January 2024 – Hidden at the Margins: Church Abuse and Silenced Voices in Minority and immigrant communities

Theologian Susan Bigelow Reynolds and survivors and advocates Aimee Torres and Eduardo Lopes de Casas discuss the factors that make immigrant and minority communities more vulnerable to abuse, and how they can be made safer and prevent abuse.

September 2023 –
Spiritual Trauma: Victim-Survivors on the Hidden Impact of Sexual Abuse

Four victim-survivors, Elsie Boudreau, Tim Ehlinger, Linda Ochs, and Mary Dispenza, talk about the impact of abuse on their spiritual lives and share how their experiences have influenced their relationship with God, for example, and what has helped their spiritual healing.

November 2023 – Raising Children in Our Wounded Church: The Challenge of Sharing the Light of Faith in the Shadow of Abuse

Therapist Regina Boyd, victim-survivor Mike Hoffman, and theologian Marcus Mescher talk about parenting strategies for balancing vigilance and trust and what gives them hope for the future of the Church.

March 2023 –
Face-to-Face and Heart-to-Heart: Fr. Hans Zollner in Conversation with Survivors

Fr. Hans Zollner, Director of the Safeguarding Institute of the Pontifical Gregorian University, speaks with two survivors of clergy abuse, Esther Harber and Mike Koplinka-Loehr.

MAY 2023 –
A SHARED STRUGGLE: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM OTHER FAITH TRADITIONS ABOUT ADDRESSING ABUSE?

Dr. Guila Benchimol, Maureen Garcia, and Nadiah Mohajir share their expertise working in Jewish, Protestant, and Muslim contexts to prevent abuse.

January 2023 –
Family Matters: How Abuse Wounds the loved ones of victim-survivors

Letitia Peyton, Peter Schiessl, and Jerri von den Bosch–family members of survivors of clergy abuse–reflect on their experiences and work for change and healing.

September 2022 –
What I Want Catholics to Understand: A Conversation with Abuse Survivors

Five victim-survivors with diverse experiences shared reflections on their experience of abuse, addressed common misconceptions, and answered audience questions.

November 2022 –
Erased From the Narrative: The Role of Racism in the Abuse CrisiS

Expert panelists Jeremy Cruz, Fr. Bryan Massingale, and Maka Black Elk discussed the ways racism impacts the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

May 2022 –
Trauma and Resilience in the Body of Christ

Deborah Rodriguez, MD and Regina Boyd, LMFT offered their expertise in an informative and encouraging discussion about the realities of trauma as well as the phenomenon of post-traumatic growth. Audience members particularly appreciated the personal stories and practical tips shared by these panelists.

March 2022 –
WHY THE CHURCH NEEDS SURVIVORS’ STORIES

In a Church that often silences the voices of abuse survivors, how can we chart a new path forward, one that centers these voices and the wisdom they offer? Survivors Jerry McGlone, S.J., and Paula Kaempffer shared their own powerful stories of healing from clergy sexual abuse and guidance for listening well to those who have been harmed..

January 2022 –
TWENTY YEARS SINCE SPOTLIGHT: HOW JOURNALISTS HAVE UNCOVERED SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Awake was honored to host three prestigious panelists for this powerful event – Walter Robinson, who led the Boston Globe Spotlight team, Jason Berry, who began writing about abuse in the Church almost 20 years earlier, and Anne Barrett Doyle, who was moved to action by the Spotlight reports and now co-directs BishopAccountability.org.

November 2021 –
What Can I DO? Lay Leaders Responding to the abuse Crisis with Creativity and Compassion

Four panelists from varying backgrounds and perspectives spoke about the circumstances that moved them to action and the unique approach they have each taken to address the issue of abuse in the Catholic Church. The small group discussions in Part Two encouraged each participant to consider what steps they might take next.

September 2021 –
A BODY OF BROKEN BONES: THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF ABUSE ON THE BODY OF CHRIST

On the first evening of our new two-part event format, Dr. Marcus Mescher shared a thought-provoking presentation on moral injury, conscience, and the path to healing for our Church. In Part Two, members of the Awake Community from many locations and perspectives gathered for lively small group conversations on the topic.

March 2021 –
It’s Not Only Children:
Addressing Abuse of Adults in the Catholic Church

This was an powerful conversation, thanks to the wisdom of our three wonderful panelists – Paula Kaempffer, Dr. David Pooler, and Esther Harber. We are grateful to each of these speakers for the unique perspective and insight they shared, and especially to Esther for trusting us with her story.

February 2021 –
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF TRAUMA AND building trauma-sensitive parishes, with Dr. Stephen Saunders

Thank you to psychologist Dr. Stephen Saunders of Marquette University for his informative presentation on this important topic. (Don’t miss the comments from survivors immediately following Dr. Saunders’ presentation!).

January 2021 –
The Women Who Spoke Out: A Survivor, A Colleague, and An Advocate Share Their Story of
Exposing David Haas’s Abuse

We were honored to lift up the voices of Margaret Hillman, Laurie Delgatto-Whitten, and Dr. Stephanie Krehbiel in this important dialogue. Please take the time to listen and share with others, particularly anyone you know in Catholic music ministry.

December 2020 –
The McCarrick Report, Clerical Culture, and A Path to Change, with Fr. Daniel Griffith

Thank you to everyone who participated in the inaugural event in our Courageous Conversations online speaker series! We are grateful to Fr. Dan for the thought-provoking presentation that launched our first season of this popular series.