A new chapter of hope and healing begins with the appointment of Shannon Walker as the Project Rachel coordinator for the diocesan Office of Pro-Life Ministries. Project Rachel is a ministry of the Catholic Church that helps provide healing for men and women who have been affected by abortion.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, it is expected that 1 in 4 women will have an abortion before the age of 45 in the United States.[1] With the rapid rise of the abortion pill, many of these women will undergo an abortion alone within their homes without medical supervision. In the past year, abortions have increased by 15 percent in Ohio.[2]
Now, it is of utmost importance that the Church offers Christ’s love and mercy to those who have been affected by abortion.
Walker comes to the role with a heart for those who have experienced abortion and a desire to help women and men know that the Church is a place where they can bring their pain, and need for healing without fear or shame. For many who have experienced abortion, the journey toward healing is complicated and can be overwhelming.
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As the Project Rachel coordinator, Walker will help build a diocesan system to help individuals find help and community, rather than expecting them to navigate the process alone.
Those needs are different for every person and may include retreats, prayer, Bible study and small groups, pastoral care, the sacrament of reconciliation, professional counseling and ongoing accompaniment.
Walker brings 30+ years of experience in leadership, community outreach and ministry development, including co-founding Second Fire, a Catholic post-abortion healing ministry.
Second Fire was created to provide women with a safe place to pursue healing through Scripture, prayer, sisterhood, testimony and openness to the movement of the Holy Spirit. The ministry takes its name from a powerful moment in the Gospel of John.
Peter denied Jesus while standing beside a charcoal fire. Following the Resurrection, Jesus met Peter beside another charcoal fire. It was there that Christ returned Peter to the place of his failure—not to condemn him but to restore him, remind him of his identity and call him forward into his mission.
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That second fire has become a beautiful image of what healing can look like. A painful chapter does not have to become the whole story, and through Christ, the places associated with shame and regret can become places of mercy, restoration and even mission.
As Walker begins her work with Project Rachel, Second Fire will become one of the resources helping support the broader diocesan mission of abortion healing. More information about Project Rachel and Second Fire can be found at www.columbuscatholic.org/prolife-resources/projectrachel.
The Church is here. There are people ready to listen and walk with you. And most importantly, Christ is still waiting to meet us with the same mercy He offered Peter beside that second fire.
Jesus restores, and through His mercy, a new chapter is waiting to begin for you.
Mary Kristof is the associate director of the Office of Pro-Life Ministries.
[1] One in Four US Women Expected to Have an Abortion in Their Lifetime | Guttmacher Institute