Awake’s Top 10 Blog Posts of 2023

Happy New Year! To mark the arrival of 2024, we take a look back over the Awake Blog in 2023, a busy year of growth for Awake. Here are the ten blog posts that were read and shared the most often, giving you a chance to revisit any you might have missed. Know how much we appreciate you, our readers. And rest assured that we are already working hard on new stories to share in the year ahead.  

10. As Awake Begins Our Fifth Year, We Unveil An Updated Mission Statement

In September, Awake Executive Director Sara Larson shared an update to our mission statement, which guides all of our work. The previous version ended with a description of our geographic focus (“in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and beyond”). But as Larson explained, Awake leaders have come to understand that what is most important in our mission is not the “where” but the “who.”  We removed the reference to geography and focused our mission statement on describing who we aim to serve: “all who have been wounded.”

9. Polyvictimization: Why Many Victim-Survivors of Church Abuse Have Suffered Previous Trauma

When survivors of sexual abuse by Church leaders share their stories, they often mention that they experienced previous abuse or trauma before they were harmed in the Church. We spoke with Pete Singer, the knowledgeable executive director of GRACE, Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, who explained how previous trauma may increase risk for future abuse.

8. Moral Injury: The Unexpected Wounds of Sexual Abuse in the Church

Awake spoke to Catholic moral theologian Marcus Mescher from Xavier University in Cincinnati, whose recent research sheds new light on some surprising ways the twin crises of sexual abuse and institutional betrayal have injured the Church. 

7. “I Will Never Forget This Weekend:” Transformative Experiences at Awake’s First Retreat for Abuse Survivors

In July, Awake hosted its first-ever in-person retreat exclusively for survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church. Executive Director Sara Larson and retreat attendees shared reflections from this beautiful weekend in rural Wisconsin.

6. Courageous Conversation: In Discussion Led by Survivors, Vatican Advisor Hans Zollner, SJ, Weighs in on Abuse in the Church

In a remarkable event, Awake hosted a candid conversation between Fr. Hans Zollner, director of the safeguarding institute of the Pontifical Gregorian University and an advisor to Pope Francis, and two survivors of sexual abuse in the Church. “The Catholic Church should be at the forefront of helping people understand what it means to be ‘survivor-centered,’ but we are far from that goal,” Zollner admitted.

5. Case of Prominent Jesuit Highlights Church Failures Around Abuse of Adults

Around this time last year, news broke about Fr. Marko Rupnik, a well-known Jesuit artist accused of sexually and spiritually abusing adult women. We interviewed several survivors of abuse in adulthood, who shared important insights about Rupnik’s case and its coverage. 

4. Grappling with the Church’s History as a “Perpetrator Institution.”

Awake spoke with Maka Black Elk, a member of the Oglala-Sioux Tribe and Executive Director for Truth and Healing at Red Cloud School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota about the harm caused by the Catholic Church in Indian boarding schools. Black Elk, who is Catholic, talked about his efforts to make sense of the harm perpetrated by the Church in these schools.    

3. What Does Grooming Look Like in the Sexual Abuse of Adults?

In our continued efforts to reveal the full reality of sexual abuse, we offered this post describing how abusers use grooming techniques to break down the defenses of adult victims. (Grooming is typically connected to abuse of kids, but researchers are beginning to study the ways it is used to victimize adults as well.) The post included insights from Marie, a survivor who experienced grooming and sexual abuse that began in her 40s.

2. Fr. Hans Zollner Resigns from Papal Commission, Survivors Respond

Just a few weeks after he appeared at the Awake event in conversation with two survivors of sexual abuse, Fr. Hans Zollner suddenly resigned from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which advises Pope Francis about safeguarding efforts in the Catholic Church. We shared details from Zollner’s resignation announcement and spoke with survivors Esther Harber and Mike Koplinka-Loehr about his departure.

1. Survivor Stories

Over the last year, we were honored to continue publishing monthly Q&As with survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church. These posts are some of the most moving and widely read content we share on the blog, giving survivors the chance to speak the truth about what happened to them and, importantly, what has helped their healing process. The stories also give the Awake community the chance to offer care to survivors by posting supportive comments after their stories. Our community has so much to learn from survivors including Esther, Mike, Jennifer, Val, Emily, Jim, Patricia, Kathleen, John, and Carl. We are grateful to them for sharing their sacred stories with all of us, and look forward to offering more stories in 2024.