Six years ago, I believed clergy sexual abuse was a problem of the past (My piece for The Catholic Feminist)

My friend and fellow Milwaukeean Claire Swinarski recently invited me to write a guest post for her super successful blog, Letters from a Catholic Feminist. I was grateful for the opportunity to reflect on my ministry with abuse survivors and to offer some ideas of what Catholics can do to make a difference.

Here’s a little preview, in case you are interested:

Six years ago, I believed clergy sexual abuse was a problem of the past.

Yes, terrible abuse had happened in the Church, but that was a long time ago and we have fixed the problem. Now it’s time to move on with the real work of the Church.

At least, that’s what I thought before the summer of 2018.

Before God used the horror stories of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report and the disturbing revelations about former cardinal Theodore McCarrick to wake me up. Before I started really paying attention to this issue and learning about the ongoing problems in the Church that I love. Before I met people like Esther, Michael, Deborah, and Jennifer, whose stories of abuse and institutional betrayal shook me to the core. Before I noticed ordinary Catholics siding with abusers over victims and demeaning survivors as “just in it for the money.” Before I learned about the unaddressed epidemic of abuse of adults, which is happening today on a scale I never could have imagined. Before I started recognizing the culture of abuse that is so pervasive in our Church.

When I said yes to God’s call six years ago and began the journey that led to the founding of Awake, I had no idea what I was saying yes to. What I have learned and experienced over these years has broken my heart in a million ways…

I’ll be back to Survivors’ Voices next week!

~ Sara