Workshop: “The Addiction Crisis: A Catholic and Lutheran Response”

On February 19, I attended this event at the Community of the Good Shepherd in Cincinnati, along with 350 people from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Southern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. We learned about the brain-based disease “substance use disorder” (addiction) and were able to network and meet with our county agencies to understand the resources that are available for those in crisis.

Fr. Mark Hushen, a recovering alcoholic working for Ashley Addiction Treatment Center, illustrated by a group exercise that it may take 20 or more people with varying skill sets/professions to support just one person in active recovery. Thus, our church communities and congregations can be sources of support for recovering addicts, providing love, hope and friendship. “The goal,” Fr. Mark stated, “is to help the addicted regain their ‘spiritual swagger,’ their joy of living.”

By Colleen Kammer

Assembly Directive: Stand with the marginalized, make a collective commitment to promote and witness nonviolence.

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