Bishop Thomas John Paprocki | Diocese of Springfield

Alma Pederson, who grew up in Mexico and later moved to the United States, shared her story of hardship and faith in the documentary "God is Alive, Part 2," produced by the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. The film premiered earlier this year.

Pederson described a childhood marked by poverty and violence. Her father struggled with alcoholism and was abusive toward her mother. The family had little money, forcing Alma to sleep on the floor without pillows or toys. She recalled, “I was little and she told me three times, ‘I don’t love you’ because I looked like my dad,” Pederson said.

Her early dream of becoming a nurse ended when she left school after third grade to help care for her siblings. At age 11, her family relocated to the U.S., but her father would not allow her to learn English.

At 17, Pederson experienced further trauma when her boyfriend drugged and raped her, resulting in pregnancy. Her mother stopped speaking to her and called her a prostitute. Later, Pederson learned that her father attempted to molest her sister.

“What hurt me so much was my dad because my dad was everything to me. It was really painful at that moment,” Pederson said.

During this period, Pederson said she did not pray or attend Mass despite being raised Catholic. She eventually attended a weekend retreat where she felt a spiritual change.

“That night, I was asking God for forgiveness for all my faults, the mistakes I made, and all my sins,” Pederson said. “I was praying the Prayer of St. Francis. That’s when I had my deliverance. I fell down on the floor. I was screaming so hard. It came all the way down from my stomach. It felt like something came out of my stomach. I screamed so hard and that was it. Done.”

After this experience, Pederson began praying regularly and forgave those who had hurt her—including her parents and former boyfriend.

“We’re born with that gift to forgive, and I think the Holy Spirit was helping me do it without me even knowing,” she said. “We pray the Our Father and ask for forgiveness, so how can we not forgive?”

Now married with children and active in church life—having previously been part of St. Boniface Parish in Edwardsville before moving to Texas—Pederson offered advice for others facing suffering or challenges with faith: “It’s not easy sometimes. Sometimes you are going to cry, but if we see Jesus as our example, how He suffered, and He said nothing, and how He still loves. How Mary suffered with Him. Seeing her Son and how they treated Him. So, why can’t we do that? It’s a way to get to God. A way to get to eternity. To happiness.”

When asked if she would change anything about her past given its hardships, Pederson responded: “No, I would not change anything in my life.

“That was how I came to know Jesus, and how I met Him, through the things I went through,” she said. “Not having food to eat, not having a toy, not having a bed, not having someone to talk to you, and they reject you. They do so many bad things to you, but do you know what? Jesus is there to hug you. He gave me so much. The most important thing He gave me is His love, and I can feel it, and I can feel it every single day. So no—I would not change anything. I loved my life the way it was.”

The documentary "God is Alive Part 2" tells more about Alma's journey.