Awake Blog
Welcome to the Awake Blog! If you’re new to Awake, we recommend you check out these top blog posts from our archive.
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Chuck Lovett
"I refuse to let the institution that didn’t stop these horrors dictate how I heal from them.”
What is Clericalism? And How Does It Contribute to Abuse in the Church?
A new book explores clericalism as a system of rules and “unchecked authority” in the Catholic Church that makes sexual abuse more likely to take place and to be concealed. We speak with author C. Colt Anderson about his deep dive into the problem of clericalism.
Scarlett Faltys-Burr
“My family hopes our story of being exploited due to our vulnerability as immigrants is taken to heart and that our testimony helps bring about change.”
Join Us In Welcoming Rebecca Dodge to the Awake Staff!
“I recognize the painful reality of abuse within the Church and the urgent need for accountability, transformation, and healing. I am deeply committed to doing my part in this sacred work.”
How Do Other Faith Traditions Address Abuse?
How do Jewish, Protestant, and Muslim communities address abuse by religious leaders? What can Catholics learn from these other faith traditions?
Timothy Quigley
“I had a Judas, who betrayed me with a kiss. It felt like Jesus left me. I only found Jesus again by identifying with him, with his passion, with his cross.”
Courageous Conversation: Understanding the Trauma of Institutional Betrayal
Awake welcomed three panelists to discuss a devastating harm known as institutional betrayal, experienced by an alarming number of victim-survivors who report their abuse to church leaders.
How Can We Address Abuse of Adults in the Catholic Church?
To consider how the Catholic Church might address abuse of adults, we spoke with Julie Hanlon Rubio, professor of Christian ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University. “Sexual violence [is] an act of injustice,” she says. “It violates the dignity of a human person.”
Abuse in the Confessional: Understanding the Gifts and Risks of the Sacrament of Penance
Terence McKiernan, founder and co-director of Bishopaccountability.org, is currently writing a book about confession, including its history in the Church and influence in broader culture. The book also considers what McKiernan calls “the horror of confessional abuse” and what survivor stories can tell us about the risk of harm in this sacrament.
Jennifer-Marie Burchell
”I am finally at a point in my healing journey where I can claim my own story.”
Moral Injury: The Unexpected Wounds of Sexual Abuse in the Church
It’s little surprise to members of the Awake community that the twin crises of sexual abuse and cover-up in the Catholic Church have caused grave wounds, especially for victim-survivors of abuse. But recent research by Catholic moral theologian Marcus Mescher and his colleagues at Xavier University in Cincinnati sheds new light on some of the ways these crises have injured the Church.
The 10 Blog Posts You Read Most in 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, we share the 10 most-read stories on the Awake blog this year.
John Bellocchio
“I have found that healing grows when the Church sees survivors not as threats to its reputation, but as prophets for its renewal”
Considering the Role of Race and Power in Clergy Abuse
Christopher Spencer Gurley, a PhD student studying African American religious history at Stanford, offers his take on how attitudes about the priesthood, race, and clerical authority have contributed to abuse in the Church.
What is Institutional Betrayal? And How Does It Relate to Church Abuse?
Institutional betrayal occurs when leaders of an institution fail to protect members from harm or do not respond with support if someone reveals that they’ve been hurt.
Courageous Conversation: The Role of Seminaries in Creating a Safer, More Compassionate Church
Last week, Awake gathered voices deeply engaged in seminary life to explore how seminaries can respond to the crisis of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
Denise Buchanan
“Silence destroys the body of Christ. Protecting survivors and demanding accountability does not attack faith; it is an act of fidelity to it.”
Awake Welcomes Four New Members to Our Survivor Advisory Panel
This week on the blog we welcome four new members to the Awake Survivor Advisory Panel, who introduce themselves to the Awake community.
One Year of Bridge Dialogues: Bridging the Gap Between Abuse Survivors and Priests
This October marks one year since the public launch of Awake’s Bridge Dialogues, an initiative that brings together three Catholic priests and three abuse survivors in a confidential setting for facilitated conversation.
Nancy Pieffer
“I am so grateful to say that my life is more than my trauma, and in many ways I triumphed in spite of my pain.”