Dear Brothers and Sisters,

After 31 years of serving Our Lord as a priest, I have found that no one is unaffected by some sort of trauma. While there are many programs available for healing, I have found the healing that takes place on a Grief to Grace retreat to be profound and helpful. Here are some sobering facts found on their website: grieftograce.org.

• 1 in 4 females and 1 in 6 males will be sexually abused before the age of 18.
• Every 00:68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted.
• The porn industry generates more income than the combined revenues of the NFL, NBA, and MLB. In the USA alone, the porn industry generates between $15 and $97 billion a year.
• Every second, $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography.
• Among undergraduate students, 6.8% of males and 26.4% of females experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.
• The ILO (International Labor Organization) estimates there were 24.9 million victims of human trafficking around the world in 2016 (this includes both sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor exploitation, both in the private sector and state- imposed).
• The ILO also estimates there were 4.8 million sex trafficking victims experiencing commercial sexual exploitation around the world in 2016.
• Globally, an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life (30% of women aged 15 and older). This figure does not include sexual harassment. The rates of depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV are higher in women who have experienced violence compared to women who have not, as well as many other health problems that can last after the violence has ended.
• More than 50% of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October, or November.
• 39% of 14-year-olds report having seen porn, with about one-third of young people saying they had seen it for the first time at age 12 or younger.
• Minors who view pornography and other sexualized media are more accepting of sexual violence, and more likely to believe “rape myths” (such as the myth that “women enjoy being raped”).
• There are more than 42 million pornographic websites.
• More people view internet pornography every month than Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined.
• One out of every six American women has been a victim of attempted or completed rape.
• 54% of sexual assaults occur in victims ages 18-34.
• Adolescents who become sexually active at young ages are more likely to have experienced forced sex. Nearly 75% of women who had sexual intercourse before they turned 14, and 60% who did so before age 15, reported having a coercive sexual experience.
• An estimated 600,000 children (unique incidents) in the US were victims of abuse and neglect in 2021. Three-fourths (76%) of victims are neglected, 16% are physically abused, and 10% are sexually abused.

According to their website, “abuse is not confined to any particular race, social, or economic demographic. The numbers above represent only the epicenter of a painful reality. The repercussions of physical, verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse can be lifelong, affecting the perception of self and others in such a way as to color a person’s understanding of his or her own dignity and all subsequent relationships.”

Grief to Grace was created by Dr. Theresa Burke after witnessing how many women in her Rachel’s Vineyard retreats had experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. A recognized leader in the field of trauma and treatment, Dr. Burke developed this unique and empirically validated retreat program to end the isolation and secrets of abuse. Grief to Grace integrates the latest trauma- sensitive psychology and neuroscience with Living Scriptures—meditations that immerse the participants in Gospel scenes where they meet Jesus personally.

Their group model creates a sacred space for people with shared histories of abuse and trauma, and has built-in accountability and safety for the participants. In this environment, retreatants are gently walked through their past traumas and grief in God’s presence with reverence, empathy, and confidentiality. Living Scriptures, combined with journaling, group activities, therapeutic facilitation, somatic therapy, cognitive restructuring, discussions, and grief work, facilitate authentic healing and freedom that’s grounded in Jesus Christ, the Sacraments (for Catholics), and the word of God.

Because of the unique training and methods they use, their retreats have proven to be remarkably effective in facilitating emotional, psychological, and spiritual recovery. Each retreat is led by a compassionate team consisting of a counselor, lay women and men, and pastor/clergy who have been trained in up-to-date trauma practices under the direction of Dr. Burke. Many of them also experienced trauma in their lives and found healing through their retreats.

Grief to Grace is open to people of all faiths and walks of life. Each retreat provides a five to seven day psychological and spiritual journey that helps participants reclaim their lost dignity as daughters and sons of the Living God. It is appropriate for anyone who has suffered physical, emotional, sexual, or spiritual abuse, including human trafficking, rape, incest, neglect, abuse from clergy, or other forms of traumatic violation or degradation—and for people who have spent years in talk therapy but still struggle to move beyond their traumatic experience.

Have you experienced physical, emotional, sexual, or spiritual abuse? Are you holding on to shameful secrets? Do you think you're unlovable, worthless, or not good enough? Discover the truth about who you really are. Reclaim the gift of who God created you to be. Go to grieftograce.org to find out more.

God Bless.

BACK TO LIST