Have all abuse survivors left the Catholic Church? While it is true that many survivors have left, there are many who have stayed. Many survivors quietly live a life of extraordinary faith and courage. All across the world there are survivors who still believe and keep the faith.
But much has gone unanswered regarding their delicate and complex faith-wounds. Although they still believe in God, they suffer in silence, asking many questions like: "God, where were you during the abuse? What happened to my soul? How do I handle painful memories during prayer and church on Sundays? Why did God allow evil things to happen? How do I pray and believe after what happened?"
Since we are all part of Christ's Body, the Church, survivors deserve to feel heard and understood by the whole. There is much work that still needs to be done on the topic of trauma and healing, and a lot of wonderful work is being done. The Spiritual Journey of Healing is one resource, which adds to the idea of a much-needed Theology for Survivors and the Wounded. It is a way to approach the suffering of the innocent, with integrity and honesty, and formulate a way forward that is both honest and humane.
When Carrie first wrote The Spiritual Journey of Healing in 2010, she presented it to her Bishop, who wrote:
"Dear Carrie,
I think you have done a fine job of showing how someone can deal with the pain of sexual abuse and be strengthened and healed by their faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church. I think that you have done a fine job and you have used your three years as a cloistered Carmelite (nun) and your own happy marriage to write something that will be helpful to other people that have been abused. God's blessings on this project!"
~Most Reverend Michael J. Sheehan (1939-2023), Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico (1993-2015), Letter to Carrie Bucalo, dated February 11, 2011.
You can download The Spiritual Journey of Healing by clicking the link below.
