Rachel's Vineyard is an organization offering weekend retreats for women who have had abortions and others who have been hurt by abortion.
Rachel's Vineyard is a ministry of Priests for Life. Rachel's Vineyard has a broadly Roman Catholic ethos with a Catholic mass celebrated as an integral part of the retreat, but also runs non-denominational retreats for non-Catholics.[1]
Theresa Karminski Burke, PhD, started one of the first therapeutic support groups for women who have had abortions in 1986 after founding The Center for Post Abortion Healing.[2]
"Rachel's Vineyard: A Psychological and Spiritual Journey for Post Abortion Healing" was written by Burke and first published in 1994. It was a support group model for counselors helping women who were grieving the loss of their aborted children. In 1995, Theresa adapted and expanded the curriculum into a format for weekend retreats. Soon individuals seeking healing began to travel from other states to experience this very effective healing process.
Theresa and her husband, Kevin Burke, a Licensed Social Worker, founded Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries. There were four retreats in 1995 and by 2002 there had been 133 retreats. In 2003, Rachel’s Vineyard became a ministry of Priests for Life and its board was structured accordingly.
Currently, Rachel's Vineyard holds over 700 retreats annually, in 47 states and 25 countries, with other new sites in development. The Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Manual has been translated into 10 languages with others in development. The Burkes have lectured and trained professionals nationally and internationally on the subject of post-abortion trauma and healing. Rachel's Vineyard Ministries offers an annual Leadership Training Conference specifically designed for those who currently use the Rachel's Vineyard program. They also offer facilitation training for team members.
In February 2011, Burke was asked by the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life to make a presentation at its General Assembly about the latest research data regarding the impact of abortion on women.[3]