healing o u r fa mi ly
‘A PERSON OF PEACE
so I can be a person for others’
By Megan Marley
“L
isten and attend with the ear of your heart” starts the Rule of St. Benedict, and it’s the quote that comes to mind when you talk with Jennifer Prusa.
She knows the importance of not just listening but acting on what is heard. This skill set has been a valuable part of her more than 25 years working in program
Jennifer Prusa is Executive Director of Journey to Bethany, an organization she says is an important part of the culture change that Church leadership and laity are working towards in providing healing for those harmed by clergy sexual abuse.
development, team stewardship, project management and communications, but it is ultimately rooted in her faith. Prusa grew up in Mississippi and attended Loyola University in New Orleans, where she met her husband. After college, the couple took a leap of faith in choosing a place to live and work, picking Kansas City out of a city review book. They soon connected with their church community in the Waldo neighborhood of Kansas City. “We literally met our best friends in the aisles at St. Elizabeth,” Prusa said.
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“It’s fantastic how God puts people in your life when you’re open to them.” She has been an active member of St. Elizabeth’s Community PTA, Parish Council and the Fulfillment Committee of the parish’s capital campaign, as well as of several community-based efforts. The parish is also where she became involved with Christ Renews His Parish. “About eight years ago, I encountered Christ Renews His Parish at St. Elizabeth,
Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org
and that awakened me to what my adult prayer life, adult faith life should be like. Around that same time, my husband and I became more purposeful in setting goals. In doing so, I was able to examine the long-term goal for the faith area of my life,” Prusa said. “My goal is to be a person of peace so I can be a person for others.” What does it mean to be a person of peace to be a person for others?
