Reunion Online

By Helena Lazaro. When I first became involved with Joyful Heart in 2010, justice was a concept that I had given up on almost entirely.

When addressing situations of domestic violence, we offer the best possibilities for victim-survivor safety and offender accountability when we work in partnership with individuals from a wide variety of disciplines—medical, legal, spiritual, mental health, criminal justice.

Pope Francis made some significant pronouncements this week about confronting a culture that allowed sexual abuse to run rampant in the Church. I and billions of Catholics and non-Catholics alike will “wait and see” if he actually seizes the opportunity to create a safer world for kids in a meaningful way.

One significant fact has emerged from struggling with my past: I've learned to reuse my pain. That may not be a sophisticated way to say it, but it helps me to think of it like that.

Let’s consider the story of one Christian survivor, Mary, who filed for divorce because her husband was abusing her emotionally, physically, psychologically and spiritually. The response of her pastor is shocking.

A trigger is something that sets off a memory tape or flashback, transporting the person back to the event of his/her original trauma.

In today's 1in6 Thursday, Cecil Murphey recounts an experience talking with another male survivor of childhood sexual abuse. A man decided to break the silence of his abuse by talking with other men. He’s finally able to believe that others have struggled with the same issues because of the molestation in his childhood. As Cecil says, all of us win by helping each other.

Back in September, Aaron shared the first part of his story of hope on the Joyful Heart Blog. In it, he said, "Hope is essential to life, especially for those who are forced (or choose) to deal with painful experiences from our past," Taking inspiration and encouragement from his faith, Aaron made it through. Today, he continues with the second part of his story.

The commencement speaker at my niece’s graduation this past weekend startled some in the audience when he noted that having to overcome adversity is a normal part of a achieving a fulfilling life.