Images

National Survivor Advocates Coalition
September 22, 2015

https://nationalsurvivoradvocatescoalition.wordpress.com/

Our thoughts are with the survivors and their families today as Pope Francis arrives in Washington to begin a six-day visit in the United States.

We salute the courage of survivors in the face of a bombardment of images on television screens, newspapers, You Tube, your phone, and Facebook.

We know that the audio images will assault you anew also.

Please come and linger on the NSAC News pages and on our website www.nationalsurvivoradvocatescoalition.wordpress.com during these days.

WeBarbara Blaine hope the images you see here will be an antidote that will bring you some comfort, a quiet haven, a connection so that you know that you are not alone in an agony that you bear each day but one that is intensified by a papal visit to the United States.

Today, we wanted to greet with the images of Barbara Blaine, the founder of the Survivors Network for Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) David Clohessy SNAP’s executive director and Barbara Dorris, SNAP’s Outreach Director. We’ll provide more images in the days ahead that we hope you find comforting as this visit plays out in the media.

The people pictured here today are the first people who would say that it is the images of all the survivors who should be in NSAC News today and not their images.David Clohessy (2)

But we believe these images will give you a starting place for reaching for the strength for today’s journey.

May you

see in these faces the reflection of your own ability to endure, to give a hand and a shoulder and a piece of your heart to another survivor, to find out the depth of your ability to keep on keeping on, no matter how hard the journey is for the protection of children and justice for all survivors.

If you can, take a hiatus from media during these days.

We know it is not alwBarbara Dorrisays possible to tune out from the ways of the modern world and its technology or well intentioned or self-serving people and since desert islands are in short supply for taking and parking your emotions and thoughts, come rest a bit here. We are privileged to stand with you.

— Kristine Ward, Chair, National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC), KristineWard@hotmail.com, 937-272-0308