Rachel’s Vineyard is a weekend retreat for women and men who have participated in or been effected by abortion to find hope and healing. Rachel’s Vineyard retreats help resolve issues of guilt, shame, pain, grief, loss, and anxiety caused by abortion. The retreat provides a safe, supportive, confidential, non-judgmental, and sacred place for you to open up to our Lord and unburden yourself of painful post-abortive emotions. You will be able to grieve, work on anger, forgive yourself, and reconcile with God and your child.
2025 Retreat Dates
Catholic Retreats:
April 4-6, 2025
June 20-22, 2025
Bishop Lane Retreat Center
7708 East McGregor Road
Rockford, IL 61102
Interdenominational (Christian) Retreat:
October 3-5, 2025
The Mission of Cor Jesu
5615 Hamilton Road
Woodstock, IL 60098
email: [email protected] or call 815-354-7241
https://rachelsvineyardrockford.org
Would you like to receive email updates on Rockford area prolife news and events? We have an upcoming 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign, weekly Rosaries, the sad possibility of a late-term surgical abortion center opening soon on Maray Dr, and many ways you can be involved in sharing the Gospel of Life.
Please go to proliferockford.com and signup for the free Rockford Family Initiative newsletter. Together we can share the Good News of Christ and life in our community.
The Haven Network was founded in 2004 and is an independent Christian ministry offering life-affirming services and providing emotional, spiritual and practical support for families enduring the death of their baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, SIDS, Early Infant Death and terminal or life-limiting diagnosis. Visit their website to learn about the resources they offer, including Healing Hearts, a support group based in Rockford.
Pro-Life Resources
Information on local pregnancy services, post-abortion counseling, mental health support, and national political action groups covering abortion, euthanasia, and other pro-life issues can be found by clicking here.
SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR FEELINGS are sometimes experienced by women who have had an abortion. If this is happening to you, please get help immediately. We want you to know that there is hope for you, and that we care very much.
For immediate intervention: U.S.A. National Suicide Hope Line – 1-800-784-2433
+ NFP builds stronger marriages by increasing communication between spouses,
+ NFP is completely natural, based on scientific research and is 99% effective,
+ the divorce rate for NFP-practicing couples is only 2-5%
+ NFP can help couples who are trying to achieve pregnancy
The Augustine Foundation has developed a new website to help educate you on NFP and Catholic teaching on human sexuality, the virtue of chastity, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. A special feature are several brief courses tailored for young adults. Also included is a video of interviews with Catholic Physicians. Visit catholicsexuality.com.
To learn more about Natural Family Planning visit: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/naturalfamily-planning/awareness-week. The site can also be found with a search for “USCCB NFP: Awareness Week.” A list of NFP providers and educators is on the Parish Center porch. The Couple to Couple League announces a new self-paced online NFP class and revised course offerings. The self-paced online class is designed for today’s busy couple. The same material presented in CCL live classes is delivered in a series of videos and interactive learning modules. To learn more, contact: CCL at 1-800-745-8252, email: [email protected] or visit: www.ccli.org.
Billings Charting App is available from www.nfpcharting.com. Now available is an android app for Billings users to chart their fertility cycles from the ease of their smart phones. For more information visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nfpcharting
The Minnesota Catholic Conference has available free videos on Catholic teaching on the person and human sexuality from the symposium, “Revisit the Catholic Vision of the Human Person.” View the talks at https://www.mncatholic.org.
Hope after abortion
It's normal to grieve a pregnancy loss, including the loss of a child by abortion. It can form a hole in one's heart, a hole so deep that sometimes it seems nothing can fill the emptiness.
Project Rachel is the name of the Catholic Church’s healing ministry to those who have been involved in abortion. Project Rachel operates as a network of healing composed of specially-trained caregivers which may include priests, deacons, sisters, lay staff and volunteers, mental health professionals, spiritual directors, mentors, chaplains and others, such as medical personnel. These individuals, often working as a team, provide direct care to women, men and adolescents who have been touched by an abortion loss, enabling them to grieve, receive forgiveness, and find peace. In addition to individualized counseling, some programs include support groups and retreats. A single phone call or e-mail to the Project Rachel office in our diocese puts you in touch with those who can help.
Local Contact: Laura
Phone: 815-387-3379
Email: [email protected]
National website: www.hopeafterabortion.org