Just a reminder that I will be appearing on EWTN's "Women of Grace," hosted by Johnnette Benkovic, every day from this Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21, discussing my book of Catholic spirituality for adults who have suffered childhood sex abuse, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints. Here on the East Coast, a new episode of the show will air each day at 11 a.m., repeating at 11:30 p.m., but check EWTN's schedule for the times in your region. The website also has a live stream so that you can watch the programs online.
I would really like to get the word out to pastors about the week of My Peace coverage on "Women of Grace," so that they might let parishioners know about it. If you are a pastor, here is one way that you could mention the show in the announcements at Sunday Mass:
"We who have been joined to Christ and to our neighbor in the Eucharist at this liturgy are now called to bring the light we have received to others, particularly to those who are suffering. This week, every day from Monday through Friday, the EWTN television program 'Women of Grace' with Johnnette Benkovic is running a special series of programs on healing childhood wounds with the help of the saints. Johnnette's guest will be Dawn Eden, author of My Peace I Give You. If someone you love is a survivor of childhood trauma or abuse, these episodes of 'Women of Grace' will help you to help that person find the peace of Christ that heals all wounds. For more information on 'Women of Grace,' or to watch the show online, visit EWTN.com."I have another special event coming up this Friday, June 21, but it will be for a more select audience. On that morning, I will bring the message of My Peace I Give You to the Riverside Correctional Facility, which is the city's jail for women. My hope is that this will be the first of many opportunities to speak to inmates about healing childhood wounds with the help of the saints, as so many people who are incarcerated have suffered abuse or trauma. I particularly want to bring the message of My Peace I Give You to male inmates, as men often feel the toxic effects of abuse more intensely than women, as they tend to carry greater misplaced shame about the evil things done to them as children.
If you would like to offer material support to bring My Peace to more victims of abuse, there is a present need: The Catholic chaplain of the Riverside Correctional Facility, Father Matthew Palkowski, O.F.M. Cap., would like to have copies of My Peace I Give You to distribute to the women under his care. If you would like to donate books, you can order them through the sales department of my publisher, Ave Maria Press, at 1-800-282-1865, ext. 1 (or via fax). Just tell them you want the copies to go to Father Palkowski and they can send them to him; they have his address.
For more information on my upcoming appearances, scroll down or click here. To see one of my previous EWTN appearances, when I shared my conversion story on "The Journey Home," click here.
