By Patrick Downes | Hawaii Catholic Herald
Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries Hawaii, a program for those struggling with the emotional or spiritual pain of abortion, is offering three weekend retreats over the next 12 months: Sept. 25-27, May 21-23, 2010, and Oct. 1-3, 2010.
The three-day, two-night retreats are strictly confidential. They are held in both Catholic and inter-denominational settings.
The cost per person is $100 and scholarships are available. Lodging, meals and materials are provided.
The retreats are described in a Rachel Vineyard brochure as “a chance to get away from all the daily pressures of work and family and focus on this painful time in your life through a supportive and non-judgmental process.”
Rachel’s Vineyard offers exercises which allow participants to express grief and sorrow, accept forgiveness for themselves and others, and re-connect on a spiritual level with children who have been aborted, to give them honor and dignity.
The retreat teams include professional counselors, members of the clergy and lay volunteers.
Rachel’s Vineyard was founded in 1997 by counselors and authors Theresa and Kevin Burke whose work has focused on abortion trauma, bereavement, pregnancy loss, marriage counseling, sexual abuse, eating disorders and anxiety management.
Theresa has written several books including “Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion” with David Reardon (Acorn Books).
Theresa Burke will be in Hawaii on Sept. 29 to give a clinical training seminar on “Pregnancy Loss and Unresolved Grief” for clergy, religious, counselors, social workers, therapists, medical professionals and educators at St. Stephen Diocesan Center. She will also conduct the Sept. 25-27 retreat.
For more information about the retreats, or if you want to serve on a retreat as a counselor, priest, lay person or facilitator, call (808) 349-5071, or e-mail rvhawaii@gmail.com.
Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries is a ministry of Priests For Life. In Hawaii, it falls under the jurisdiction of the diocesan Respect Life Office headed by Deacon Walter Yoshimitsu.
To learn more, visit www.rachelsveineyard.org.