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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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.
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.”
Courageous Conversation: Listening to Survivors: What Has Helped My Healing Journey
Awake opened its sixth season of Courageous Conversations with a moving conversation among survivors who shared personal reflections on their healing journey. The panelists shared how they’ve come to understand their journey towards wholeness—what supported them, what hindered them, how they experienced the Church along the way, and what they recommend for those seeking to walk alongside survivors.
5 Things for Survivors to Consider When Sharing Their Stories
People who have experienced abuse in the Catholic Church report that sharing the story of their trauma helps their healing. At the same time, it’s necessary to share these sacred stories well, to ensure that the telling is helpful and not a source of unintended harm, says theologian Rebecca Pawloski.
The Top 10 Questions We Hear About Awake
Awake’s reach as a national organization continues to grow! We welcome the many new members of the Awake community and offer you this information about our work.
Tim Lennon
“When I first stepped forward, I did so alone, as an individual. Now I step forward as part of a worldwide movement of survivors.”
Awake Delivers Heartfelt Survivor Letters to the Vatican This Week
This week, Awake Executive Director Sara Larson delivered a set of 37 letters—written by abuse survivors to Pope Leo—to the Vatican in Rome.
Alexandra Buchlmayer
“Owning my story, despite the lack of legal action, was a huge part of my healing journey. It broke the bonds of secrecy and shame.”
Awake Leaders Reflect on the “Good Fruit” of Centering Survivors—and Plan for the Year Ahead
Last weekend, a group of Awake leaders and committed volunteers continued the biannual tradition of gathering online and in person to connect and build community, and consider big picture questions for the year ahead.
Survivors Share Their Hopes for the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV
“I hope Pope Leo will truly listen to survivors, not through carefully managed encounters, but by sitting with them in their raw pain without any defensiveness, aides, or lawyers present.”
In Memory of Pete Singer: Why We Must Build a Trauma-Sensitive Church
We at Awake were sad to learn of the passing of Pete Singer, executive director of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), on May 1. We are fortunate that he was able to take part in our November 2024 Courageous Conversation, “Cultivating a Gospel Response to Trauma.” To honor Pete’s memory, we revisit the summary of that important conversation.
Mary O’Day
“Healing my image of God has been incredibly impactful in both healing my trauma and helping me learn to accept love.”
Courageous Conversation: Confronting Sexual Abuse in the Deaf Catholic Community
Last week Awake hosted an event that touched on the history of sexual abuse among Deaf Catholics and considered why Deaf people have faced an elevated risk of sexual abuse.
Responding to the Death of Pope Francis—While Remaining Focused on Survivors
Because Awake is a survivor-centered organization, we’re focusing first on how this development impacts the survivors in our community.
Survivors Share 6 Myths About Abuse in the Church
What do people in the Catholic Church and the broader public typically get wrong about sexual abuse by Church leaders? Earlier this year, we posed this question to people in the Awake community who have experienced sexual abuse in the Church, asking them which myths they hear most.
Frank Meuers
“The most difficult part of my journey was not the abuse itself but the lack of response from the church to that abuse.”