This week on Catholic Women Now, hosts Julie Nelson and Chris Magruder sit down with certified spiritual director Jeannine Peters for a raw and moving conversation on motherhood in all its forms. Jeannine traces her journey from a chaotic childhood through the poem "The Hound of Heaven," healing through Theology of the Body and Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA), and her unique experience as both a birth mother and an adoptive mother. Listeners will be inspired by her story of reuniting with the daughter she placed for adoption thirty-one years ago and her powerful message about God's relentless, faithful love.
Meet Jeannine Peters
Jeannine Peters is a certified spiritual director with an MA in Religion and Religious Education from Providence College and an MA in Theology from The Catholic University of America. She is certified in Theology of the Body through the Theology of the Body Institute, trained in Unbound Healing Prayer through Heart of the Father Ministries, and holds a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Divine Mercy University. Jeannine lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their two daughters.
A Story Shaped by "The Hound of Heaven"
Jeannine opens up about how Francis Thompson's classic poem "The Hound of Heaven" became the lens through which she understands her own faith journey — a soul running from God, only to be relentlessly, patiently pursued by Him until she finally surrendered.
Growing Up in Chaos, Finding God in Lourdes
Jeannine shares candidly about growing up in an alcoholic, emotionally abusive household, and how a spontaneous, unplanned visit to Lourdes, France set the stage for one of the most significant turning points in her life — an unplanned pregnancy in her mid-to-late twenties that ultimately drew her back to God.
Healing Through Theology of the Body and ACA
Jeannine describes how studying Theology of the Body helped her understand her worth and dignity intellectually, while Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) gave her the practical tools to actually live out that healing — teaching her how to be authentically herself with God, her husband, and her children.
A Miraculous Reunion
Thirty-one years after placing her birth daughter for adoption, Jeannine shares the incredible story of how her daughter reached out, and how God orchestrated an unplanned meeting in the same state at the same time — allowing Jeannine to hold her daughter for the first time since birth, on her daughter's birthday.
Her Message of Hope
Jeannine closes with an encouraging word for anyone struggling to trust God: He is faithful, He never gives up on us, and He meets us exactly where we are, even in our smallest steps of surrender.
Learn more about Jeannine and her ministry at jeanninepeters.com
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