Ruth Ministry is the. The goal of Ruth Ministry is to integrate a response to domestic violence that permeates parish life. Praying, educating, and making resources available to victims of domestic abuse opens a door for healing to begin.
Domestic abuse is so painful, that victims and their families isolate themselves by silence.
The Church has the opportunity to breach that isolation by training priests, deacons, religious, parish staff, religious education teachers, youth ministers, respect life, family ministers, outreach, etc. to recognize signs of abuse and to convey through their everyday ministry a clear message that violence is never justified. Victims may ask clergy to clarify marriage vows and church teaching and abusers may call for absolution and forgiveness. This then becomes the opportunity to teach and to offer resources to end the cycle of abuse. Scripture One of the most disturbing facts about domestic abuse, is that both victims and abusers believe that scripture justifies abusive behavior. Scripture passages taken out of context can distort actual teaching.