‘Empathetic‘ retreat returns to help more adult children of divorce and separation

Adults ages 18 and older whose parents are divorced, separated or never married can find help and healing at the next Life-Giving Wounds retreat, to be held Feb. 27-March 1, 2026 at the Hankinson Retreat Center in Hankinson. The retreat aims to help participants reflect on the wounds caused by their family’s breakdown, with the help of retreat leaders and others who have experienced similar circumstances.

Teresa Danelski, a retreat volunteer coming from the Duluth, Minn. area, encouraged others to attend.

“You carry whatever you've been through as a child into your marriage and your family. Anybody who needs healing, or doesn't even realize they need healing, will get something out of it,” Danelski told New Earth. “It’s just a great community of people who have shared your unique suffering and can walk with you and share your struggles.

Nathan Carr, another retreat volunteer, told New Earth the retreat is “a venue that allows Adult Children of Divorce and Separation (ACODS) to unpack their experiences in a loving and empathetic setting, process the many thoughts, emotions, and experiences from their story, and find healing in Christ alongside others who are also wounded by the divorce or separation of their parents.”

Father Gregory Haman, who himself grew up in a family with divorced parents, has been involved with Life-Giving Wounds for the last two years.

“One of the common wounds experienced by children whose parents are divorced is that they may have felt like they were not able to talk about or freely explore the experience of their parents’ divorce, or just didn’t know how,” Father Haman told New Earth. “That can follow them into adulthood, even for years. The retreat gives people sometimes their first opportunity to explore that, and to do it with Jesus Christ.”

“We can gain some healing when we receive empathy from other people, but we often experience much more freedom when we bring our wounds Jesus, and experience his love alongside the love and friendship of brothers and sisters in the Church,” the priest added.
Presentations and reflections will help begin transformational healing. The retreat provides guided journaling to help participants process emotions and grief; optional small group discussions; and prayer and sacraments.

Presentation topics are broad and include: how one’s parents’ divorce or separation affects one’s identity and relationship with God; its impact on trust, dating, and marriage; ways to navigate anger and anxiety; true Christian forgiveness; appropriate boundaries with family members; and redemptive suffering; gratitude and joy.

The Life-Giving Wounds ministry has chapter team counselors, but it is not formal counseling, the ministry’s national website says. Rather, it aims to complement professional therapy and encourages professional therapy where beneficial.

The retreat is Catholic-themed and provides Catholic prayer and sacraments, but it welcomes all adult children of divorce or separation regardless of their religious background.

The retreat costs range between $275 to $325, including a $100 non-refundable deposit. Partial need-based scholarships are available upon request. For more information, visit the Diocese of Fargo webpage at www.fargodiocese.org/lgw