Catholics For Family Peace

What is it?

Catholics For Family Peace Education and Research on Domestic Abuse is an Initiative of the National Institute for the Family helps Catholics promote peace within families and to recognize and respond with compassion to domestic abuse. We provide prayer and education resources. Our vision: All families experience peace in their homes and respond with knowledge and compassion to domestic abuse, in accord with Gospel values. Our objectives:

• To inform the Catholic community how to promote family peace and to prevent domestic abuse.
• To promote the teachings of the Catholic Church on domestic abuse.
• To collaborate with clergy and lay leaders to promote an informed and compassionate response.
• To conduct and encourage research on the relationship of faith and domestic abuse.
• To serve as a resource for pastoral practices of the universal Church that address domestic abuse.
• To collaborate with other faith-based and secular organizations that address domestic abuse and promote peaceful relationships.

How does it help?

We aim to inform everyone how the Catholic community can promote family peace, prevent and respond to domestic abuse and promote prayer for all families. Our initiative provides education, resources and research that help pastoral leaders, clergy and parishioners recognize domestic abuse and respond with compassion.

Why is it important?

We hope that all Catholic homes will be places of peace. We understand, however, that domestic violence is a serious, relatively hidden problem, widespread in American society. It can be expressed in many forms: physical, sexual, financial, spiritual and emotional. Domestic violence is present to a significant degree in every demographic group. Women are the victims far more often than men. Instances of domestic violence occur among members of all faith communities. It touches the families of our parishioners and affects the students in our schools. Our bishops, in their statement When I Call for Help: a Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence against Women, issued a call “for a moral revolution to replace the culture of violence.”

How did it start

Dr. Sharon O’Brien is the founding Director of the CFFP. Started as a task force of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2011, it then became a 5-year project of the National Catholic School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America. Now, Catholics for Family Peace is a national initiative of the National Institute for the Family, a Catholic research and development organization based in Washington, D.C. Fr. Donald Conroy is the Executive Director of NIF. CFFP serves as a clearinghouse for effective pastoral practices of the universal Church that address violence in the home. We benefit from the volunteer service of many Catholic experts: http://www.catholicsforfamilypeace.org/board-of-advisors.html

Benefits

Often, a friend may become the first responder to a person suffering from abuse. We want to equip them with clear and correct information about what the Church teaches about domestic abuse. We assist professionals in dioceses, parishes, schools, seminaries, etc. to address the issue.

We encourage research on domestic violence particularly as it relates to religion, and we work to disseminate findings to Church authorities. We seek to broaden knowledge and understanding of the root causes of domestic violence and to foster appropriate responses.

We serve as a clearinghouse for “best practices” regarding ministerial initiatives in preventing domestic violence in our Catholic communities and dealing with its aftermath. We are concerned for all those affected by the tragedy of domestic abuse: victims, innocent witnesses, particularly children, as well as people who use abuse.

Means and funding

The National Institute for the Family solicits donations for the efforts of this initiative from members of the Catholic community to cover expenses for website, digital communications, participation in relevant conferences and membership in family ministry associations. Parishes and dioceses cover expenses for educational presentations to their staff members and volunteers.

This initiative can be launched by a small group of persons dedicated to addressing this issue of domestic violence. CFFP is happy to share our strategies and outlines of presentations with others who want to start the initiative in their countries.

Learn more

Visit our webpage, www.catholicsforfamilypeace.org. Email: Education Director Dr. Lauri Przybysz catholicsforfamilypeace@gmail.com. Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter (a form is on the homepage). Mailing address: P. O. Box 1477, Severna Park, MD 21146.

Countries involved

By the moment only in the USA! We are happy to guide the new project leaders.

How to start?

Gather a work group, similar to the task force from which CFFP grew. Identify potential partners in the Catholic community, universities, Catholic Charities, social service organizations, national council of Catholic women, researchers, directors of women’s shelters and abuser intervention programs. From this group, learn what the needs of your community are, and find out what resources are already available. Study what other faith communities are doing. In the U.S., the Jewish and Muslim women’s organizations have been doing extraordinary work, and CFFP has benefited from their models. Find out what secular services are available and talk with the leaders to learn best practices.

After the work group finishes its study, identify an executive team who will carry on the initiative. Create a website and social media to share educational information. Reach out to diocesan offices, seminaries, priests’ councils, women’s groups, parents’ organizations and offer to make presentations to educate people about how Catholics can respond with compassion when there is abuse in a home.