Rachel's Vineyard Explained

Rachel's Vineyard is an American organization offering weekend retreats for women who have had abortions and for others, including men, who believe that they have been hurt by abortion.[1] It is named after Rachel in the Bible, who weeps "for her lost children".[1] [2] [3]

Rachel's Vineyard is funded by Priests for Life[4] and has a broadly Roman Catholic ethos with a Catholic Mass celebrated as an integral part of the retreat, but also runs non-denominational retreats for non-Catholics.[5] [6] [7]

History

In 1996, Theresa Karminski Burke started one of the first therapeutic support groups for women who had had abortions. Later, she founded Rachel’s Vineyard,[8] together with her husband, Kevin Burke. Burke's Rachel's Vineyard: A Psychological and Spiritual Journey for Post Abortion Healing (written with Barbara Cullen) was published in 1994 as a support group model for counselors helping women with post abortion grief. Four Rachel's Vineyard retreats were conducted in 1995 and by the end of 2002 over 130 had been held. In 2003, Rachel’s Vineyard was reorganised and became a ministry of Priests for Life, with Frank Pavone as the Pastoral Director.[9] A retreat is generally designed for about a dozen clients and a priest and a licensed therapist are typically present.[10] [11]

In June 2002, Burke and David Reardon published a book titled Forbidden Grief, a review of Burke's experience in counseling women for abortion-related emotional problems.[12] [13]

In 2003, Bernadette Goulding founded the Irish chapter of Rachel's Vineyard, and in 2011 founded Women Hurt, a similar organisation, with less focus on Catholicism.[14]

As of 2014, Rachel's Vineyard held over 1,000 retreats annually, in 48 U.S. states and 70 countries.[5] [15]

Rachel's Vineyard retreats are hosted by church based ministries, counseling outreach programs, Project Rachel offices, Respect Life groups, and crisis pregnancy centers. They are offered in both Catholic and interdenominational settings.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Abortion, Motherhood, and Mental Health: Medicalizing Reproduction in the United States and Great Britain . Ellie Lee . . 2003 . 23–24 . 0202364046 .
  2. Healing abortion's trauma and 'Rachel's Vineyard Retreat': From three participants . Genevieve, Peter Maher . Thomas Ryan . amp . Australasian Catholic Record . 2009 . 86 . 2 . 200–211 .
  3. News: Groups support those who regret abortions . 20 January 2002 . 27 July 2013 . Ann Rodgers-Melnick . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  4. News: Is post-abortion syndrome real? – Proponents of grief theory add fuel to debate . 1 July 2007 . 27 July 2013 . Cherie Black . Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  5. News: Rachel's Vineyard begins to bear fruit in central Wisconsin. Joseph O’Brien. 21 April 2011. The Catholic Times, reprinted in the West Central Wisconsin Catholic. 27 July 2013.
  6. Web site: Rachel's Vineyard offers new retreat for non-Catholics . 7 Sep 2005 . 27 July 2013 . Ramon Gonzalez . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061004202928/http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2005/0912/vineyard091205.shtml . October 4, 2006 .
  7. News: After The Abortion, Redemption . 13 August 2006 . 27 July 2013 . Jennifer Warner Cooper . Hartford Courant.
  8. News: Is There a Post-Abortion Syndrome? . 27 January 2007 . 27 July 2013 . Emily Bazelon . The New York Times.
  9. Web site: Website . 27 July 2013 . Rachel's Vineyard.
  10. News: Spiritual healing after abortions: A psychologist's retreat for those battling unresolved feelings uses religious guidance . 4 November 2005 . 27 July 2013 . Bonnie Miller Rubin . Chicago Tribune.
  11. Web site: Post-Abortion Healing: Reconciling an Abortion in the Catholic Church . 5 September 1996 . 27 July 2013 . Theresa Karminski Burke . Rachel's Vineyard.
  12. Web site: Women are Abortion's Second Victims (review of Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion) . 2003 . 27 July 2013 . Johannes L. Jacobse . OrthodoxyToday.org.
  13. Web site: Forbidden Grief (book information) . 27 July 2013 . Rachel's Vineyard.
  14. News: Why women shouldn't think of abortion as a 'dirty little secret'. Naughton. Celine. 5 July 2011. Irish Independent. 19 March 2017. 17.
  15. News: Having had two abortions as teenager, Jennifer Heng now helps others heal . 26 March 2013 . 27 July 2013 . Melissa Lin . The Straits Times.

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