5 minute read
Healing Our Family | With a new executive director, Journey to Bethany charts a path forward
by dkcsj
‘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 development, team stewardship, project management and communications, but it is ultimately rooted in her faith.
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.
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. “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, 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?
Photo courtesy Jennifer Prusa
“I’m always a work in progress, but I began with prayer and reflection in working through recent challenges. You can only focus on yourself for so long, though,” she laughed. “Soon it comes time to take who you are and serve others.” When she heard of the need for an executive director for Journey to Bethany, a new effort to address wounds and provide resources for those in the diocese who have been harmed by clergy sexual abuse, she spent time discerning whether this was the opportunity to serve that she felt called to. “I see Journey to Bethany as part of the culture change that Church leadership and laity are working towards. It’s been 20 years since the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was adopted and approved, and Journey to Bethany is a natural next step to do all we can to facilitate healing of individuals and our diocese,” she said. Prusa spent her first weeks on the job meeting with key players in the formation of Journey to Bethany, understanding the history of the Catholic Church’s response to the clergy abuse crisis, identifying themes for Journey to Bethany’s offerings and looking at proven models of success in other community-based programs focused on healing. Next steps include gathering the resources needed to begin programming, establishing Journey to Bethany as a separate nonprofit organization, recruiting a board of directors and creating an operational structure. Prusa plans to apply the com-
“Soon it munity-building approach she comes time experienced at her most recent employer, Wellington, an Auto take who geo Company. In this approach, you are people are invited into a community and then allowed to create and serve possibilities. others.” “One of our ongoing challenges will be making sure we’re authentically helping individuals and authentically progressing towards facilitation of healing the diocese as a whole. It’s crucial to create a program from which everyone in our Catholic community can benefit and to which everyone can contribute.”
Jure Gasparic WHAT IS Journey to Bethany?
BEGINNING OF OUR JOURNEY
In the wake of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, “Healing our Family” was elevated as a key priority identified in our 2019 diocesan pastoral plan, the Mutually Shared Vision. With support from Bishop Johnston, a committee of lay faithful and clergy established Journey to Bethany, an initiative to address wounds and provide resources for those in our diocese who have been harmed by clergy sexual abuse.
LISTENING TO YOU
As a first step, we solicited feedback from our diocesan community, with more than 1,400 parishioners and clergy across the diocese sharing their perspective via an anonymous independent survey. The findings from this survey provided critical insight to inform next steps for continuing the healing process. While most survey respondents were satisfied with parish life, they also want to better understand our diocesan leadership’s vision for our community. The findings demonstrate the tremendous amount of hurt, anger and pain that has resulted from the clergy sexual abuse issue, with many impacted. The results show that this community is clearly calling for Church accountability, transparency and a commitment to change.
WE BELIEVE
Journey to Bethany will be an important part of our ongoing healing and we are deeply committed to following through on the promise we made to support the healing journeys of those in our diocesan family.
OUR PATH FORWARD
Now with a clearer understanding of our diocesan community’s needs, Journey to Bethany will seek to provide resources and programming to support our diocese’s healing and bolster our Church’s path forward. Initial plans for services include counseling, counseling referrals, support groups, prayer groups, speakers and workshops.
