SAINT PAUL (MN)
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis [Minnesota]
May 4, 2026
Date: Monday, May 25
Start Time: 6:30 p.m.
End Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Virtual
More information and registration
Shifting from self-preservation into healthy communitty
Human beings are hardwired for survival, including powerful and intense reactions of fear. Survival is a gift, but we sometimes get stuck. For many survivors of abuse, and even for their multi-generational families and institutional cultures, fear can remain an invisible driving force long after the threat has passed. If nothing else, it is helpful to tell the truth about how much power fear has in our lives. It’s not like fear just goes away, but self-awareness can open up new possibilities for self-possession and self-gift within healthy relationships and healthy community.
Derek Sakowski was ordained a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse in 2003. He holds a Licentiate in Philosophy from Catholic University of America and a Doctorate in Ecclesiology from the Gregorian University. He has been on his own path of healing and recovery, including three years of training with the Allender Center, where he became certified in Narrative Focused Trauma Care. His ministry has included high school teaching and pastoring two parishes. In 2023, he began serving as Director of the Rebuild My Church Initiative, inviting priests into deeper human integration and spiritual renewal. He often reminds both clergy and lay leaders that we cannot accompany others any farther than we are willing to go ourselves. Many know him through his blog, Abiding in Love and Truth, where he writes about trauma, healing, and the lifelong journey toward wholeness.
For more information contact Paula Kaempffer, Coordinator for Restorative Practices & Survivor Support for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, at kaempfferp@archspm.org.
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