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!
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.
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…
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.
Zac Zepeda
“Years of therapy and support groups have shown me that to heal I must talk about the abuse.”
Hopeful News about the Synod Process — and Awake’s Synod Report
After Awake Milwaukee hosted two synod sessions in June to ensure that abuse survivors, their loved ones, and concerned Catholics had a voice in the global listening initiative of the Catholic Church, we submitted our report to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s synod team. Awake’s complete synod report is available on our website.
Part 4: Recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee – Transparency and Accountability of Lay-Led Advisory Boards
This week we continue to explore Awake’s recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, developed to help our local church take next steps to address the evil of sexual abuse. Today we consider the third set of recommendations, which focus on unacceptable boundary violations that may set the stage for abuse. The complete set of recommendations for our archdiocese is available here.
Last week we shared part 1 and part 2 of the recommendations and explored why Awake is advocating for these changes. The recommendations come out of our efforts to learn from abuse survivors across the country and our careful research of best practices implemented in other U.S. dioceses.
Part 3: Recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee – Proactive Steps to Prevent Abuse
This week we continue to explore Awake’s recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, developed to help our local church take next steps to address the evil of sexual abuse. Today we consider the third set of recommendations, which focus on unacceptable boundary violations that may set the stage for abuse. The complete set of recommendations for our archdiocese is available here.
Last week we shared part 1 and part 2 of the recommendations and explored why Awake is advocating for these changes. The recommendations come out of our efforts to learn from abuse survivors across the country and our careful research of best practices implemented in other U.S. dioceses.
Part 2: Awake’s Recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee – Keeping Adults Safe from Abuse
Today we take a closer look at Awake’s second set of recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, related to the sexual abuse of adults. The complete set of recommendations for our archdiocese are available here. As we shared in a blog post earlier this week, these recommendations come out of efforts to walk with and listen to abuse survivors from across the country, as well as careful research of best practices implemented in other dioceses.
Awake Unveils Next-Step Recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Today we at Awake Milwaukee begin sharing a series of recommendations that we developed to help our local Church take further steps to address the evil of sexual abuse.
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has already taken important steps to ensure a safer Church, but more action is needed. We believe the best response to sexual abuse in the Church has two parts: first, accompanying and supporting victim-survivors in their pursuit of truth, accountability, and healing, and second, working proactively to prevent future abuse.
Kathryn Walczyk
“Writing has been a catalyst to health. As a child I didn’t have language for what was happening to me.”
Courageous Conversation: Abuse Survivors Can Heal—and Thrive—in the Aftermath of Trauma
The more our communities understand about trauma, the more likely we are to help survivors of experiences such as clergy sexual abuse achieve healing and post-traumatic growth. Trauma knowledge is also essential for survivors themselves in their recovery…
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’s Most Popular Blog Posts of 2021
As Awake Milwaukee reflects at the close of the year, it’s rewarding to see which blog posts were read the most over the last 12 months.
Two Small Words, One Growing Impact: Why Awake is Updating Our Mission Statement
It has now been almost two years since we officially launched Awake Milwaukee in August 2019 with a simple website and our Open Letter to Survivors (which you can still sign here!).
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.
Courageous Conversations: Awake Welcomes Three Women Who Spoke Out About David Haas
The speakers at Awake Milwaukee’s latest Courageous Conversation shared how reports of sexual abuse by Catholic composer David Haas were brought to light last year—and then made a powerful case for ending the use of Haas’s music.