Post-abortion healing program based in U.S. expands around world

Published: 2006-10-13

SAN DIEGO (CNS) -- For 12 years, Rachel's Hope has reached out to hundreds of women and men with its post-abortion healing and reconciliation retreats. Though the organization is based in San Diego, its successful retreat format has been exported to regions of Mexico, the Philippines and, most recently, Ecuador. Now there is interest in bringing the retreat to San Francisco and Colombia. Rosemary Benefield, a registered nurse who co-founded Rachel's Hope with her husband, Jim, in 1994, said the growth of the program "means that God's healing word is expanding." This summer Mary Ann Schwab, Project Rachel coordinator for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, visited San Diego to learn more about Rachel's Hope. She was expected to send a few San Francisco-area therapists to San Diego for training as retreat leaders. A former retreat participant who was returning to her home in Colombia told Benefield that she would try to establish the retreat in her country.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .