Victim assistance coordinators comfort in a behind-the-scenes ministry
Their work begins with a phone call.
Whether the call is from someone who is angry, embarrassed, unsure of what to do or needs a friendly ear, diocesan and eparchial victim assistance coordinators are the face of the church’s response to victims of sexual abuse by a church worker — clergy or otherwise.
It’s a line of work that is public in one sense but not all that well known in another. While their names often appear in parish bulletins, the faithful aren’t always sure of the role they play in the life of the church.