Spirit Fire offers workshops, retreats, and other programs for survivors, family members, and groups which integrate survivors, family members and all others who have been wounded by the abuse we experienced in the Church. Teresa has been providing these for over 15 years, both with a co-retreat leader and as the sole leader. Our events also increasingly involve panels of survivors with others who are experts in various areas.
For an idea of our approach, and to inspire other programming, below are a sampling notes and/or transcripts from retreats and workshops offered to survivors, clergy and others. Usually these are drawn from retreats and workshops offered by Teresa with Fr. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS, who is currently a Provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. Their work was recently recognized with the Mother Cabrini award from Cabrini University.
Free Online Broadcast
From May 1 to June 10, 2020, Teresa Pitt Green hosted an online, one-hour broadcast once a week in which survivors and others who serve in pastoral ministry for survivors were interviewed and discussed reflections and practical ideas for integrating faith in Christ with recovery from sexual child abuse. Audiences were small, confidential, and reviews were strongly in favor of more. Thank you! (Much of The Spirit Fire Global Conference on Faith and Abuse will be in this format and follow the same themes. Please sign up and join us!)
Transcripts for Reflection
Please note you are free to reuse these as inspiration or as published items, providing you comply with our simple terms for reuse.
Wounded Healers: Christ-Centered Healing & Hope After Child Sexual Abuse
Prayerful day of reflecting on the role of storytelling, Scripture and Catholic traditions in a trauma-informed Christian witness and ministry. For a mixed audience, including survivors, family members, priests, sisters and other ordained and lay Catholic ministers.
Retreat offered during the Year of Mercy by Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS, and Teresa Hartnett for survivors, family members and support persons with mix of reflections, guided mediation, prayer and group discussions leading to a basket of prayers and intentions included during the closing service, Arlington, VA, October 2015. Partial transcript only.
Choices in Healing: Spiritual Journeys After Sexual Abuse
Retreat offered by Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS, and Teresa Hartnett for survivors and family members covering the difficult question “why,” issues of safety, emotional boulders and simplifying life; Arlington, VA, September 2013. Transcript.
Additional Resource
The Way is a retreat developed and offered by the Office of Survivor Ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta by its Victim Assistance Coordinator, Sue Stubbs. It is the only retreat and retreat program offered to survivors of clergy abuse nationally which has been recommended by The Healing Voices Magazine, which reviewed all such retreat programs offered in 2018. One reflection on survivor experience may be found here.
Spirit Fire 