Rachel Ministries Walks With the Grieving
Story by Sydney Marx
The loss of an unborn child is grief unlike any other. Often diminished by society, life that cannot be seen by the naked eye is quickly dismissed as mere “cells” or “tissue.” It is not acknowledged in the same way as other losses—there are often no remains to be buried, graves to be visited or funerals to attend. The growing child is gone, the womb that once carried life is empty, and a heart that had already begun to love is left searching for answers the world cannot provide. Society says, “Move on.” But grief cannot be silenced.
The Catholic Faith recognizes the fullness of life in every part of every human person. Just as each crumb of the Eucharist holds the entirety of Christ’s presence, so does each human cell hold the complete presence of life. And so, the loss of an unborn child, no matter the circumstance, is something to be mourned, and grieving hearts must be cared for.
This is the mission of Rachel Ministries, a diocesan program established to facilitate healing to those suffering from the loss of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy and/or abortion. Those who are part of the ministry recognized that the resources available to those grieving the loss of an unborn child are limited in the Diocese of La Crosse and sought to fill this need within the Church and the community.
From Project Rachel to Rachel Ministries
Rachel Ministries grew out of Project Rachel, the Catholic Church’s national ministry providing confidential resources to those grieving the loss of an unborn child through abortion. Project Rachel connects women and men to a network of priests, religious, counselors and laypersons specially trained to provide care and compassionate listening to people of any faith or no faith at all. Recognizing the need for a broader local ministry, the Diocese of La Crosse expanded this foundation into Rachel Ministries, which continues to grow in its mission.
The name draws from Scripture. In Jeremiah 31:15—echoed in Matthew 2:18—the prophet envisions Rachel weeping for her children, inconsolable in her grief. It is a powerful image of a mother’s mourning, one that the Church has long associated with the sorrow of loss. Just as Rachel wept, those at Project Rachel walk alongside and shepherd the hearts of those who have experienced an abortion.
In the Diocese of La Crosse, those involved with Project Rachel recognized the need for a broader ministry to better serve the community, particularly individuals experiencing all types of perinatal loss. Rachel Ministries was established to meet that need. It operates through three key components:
1. Project Rachel: This initiative provides resources for healing after the loss of a child due to abortion.
2. Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats: These are three-day retreats designed to help individuals who are struggling with the aftermath of an abortion.
3. Support for Healing after Other Losses: This includes offerings for those grieving losses from miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies and stillbirths.
This comprehensive approach allows Rachel Ministries to reach a wider audience in their grief while also maintaining confidentiality. The ministry operates with two main principles:
1. To meet each grieving individual where they are, engaging in conversations without preconceptions and recognizing the uniqueness of their situations.
2. To always listen
with compassion and empathy.
Amy Mulhern, one of the volunteers who help run Rachel Ministries, provided insight into the ministry’s importance and the struggles of those suffering from perinatal loss. She described how a woman’s body begins to change when a child is conceived—many of these changes, such as hormonal shifts, are not outwardly visible. Thus, when a child is lost early in pregnancy, some in the medical world tend to diminish the loss by attempting to reassure the child’s parents that it was simply a lump of tissue.
But the body knows that life was conceived and then lost. Before a heartbeat could be detected by outside ears, the body had already felt the intimacy of new life. Deep loss such as this leaves those suffering in a vulnerable position, searching for guidance and support. These two things are often not readily available.
This is the gap that Rachel Ministries seeks to fill. Having walked through grief with many individuals and, in some cases, experienced their own loss, the volunteers at Rachel Ministries are able to provide spiritual accompaniment, support and a connection to resources to help individuals navigate their grief. Volunteers enter each encounter with an open mind and an open heart.
“We all have our individual stories, and I feel that with God’s grace and His love we can and are called to serve people in those places,” Amy explained. She emphasized the importance of being willing to share in others’ stories, especially in matters of the heart. “It’s very important to listen with your heart.”
Healing Begins with an Open Door
The response Rachel Ministries provides is centered on opening oneself to the immensity of what has happened and inviting God into the grieving process. “It’s only when you invite God into your grief that you can experience healing that’s beyond anything the world can offer,” Amy said.
Through Rachel Ministries, women and men are directed toward different resources based on their individual needs and circumstances. Many individuals have contributed to the ministry’s growth in the Diocese of La Crosse, including the Rachel Ministries team at the Diocese of Madison, which has been hosting Rachel’s Vineyard retreats and providing training for new volunteers.
For healing after perinatal loss, the ministry offers individual spiritual accompaniment, connections with appropriate resources, faith-based guidance and practical support for those uncertain of their next steps. For healing after abortion, the ministry also provides the additional resources of Project Rachel and Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats.
The ministry has also been instrumental in making other healing events possible. In September 2025, it coordinated a Mass of Hope and Healing for Unborn Children celebrated by Bishop Gerard Battersby at the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse. For that Mass, the ministry arranged to borrow a sculpture titled “Memorial for Unborn Children,” prayerfully crafted by artist Martin Hudacek, who has said the work “speaks to parents who have lost a child, no matter the circumstances.”
In November 2025, Father Joe Richards celebrated a Mass in Viroqua for all children who had passed away in infancy or before birth, with Hudacek’s sculpture also present. Still to come in 2026: a Mass of Hope and Healing for those who have lost an unborn child, celebrated by Father Aaron Becker on April 21 at St. Paul Church in Mosinee; a Mass
of Hope and Healing celebrated by Bishop Battersby at the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse on Sept. 8; and the Diocese of La Crosse’s first Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat, Oct. 9-11, for those suffering after an abortion.
“My Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat changed my life in ways I didn’t know were possible. It brought me grace, peace and a freedom I had never experienced before. It truly marked the beginning of a new life for me, and I am deeply blessed and grateful for the love and support I never knew existed, but so desperately needed.”
In stories like hers, Rachel Ministries finds its purpose: accompanying the grieving toward the truth that God’s love is greater than fear, greater than grief, and that it offers a peace the world cannot give.