Ruth Institute Podcast

Originally published February 23, 2022 by Women of Grace, EWTN. Republished by Ruth Institute April 29, 2022.   In this episode of the Ruth Institute Podcast, we are delighted to listen in to Johnette Williams show, Women of Grace on EWTN. Faith Hakesley, author of the book, Glimmers of Grace: Moments of Peace and Healing Following Sexual Abuse and associate of the Ruth Institute shares with us her journey to healing she embarked on following the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her priest. Hakesley tells us that because her attacker was a priest her path to healing had particular obstacles. She explains that religious faith is often an important tool in the healing process of a victim but that in the special cases where the abuser is a representative of faith, such as a priest, the victim feels betrayed by the faith and the religious structure involved. There is a difficulty in keeping the faith because the abuse is no longer only sexual but is also spiritual, an intensifier of the pain. Though thi