In his Holy Thursday message, Pope Francis told priests to embrace a “good and healthy” tiredness by spending engaged time with the faithful and doing the “real work” of a priest. From Reuters: The faithful never leave us without something to do, unless we hide in our offices or go out in our cars wearing…Continue reading When the sheep smell a rat: A message on Zero Tolerance
I just got the cover design for THE WELL-ARMORED CHILD. Everything is on track for my September publication date!
If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive. – Brené Brown, Daring Greatly One of the most common emails I get is from people who say, “Joelle, my friend just told me that s/he was sexually abused as a child. I don’t know what…Continue reading Giving the “Compassionate Response” to the adult victim of child sexual abuse
There’s a banner that hangs outside of Costa Mesa’s (California) Whittier Elementary School. Its slogan— Children are our first priority—is a painfully ironic reminder of one of the biggest problems plaguing our public schools. That problem is child sexual abuse by public school employees—an epidemic that is raging out of control. Don’t believe it’s a problem?…Continue reading An epidemic of child sex abuse in our public schools
I am currently reading SPLIT: A CHILD, A PRIEST AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH by my friend Mary Dispenza. Abuse memoirs are usually a tough read, but Mary discusses her life with grace and respect—very similar to the way she lives her life. While I am not done with the book, something struck me at the…Continue reading A question about adult victims