Event for divorced Catholics offers hope, healing and renewed sense of purpose

Copyright 2017 Lisa Duffy. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Hundreds will gather for fellowship and community at 2017 Journey of Hope Conference

CHARLESTON, SC, June 13, 2017—“Why do those who are divorced often feel alienated or isolated from the Church?” “What are the ramifications for someone who doesn’t want a divorce but the spouse does?” “What does the Church really teach about the annulment process?” These questions and more will be addressed at the 2017 Journey of Hope Conference for divorce recovery coming to historic downtown Charleston, SC August 4-6.

In partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Charleston, the goal of the conference, which is the third of its kind, is to offer practical tools for healing and growing in faith with a mix of presentations on such topics as managing finances after a divorce, canon law as it pertains to the annulment process, and the unique role of the divorced person in the life of the Church.

“At the time of my own very unwanted divorce in the early 1990’s, there was very little out there for healing, especially from a Christian perspective,” says event founder and creator Lisa Madrid Duffy, who has made it her life’s work helping people rebuild their lives after divorce and avoid the same mistakes she made. “Using dating and relationships as a band-aid only compounds the problem. People really need to take time to heal and find their self worth in God’s love for them.”

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Conference-goers can expect to hear from a prime lineup of speakers such as South Carolina’s own Father Jeffrey Kirby and relationship and divorce recovery experts Duffy, and Rose Sweet, another beloved speaker serving the divorced community in the Church. A special pre-conference for parish leaders and support group facilitators will also be offered on topics ranging from avoiding burnout for support group leaders to understanding the practical implications of Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation on love in the family.

Additionally, workshops tailored separately to men and women will be offered to address the distinctive challenges that one gender experiences from the other when moving forward after a divorce emotionally, physically, and financially.  “It's not just grief that breaks a woman's heart. After divorce, residual feelings about the man you loved and the life you lost can lurk undetected for years,” Rose Sweet points out. Chris Easterly, author of Falling Forward: A Man’s Memoir of Divorce, addresses grief from a male perspective.

While one need not be Catholic to attend the weekend event, the conference will be geared toward those of Catholic faith with special opportunities for receiving the sacrament of reconciliation, Eucharistic adoration, and the celebration of Holy Mass, which will conclude the event.

Named No.1 City in the United States time and again by Conde Nast Traveler, Charleston, SC is an ideal city for a conference offering guests a transformative opportunity to find hope, refreshment, and a new chapter in life.

Special early bird pricing of $199 for full event access with food is available through June 20. Visit www.journeyofhopeconference.com for more information or to register.

About Lisa Madrid Duffy

Lisa Madrid Duffy is the creator of the Journey of Hope Conferences and the Journey of Hope program used in parishes nationwide and in Canada. She speaks at conferences, appears on television and radio, and coaches one-on-one. She is the author of several books, most recently, A Road to Healing: Daily Reflections for Divorced Catholics.

About the Journey of Hope Conferences

The Journey of Hope Conferences are specifically designed to offer much needed support to the divorced community through offering compassionate and inspiring speakers, uplifting music, good food, and fellowship with other Catholics who understand the divorce experience first-hand. The first two conferences took place in Atlanta in 2010 and 2011 and were attended by people across the country as well as Canada and Mexico.