It is a retreat to help heal women who are suffering from post-abortion syndrome, which most Russian women are, as the abortion rate has been an average of eight abortions per woman (Men, too!) The Russians say that the situation there is so bad that they have to have abortions. Fr. Myron says that the situation there is so bad BECAUSE they have abortions.

Women feeding pidgins with child, a rare sight in Russia.

Diane Szurleys came from Ketchikan, Alaska, to lead the Rachael's Vineyard retreat. The parishioners are very anxious to continue these retreats in Russia. They have already done the first one of their own at St Joseph's Parish in Second River. The retreat directors prefer smaller groups, so the small parish premises are sufficient to do the retreats in each of the parishes.