April 26, 2019
Banner image with the words Hope and Healing

Through May 1, the University community is invited to visit a story gallery in the Pryzbyla Center Atrium featuring the stories of those who have experienced clergy sexual abuse.

Since the summer of 2018, the Catholic Church has been experiencing a crisis. Stories of clergy sexual abuse fill the media, alongside revelations of how some Church leaders covered up the crimes. Calls for renewal in the Church ring loud.

In the midst of conversations about what renewal in the Church looks like, the idea for the Hope and Healing Story Gallery came about.

Thanks to the hard work of seven undergraduate students at The Catholic University of America, who interviewed those who experienced clergy sexual abuse and wrote their stories, we have the Hope and Healing Story Gallery.

What we hope you discover in this exhibit are not simply stories of abuse but stories of people who have found hope, healing, and renewal in their own lives. We hope you discover heroes who have overcome unthinkable obstacles. We hope you discover generous, compassionate human beings, who have shared their stories with us, so that we may know what healing and renewal looks like.

The exhibit is open through May 1, and it is open during all the hours the Pryzbyla Center is open.  

This project was a joint effort of Catholic University's PEERS student group, The Catholic Project, and Spirit Fire. Partners also include the National Catholic School of Social Service, the student newspaper The Tower, the Office of the President and Campus Ministry.

Campus Ministry, Counseling Center, Student Health Services, and Office of the Dean of Students are available to provide support to members of the University community. Students can call the Department of Public Safety after business hours at 202-319-5111 to request to be connected to resources.