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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Why Do Victim-Survivors Sometimes Forget Their Abuse?
When survivors of sexual abuse share their stories, they sometimes describe forgetting or repressing memories of their abuse for years, even decades, before the memories resurface, usually in the form of painful flashbacks. In an effort to understand…
More on Grooming: How Should I Respond if I Suspect Grooming Behavior?
Last week on the blog we discussed grooming, or the tactics abusers may use to prepare victims for abuse, including the red flags that may signal boundary violations and the potential for impending abuse.
What is Grooming, and How is it Related to Sexual Abuse in the Church?
Discussions of sexual abuse sometimes mention “grooming,” the tactics used by abusers to prepare their victims for abuse. It’s important to recognize grooming behaviors as potential early signs of abuse.
Survivor Voices: How I Believe The Church Can Help Survivors Heal
As a teenager in the late 1960s, Jan Ruidl was abused by the priest who led the youth group at her home parish in Springfield, Massachusetts.
This Is Not The Time To Give Up
Thank goodness it’s May. April was long and hard on both my body and my soul. I am guessing that many of you feel the same way.
Announcing the New Mission Statement of Awake Milwaukee
Awake began simply, as a small group of concerned Catholics gathering for conversation in March 2019. Since then, the Awake Leadership Team has been constantly discerning who we want to be as a community, including our mission and the approach we take to this work.
6 Simple Ways You Can Join Awake in Our Mission
The twin crises in our Church—the crisis of sexual abuse and the crisis of leadership failures in responding to that abuse—are large and complex problems.
Survivor Story: A Letter to My Mom
I remember the first time you and Dad told me about your abuse. I told you that I already knew. I don’t know how I knew, other than it was just a child’s intuition.
Awake Questions Update: The Archdiocese Explains the Community Advisory Board
In our effort to better understand how local Church leaders are responding to the issue of sexual abuse in our Church, Awake continues to seek answers to questions we submitted to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in December 2019.
Update: The Archdiocese Answers Awake’s Safe Environment Questions
As we explained in a previous blog post, Awake submitted a list of questions to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in December 2019, in an effort to understand how local Church leaders are responding to the abuse crisis.
Why I Remain Catholic Despite the Sex Abuse Crisis
When the news of the McCarrick scandal hit the headlines, the blow to my family and our faith was devastating. Normally, I am an unabashed enthusiast full of love for the Catholic Church—sharing my faith even with secular friends—but these revelations reduced me to silence.
Survivor Story: Six Things I Wish Catholics Knew About the Abuse Crisis
Patricia Gallagher Marchant, MSW, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice in downtown Milwaukee who has worked for almost 35 years with individuals and couples on issues including anxiety and depression, marital problems, grief, and sexual abuse recovery.
Survivor Voices: How I Found Healing Through Scripture
In 1968 at the age of 19, while in studies for priesthood, I was abused by the priest who was my superior, the individual with the most input in evaluating my suitability to continue.
Update: The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Responds to Awake’s Questions (Part 2)
As we explained in our previous blog post, Awake submitted a list of questions to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in December 2019 and received responses to a shorter list of priority questions in January 2020.
5 Takeaways from the Restorative Justice and Reconciliation Conference in the Twin Cities
In January we attended a Restorative Justice and Reconciliation Conference sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis. The conference was the last requirement of a settlement agreement between the Ramsey County Attorney and the Archdiocese for serious civil and criminal charges in failing to meaningfully respond to numerous reports of sexual abuse of children.
Update: The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Responds to Awake’s Priority Questions
As part of our ongoing effort to understand the abuse crisis at the local level, Awake submitted a list of questions to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in December 2019. (This previous blog post includes our complete list of questions and details about how we developed them.)
Why Catholics Need to Hear Survivor Stories (and 5 Ways to Listen Well)
One of Awake’s central missions is a commitment to listening to sexual abuse survivors. Many have carried painful experiences in silence for decades. And those who have shared their stories have often been doubted, shamed, or ignored by fellow Catholics. In an effort to help change that culture, we’ll begin in coming weeks to post essays from survivors open to sharing their journeys with us.
What Is Vos Estis, and How Is It Related to the Crisis in the Church?
On May 9, 2019, Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter called Vos Estis Lux Mundi, which translates as “You are the Light of the World.” The letter creates new Church law around sexual abuse for the worldwide Church—the Roman Catholic Church and the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches.