Healing Thread for those Suffering From Memories of Liturgical & Sacramental Abuses

[contemplative]

This thread is for those who have witnessed terrible Liturgical & sacramental abuses and recognize post traumatic stress syndrome-like symptoms or need healing from bad memories associated with sacramental abuses.

Don’t laugh. Consider that it was the Eucharist……the Body and Blood of Christ that was abused…in front of our eyes…

Some symptoms are:

• Intrusive Re- experiencing
• Avoidance
• Arousal (very jumpy, easily startled)
  After much consideration and time I have come to realize that some of the sacramental abuses I’ve seen have had a greater impact on me than I first recognized. All that I saw with my own eyes was compounded by many of the abuse stories I read around that time. And to make matters worse……there were few sympathetic ears to listen.

Anyone experiencing traumatic stress in relation to witnessing and reporting abuses is welcome to share on this thread……also all those who simply have bad memories……also all those who would like to share pray-filled thoughts and words of healing.

Prayer for Healing

Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to you.

Allow Your healing Hand to heal me.

*Touch my soul with Your compassion for others; *

touch my heart with Your courage and infinite Love for all;

touch my mind with Your Wisdom,

and may my mouth always proclaim Your praise.

Teach me to reach out to You in all my needs,

and help me to lead others to You by my example.

Most loving Heart of Jesus,

*bring me health in body and spirit *

that I may serve You with all my strength.

Touch gently this life which you have created,

now and forever.

Amen.

 

[Caesar]

Hi, I’m Jon and I am a victim of Liturgical Abuse.

Sometimes I cannot concentrate on the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar. The priest’s voice blasts through the Cathedral from the giant speakers hanging on the marble columns and the choir and the cantor are always singing distracting folk music. I want to pray and reflect and prepare myself to recieve the Holy Eucharist, but I cant! There is no silence, no peace, no devotion!

 

[contemplative]

I want to pray and reflect and prepare myself to recieve the Holy Eucharist, but I cant! There is no silence, no peace, no devotion!

Jon,
Know that you are not alone. There are many who have experienced or are experiencing this same affliction. Most importantly…be confidant that God knows the intentions of your heart in all this. Each and every time you see attrocities in the Church ask God to heal you and help you lead others by good example.
Contemplative

 

[blessedtoo]

Hi, I’m Trisha and I am recovering from Liturgical Abuse Post Traumatic Stress as well. The greatest advance in my recovery process came when I found my new, beautiful, reverant, tranditional, no hands-holding, no orans position, no-clapping, no opening meet-and-greet, no guitars, no Marty Haugen, no comedy routine, no excess EM’s, no halter-top weaing, gift from God Parish. However, if I am ever forced to attend a different Parish, I start to shake and shudder, cough and quiver as flashbacks tumble into my brain. I believe I can be healed, as long as I stay put where it’s safe.

 

[puzzleannie]

it would scarcely be possible to overstate the damage done in the Church in they years following V2 as the legitimate liturgical reforms were implemented by those who, for whatever reason, misinterpreted the V2 documents, or used them as an excuse for pushing their own agenda. The lack of Christian charity in enforcing the changes, and the lack of catechesis about legitimate changes, cause untold pain to 3 generations of Catholics, and even drove many away from the Church. Note, I say not the legitimate changes, but the abuses perpetrated under the umbrella of “liturgical renewal”. My own mother, a convert, likened it to the suffering of those in England in the generations when the Tudors and alter the Puritans stripped the altars, desecrated the monasteries, persecuted priests and religious, destroyed religious art, and mutililated the liturgy.

In my home parish we had no sooner built our beautiful new church, fully paid for by the donation of working class Catholics, than we showed up for Mass one Sunday to find the imported marble altar and communion rail gone, the windows and art which depicted the mysteries of the rosary and the litany of Our Lady covered by banners, 1/3 the pews gone, the organ shoved in a corner to make room for the folksingers. No explanations other than a brief statement in the bulletin.

Especially the older generation suffered terribly in those years, yes those so despised by modernists, including some on this forum, who had been piously reading their prayerbooks and saying their rosaries in the back of church for years.

moving the tabernacles was the real insult and in my estimation has caused the most damage, because in my opinion, judging by the reaction of myself and my contemporaries who were teens at the time, this led to a disbelief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We argued that if the tabernacle was no longer central then Christ was not really there as we had been taught.

 

[contemplative]

I believe I can be healed, as long as I stay put where it’s safe.

The Lord is My Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me. ( Psalm 23:1-2 )

 

[contemplative]

caused untold pain to 3 generations of Catholics, and even drove many away from the Church.

For with you great strength abides always; who can resist the might of your arm?
Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent.
For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
( Wisdom 11:21-26 )

“Sacred Heart of Jesus I trust in thee.”

 

[katy]

I’m gradually putting things back together, with the grace of God, but I grieve for what my kids missed out on. I tried, but wasn’t taught well myself and mistakenly thought what the DREs of the time were doing was correct.

 

[contemplative]

I tried but wasn’t taught well .

In you, LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
In your justice deliver me;
incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me! Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me.
You are my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead and guide me.
Free me from the net they have set for me, for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, LORD, faithful God.
(Psalm 31:1-6)

“Lord, in Your Mercy hear my prayer”

 

[katy]

Amen