Saint Martha’s Toward Healing parish manual spotlighted for practical, personal advice
A national Catholic education and research center on domestic violence has highlighted Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis ministry Saint Martha’s in materials shared with Pope Leo XIV.
Saint Martha’s provides shelter, resources and care for women and children experiencing domestic violence. In late 2023, the ministry began a new collaboration effort with parishes through a guide “Toward Healing: A manual for supporting women and ending domestic violence” distributed to priests and parish leaders.
On International Women’s Day, March 8, Pope Leo touched on the subject of domestic violence during his Sunday Angelus address. He also wrote more on the topic in a response to a reader in the Piazza San Pietro Magazine, published by St. Peter’s Basilica.
“We must never underestimate an act of violence, and we must not be afraid to denounce violence, including the climate of justification that mitigates or denies responsibility. Walking together in mutual respect for our humanity is not a dream, but the only possible reality for building a world of light for all,” Pope Leo wrote. “I thank you for your reminders about the need for an ever stronger educational alliance. The Church, together with families, schools, parishes, movements and associations, religious congregations and public institutions, can share the urgency of implementing specific projects to prevent and stop violence against women.”
National organization Catholics for Family Peace in late spring wrote a letter thanking Pope Leo for his message on the topic, noting a finding from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the U.S. experience physical violence, sexual violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Stickers from Saint Martha’s are displayed in church restrooms.
The organization asked the pope to encourage bishops to work with experts to develop resources on domestic violence for their dioceses, and to urge every diocese to provide training on the topic for both clergy and laypeople. It included examples of U.S. Catholic-led initiatives, including the work of Saint Martha’s and particularly highlighting the Toward Healing guide.
“Nobody has done anything like we’ve done with the manual, so I think they were really excited to show what the potential impact could be and what archdioceses around the country could do,” Saint Martha’s executive director Jessica Woolbright said.
The manual begins with educational information, including what domestic violence is, types of abuse and potential obstacles to leaving abusive relationships.
It also includes things to do or say — and things not to do or say — when helping a victim of domestic violence or speaking with an abuser; resources about leaving abusive relationships, including guidance on safety planning; and pastoral resources including prayers for the faithful and a sample homily addressing domestic violence.
A copy of the manual was sent to every parish in the archdiocese in late 2023 and early 2024, along with a stack of cards listing domestic violence resources in each county and Saint Martha’s prayer cards. Also included were stickers with a simple message and Saint Martha’s contact information, which each parish was asked to place on stall doors or mirrors in the church restrooms.
Since then, Woolbright has seen an increase in parishes referring people to Saint Martha’s drop-in center, and many have asked to replenish materials or add additional stickers. It’s also led to more opportunities for collaboration, Woolbright said, including speaking to Kenrick-Glennon seminarians and presenting a domestic violence training for area pregnancy resource centers.
“I think parishes are eager to partner and want to do more for their own community. We just have to give them the tools to do that in a responsible way, so giving them a tool with very concrete how to help, what to say, what not to say,” she said. “Our hope is the manual is just the first step.”
Vickie Hahn, Catholic Charities navigator for the Northern Vicariate, has seen how necessary it is for priests and parish staff members to be prepared to encounter someone who has experienced domestic violence.
“I’ve had several pastors call for help in situations where either a parishioner or someone comes to their parish and they’re in the midst of a domestic violence situation, so it’s been really helpful to kind of guide them along using the guidebook,” she said. “It’s really touching a lot of lives quietly.”
It’s vital for the Church to be engaged in this work, Hahn added.
“I think we as a Church are really responsible for caring for each other, so I think it’s an honor to help people when they’re most vulnerable, so for a person to feel like the Church is the place where God is calling them to seek help and shelter — it’s one of our responsibilities as Catholics to do that,” she said.
