New Creations Column

The Power of Healing

Parker Palmer, in his book *On the Brink of Everything*, writes, “Violence happens when we do not know what else to do with our suffering.” It is evident that our world is plagued by division, animosity, a disregard for human rights, abuse, and a profound loss of hope.

People are suffering, yearning for life, compassion, community, and for God to listen. The grief runs deep; hearts are shattered, and energy is depleted. We become paralyzed and bitter, isolating ourselves and falling into the role of victims.

At the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR), we deeply feel the grief within ourselves and our community, including our youth and families. However, our spirituality compels us to step up, speak out, and become a voice for the voiceless. We strive to create sacred spaces where individuals can confront their pain, share their grief, weep, and experience compassion, as well as God's abundant love, through the community that holds these sacred spaces.

PBMR has established a healing team that primarily focuses on creating sacred spaces for prayer, circles, rituals, and activities that promote healing and transformation.

Our Front Porch (Community Healing Center) has been bustling with a variety of activities. Biweekly, we invite our community, particularly our elder members, to enjoy a morning of coffee and treats prepared by Ronnie, one of our youth. Several weeks ago, during our “Café on May,” we hosted an acupuncturist who spent the day with us, offering our community, staff, and youth the opportunity to experience healing through the five-needle protocol. Many participants reported feeling a sense of peace, improved sleep, and relief from stress and grief.

Recently, the Old Town School of Music here in Chicago offered our youth and staff an evening of Capoeira, an art form that combines dance, music, drumming, and spirituality. The room was alive with laughter; the youth were engaged and having fun with drumming and connecting with one another.

Circles—comprising youth, families, mothers, and staff—come together to share values, address trauma, identify needs, and explore ways to heal broken relationships while caring for one another.

On October 30, we celebrated Día de los Muertos by decorating an altar of remembrance with photographs of our loved ones, particularly the young men and women who have lost their lives to gun violence. It was a beautiful occasion that brought together people of all ages and diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, allowing us to share stories, pray, cry, eat, and laugh together.

Over several weekends, we have had the opportunity, thanks to our supportive friends, to escape the city and participate in Mother's Healing Retreat days. These retreats provide mothers who have lost loved ones to gun violence or the violence of incarceration a chance to share their experiences, be pampered, and engage in healing activities such as sound therapy, art therapy, yoga, meditation, and restorative sleep.

With Gaspar, we will say, “We cannot, we must not and will not” become paralyzed, bitter or victims- because there is power in a healing community and in the Precious Bood of Jesus!”

Our Precious Blood spirituality calls and challenges us to be instruments of healing in our fractured world. We hope that through these individual and community activities, both our wounded selves and our community can emerge with larger, compassionate hearts into a broken world that is hungry for healing.