Life Giving Wounds: Ministry for Adult Children of Divorce

Welcome to the Arlington Chapter of Life-Giving Wounds. It is good that you are here. Dealing with our parents' divorce is not easy, but confronting this wound with faith can allow us to find great healing. We hope that you will become part of our supportive community and receive the many graces available through this ministry.

Friday, September 8, 2023

Healing Retreat

Attending the three-day retreat is a great way to start this journey of healing. The retreat focuses on discovering our identity as children of God, although it also focuses on overcoming the effects of parental divorce, forgiving our parents, and connecting with others from this background. The weekend includes presentations, small group sharing, adoration, spiritual direction, and Mass. This three-day retreat is the centerpiece of this ministry.

The 2023 Arlington retreat will take place from Friday, September 8, 2023 to Sunday, September 10, 2023. 
Registration is not yet open.

Before registering, please be aware of the following:

• You are certainly welcome to join us on retreat if you are not Catholic, but please be aware that the content of this retreat will be heavily Catholic. 
• A team of presenters will speak about this wound and its effects, and there will be moments for you to share your experiences with others in small groups.
• Healing retreats pair well with counseling and/or spiritual direction. If you are not already working through this wound with someone, we would encourage you to consider it. If you would like a recommendation, please give us a call.

If you are unable to attend the retreat in Arlington, please visit the Life-Giving Wounds national website for retreats and resources in other cities/states: www.lifegivingwounds.org.

For inquiries, please contact (703) 841-3807 or email alexander.wolfe@arlingtondiocese.org

On-Going Support

Once or twice a year, we offer a free support group or book club to provide on-going help for adult children of divorce. We have offered support groups around the Mother's Day-Father's Day and Christmas seasons, and previous book clubs read through Between Two Worlds, by Elizabeth Marquardt, as well as Primal Loss: The Now-Adult Children of Divorce Speak, edited by Leila Miller. 

This year, from April 26-May 31, we will read essays from Torn Asunder: Children, the Myth of the Good Divorce, and the Recovery of Origins, edited by Margaret McCarthy. 
Register Here https://acodbookclub2023.eventbrite.com]

Further Reading

Please follow the links below for further reading. The first document is a list of books and podcasts which are more specific to the wound of parental divorce. The second is a list of more general spiritual writings which will be just as helpful in your journey.

Reading List for Adult Children of Divorce

Spiritual Writings for Adult Children of Divorce

Larger Community

We are proud to be the Arlington Chapter of Life-Giving Wounds: Catholic Ministry to Adult Children of Divorce. We encourage you to get connected to the larger community of adult children of divorce who are seeking healing by following them here: https://www.facebook.com/lifegivingwounds and https://www.lifegivingwounds.org