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What does it mean to hope—not with blind optimism, but with the quiet strength born from walking through darkness?
In Episode Eight of Descent Into Light, “Hope Illumines the Dark,” we close the series not with an ending, but with a beginning. Sr. Theresa Aletheia and Sr. Danielle Victoria share how, after a period of uncertainty, God opened an unexpected door. Against the odds, they prepare for Rome with a new home and the conviction that their vocation—to listen to survivors and call the Church to reform—is not just possible but in God’s plan.
This final episode explores:
The last stage of grief: hope grounded in God’s presence, not in perfection
How speaking openly about abuse in the Church demands both risk and courage
Why real reform requires not just changes in law but conversion of hearts—and why it involves all of us
Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., reflects on the urgency of addressing abuse and the Church’s call to be present to those on the margins. And Dr. Julie Hanlon Rubio explains why the Church’s approach to abuse needs to expand to better protect adults in vulnerable situations. Together, their insights show that hope is not naïve—it’s the only way forward.
This final chapter asks: Can the Church embody a hope that does not deny wounds but tends to them with integrity, humility, and light?
Thank you for walking with us through these eight episodes. This is not the end—it is a call to keep going, together, in the light of Christ.
If you would like to dedicate at least one hour of adoration or prayer for survivors and for the intention of preventing abuse in the Church, please sign up here and download our free prayer aid.
