For over 30 years, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s Project Rachel Ministry has been a national leader in post-abortion healing. We serve men and women across the region through retreats, gatherings, and support groups. At the core of this ministry is a devotion to the healing love of God, and faith in His mercy.

Mercy is a foundational principle in our faith, but it is perhaps the most difficult value to demonstrate. Our Christian understanding of mercy goes beyond forgiveness and extends into the way we welcome people back into our community. We need only to look to the Gospel parables of the Prodigal Son, or the Shepherd searching for one lost sheep to see how God cares deeply for each of us and desires a personal relationship with every individual. 

This year, Project Rachel Ministry is focusing on outreach to men who are hurting from the experience of abortion. A confidential retreat will be offered on March 16, led by several clergy members of the Project Rachel Ministry team. This retreat will be a wonderful opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness and healing, to experience the mercy of our ministry and to connect to spiritual directors and Mental Health Licensed Counselors in our community.  We hope that you will consider sharing this information with loved ones who might be interested.  A retreat for women will be in April. 

In his encyclical letter, Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship, Pope Francis reflects on the story of the Good Samaritan, saying, “this encounter of mercy between a Samaritan and a Jew is highly provocative; it leaves no room for ideological manipulation and challenges us to expand our frontiers. It gives a universal dimension to our call to love, one that transcends all prejudices, all historical and cultural barriers, all petty interests.”

These words are also true in a ministry like Project Rachel. Our programs ask us to put aside questions of ideology and to lean into encounter and accompanienment. During our retreats and programs, we meet men and women where they are and listen to their experiences. Above all, we welcome them into a Church that has been waiting for them – and is richer with their presence!

(Kathryn E. Yanik serves as the Director of Life Issues for The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.)