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Hi Sarah - its Mike Hoffman. Hoping you are well. Thanks for reaching out. I dont have Facebook, so I cannot reply to that particular question.
The news roundup is very good and I hope you keep doing it - with the AG investigation and other on-going developments, it is a good feature.
Yes - the voices of survivors should be a major feature. Sharing survivor voices is good for survivors to normalize our experience, but also very good for the general public to have a sense of who we are, who we are NOT, mostly that we are normal people who have suffered very unique childhood trauma which never goes away. Yet the the rough edges can soften and be less painful with the support of friends/family/faith. Messages of survivor resilience, etc... over time, in my opinion, can help heal the church overall.
Hi Sara, Thank you for your dedication to this effort and for seeking input from readers.
I too like the news roundup. While I do a lot of reading on the church abuse crisis, I always find your roundup helpful and filled with good information. I especially appreciate the commentary you add from your deep knowledge and survivor-centered perspective.
I totally support your move to center survivor voices. Questions I might add to the list: What are things that allies should totally avoid saying/asking of your experience? And also just plain every day stories of life of a survivor and when/how the trauma continues to impact your daily life. And lastly, what one way would you like to see allies extend their support? As someone who is not a survivor, I am looking for ways to provide support in the best way possible.
I like the news roundup, but would be satisfied with a monthly highlight real of the top two or three articles that you would recommend. I'm also happy if you decide to forgo it altogether to focus on survivor's voices. Keep up the good work!
Hi Sara! I like the idea of the news roundup, but these days I'm rarely able to read through them. As for questions for survivors, love that idea. A few possible questions:
- what was one or a few things that helped with your healing? do you feel like you have healed?
- was there anything a parish did that made you feel welcome as a survivor? unwelcome?
- how much, if anything, do you feel is different now than pre-2001? pre-2018?
Hi Sarah - its Mike Hoffman. Hoping you are well. Thanks for reaching out. I dont have Facebook, so I cannot reply to that particular question.
The news roundup is very good and I hope you keep doing it - with the AG investigation and other on-going developments, it is a good feature.
Yes - the voices of survivors should be a major feature. Sharing survivor voices is good for survivors to normalize our experience, but also very good for the general public to have a sense of who we are, who we are NOT, mostly that we are normal people who have suffered very unique childhood trauma which never goes away. Yet the the rough edges can soften and be less painful with the support of friends/family/faith. Messages of survivor resilience, etc... over time, in my opinion, can help heal the church overall.
Hi Sara, Thank you for your dedication to this effort and for seeking input from readers.
I too like the news roundup. While I do a lot of reading on the church abuse crisis, I always find your roundup helpful and filled with good information. I especially appreciate the commentary you add from your deep knowledge and survivor-centered perspective.
I totally support your move to center survivor voices. Questions I might add to the list: What are things that allies should totally avoid saying/asking of your experience? And also just plain every day stories of life of a survivor and when/how the trauma continues to impact your daily life. And lastly, what one way would you like to see allies extend their support? As someone who is not a survivor, I am looking for ways to provide support in the best way possible.
Blessings, Lynn Charnitz
I like the news roundup, but would be satisfied with a monthly highlight real of the top two or three articles that you would recommend. I'm also happy if you decide to forgo it altogether to focus on survivor's voices. Keep up the good work!
Can you ever trust a priest again?
Do you go to Mass?
Hi Sara! I like the idea of the news roundup, but these days I'm rarely able to read through them. As for questions for survivors, love that idea. A few possible questions:
- what was one or a few things that helped with your healing? do you feel like you have healed?
- was there anything a parish did that made you feel welcome as a survivor? unwelcome?
- how much, if anything, do you feel is different now than pre-2001? pre-2018?