Chapter 11

Isolation_Mode

Sexual Trauma

“Life is a journey. We all know that life is a journey, along different roads, different paths, which leave their mark on us. We also know in faith that Jesus seeks us out. He wants to heal our wounds, to soothe our feet that hurt from traveling alone, to wash us clean of the dust from our journey … Jesus comes to meet us so he can restore our dignity as children of God. He wants to help us set out again, to resume our journey, to recover our hope, to restore our faith and trust … to all of us he stretches out a helping hand.” – Pope Francis

 

If you have survived a traumatic experience, these resources may assist you in the journey of recovery and provide practical tools to care for yourself and your loved ones.

Help & Healing

  • National Sexual Assault Hotline – Call 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
  • Not Alone – Anne Richardson is a Christian spiritual director in San Diego who leads Not Alone small groups, a Christ-centered recovery process for women who have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual trauma. She also leads workshops and provides spiritual direction to accompany survivors of emotional or sexual trauma.
  • Your Safe Place: A Family Justice Center provides free services to adults, seniors, children, and teens who have or are experiencing sexual assault or sex trafficking (or domestic violence, family violence, or elder abuse) regardless of age, gender, income, and immigration status.
  • Children of the Immaculate Heart (CIH) serves survivors of sex trafficking and opens the door to their restoration in Jesus Christ. CIH offer a housing and rehabilitation program for adult women and their children, as well as a newly licensed short-term residential treatment facility for minors.
  • “Beyond Trauma: A Catholic Guide for Spiritual First Aid”, this booklet, available as a free download, is intended to help survivors of trauma with practical ways to care for yourself and your loved ones, as well as recovering emotionally and spiritually from the trauma experienced.
  • Diocesan Therapists Network – Please contact the Office for Family Life & Spirituality (858-490-8292) or your local parish for referrals for therapists who specialize in trauma recovery and are comfortable integrating faith and spirituality into their practice.
  • Our Diocesan Victims Assistance Coordinator maintains a list of resources for those affected by abuse, as well as providing assistance to those affected by clergy abuse.
  • The mission of 1in6 is to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences live healthier, happier lives.
  • The Maria Goretti Network reaches out to all those affected by abuse, to survivors and victims, their families and those who support their recovery, with God’s love as witnessed in the life of Maria Goretti.
  • “My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints”, this book, by Dawn Eden, shows how the lives of the saints can offer hope and help along the journey of spiritual healing after an experience of childhood sexual abuse.
  • “Veronica’s Veil: Spiritual Companionship for Survivors of Abuse”, this book, by Rev. Lewis Fiorelli and T. Pitt Green, offers spiritual support to a growing number of adults who wish to integrate their Christian faith into the arduous psychological recovery from child abuse by persons in authority.
  • “Glimmers of Grace: Moments of Peace and Healing Following Sexual Abuse”, the author, Faith Hakesley, a survivor of clergy sexual abuse, shares what she has learned about the gifts God wants to give victims throughout their journey of healing.

Ministry Resources

Contact Information

Staff

  • Director: John Prust
  • Associate Director: Janelle Peregoy
  • Associate Director: Wendy Baez

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About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.

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