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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Awake Community Gathers to Celebrate God in the Stillness
Last week, Awake hosted its much-loved annual Prayer in the Park service, which featured hymns, scripture, poetry, and small group conversation, all built around the theme of “Finding God in the Stillness.” Some members of the Awake community…
“I Will Never Forget This Weekend”: Transformative Experiences at Awake’s First Retreat for Abuse Survivors
I didn’t know what to expect when I stepped into Awake’s recent weekend retreat for abuse survivors. After months of planning and more Zoom meetings than I can count, we were finally bringing together 17 people who had experienced sexual abuse by a Catholic leader…
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 Awake Team Gathers to Connect and Look Ahead
Last weekend members of the Awake community gathered at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin for our third annual leadership gathering, which allowed the group to pray and reflect, socialize, and discern efforts for the year ahead.…
Courageous Conversation Explores How Other Faith Traditions Address Abuse
Last week, Awake hosted a Courageous Conversation featuring guests from Jewish, Protestant, and Muslim backgrounds who shared insights about addressing abuse in those contexts. The panelists included Toronto-based Dr. Guila Benchimol, senior adviser on…
Courageous Conversation Follow-Up: Fr. Hans Zollner Addresses More Audience Questions
On March 4, Awake hosted Fr. Hans Zollner, SJ, considered one of the Vatican’s leading experts on safeguarding, for a virtual panel discussion with two survivors of clergy sexual abuse. A recording of the event is available here.…
Valentino “Val” Borrelli
“My wish is to help the laity understand that abuse victims are not some delicate flowers that can’t handle life because of the abuse. We are valuable members of society and … we deserve the chance to be heard.”
Awake Welcomes New Members to Board of Directors and Leadership Team
Awake Milwaukee continues to grow and recently celebrated the addition of three new volunteers to our team, including two new members of the Board of Directors and one addition to our Leadership Team. The Board of Directors is…
The Way of the Cross with Survivors: A Lenten Opportunity to Pray with Those Who Are Hurting
Last week Awake Milwaukee observed the Way of the Cross, a prayer service following the footsteps of Jesus to Calvary, accompanied by victim-survivors of sexual abuse and their friends and families. At each station, a survivor offered a reflection to help those praying to connect the sufferings of Jesus with the suffering of those who have experienced sexual abuse in the Church.
Awake’s Core Values: A Closer Look at What Matters Most to Us
As we approach Awake’s fourth anniversary this summer, we are currently working through a strategic planning process to help us consider our future. One of the first steps in the process was to clarify our values as an…
6 Things Never to Say About Survivors of Clergy Abuse
Back in 2021 I wrote a blog post for Awake that covered some of the hurtful things that people sometimes say to clergy abuse survivors, along with more supportive things they might say instead. Many people read it and several survivors—including my mom—responded with additional things that they’ve heard from Catholics and would add to the list.
In Peaceful Mini-Retreat, Awake Reflects at the Doorway of Lent
Last weekend, members of the Awake community gathered for a three-hour mini-retreat to prepare for the season of Lent. Held at the St. Bakhita Catholic Worker House in Milwaukee, the retreat included people who have experienced harm in…
Mike Hoffman
“To be able to share my story, which I kept secret for over 30 years, and still feel safe and loved was such a profound experience.”
Esther Harber
“That profound understanding that I am not alone takes a great deal of the shame away. ”
Awake’s Top Blog Posts of 2022
As we turn the page on a new year, we at Awake value the chance to look back over the last 12 months to see which posts were read most by the Awake community. This data reveals a…
Holiday How-To: 10 Tips for Talking with Your Family About Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church
It’s the holiday season, a common time for family gatherings—and a chance to engage loved ones in important conversations.
Awake Reflects on Darkness, Light, and Hope in Advent Prayer Service
Last Friday evening the Awake community gathered for an Advent prayer service exploring both darkness and the gift of light.
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.
5 Things Every Priest Should Know About Sexual Abuse
Below I’ve compiled five things that I have learned since my wife and I began this journey several years ago, five things I wish every priest, seminarian, and tradition-loving Catholic like myself knew as well.
What Is Racism’s Role in the Abuse Crisis?
Last week Awake hosted a thought-provoking Courageous Conversation about the ways racism impacts the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
The panel discussion, “Erased from the Narrative: The Role of Racism in the Abuse Crisis,” featured Fr. Bryan Massingale, a professor of ethics at Fordham University in New York and a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee; Maka Black Elk, executive director for Truth and Healing at Red Cloud Indian School in South Dakota; and Jeremy Cruz, a professor of theology and religious studies at St. John’s University in New York. The recording of the conversation is available here.