Jonathon Fessenden of Missio Dei and I recently had a chat about domestic abuse from a Catholic perspective, based on my book Don’t Plant Your Seeds Among Thorns: A Catholic’s Guide to Recognizing and Healing from Domestic Abuse.
There have been countless secular books written on the topic of domestic violence, along with excellent podcasts, videos, articles, and other resources. However, there’s a hole in the field of domestic violence awareness within the Catholic Church. Although domestic abuse can easily be considered a global epidemic, it’s rarely talked about within local parish communities. Many—if not most—priests aren’t trained to deal with a parishioner who may come to them with the confusion and anxiety that result from being abused by a spouse.
It’s my mission to help change that.
Faith-filled discussions about this topic need to be heard in order to facilitate safety, hope and healing for survivors, so I was thrilled to discuss this important topic with Jonathon. The talk went so well that we decided to record a follow-up in which we discuss Catholic annulments, resources for healing, and more.
Resources covered in this talk:
From the USCCB, “When I Call For Help.”
To purchase my book, Don’t Plant Your Seeds Among Thorns: A Catholic’s Guide to Domestic Abuse, signed copies are available on my site, or you can order through Amazon.
Hope’s Garden and Men of Hope online communities
Missio Dei Talks About Domestic Abuse: Part 1