St. Rita of Cascia is known as patron of desperate, seemingly impossible causes, abuse victims and difficult marriages. With the church typically the first responders to instances of domestic violence, the St. Rita Ministry serves to be a resource for support and referrals while providing education, outreach and awareness to the issues of domestic violence. Using our parish infrastructure, the St. Rita Ministry is designed to prepare our pastoral staff, ministry volunteers and individual families within our parish community to respond with compassion, factual knowledge, as well as prayer and resources that victims need to make positive changes in their lives.With faith in God and the intercession of St. Rita, our vision is that we may we begin to make a significant difference as we work together to help stop the violence and restore the spiritual well-being of our families, our friends and our community.
"Religious teachings can serve as either a resource or a roadblock in addressing the issue of domestic violence. As religious communities, our responsibility is to minimize any barriers facing abused members of our congregations and maximize the resources that exist within our religious traditions." ~Faith Trust Institute
Harbor House of Central Floridaprovides safe shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, and emotional support, and legal advocacy for thousands of domestic violence survivors and their children each year. Harbor House also prepares survivors for re-entry into the community - connecting them to resources that will enable them to live independently, safely and peacefully.
To go to the website of Harbor House of Central Florida, click here: http://www.harborhousefl.com/
