Rachel Mackenzie’s life was forever transformed during a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat in 2008 for people affected by abortion. Due to what she describes as “a botched abortion experience”, she believed she could no longer be a mother, and carried with her deep shame as a result. Until, that is, a priest told her: “Rachel, it’s not that you could have been a mum, but you are a mum.” These words “melted and healed [her] broken heart.” The experience was so profound that she resolved to help other people who had been in her situation and, eight years later, she is now a leading figure in the British arm of the charity, leading retreats throughout the country.

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Rachel’s Vineyard was established in the United States by a trainee Catholic psychotherapist who was silenced after noticing that her clients who had eating disorders all shared a common experience: they had had an abortion. The refusal of the medical and therapeutic profession to acknowledge the trauma caused to women who have had abortions inspired her to set up the charity, which is now in over 80 countries. “The need for this healing ministry truly is universal,” Rachel said, pointing out that those affected by the trauma of abortion doesn’t just include the mothers themselves but also fathers, grandparents, siblings, other family members and abortion workers.

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In addition to healing retreats, Rachel’s Vineyard also provides ongoing support, both formal and informal, to those affected by abortion. Whilst the retreats can lead to life-changing conversion experiences, many people are deeply wounded by the experience of abortion and have complex needs. Private therapy is expensive, and it is rare to find a practitioner who accepts Catholic teaching on abortion. Therefore Rachel’s Vineyard provides financial support of up to £700 a month for those who are struggling and has a roster of Catholic therapists who can navigate the often complex contexts in which an abortion takes place. 

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In the UK, Rachel’s Vineyard organises six to eight retreats each year across the country, many of which Rachel now leads. The effect on the participants is often deeply moving and profound, not least given that modern culture sees no moral wrong in abortion. The charity “truly is the work of the Holy Spirit”, said Rachel, pointing to the support given by the Catholic Church and the Guild. “We believe that we are a part of the battle between good and evil.”  

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It is clear that God is at work in the retreats. Rachel speaks of one woman, now a retreat facilitator, who went home after her first retreat and screamed when she saw her eyes, which she hadn’t realised were blue. Since her abortion decades before, she would look in the mirror and just see black eyes. There are a significant number of people who, having been on a retreat, subsequently express a desire to become Catholic or develop their relationship with Christ. Rachel’s Vineyard has run an Alpha course attended by 37 participants, as well as encouraging a significant number of non-Catholics to start RCIA. 

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With the number of abortions skyrocketing in recent years, the trajectory is both alarming and clear. Rachel is undeterred. “Our hope is that one day, Rachel’s Vineyard will not be needed as abortion will be unthinkable,” she said. But until then, “we will be the hands and feet of Jesus for the men and women wounded by abortion.” 

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