A long-time adjunct member of the Institute faculty, Vicki Thorn passed away on Wednesday, April 20. In profound gratitude for her friendship, teaching, and service to the Church, we ask you to join us in commending Mrs. Thorn to the love and mercy of Our Lord and in asking for His comforting presence to the Thorn family.
A certified trauma counsellor and spiritual director, Mrs. Thorn founded the post-abortion healing ministry Project Rachel in 1984 while working for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and served for thirty years as the executive director of the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing. Her work has borne fruit in thousands of lives, and Project Rachel is now a national ministry overseen by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Mrs. Thorn was a corresponding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
She taught at the Institute for 11 years (2009-2020) on such topics as “The Biochemistry of Bonding” and “The Psychology and Biochemistry of Abortion” for students in our psychology course.
She is survived by her husband William Thorn, as well as six children and seventeen grandchildren.
