Marjaree Mason Center

The following flyers are available in English and Spanish:

Does Your Partner... (Bathroom Flyer) 
Cycle of Violence (Informational Sheet) 

If you experience any form of abuse or if you just need someone to talk to, please know that there is help. Call the Marjaree Mason Center 24/7 hotline at 559-233-HELP (4357). To learn more about domestic violence visit: www.mmcenter.org.

Option 3: October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month - Pray at 3pm each day for family peace.

Catholics believe that God loves and cares for everyone, and that God knows their pain and concerns. We invite you to join us in a moment of prayer at 3 pm, wherever you are, for those suffering from violence and abuse and those who use violence to control others. We pray for them and for all who work to end domestic violence. Would you set an alarm to join us each day to pray at 3 pm? To learn more about our only local domestic violence response agency, please visit www.mmcenter.org.

Developed by the Archdiocese of Chicago
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For women and men who are victims of domestic violence, may God help them free themselves from abuse and live safely in the peace of Christ. Lord in your mercy … hear our prayer.

For women who are suffering physical, emotional, economic or sexual abuse in their own homes, may they find the strength to free themselves from the violence and live in peace. We pray to the Lord … Lord, hear our prayer.

For children traumatized by violence in their own homes, may God protect them from the violence, free them from the abuse and heal their wounds.

For all men and women who abuse their partners, whether physically, emotionally, economically or sexually, may God help them recognize their abusive behavior and find help to turn lives around and be instruments of peace.

For our community of faith, that we become as compassionate and sensitive toward victims of domestic violence as Jesus would be.

For all of us and our parish that we might not judge victims of domestic violence but offer them the support they need to free themselves from abuse.

For those who suffer domestic violence that they may know they are not alone, they are loved and help is only a phone call away.

For those who witness domestic violence – especially children – that they may understand that violence is never an expression of love, is never acceptable and must never be imitated.

For victims of domestic violence that they may know that their suffering is not a cross to bear or a punishment from God. May they be guided to help, support and safety.

For victims of physical or emotional domestic violence, that they may find the courage needed to seek help, the affirmation, support and shelter they and their families need to heal and the strength to move forward in new ways.

Help us, too, to be instruments of your peace and to assist the victims of domestic abuse and their families with finding safety and hope for a better future.

That your protective love enfold all who suffer or witness violence in their own homes and bring them through these dark days and nights.

For transformation of our society, which often finds it easier to judge the victims of violence than to solve the problems of injustice.

Prayer to End Family Violence

Loving God, we gather here today to remember those who are affected by violence and abuse and for whom we are concerned. We come with our request to you and ask that you hear our prayer. Alone we can do nothing. With your guidance and blessing we can move mountains. Open us to the problems both in our neighborhoods and in the neighborhoods of others.

Ever-living and loving God, you provoke us to the challenge of our time. Keep us constantly aware to the concerns of violence. Inspire each of us to know the urgency of your call to address the many needs that surround us. Give us the fortitude to respond to the tasks before us according to Your will. Be with us today, loving God, comfort us but not protect us from the work that needs to be done.

Let us leave this gathering more concerned about issues of violence and abuse that surround us. We ask You for the strength to share our convictions, the compassion for the abused, the wisdom to plant seeds that encourage people to think and ponder these serious issues. Watch over with care, those who are violated and those who strive to do your work in your name. Amen.

 

When I Call for Help: A Prayer

One source of healing we have in our lives as Christians is prayer. Psalm 55 may be an especially apt prayer for women who are dealing with abusive situations. With all of you we pray these verses:
Listen, God, to my prayer;
do not hide from my pleading; hear me and give answer.

If an enemy had reviled me, that I could bear;
If my foe had viewed me with contempt, from that I could hide.
But it was you, my other self, my comrade and friend,
You, whose company I enjoyed, at whose side I walked
in procession in the house of God.

But I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me. At dusk, dawn, and noon
I will grieve and complain, and my prayer will be heard. (Ps 55:2-3, 13-15, 17-18)

We offer the following practical suggestions for several audiences.
 

For Abused Women

· Begin to believe that you are not alone and that help is available for you and your children.

· Talk in confidence to someone you trust: a relative, friend, parish priest, deacon, religious sister or brother, or lay minister.

· If you choose to stay in the situation, at least for now, set up a plan of action to ensure your safety. This includes hiding a car key, personal documents, and some money in a safe place and locating somewhere to go in an emergency.

· Find out about resources in your area that offer help to battered women and their children. The phone book lists numbers to call in your local area. Your diocesan Catholic Charities office or family life office can help. Catholic Charities often has qualified counselors on staff and can provide emergency assistance and other kinds of help.

· The Marjaree Mason Center provides crisis intervention and if necessary, referrals to local service providers outside of Fresno County. Call 55-233-HELP(4357). For more information, go to www.mmcenter.org. Hotline Advocates are available 24/7/365.

For Men Who Abuse

· Admit that the abuse is your problem, not your partner's, and have the manly courage to seek help. Begin to believe that you can change your behavior if you choose to do so.

· Be willing to reach out for help. Talk to someone you trust who can help you evaluate the situation. Contact Catholic Charities or other church or community agencies for the name of a program for abusers.

· Keep in mind that the Church is available to help you. Part of the mission Jesus entrusted to us is to offer healing when it is needed. Contact your parish.

· Find alternative ways to act when you become frustrated or angry. Talk to other men who have overcome abusive behavior. Find out what they did and how they did it.

For Pastors and Pastoral Staff

Make your parish a safe place where abused women and abusive men can come for help. Here are some specific suggestions:

· Include information about domestic violence and local resources in parish bulletins and newsletters and on websites.

· Place copies of this brochure and/or other information, including local telephone numbers for assistance about domestic violence, in the women's restroom(s).

· Keep an updated list of resources for abused women. This can be a project for the parish pastoral council, social justice committee, or women's group.

· Find a staff person or volunteer who is willing to receive in-depth training on domestic violence; ask this person to serve as a resource and to help educate others about abuse.

· Provide training on domestic violence to all church ministers, including priests, deacons and lay ministers. When possible, provide opportunities for them to hear directly from victims of violence.

· Join in the national observance of October as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month." Dedicate at least one weekend that month to inform parishioners about domestic abuse. During that month, make available educational and training programs in order to sensitize men and women, girls and boys to the personal and social effects of violence in the family. Help them to see how psychological abuse may escalate over time. Teach them how to communicate without violence.

Use liturgies to draw attention to violence and abuse. Here are some specific suggestions:

· In homilies, include a reference to domestic violence when appropriate. Just a mention of domestic violence lets abused women know that someone cares. Describe what abuse is so that women begin to recognize and name what is happening to them.

· In parish reconciliation services, identify violence against women as a sin.

· Include intercessions for victims of abuse, people who abuse people, and those who work with them.

· If you suspect abuse, ask direct questions. Ask the woman if she is being hit or hurt at home. Carefully evaluate her response. Some women do not realize they are being abused, or they lie to protect their spouses. Be careful not to say anything that will bolster her belief that it is her fault and that she must change her behavior.

· Have an action plan in place to follow if an abused woman calls on you for help. This includes knowing how and where to refer her for help. This will be easier if you have already established contact with local shelters and domestic violence agencies.

· Include a discussion of domestic violence in marriage preparation sessions. If violence has already begun in the relationship, it will only escalate after marriage.

· In baptismal preparation programs, be alert that the arrival of a child and its attendant stress may increase the risk of domestic violence.