I am seeking contributions for an anthology by Catholics who have continued to practice their faith despite mistreatment by their churches or by Catholic communities or institutions. We hear a lot about what it feels like to leave a church after mistreatment, and we hear some things about what it looks like to find a church as a haven after being mistreated elsewhere, but I’ve seen very little writing about what it’s like to stay in the Catholic Church when Her representatives have deeply harmed you. My working title is Wounded in the House of a Friend, so that gives you the idea. I’m looking for a wide range of experiences—there are so many different sorrows–and a wide range of genres, from personal memoir to hagiography, poetry, practical guidance, theological reflection, Scriptural reflection, and gallows humor. I should note that I would love to hear from everyone but am especially seeking Catholic men.
The book will not be an argument, e.g. “I stuck it out with the Catholic Church and you should too!” The target audience of the book is fellow Catholics who are in parallel situations and who have already decided to stay in the Church—I’m hoping this book can be a companion on their journey. Outer rings of the target would be pastors and laypeople who want to know how better to accompany people in their churches who have been wounded within specifically Catholic settings.
If you’re not sure if your situation was “bad enough,” contact me, since I’m trying to get a range of experiences.
If you’d be interested in contributing, please contact me at eve_tushnet@yahoo.com with a brief summary of what you would hope to write, and PLEASE spread this post as widely as you can.
Eve Tushnet is a lesbian and celibate Catholic freelance writer. She studied philosophy at Yale University, where she was received into the Catholic Church in 1998. She writes from D.C., and has been published in (among others) Commonweal, First Things, The National Catholic Register, National Review, and The Washington Blade. Eve blogs at Patheos.com.
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