Rachel Benda

Rachel Benda

Rachel Benda is the founding director of the Community of Jesus, the Living Mercy, a Roman Catholic lay community founded in 2008 as a Private Association of the Christian Faithful. Located in the Cleveland Diocese, the Community ministers healing and hope, especially women and men who suffer after abortion through its apostolic work Bethesda House of Mercy. For 29 years Mrs. Benda has served women in crisis is a variety of healing ministries, including WEBA, the first post-abortion ministry in the nation. Since 1990, she has served as the founder of Bethesda House of Mercy, providing training workshops, retreats, spiritual direction, and companionship for women seeking to heal after abortion. She has been a featured speaker at national pro-life conventions, presenting at many conferences, pro-life organizations, schools, and numerous other groups. She has also appeared on many local and national television and radio programs. As a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a BFA in Creative Writing, Mrs. Benda’s articles have appeared in a variety of publications throughout the years. She resides in North Olmsted, Ohio, with her husband, William, who is also a vowed Community member, and two daughters: Elizabeth, who is currently attending Benedictine College in Kansas, and Bernadette, whom she homeschools. She is also the mother of two children, Mary and Matthew, who died by abortion at Toledo Medical Services in 1981 and 1982.