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.
Sign up here to receive an email notification when a new blog post is published!
What Should I Do If Someone Tells Me They’ve Been Abused? The 5-Step VEEEL Method
This week we revisit this terrific advice from Deborah Rodriguez, MD, who spells out how to respond if someone discloses their abuse to you. It’s helpful for anyone who wants to respond to victim-survivors with healing compassion.
Awake Observes Lent by Walking the Way of the Cross with Survivors
Last week Awake Milwaukee held a moving Way of the Cross that recalled Jesus’s final hours, marking the stations with heartfelt reflections written by victim-survivors of sexual abuse and their loved ones.
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.
Awake Offers Guided Meditation on Light and Love
Last week, Awake Milwaukee hosted a winter-themed guided meditation led by our chaplain, Cathy Melesky Dante.
Awake Community Prays the Rosary for the Healing of Victim-Survivors
Awake Milwaukee marked the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary last Thursday with a virtual rosary prayed for and with survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
The Complicated Question of Forgiveness After Sexual Abuse
Forgiveness is central to Christianity. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells Peter to forgive, “not seven times, but 77 times.”
Awake Prayer Service Lifts Up Questions About Abuse in the Church
The crisis of sexual abuse and leadership failures in the Catholic Church has led many faithful people to experience a mix of painful feelings such as anger, sorrow, horror, frustration, and embarrassment.
Awake’s Way of the Cross Centers Survivor Voices
On March 24, Awake Milwaukee hosted a Lenten prayer service that allowed Catholics to pray the Way of the Cross with and for survivors of sexual abuse in the Church.