To help with the needs of the Pregnancy Help Center in Pratt, the center will host a garage sale in the near future. To donate items, bring them to the center at 310 N Oak, Pratt. The center is also looking for people to help the day of the sale. Funds will help with gasoline, formula, medicine, and/or rent assistance. Volunteers are also needed to work regular hours at the center. For more information, call Patricia Egging at (620) 672-2224. The center is open Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 5 p.m.

HAYS -- Rachel’s Vineyard Ministry announces that their next retreat will take place Aug. 5-7. The location of the retreat is kept private to protect the confidentiality of the retreatants.

This weekend retreat is designed for anyone affected by abortion.

"This retreat is not only for women who have had abortions, but for men, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, married couples -- anyone affected by the loss of abortion," said Donetta Robben, retreat director.

Rachel’s Vineyard allows individuals to confront and mourn their loss.

"Often times, women and men who have participated in an abortion have what psychologists call ‘complicated grief,’" Robben explained. "They have a sense of disbelief accompanied by anger and bitterness over the death. They will often experience great emotional pain and prominent longing for the person who died -- their baby. Yet, society says that this death is a ‘choice,’ and consequently these individuals cannot comprehend nor officially validate their feelings of grief. To cope, many of these individuals have acting-out behavior via drugs, alcohol, promiscuous activity, anger outbursts, sleeping and eating disorders, etc. This is a way of saying, ‘Hey, I’m hurting here.’ However, their healing cannot fully take place until they confront the death, in these cases, their abortion(s)."

Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries was founded by psychotherapist Theresa Burke. The weekend meshes religion and psychology into an intense, emotional, supporting and non-judgemental process.

"The living scripture exercises enable the retreatants to receive the mercy and love of Jesus Christ individually, like they have never known before," Robben said. "This enables them to begin the healing process."

Studies by Burke, psychologist David Reardon and psychologist Philip Ney indicate that individuals suffering from an abortion decision often endure life in confusion and silence. Many individuals begin hurting immediately, while others begin facing their grief five to 25 years after their abortion.

WICHITA -- A weekend of challenging and informative speakers, inspirational devotions and uplifting Christian entertainment highlight the sixth annual Midwest Catholic Family Conference to be held Aug. 5-7 in Downtown Wichita’s Century II Convention Center.

On the first night of the Conference, Bobby Schindler, Jr., the brother of Terri Schindler-Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged Florida woman who was the focus of international news for many months, will share the thoughts of her family, spiritual advisor and supporters. With many families facing similar end-of-life decisions, Schindler will walk the audience through the process his family followed.

Other Conference speakers include EWTN News Director, Raymond Arroyo; Bible scholars, Michael Barber and Jeff Cavins; psychologist, Dr. Phillip Mango; and many others.

Biblical experts and theologians will be joined by professional musicians and actors in sessions throughout the Conference. Special programs for high school, junior high and elementary school age youth are planned to run concurrently with the adult sessions.

A vendors’ hall will feature Catholic art, books and gifts for purchase. Also available in the vendors’ hall will be booths from Catholic colleges and universities and secular Catholic organizations for information sharing.

Daily Mass, Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, an outdoor Eucharistic procession, and Vespers and Night Prayers offer opportunities for joyful worship.

On-line registration is encouraged. Go to www.catholicrc.org/wichita. Registration is also available at the Conference. There are hotels located within walking distance of the Convention Center. For more information, visit the website.

From the Heartland Center

Editor’s note: The following is provided by the Heartland Center for Spirituality in Great Bend.

"We’re changing to meet the needs of the times. We are no longer sending out a printed program brochure. We will begin using e-mail program brochures, effective August 1, 2005.

"While there were some advantages to using print media, we believe there are several good reasons to make the change now. It will give us more flexibility in program planning, and enable us to notify you of programs as they develop. In the long run, it will also help to save a few advertising dollars, and that’s an important consideration as well. We would never have considered making this change a few years ago, but it seems that most people have e-mail access now, which is also a plus. Newspaper articles, bulletin announcements and other publicity efforts will continue, as before. If you would like to receive our free, monthly e-mail newsletter, just go to http://heartlandspirituality.org and you’ll see the form to submit your e-mail address to us. If at any time you’d like to stop receiving publicity, you will be able to easily unsubscribe yourself."