Resources
Report Abuse
If a minor or yourself is in imminent danger, call your local law enforcement or 911.
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If you suspect abuse of a minor, or you are being abused your first call should be to law enforcement.
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To view current contact information for all sheriff’s offices in the state of Wisconsin, please click here
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If you suspect child abuse within a family, you should call your local child protection agency. To view current contact information for all child protection agencies in the state of Wisconsin, please click here
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Sexual abuse by a priest, deacon or a staff member or volunteer of a Catholic Church within the Diocese of La Crosse should be reported first to law enforcement, then contact the Complaint Intake Agent of the Diocese of La Crosse at 608.791.0179 or intakeagent@diolc.org. The Diocese's incident report can be found here
Others Showing Their Support
Awake Milwaukee
Their mission Statement:
Our mission is to awaken our community to the full reality of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and work for transformation and healing throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. We know we don’t have all the answers, but as members of the Body of Christ, we feel called in this moment to listen, learn, and lead.
Awake Milwaukee hosts Courageous Conversations, an ongoing speaker series to build community, deepen understanding, encourage conversation, and inspire action in response to the complex issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. They also have an informative blog and a weekly newsletter.
Restorative Justice
Victim/Survivor
Support Groups
Archdiocese of SPM
Restorative Justice
The Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis offer restorative justice support groups virtually, these groups open to all victim/survivors in the United States.
The Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis Safe Environment Office offers presentations on topics pertaining to Clergy Sexual Abuse, trauma, healing, support and growing in your Catholic faith.
Prayers / Reflections
A Prayer of Healing
God of endless love, ever caring, ever strong:
your only Son was delivered into the hands of the wicked
yet healed us by the blood of his cross.
May the gentle Jesus, join to his own suffering,
the pains of those abused by priests who have betrayed your love,
and servants of your Church, whose sin has brought us shame.
May Christ hear the cries of those abused,
may he quell their restless fears with faith in your protection,
their doubt, with confidence in your love,
and all rage with trust in your healing mercy.
Grant all Shepherds of his Church the compassion to protect his lambs,
the strength to guide his flock, and the wisdom to model their lives
on Christ, the Good Shepherd.
God of justice and compassion, protect all children from abuse,
and deliver us from hate.
May we seek only justice and truth, and trust in your unending mercy.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen
A Prayer for Healing and Reconciliation
Almighty and most loving God, through your Son
your compassion brought healing to many.
We ask for your healing once more
for all who have been profoundly wounded by abuse,
especially those who have been hurt by your ministers.
In your goodness,
we ask for the grace
to be a source of healing
to all who have been abused
and to be ever vigilant
in protecting all your people.
Grant, we pray,
our prayers for healing and forgiveness,
for we ask them through your Son,
Christ our Lord.
Amen
Prayer to St. Maria Goretti,
the Patroness of Abused Children
Dear God, we ask you to help all those who suffer from abuse. Help them find healing and peace in their life. May Maria Goretti who was strengthened by Your Grace join with us in prayer for healing of all victims of abuse, particularly those abused as children or young adults. Grant us your Love that we might reach out to them in Your Name with hope in times of trial. As Maria prayed for her attacker, grant us the grace to pray for the true conversion of all involved with the abuse, that they might seek Your Mercy through prayer and penance. Loving God, pour into our hearts and lives your healing Spirit, that the sacredness of every human person might be respected and protected as the precious image of God. Help us to live in the peace which Maria Goretti had found in Christ and in the love of his mother Mary.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.