helping Catholic women in abusive relationships grow in freedom and faith
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A Parable about Marriage
Five people walk into an Italian restaurant. Each is given a plate of spaghetti. The first person receives a full plate of long noodles coated in a rich red sauce, dotted with huge meatballs and finished with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan and parsley. It smells warm and inviting. The second person receives a…
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Mary Flores’ Journey from Abuse to Freedom
In this interview, Mary Flores shares her story from non-profit ministry to marriage and family life to post-abuse recovery.
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Finding Beauty and Healing When You Feel Broken by Abuse
Brokenness does not always indicate a problem, mistake, or failure. It can simply be an indication of transition, change, and renewal. When we look at ourselves and our relationships, we need to let go of the judgement of others which we’ve internalized. We need to once again see the beauty in brokenness rather than…
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The Importance of Being Seen and Heard for Victims of Abuse
A huge part of healing from abuse is being seen and heard. Having your feelings validated can mean a lot. Knowing for sure that this is abuse, that you are not crazy, that it’s not your fault, are big steps towards getting help and healing from abuse.
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Words for a Wife Betrayed (a poem)
Oh broken-hearted friend all this suffering is not your fault! You were deceived and abused— your heart crushed by the one whose job was to protect it.
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Descent into Light: new podcast examines abuse within the Catholic Church
Two religious sisters explore the spiritual abuse they experienced from a trusted priest. Their story highlights not only clerical abuse, but also the culture that allows this abuse to happen, with parallels to abuse within marriages.
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Boots on the Ground: a call to the church to be Jesus’ hands and feet to women being abused
There are numerous ways we can help those in our parish who are facing a difficult season, including a woman facing abuse, separation, or divorce.
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Is It Really Abuse?
Many of us think we’d never let ourselves be abused or we’d never stand by while someone near us was being abused. Those statements assume abuse is obvious… and often, it is not.
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Two Half-Wounded People Make a Wounded Relationship
General marriage advice often has the attitude that “what worked for this couple will work for every couple.” This ignores the fact that the skills and attitudes that help two healthy people have a successful relationship will not fix a toxic relationship, but may instead place unrealistic expectations upon one spouse.