The Sexual Abuse Crisis in Our Church: Information & Resources

From the Office of Brother Donald Johanson, FSC, Visitor

As our Church and society face the current sexual abuse crisis and a number of other urgent social justice issues that affect us and our Lasallian Catholic ministry, our hearts go out to those who suffer from injustice on so many levels. There are strong emotions and distrust that this scandal continues to cause and we call on all those in authority, especially within our own religious communities, to accountability and transparency.  We must continue to pay attention to the safety and well-being of the young people we serve. We as a District are committed to mandate child safety education, background checks, and reviews of child protection policies and practices.

Below are links to downloadable or purchasable resource and information links for educating ourselves, students, and adults about these issues.
We hope that you find them useful.
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ABUSE CRISIS PRAYER

Dear God,
Please show us your face during this very troubling time.
Our hearts go out to all those who have suffered abuse
at the hands of those they trusted.
We your people feel anger, shock, and shame at the actions of those
designated to serve as our shepherds and leaders.
We struggle to understand how this happens,
and we lament the harm and injury to the young
who deserve our tender care.
We know that you, God, are our Light,
and we need your wisdom and guidance more than ever
as we commit to keep all persons safe, especially our young people,
and bring to justice those who have broken our trust.
We pray for healing for all who have been abused.
We also pray for the offenders,
that they seek forgiveness and face justice with repentance.
We ask you to heal our Church during this dark time,
and help us to treat one another with respect and dignity.
As the Church, we know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Let his spirit and message pervade all that we do.
We ask you this in his name.
Amen.

Download copy.
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RESOURCE & INFORMATION LINKS