| Victim Assistance Minister of the
Diocese of Charleston
Compassion, Support, Resources
for those affected by sexual abuse by a priest, deacon, or lay person
working within the
Diocese of Charleston
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Holy Spirit,
comforter of hearts, heal your people’s wounds and transform our brokenness.
Grant us courage and wisdom,
humility and grace,
so that we may act with
justice and find peace in you.
from a Prayer
for Healing
Copyright © 2004,
United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops.
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Promise
to Protect
Reporting
an allegation:
To make a formal allegation
of sexual misconduct call the
Office of the Vicar General
at
843-853-2130 ext. 209 |
|
Send
written allegations to:
Diocese of Charleston
Office of the Vicar General
P.O. Box 818
Charleston, SC 29402 |
The Victim Assistance
Minister
can assist individuals in
presenting their allegations to the Office of the Vicar General.
For assistance Contact the:
Victim
Assistance Minister,
Louisa
Storen, LISW, at:
119
Broad Street
Charleston,
SC 29401
(843)
856-0748 or 1-800-921-8122
Pledge
to Heal
... individuals
-
Individual spiritual direction
under the guidance of approved, trained spiritual directors.
-
Individual counseling, on a
time limited basis, that provides therapeutic support to complement other
efforts toward healing and wholeness.
-
Professional Resource Identification:
assistance in one’s search for other professional resources that
one’s individual circumstances require in their journey to wholeness.
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... parishes and parish staffs
To help bring spiritual and
emotional healing to the parish family, the Victim Assistance Minister
offers assistance, consultation and support to parish pastoral staffs and
provides parish intervention. Parish intervention teams composed
of trained personnel, psychologists and other professionals are available
to assist parish communities affected by an allegation or incident of abuse. |
Mission of the Victim
Assistance Minister
The position of the Victim
Assistance Minister was established by the Diocese of Charleston specifically
to provide timely assistance, special care, support and resources to those
who have been hurt by the sexually abusive behavior of a priest, deacon,
or lay person working within the diocese. Professional resources available
through the Victim Assistance Minister include spiritual
directors, specially trained
counselors and psychologists. These services and assistance are provided
in a professional, committed and compassionate manner. In all cases, respect
for the privacy of those who seek assistance is honored.
The Victim Assistance
Minister provides services to:
-
individuals who have experienced
sexual abuse as minors
-
the families of those sexually
abused by a priest, deacon, or lay person working within the diocese
-
parish communities affected
by an incident of sexual misconduct
-
pastoral staffs of those parishes
affected by incidents of sexual misconduct.
Compassionate Care and Support
In summary, the Victim Assistance
Minister wishes to provide pastoral outreach within a setting of compassion,
acceptance, privacy and respect. The focus of the Victim Assistance Minister
is primarily the emotional and spiritual well-being and healing of those
affected by the sexually abusive conduct of a priest, deacon, or lay person
working within the diocese.
The Victim Assistance Minister
provides additional services,
depending on circumstances
and
particular needs or requests.
Whatever form the outreach
may
take, the singular objective
of the
Victim Assistance Minister
is to assist
Victims-Survivors in their
healing. |
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