Communications officer, Minnesota sports fan. Catholic. Relish time with family. Loves the historic Mill District!
A different kind of talking piece …
I currently serve as Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Minneapolis, and I support the restorative justice and healing work there and in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. I’m a former communications and marketing executive and bring those skills to the ways we can address the secondary harm and the ripple effects of trauma in the Church and communities. I have seen first hand the power of the circle process and how transformative the experience can be. So, I went from holding a microphone to holding a talking piece (many times, a stone Janine Geske picked up on the shores of Lake Michigan!)
The aim in our local area is to address the harm that has been created by trauma, and find roadmaps to healing. Initially, this work was very focused on the clergy abuse crisis in this archdiocese; increasingly, it’s also about issues involving racism, justice and civil unrest.
More broadly, we are looking to build the partnerships where we can share our experiences, identify best practices and collaborate, within the Catholic Church and in other settings. The transformative impact of restorative justice is needed, welcomed and unparalleled.
I have learned more about restorative justice and circle practices the Minnesota Peacebuilding Initiative, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, and the University of San Diego, and am pursuing a graduate degree in Restorative Justice at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University. My complete bio can be found here.
Where the conversations are taking place:
Restorative Justice Circlekeeper Training
February 2021
Training: Restorative Justice Practices and Circles, sponsored by RJWV.org.
Harm, Healing and Human Dignity: An All-Virtual Catholic Conference on Restorative Justice
October 2020
Workshop: Restorative Response to Clergy Sexual Abuse, sponsored by Catholic Mobilizing Network
Restorative Justice, Law and Healing
August 2020
Lecturer: Organizations at the Intersection of Harm and Healing, course offered by University of St. Thomas School of Law
Restorative Justice and the Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church
February 2020
Presenter: Practices of Restorative Justice to Repair Harm and Rebuild Trust. Sponsored by Appalachian Institute, Campus Ministries, both at Wheeling University, Catholic Charities of West Virginia, Congregation of St. Joseph, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and Women Religious, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, at Wheeling University
An Indistinct Destination 