Project Rachel - healing retreat or ‘just someone to talk to’

Sydney
27 April 2003

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Project Rachel - healing retreat or ‘just someone to talk to’

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Project Rachel - healing retreat or ‘just someone to talk to’

Demand is expanding for the services of Project Rachel, the Catholic Church’s post-abortion ministry that has held seven retreats since it was established in 2000.

Six retreats - Rachel’s Vineyard Healing Retreats - have been held in Sydney and one in Melbourne.

Julie Kelly, founder of Project Rachel in Australia, says she sometimes gets three or four calls a week from women suffering from the anguish of having had an abortion.

“Many women who undergo abortions suffer spiritually and feel cut off from God and the Church,” she says.

“When they hear about the Project Rachel service they say things like ‘I can’t believe the Catholic Church does something about this’ ... they had thought that the Catholic Church was the place where they would get condemnation, not support.”

Ms Kelly says some women just need someone to talk to for an hour or so who will listen to their experiences.

“Some live too far away to attend the retreats and can be helped by email or telephone.”

The retreats are limited to five women.

Project Rachel’s address is at PO Box 660, St Ives, 2075 (donations, which are tax deductible, should be made out to Centacare).

For information call (02) 9440 7980 (confidential voice mail) or you can email: rachel@d7design.com.au

Information on the project is also available on the website: http://www.d7design.com.au/rachel/