"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."
Jer.31:15-17

Both before and after abortion, feelings of fear, anxiety, guilt, panic and pressure are common - not only for the woman who undergoes the abortion, but also for the father of the unborn child, the grandparents, close friends, even medical personnel.

For Catholics, the pain of 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. The Archdiocese of Newark invites you to participate in Project Rachel, a post-abortion reconciliation program. Through the Project, some 60 priests have received special training to minister the Sacrament of Reconciliation to people who have been involved in an abortion. Included in this number are priests who speak Spanish, Portuguese and French.

Project Rachel is named for the Old Testament figure who wept inconsolably over the loss of her child. Modeled after similar efforts in several dioceses the program here is sponsored by the Archdiocesan Respect Life Office.

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 Project Rachel is counseling with Project Rachel professional counselors. Such counseling, before and/or after the Sacrament of Reconciliation, 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

To initiate your participation in Project Rachel, we ask you to contact the Respect Life Office by letter or telephone for referral to a priest or counselor. Again, we want to assure you that your communication with Project Rachel will be treated with respect and sensitivity. E-mail: arnewrespect@sjanj.net

The Respect Life Office maintains a complete list of priests and counselors. (All priests of the Archdiocese have general faculties to minister the Sacrament of Reconciliation following abortion.)

Training sessions for priests, counselors, and lay people who are in contact with women who have had an abortion, are held twice a year. Please call the Respect Life Office for more information.

Related links:
Rachel's Vineyard - weekend retreat for spiritual & psychological healing

Respect Life