CALIFORNIA
The Tidings
By Paula Doyle
St. Robert Bellarmine School principal June Rosena has a passion to protect children. Besides her 37-year career as a Catholic educator, Rosena has had a 20-year private practice as a licensed marriage and family therapist where she counsels people in crisis, including child victims and adult survivors of sexual abuse.
She can easily speak for four hours straight about the devastating effects of child abuse, and she has riveted audiences as a Virtus child protection facilitator. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles implemented the Virtus training program in response to the national clergy sexual abuse crisis.
"I find it so rewarding to give the Virtus talks," said Rosena, who holds a Ph.D in psychology. "Thank God for this long overdue awakening for a situation that's been with us for centuries."
The statistics are staggering: one in four women and one in eight men experience sexual abuse during their lifetime. The perpetrators include parents, siblings, relatives, friends, teachers, coaches, clergy, religious and strangers --- in short, they can be anyone who has access to children.
Rosena estimates that she has spoken to 800 people at six different schools in the San Fernando Valley, including St. Francis Xavier in Burbank, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Sun Valley, St. Genevieve in Panorama City, St. Elizabeth in Van Nuys, St. Patrick in North Hollywood and St. Robert Bellarmine (school and parish) in Burbank.