It is no secret that the Church is facing turbulent times. The Catholic Apostolate Center would like to express deep and heartfelt sorrow to all victims of clergy sexual abuse. Our Director, Fr. Frank, will be offering a Novena of Masses for Victims of Sexual Abuse from September 7 to September 15 (Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows). We invite all to join us in prayer.
It is important to care for those who are suffering and to remember self-care. If you or someone you know needs information, support, or resources regarding stress and trauma, we invite you to our Self-Care for Healthy Ministry Resource Page. There, you can find resources from SLIconnect, the education ministry of Saint Luke Institute. You will be directed to the following resources:
- Trauma: Extraordinary Challenges and Opportunities
- Tips on how to properly minister to those who experience trauma in their lives and how to find help for those who need it.
- Tips for Managing Anxiety
- Michael Pollard, LCSW offers tips to battle panic and rising anxiety.
- Prayer and Spiritual Life in Times of Stress
- Sr. Pat Parachini, SNJM is a spiritual director and a member of the spiritual formation team for the St. Luke Institute. Here, she offers tips on different styles of prayer that help in stressful times.
- The Healing Charism
- Grief video series with Fr. David Songy, O.F.M.Cap, S.T.D., Psy.D discussing coping and healing methods.
Please use the virtue of prudence to determine if a licensed and/or medical professional should be involved when dealing with stress and trauma.
In these difficult times, the Church will move forward with an increased role of the laity, which will require greater co-responsibility and collaboration among the faithful with clergy. Our Collaboration in Ministry Resources unpack what healthy and fruitful collaboration looks like.
On this resource page, you will find many talks, blogs, articles, websites, podcasts, and more, all aimed at maximizing the resources in the Church in a healthy and productive way for the salvation of souls.
You can listen to our new podcast on co-responsibility by clicking here, and you can view our Collaboration in Ministry Resources by clicking here.
Finally and most importantly, we must remember that our faith life is in Jesus Christ and through his Church. To properly orient ourselves, we invite you to study the message of Pope Francis in his third Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and be Glad). Pope Francis seeks “to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities (GE 2).”
We encourage you to visit our Gaudete et Exsultate Resource Page to read this timely exhortation, and to find media and other resources to help you distill the Holy Father’s call to holiness. A Facebook Live event with Fr. Frank is particularly helpful and can be viewed by clicking the image, or here.
Visit our Gaudete et Exsultate Resource Page by clicking here.
Yours in the Charity of Christ,
The Catholic Apostolate Center Team