Kelly and Alejandro helped Maria understand her legal rights as a mother committed to helping her sons remain safe and prayed for her.  They helped Maria file a Complaint in Family Court for custody of her two sons.

On the day of Maria’s custody hearing…Kelly advocated for her while Alejandro helped Maria with communication and offered prayer.  Maria was granted nearly full custody of her sons.  Now she has the protection of the court system that she once feared…Maria has gained a family at…[CLCP]”

“Strength and honor are her clothing…She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.  She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and call her blessed…” (Prov. 31: 25-30).

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[1]  Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia Ministry Briefs 2022 (Spring Edition), “A Mother’s Love” by Kelly Fratamico, Esq., Staff Attorney.

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