One weekend at a friend’s house, I ran into a priest friend who asked with some concern about my wife, Sara, who is the executive director of Awake Milwaukee. It quickly became apparent that he had read some of her Read more
Category: Personal Reflection
Why I Remain Catholic Despite the Sex Abuse Crisis
Today we revisit a personal reflection from Leadership Team member Mike Larson, which we first shared on the blog in March 2020. By Mike LarsonAwake Leadership Team…… Read more “Why I Remain Catholic Despite the Sex Abuse Crisis”
Yes, the Pennsylvania Attorney General Investigation of Clergy Abuse was Hard. But It Helped My Mom and Fellow Abuse Survivors.
When I look back on 2016, I realize what a strange and intense year it was for me and my family. It was the year that I watched the start of the Pennsylvania grand jury investigation Read more
10 Things Never to Say to Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse
As the daughter of a clergy abuse victim-survivor and a lay person who works for the Church, I speak often with fellow Catholics about my family’s experience with the abuse crisis. People respond to this information in a variety of ways. While certain responses are not meant to be hurtful Read more
When Michigan Investigated Clergy Sexual Abuse, My Former Pastor was Arrested
I don’t remember exactly how I found out that my former pastor had been arrested for criminal sexual conduct against an adult. Did I see the article on Facebook? Did my husband send me the news before someone else could? I do remember how the news felt: the Read more
The Anniversary of Nate Lindstrom’s Suicide Strengthened My Resolve to Aid Survivors
I was at Notre Dame High School on Sunday, March 7 to help mark the one year anniversary of Nate’s death by suicide at age 45. I traveled with Sara Larson, executive director of Awake Milwaukee Read more
Survivor Story: 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. He was well respected in the seminary community; I had Read more
Checking the List of Abusive Priests Gave Me a Shock—and a Wake Up Call
One of the questions that I am frequently asked about my involvement with Awake Milwaukee is “Why?” Why does a busy working mom of three boys feel so passionately about waking people up to Read more
Awake 