Liturgy in the Shadow of Trauma: Reckoning with the Roman Catholic Sex Abuse Crisis

Participation in liturgy is often described and prescribed as a source of comfort and healing for survivors of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse (CPSA). However, as Liturgy in the Shadows of Trauma demonstrates, the diverse forms of trauma inflicted by the sex abuse crisis threaten the ability of liturgical worship to function as the source of grace that it is meant to be.

The authors frame this complex issue in a way that illuminates the church’s ongoing role in impeding the healing of survivors. In so doing, they lay important, constructive groundwork for how we can faithfully promote healing in liturgical life.

David Farina Turnbloom earned a PhD in systematic theology from Boston College in 2015. He has taught at the University of Portland since 2015. He is currently the president of the Liturgical Conference, past-president of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy, and a member of Societas Liturgica and the North American Academy of Liturgy. He directs the Collaborative Humanities Investigating Religion and Power (CHIRP) lab at the University of Portland.

Meg Breen is an historian, receiving her BA in history, with a minor in communication, from the University of Portland in 2023. With Lamberger and Tyschper, Breen is a co-founder of the CHIRP lab.

Noah Lamberger is from Portland, OR, and is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Lamberger received a BA in philosophy, with a minor in theology, from the University of Portland in 2023. They are a co-founder of the CHIRP lab. Through this lab, they have co-authored two published articles and a forthcoming book chapter.

Kate Tyschper earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Portland in 2024. With Lamberger and Breen, Tyschper is a co-founder of the CHIRP lab and has co-authored two published articles and a forthcoming book chapter.