The loss of a child is an unimaginable pain that no parent should ever have to face, yet for many mothers, it becomes their reality. The grief that accompanies pregnancy or infant loss is profound, leaving mothers with a heart-wrenching emptiness and questions that can seem impossible to answer.
Founded in 2024, three years after the stillbirth of their son, Noah Wilde, Holy Ground was created by Brian and Moria Rooney, with a mission to provide faith-based retreats for bereaved mothers. The organization’s vision is to create holy spaces where grieving mothers can encounter the presence of God, find healing, and reignite their faith in Christ. Through connection, support, and biblical teachings, Holy Ground seeks to help mothers navigate the unimaginable pain of losing a child.
A Mission Born from Sorrow
Brian and Moria’s journey of grief led them to create Holy Ground as a way to honor their son, Noah, and share the hope they found in Christ. They understood the isolation and deep pain that accompanies such a loss, and they knew that they needed to create a space for mothers to grieve, heal, and grow together in faith. Holy Ground is not just a retreat—it’s a ministry dedicated to walking alongside mothers through their pain, helping them process their grief, and guiding them toward healing through the transformative power of Jesus Christ.
The Healing Power of Community and Faith
Holy Ground’s retreats are biblically based, 3-night healing experiences designed for mothers who have lost a child through pregnancy or infant loss. Held in Wilmington, North Carolina, each retreat offers a small, intimate community of women who share similar experiences of loss. The retreats are centered around sharing testimonies, offering prayers, studying Scripture, and worshipping together.
The retreats include in-depth topics that address the emotional and spiritual aspects of grieving and healing. These 7 sessions are carefully crafted for mothers in different stages of their grief.
1. Grieving
Grief can be an isolating experience, and many mothers feel as if no one truly understands their pain. This session focuses on the act of grieving—offering a space for mothers to share their testimonies, express their emotions, and lament together.
2. Suffering
Explore the concept of suffering through a Christian lens. What does it mean to suffer like Christ? The focus here is on redemptive suffering—the belief that, though we experience pain, God can use our suffering for His glory and our ultimate good. Through this session, mothers are reminded that Christ understands their pain intimately and that there is hope, even when life feels unbearably hard.
3. Biblical Truth
This session will address unbiblical ideologies that often accompany loss, replacing them with Biblical truths that offer unshakable hope. The goal is to reaffirm God’s promises and help mothers find confidence in His Word. Through Scripture and prayer, mothers are empowered to discern counterfeit truths.
4. Inner Healing
This topic focuses on spiritual warfare, repentance, forgiveness, and confronting the lies we believe in the wake of trauma. Mothers will be guided to confess pain, seek forgiveness, and allow God’s truth to replace the lies that may have taken root in their hearts. This powerful session helps participants experience freedom and healing through God’s transformative love.
5. Surrendering
Mothers will be invited to reflect on what it means to surrender their pain, their will, and their questions to God. Through prayer and Scripture, participants learn to trust God’s plan, even when it doesn’t make sense. This session will talk about obedience and how to hear God speaking.
6. Ignited
In this session, mothers explore the 7 Pillars of Jesus’ Ministry, the love of Christ, and the eternal promises of God that transcend our circumstances.
7. Honoring
Honoring God honors our children. This final topic reminds mothers of their identity in Christ and how they called to live a life on mission. This session focuses on the power of sharing the Gospel through our children's stories.
Our gatherings are meant for mothers who are eager to learn the truth of the Gospel in a way that honors God and our children.
If you are a mother who has experienced pregnancy or infant loss, we invite you to join us at one of our upcoming retreats.
For more information, please visit holygroundretreats.org. We welcome open hearts ready to encounter the presence of God.