Project Rachel
Rachel mourns her children; she refuses to be consoled because her children are no more. Thus says the Lord; cease your cries of mourning. Wipe the tears from your eyes. The sorrow you have shown shall have its reward. There is hope for your future.
—Jeremiah 31:15-17
Without a doubt, abortion can be one of the most traumatic experiences a person can have. Both before and after an abortion, feelings of fear, anxiety, guilt, panic and depression are common - not only for the woman who undergoes the procedure but also for the father of the unborn child, the grandparents, close friends, even medical personnel.
For Catholics, the pain of an abortion is intensified by a sense of alienation from God and Church. If you are in this position, we want you to know that your Church understands and cares. We are a loving and forgiving church, reaching out to you in compassion and concern.
Above all, we want to help you through the healing process. Accordingly, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles invites you to participate in Project Rachel, a post-abortion reconciliation program. Through the Project priests and counselors have received special training to fully understand the complexity of the situation. A counselor will lead you through the steps to healing and peace and a priest will administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Project Rachel is named for the Old Testament figure who wept inconsolably over the loss of her children. Modeled after similar efforts in many dioceses in the United States, the program is sponsored by the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Office of Respect Life.
What You Can Expect
Project Rachel, like the Sacrament it includes, is a sensitive, private and confidential experience. If you wish you can be put in touch with a priest outside your home community. Your meeting with the priest will focus on preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Generally, the process will include counseling, prayer and scripture.
Also available to you, as part of the Project, is counseling with specially trained counselors. Such counseling, before and or after the Sacrament, can help you sort through your feelings and deal with unresolved conflicts.
In brief, Project Rachel represents a means for you to receive the healing grace of God as well as official Church forgiveness for abortion. It allows you, in a caring and hopeful context, to move toward reconciliation - with yourself, your unborn child, your family, your Church and your God.
How To Begin
Call the Office of Respect Life to begin your participation in Project Rachel. You will be referred to a priest or counselor according to your need. For more information, please contact:
Sister Rita Callanan, IHM
Right To Life League of Southern California
1028 N Lake Ave, Ste. 207
Pasadena, CA 91104
626-398-6100
