CLEARWATER - Therapy for the soul will be offered at the Marian Servants of Divine Providence House of Prayer to anyone of all dominations who laments having had an abortion. The weekend of February 3-5 will offer persons troubled by an abortion experience a chance to find inner peace and healing during a Project Rachel Retreat.
The Project Rachel retreat is an after abortion recovery program and is being offered by the Marian Servants of Our Lady of the Divine Providence, and is intended to heal the psychological and spiritual wounds from those suffering with post abortive trauma and depression.
Our Lady of Divine Providence is located in Clearwater at 702 Bayview Avenue on over 15 acres of land on the shores of Old Tampa Bay in a quiet residential neighborhood. The grounds surrounding this ministry are noted for their serenity and beauty. The church holds many retreats, seminars, and courses in spiritual direction there.
Says Emma Boe, of Catholic Charities of St. Petersburg, Inc. "Our Lady of Divine Providence is a beautiful setting along the bay which provides a feeling of being on holy ground. All retreats are held up in prayer by the members of the lay community."
Although based in Roman Catholicism doctrine, individuals of all faiths are welcome at Project Rachel retreats. Boe says, "The retreats are intended to transform the pain of the past into hope .The weekend is spent helping those suffering experience God's unconditional love and forgiveness in a confidential atmosphere in the company of others who have been through the same experience, guided by psychologists and post abortion ministers."
A series of exercises help attendees deal with the experience and its accompanying grief and guilt. "This process is extremely helpful for those who struggle with forgiving themselves or others. Retreats put attendees through exercises that help with grief and present the opportunity to understand and release deep feelings of regret, anger, shame, and guilt that frequently accompany an abortion experience. Many of the preconceived fears of condemnation from the Church are transformed into blessings. Memories of abandonment, pain and confusion are replaced by reconciliation," said Boe.
The Rachel's Vineyard healing models are used by mental health professionals, post abortion ministries, crisis pregnancy centers, pastoral care and faith based outreach programs.
Rachel's Vineyard Ministries was started b Kevin and Theresa Burke in 1999 as a grassroots national outreach program. Theresa is the founding director and author of the Rachel's Vineyard Retreat Manual and support group models.
Since its inception, Rachel's Vineyard retreats have spread across the country by word of mouth and now grown to around 250 held annually in 45 states and 11 countries, with additional sites in progress.
Our Lady of Divine Providence's House of Prayer is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit the church website at www.divineprovidence.org for scheduled events, mass times and news.