In an emergency, dial 911 or call the National Domestic Violence 24-Hour Hotline at 800-799-7233 or 800-787-3224 TTY for counseling assistance. Visit www.ndvh.org for more information. In Illinois, call 877-863-6338. Visit www.batteredwomensnetwork.org for more information.
Resources from the current DVO program
As a part of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Domestic Violence Outeach, the three-part mission of the Queen of Angels Domestic Violence Outreach Committee is:
Awareness * Services * Prevention
This mission is met through
- Awareness
- Ribbon campaign for October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Parish communications: posters and cards at church, bulletin articles
- Services
- Hosting and promoting local counseling services through Catholic Charities
- Promoting 24-hour Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline information
- Training for parish staff members
- Prevention
- Teen Dating Safety training for youth in Confirmation Preparation and parish youth group
- Anti-violence and anti-abuse initiatives including educational flyers for parishioners distributed after Mass; past topics included reducing holiday stress and signs of dating violence
One does not need to be a victim or know a survivor of domestic violence to care about this issue. In their lifetimes, at least 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will be affected by violence from a romantic partner, spouse, relative, caregiver or other domestic partner. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has written When I Cry for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence which emphasizes that an abused person doe not have to stay in an unsafe relationship or home.
The committee meets monthly in cooperation with the Domestic Violence Awareness and Services Committee from neighboring St. Benedict Parish. This cooperation has led to the sharing of news and resources, parallel initiatives at each parish, and to larger projects undertaken together such as this past July’s community meeting with a panel discussion at Sulzer Library.
Resources from the current DVO program
Love Me Not Podcast