On any given Sunday, 80% of the congregation at Mass has either been afflicted with, or affected by the disease of addiction. This disease is an equal opportunity illness, disregarding gender, occupation, age, race, nationality, or social status. It is conservatively estimated that each afflicted person will affect a minimum of four (4) other people.
A notable characteristic of this disease is denial, based in shame and sustained by a “conspiracy of silence.” The first step in addressing the problem is to begin talking about it, thus reducing the shame and opening the door to treatment and recovery.
It is commonly said that there are only three ways out of addiction:
Treatment, Incarceration, or death!
It is widely noted that if there is an addict or alcoholic in the family, the whole family needs to be treated because of the pain and suffering that it causes.
But there is hope!
ST. JOSEPH PARISH in Gretna has begun the process of creating a parish SUBSTANCE ADDICTION MINISTRY (SAM)
What is SAM? S.A.M. stands for Substance Addiction Ministry.
SAM is a parish-based ministry that is designed to provide a safe, confidential place for people touched by addiction to share their personal experiences with others. SAM provides educational information about addiction through professionals in this field.
If you have any questions, call Deacon Jerry @ 504-495-5820.
We meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at St. Joseph Parish in Gretna.