Awake Blog
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Courageous Conversation: Abuse Survivors Discuss the Act of Sharing Their Stories
At last week's Courageous Conversation, speakers Gina Barthel, Wendy Mitch, and Vincent Perez recounted some of the most helpful and compassionate responses to their abuse stories, as well as a few of the most painful.
Awake Announces Newly Expanded Survivor Advisory Panel
Listening to survivors has always been a priority for Awake Milwaukee.
In our earliest days, before we had even chosen the name “Awake,” we gathered in Sara and Mike Larson’s living room in Milwaukee to listen to a woman who was abused by a priest in grade school. This survivor described her hard work to heal and the pain she experienced as an adult, when she faced legalistic Church leaders in her efforts to report her abuser, who remained in ministry. Listening to her was a powerful experience, reinforcing our drive to learn more about the problems of abuse and cover-up in the Church, to work for transformation and healing, and to understand how we might walk with abuse survivors.
Awake Synod Sessions Will Ensure that Victim-Survivors and Advocates Are Heard
When Kathy Ann Coll learned about the 2021-2023 Synod on Synodality called by Pope Francis, she was eager to take part.
Courageous Conversation: Survivors Discuss the Sacred Power of Listening
In the latest installment of Awake Milwaukee’s Courageous Conversations last week, two survivors of clergy sexual abuse offered moving testimony about the power of having others listen deeply to their personal stories.
Why Catholics Need to Hear Survivor Stories (and 5 Ways to Listen Well)
One of Awake Milwaukee’s central missions is a commitment to listening to sexual abuse survivors. Many have carried painful experiences in silence for decades.
Survivor Story: Six Things I Wish Catholics Knew About the Abuse Crisis
Patricia Gallagher Marchant, MSW, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice in downtown Milwaukee who has worked for almost 35 years with individuals and couples on issues including anxiety and depression, marital problems, grief, and sexual abuse recovery.
Survivor Story: Six Things I Wish Catholics Knew About the Abuse Crisis
Patricia Gallagher Marchant, MSW, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice in downtown Milwaukee who has worked for almost 35 years with individuals and couples on issues including anxiety and depression, marital problems, grief, and sexual abuse recovery.
Why Catholics Need to Hear Survivor Stories (and 5 Ways to Listen Well)
One of Awake’s central missions is a commitment to listening to sexual abuse survivors. Many have carried painful experiences in silence for decades. And those who have shared their stories have often been doubted, shamed, or ignored by fellow Catholics. In an effort to help change that culture, we’ll begin in coming weeks to post essays from survivors open to sharing their journeys with us.