October 14, 2023
As a war correspondent, Jim Foley reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria, where he was kidnapped in 2012 by Islamic State Jihadists. During his years in captivity, his family was told to keep quiet. The government offered little help to the family, seeking his release, his mother Diane said.
And then in August 2014, the extremists posted a video of his murder.
“I was angry and felt abandoned by the U.S. government, who continually said, ‘Jim was their highest priority,’ while knowing no attempts were being made to negotiate or free him and the other three Americans from ISIS captivity,” Ms. Foley told K.V. Turley of the National Catholic Register. “I felt that we could do better as Americans to prioritize the return of innocent Americans taken hostage abroad and to promote journalist safety.”
Shortly afterward, Ms. Foley began the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which advocates for the return of Americans being held hostage or detained abroad and to “ensure government accountability to prioritize their safe return.”
In her interview, Ms. Foley urged all mothers who are mourning to “Take refuge in our Blessed Mother Mary, who precisely understands a mother’s heart and love for her children, no matter the circumstance.”
During those years of anxiety, she said, “My local Roman Catholic community and friends in faith prayed with me, for me, and held prayer vigils…. My faith in a loving and merciful God has been essential for me throughout. Holy Scripture and the Eucharist have fed me and made me acutely aware of God’s presence and Blessed Mary’s holy intercession throughout Jim’s captivity and murder.”
She urged all parents who are mourning the loss of a child to “Bathe yourself in God’s grace and presence. …I recommend a firm spiritual foundation to endure the trials and struggles of life.”
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