A Few Questions for My Readers
Happy Monday everyone, and thank you to all the wonderful folks who have subscribed to the new In Spirit and Truth blog here on Substack!
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I’m really excited about the next steps for this blog, but before I move forward any further, I have a few questions I’d love to hear your feedback on. Please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
The ISAT Facebook Presence Is Changing. Do You Want Me To Keep Writing News Roundup Blog Posts?
For those who have been following In Spirit and Truth on Facebook, you’ll see some significant changes on that platform. Most significantly, I am no longer going to share news posts on a daily basis. While I really value reading broadly and staying informed, I need to move away from the pressure to keep up with the news every single day. This will allow me to better focus on the other work I’m feeling called to do. (If you’ll miss the daily FB posts and want some ideas for other ways to stay informed about these issues, I’ll be sharing a piece on that topic in two weeks.)
For a while I was thinking about completely shutting down the ISAT Facebook page, but I think I’ll leave it up for now and just use it to post my own pieces. I'll continue sharing some of my old blog posts there for a while longer, but then you’ll see the Facebook page be much quieter in the future.
So, here’s question #1 for you:
1) Would you like this new blog to include a monthly News Roundup blog post, or would you prefer I devote that time to other pieces more focused on survivors’ voices?
If I did keep this as a regular feature, I’m thinking it would be a more succinct version of the past News Roundup series, featuring maybe 10 important articles/videos/reflections to check out each month. What do you think? Worth doing, or should I direct my energies elsewhere? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I’m Going To Be Highlighting the Voices of Survivors. What Do You Want To Hear From Them?
As I’ve said, I want to devote more of my time to raising up the voices of those who have experienced abuse in the Catholic Church. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’ll be sharing more soon. (If you are a survivor reading this, watch for next week’s post about how you can be involved.)
As I plan for this, I’d love to know more about what my readers would like to hear. If you remember the post Honest Words from 5 Survivors: What I Wish Catholics Understood, all of those insightful comments from survivors were in response to a simple question - What do you wish people understood about being a survivor of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church? So, second question for today -
2) As I look ahead to future posts, what other questions might I ask survivors?
This could be something simple, like “What is one thing that a parish could do to make you feel more welcome?” or a more complex question, like “Why did you choose to report - or not report - your abuse to the police?”
Please drop your ideas in the comments below!
Lord, teach us to listen.
Amen.
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
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?