Jessica* was a sophomore in college. Naïve about sex, she thought she was in love.
But when Jessica became pregnant, her boyfriend coerced her into having an abortion. Jessica went along with a “choice” that seemed largely out of her control.
Shelly’s* pregnancy was unplanned and unwelcome. After her abortion, her immediate reaction was relief — she just wanted to move on.
Years of pain, shame
But neither Shelly, nor Jessica, was able to do that.
Shelly was haunted by a deep and lingering sense of shame and unworthiness. Jessica distracted herself from the pain, first with alcohol and later through denial.
Men also suffer after abortion. “I struggled alone for years with the guilt, shame, and remorse of my involvement in the decision to abort our child when my girlfriend became pregnant,” said John.*
Fortunately, Jessica, Shelly, and John discovered something that helped set their lives back on a path to God and peace: a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat.
The journey to healing
First offered in 1995, Rachel’s Vineyard gives those struggling with the emotional and spiritual pain of abortion the opportunity to uncover and address their feelings of anger, shame, guilt, and grief.
Theresa Burke, PhD, and Kevin Burke, LSW — who both have extensive backgrounds in counseling — developed the retreat, which has been shared with thousands of men and women around the world.
“The understanding and acceptance I found at the retreat helped me move further in forgiving myself,” John said.
“I was so scared to go, but the retreat freed me,” Jessica said. “Please come and experience the healing it can offer.”
Retreat in Madison
The next Madison-area Rachel‘s Vineyard retreat is March 20 to 22. The retreats are open to anyone whose life has been touched by abortion
For post-abortion help, questions, and/or to learn more about the retreat, contact the facilitator, Mary Mead, at 608-221-9593 or [email protected]
More information is also available at www.madisondiocese.org/rachel and www.rachelsvineyard.org
Confidentiality is assured.
*All names have been changed to protect retreatants’iprivacy.