Archive for category: Rachel’s Vineyard

By Amy Julian

In December, Carol Kling, the director of the Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat of the Western Dakotas, needed to make a decision. The last two RV retreats had canceled due to a snowstorm, and then to Covid. “I was not going to let this retreat cancel,” she said.

At a peak of Covid cases, and being unsure of what the spring would bring, the RV Team of the Western Dakotas decided to try what seemed to be impossible — to use ZOOM to bring healing to those suffering from the spiritual and emotional consequences of abortion. “We were completely unsure if this would work,” Kling said. “Healing from abortion requires willingness to allow yourself to be open and vulnerable to Christ, and to the people who are accompanying you on the journey. Trust is essential. How on earth were we going to pull that off on ZOOM?”

Providentially, the Dallas RV Team was willing to share their experiences. “They sent us their adaptations, as well as PowerPoint slides. It was a great head start.” Armed with the Dallas materials, and weeks of rehearsals, the team set up in individual rooms at Terra Sancta, ready to virtually receive the women who felt called to the retreat from three different states.

Did it work? “Yes!” exclaimed Kling.  “Were there things I would have done differently? Sure. But we were blown away at the healing that these women experienced,” she continued. “It was almost surreal, seeing them achieve these breakthroughs on ZOOM.

“In the end, it turns out that Jesus can even use ZOOM to spread his healing touch!” Asked if she would do this again, Kling said, “Probably not by choice. I missed the hugs, but it is a great option to have in our back pocket.”

Carol Kling and Susan Gunn, walking around Shadehill in Lemmon. The women who walked on behalf of Rachel’s Vineyard ranked first in the BH Pregnancy Center fundraiser. (Courtesy photo)

By Family Life Ministries Staff

“It broke our hearts to cancel our Rachel’s Vineyard retreat this year,” says Carol Kling, Team Leader of the Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat, “so finding another way to help other moms in crisis seemed to be a good way to keep our team united to our mission of caring for women in need.”

The Black Hills Pregnancy Center held their annual Walk for Life on Saturday, May 9, but unlike any other year, 2020 was a “virtual” walk. Participants still registered and pledged to raise donations, but they could walk wherever they wanted.

In a Facebook video to kick off the virtual walk, Fr. Adam Hofer of Blessed Sacrament Church, Rapid City, offered the opening prayer, asking that “we may perceive more and more the profound dignity and right to life of every human person from the moment of conception.”

Travis Lasseter, the executive director of the BHPC also shared the story of Baby Alaine, the daughter of a client who has been helped by BHPC. From pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, to prenatal vitamins, diapers and parenting classes, the BHPC assists pregnant and parenting moms by providing appropriate resources and support for all impacted by an unplanned pregnancy.

Rachel’s Vineyard is a ministry which brings hope and healing to the women and men who suffer from having made the choice of abortion when faced with a crisis pregnancy. Kling remarked, “Our hope is that women who are fearful or anxious about their pregnancies would find the courage to seek out Black Hills Pregnancy Center. If they could find those services in time, they would not need our ministry to heal their wounds of heartbreak and regret.”

Amy Julian, the director of Family Life Ministries for the Diocese of Rapid City, asked the Rachel’s Vineyard Team to consider participating in the Walk for Life as part of the USCCB initiative, “Walking With Moms in Need: A Year of Service.” “We hoped that we could remind women of the hope and healing that Rachel’s Vineyard offers, while we raised money for the moms who are currently in need,” Julian said.

The whole team agreed that asking for money was the most difficult part of the walk. But Kling recalled advice from Rachels Vineyard’s first chaplain, the late Fr. Will Prospero, SJ,over 20 years ago.

“I will never forget the lesson that he taught me when I was trying to raise the first monies for Rachel’s Vineyard. He said that by not asking for donations, it was on my soul that I was not offering the opportunity to people to receive graces from God by giving to his work. Wow! It was a lot easier to ask for financial support after that lecture!”

Father Will’s pep talk from two decades ago worked. As of the writing of this article, the Rachel’s Vineyard team of seven had raised over $1,200, ranking as the 1st place fundraising team for the Walk for Life, which inspired Kling to reflect “God is so good!”