When my wife and I married, we made a commitment to pray downtown at the abortion center every Saturday at 7 a.m. for a year. Without fail, there was a meek woman with fire-red hair who greeted us with a warm smile and kind words, the late Donna Durning.
On the most miserable mornings, when we had every excuse in the world not to go, the common refrain would be, “But you know Donna will be down there.”
For nearly 40 years, five days a week, 52 weeks a year, Donna prayed for and ministered to the women who were entering and leaving the abortion center in hopes of saving their unborn children.
“Donna really could be considered a patron saint for the pro-life cause,” said fellow sidewalk counselor Ed Harpring. “Donna never missed a day. Even on bone-chilling days when schools and businesses were closed … realizing her daily three- to four-hour sacrifice certainly helped me to keep coming back. She truly lifted my spirits on the many days I didn’t want to be there.”
Donna counseled countless women, gently guiding them to the pregnancy resource center next door, offering them help and hope to make a different decision for their child’s life. The secret to Donna’s success was the Christ-like charity with which she approached everyone.
As her friend Linda Harrett said, “Donna was a gentle soul. … She spoke softly, but her message was clear, influencing many!”
Friend and colleague Carol Kaufman recounted, “Having been Durning’s friend for about 15 years and having spent a lot of time with her, … I witnessed her many times speaking kindly to the mothers as they went into EMW to have an abortion, often going in reluctantly and with their heads down. And Donna offered them help. … She was often successful. She carried a picture of a little girl who was saved and named after Donna.”
Donna’s charity extended beyond her commitment to the pre-born.
“A side ministry developed by being downtown five days a week. Donna’s amiable persona attracted daily conversations with dozens of homeless men,” Harpring recollects. “Her car’s trunk was filled with clothing, blankets and snacks for her homeless friends.”
Donna was well known for caring for the needs of the homeless with money, meals, haircuts, transportation to appointments and assistance with housing.
“She paid for the grave marker of one of the homeless men who loved Donna so much,” Kaufman added.
Donn’s heart was formed early on by her Catholic faith. A product of Catholic education, she was a proud graduate of Presentation Academy. Former classmate Sandy Metry said, “She was a leader in every area — class activities, social activities, drama, and was class president in senior year. If faculty needed anything, Donna was who they went to. She was a model of everything good and treated everyone with respect. We all loved her.”
Even when cited for violating Louisville’s buffer zone law (which has since been suspended), Donna continued her mission of saving lives. Linda Harrett noted, “She dedicated her time — her life — to guiding women to choose life for their preborn child. … I do believe that God walked beside her.”
After a protracted battle with illness, Donna was laid to rest on June 6. She lived long enough to see the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the banning of surgical abortion in Kentucky. The abortion center, which she devoted so many years praying against, has been shut down, sold and will be paved over later this summer.
She leaves behind a legacy of countless lives saved and touched by the grace of Christ. For those of us who knew her, she will be greatly missed, but her passing is truly the celebration of a life well-lived.
Stuart Hamilton is the pro-life event coordinator for the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Family and Life Ministries.
