Category Archives: Recovery for Christ

Catholic, Alcoholic, Addict

Posted on by

I went and did it again. I created another online community for Catholics who are alcoholics and addicts. I know, I know, you’re asking me, “Why, Paulcoholic, have you done this thing which has proved so fruitless in the past? Don’t you remember your past attempts, all doomed by various financial, technical, and human follies? Why do you persist?” I don’t know. Maybe if I try it often enough it’ll eventually work out, some combination of time, talent, and place where finally people will come and take part and there will be a thriving online community of Catholics sharing their own experience, strength and hope with each other, in a safe Catholic setting.

I created it on the Awestruck Catholic Social Network. Please go here—–> Catholic, Alcoholic, Addict on Awestruck.tv.

I describe it as: “A Group for those Awestruckers who have suffered or still are suffering from alcoholism and other addictions. This is the place that while you’re here on Awestruck you can come to to talk about things important to you: your addiction, your story, struggles, and what gives you strength and hope. Whether you consider yourself “recovered” or “in recovery” is not important, nor is whatever recovery program that you belong to (or even if you belong to one). This is not a Twelve Step Group, but Step discussion is just fine. NO CRITICISM of anyone’s recovery program (or lack of) will be tolerated. Fidelity to the Church is required (same basic requirements for Awestruck membership). Feel free to discuss anything relevent to the Faith and addiction. If you get strength and hope from certain things like the lives of the Saints, post about it! If you wish to discuss Apparitions or locutions, THEY HAVE TO HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE CHURCH. No unapproved Apparitions, etc.”

Also, if you’re worried about privacy and anonymity, there’s this:

“The Group’s settings are “Private,” rather than “Public,” just in case anyone has problems re: anonymity.

‘This is a private group:

-Only users who request membership and are accepted can join the group.
-This group will be listed in the groups directory and in search results.
-Group content and activity will only be visible to members of the group.'”

So, join up and start sharing! I thoroughly love Awestruck, and now spend most of my social networking either there or on Facebook. As the “Catholic, Alcoholic, Addict Group” is hosted on someone else’s dime, and as I do spend considerable time there, I can almost guarantee that I will never terminate it, even should it prove unpopular or unproductive. In case you missed my recent “promotions” of Awestruck, here’s a link to my posts about it—–> Awestruck.tv posts on Sober Catholic.

I also made a change (maybe temporary, we’ll see how all eighteen mebers feel about it) to the “Matt Talbot Way of Recovery” Community on Google+, I renamed it “Catholic, Alcoholic, Addict” Why? To quote from my post in there: “Absolutely no disrespect intended to Matt Talbot, but calling it the “Matt Talbot Way of Recovery” presumes a particular approach to addiction recovery. What would be the “basic text” of this Way (the Philip Maynard book) is out-of-print and the publisher has no intention of bringing it back into print.

We can always add a category entitled “Matt Talbot,” for anyone wishing to post specific things re: him.” And I did create the latter thing, a forum category entitled “Matt Talbot,” where people can discuss him. You can find the Community here———> Catholic, Alcoholic, Addict Community on Google+.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Novena to St. Michael the Archangel, Day 8

Posted on by

On this 8th day of the Novena, we pray for the strength of perseverance in Faith.

The main reason why I started this blog, and the failed social networks involving Catholic addiction, is that too often in 12 Step meeting rooms (and online gatherings) I’ve seen Catholics leave the Church.

I feel it is my duty to stem the tide. I doubt I’ve been very successful, being only one person, but I shall continue anyway.

Why do they leave? It is my conviction that there is excessive moral relativism in the rooms, as well as the sin of indifferentism. Moral relativism is subjective morality, in that morality is situational and based on feelings and not on objective truth. Objective truth means that morality is fixed in terms of things which are always right or always wrong. Indifferentism means that all religions are the same. “It doesn’t matter which one you belong to, as long as you believe.”

Nonsense, if you are a follower of Christ and believe in the accuracy of Divine Revelation.

The idea of a Higher Power may be fine for non-believers or non-Christians, but for Catholics and other Christians the only real Higher Power is Jesus, God Incarnate. If you make anything other than Jesus your Higher Power, you are engaging in idolatry.

Twelve step groups have increasingly led people astray in their Faith. They develop a watered-down Catholicism or depart for a non-denominational Church. The leave the Church that Jesus, the Divine Physician, established with all the healing Sacraments and Saints.

(((sigh)))

We take the Faith and live it. We don’t trade it in for something else, “as long as I don’t take a drink today, I’m OK. I’ve got my Higher Power!” We take the Faith, apply the Gospel to our daily lives, find healing in the Sacraments, and respond to the Gospel’s message by carrying it to others. In doing “good works” we spread the Gospel by our actions (service and volunteering, acts of charity) or by word (conversing or bearing witness to others).

Now, to the Novena:

Begin the prayer with: O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father…, etc.

By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven. Amen.

[Say one Our Father and three Hail Marys after your intentions for fidelity to the Faith.]

To say the entire Chaplet, click here:
Chaplet of St. Michael

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Thoughts on recovery social networking

Posted on by

Last week I shut down the “Recovery for Christ” social network for lack of interest. I have not given up on an online interactive community for Catholics recovering from addictions, but it will have to wait while interest is rebuilt.

To that end, there is an alternative, maybe a temporary one. Google has started a new social network called “Google Plus.” The “Plus” may eventually be a rival to Facebook. It has a lot of the same features as Facebook, but with one chief difference: “Circles.” Circles are a way to organize your contact list, but unlike Facebook’s method of grouping friend lists, on G+ you can target their lists with posts and other sharing. In other words, when you post something to G+, you have the option of sharing it with only a few friends.

With this lies the possibility of G+ members having Circles of friends for specific purposes, such as for online recovery work. People can connect with each other and freely share their struggles with a select few.

So far, G+ is by invitation only. If you are not a member and want an invite, email me through this blog and I’ll send you one. Be sure to include an email address. (My blog’s email address is a different Google account than the one I use for G+) If you are already a G+ member, contact me through here and we’ll link up there!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Recovery for Christ is shutting down

Posted on by

The Recovery for Christ social network for Catholics recovering from alcoholism and addictions will be shutting down as of July 19th, when the domain name registration expires.

I am sorry for any inconvenience, but my heart was no longer in it. And whatever assistance I had at times was about as enthusiastic as I was! I am by no means complaining, I take most of the blame as I didn’t work as hard at it as I could have or should have.

It was the right thing, perhaps gone about the wrong way. Maybe by the wrong person (me). At least I met several fine people with whom I will continue online relationships. But Recovery for Christ will be dead in just over a week. The Holy Spirit knows what’s best and inspires people to do God’s will. If things are of God, they endure, if they are purely human, they fail.

A social network is only as good as the willingness of people in the network to socialize. An online community of lurkers is not a community.

There would be the occasional burst of activity, and then a roaring silence. I would log in after some period of inactivity, only to find that someone had been on a few days before, begging for help. There was no one, myself included, around to hear that voice screaming into the night, asking for help. There was another time when I was on and a woman had engaged me in a chat and told me about her rape. It caused a relapse. I had emailed several female members hoping to enlist their aid, but none ever showed up over the next few days. I assisted her as best I could. I had hoped that she’d get better help from female members, but nothing came.

For a while there were attempts to organize online chat meetings, staggered about the week to accommodate people. They never came to fruition, beyond the 1-3 at most usually in attendance.

This all gradually sucked enthusiasm.

I had many plans, but never got around to implementing them. This is why I take the most blame.

I may revive it someday, but I will try and go about it in a different way. I will perhaps attempt to solicit support in the blogosphere instead of going it alone. I’m thinking that through blogging and such, myself and others can develop a possible interest, and then recruit people who will develop/run/admin/patrol/moderate from the start. Maybe in that manner it will gain the Lord’s blessing and grow and endure. If that does not happen, then perhaps there isn’t a need for an online community like a social network for Catholics in recovery.

I have always wondered why there wasn’t anything like the network, why there are far more non-denominational forums and networks and practically no Catholic ones. And the Catholic Church is the Church with the sacraments of healing. Perhaps therein lies the answer.  With the Eucharist and Confession, perhaps Catholics have no real need for an ongoing Catholic-focused recovery program. This can be discussed in any future revival.

But now I just do not have the time. Between my regular day job, this blog and other projects, I cannot give this project the time it needs.

Anyway, as I said, the network might rise again, when I and others can do it properly. I don’t want it to be “my” site, there would be no point. History will just repeat itself if the network started up again as an individual effort. I would prefer to be just one of several admins, part of a group effort.

I should have all 290ish email addresses from the members, so if/when a successor is a go, there’s a potential member list and people will be contacted. If you wish to be on the mailing list, email me. The email addresses for me are along the sidebar.

This blog will live on. Only Recovery for Christ is closing.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Catholics Recovering for Christ on Facebook

Posted on by

As many readers know, there is a Catholic social network entitled “Recovery for Christ” found here: http://www.recoveryforchrist.com. It is a successor to a previous network: “Catholic Recovery” (or Catholics in Recovery”, the original name.)

The network had Facebook components, which are undergoing changes. Here is a copy of an email I sent to all Facebook Group members, a copy of which is also on the Group’s sister Page:

“Apparently Facebook is going to archive all Groups created under the old Group format.

There has been a request that I update this Group to accommodate this new format. I am not going to do that for a few reasons, namely:

This Group, as well as the Page of the same name was basically just an “advertisement” for the organization’s non-Facebook website. I had hoped that Facebookers who are in need of the resources will find the Group and Page, and eventually migrate to the main website. This hasn’t happened all that much, but that isn’t important right now.

Since Facebook is changing Groups, I am availing myself of the opportunity to revamp the whole project. I took the liberty of creating a new Group and new Page, both reflecting the main website’s new name, which went from being called “Catholic Recovery” to “Recovery for Christ” in July 2010. It also moved to a new web address at the time (more on that, later.)

Hence, this Group and the accompanying Page are now also called “Recovery for Christ.”

The new “Recovery for Christ” Group is secret, meaning that no one can see who is a member and what goes on in it. (I am not even sure if it can be found in a Facebook search.) Therefore members can freely post without worrying what their other Facebook Friends will think. I created it that way for the traditional anonymity concerns and perhaps so more people will use it.

The “Recovery for Christ” Page is open, meaning anyone can see who’s there and what is being posted. The Page is basically just a calling card for, and informational posts about, the main website. The Page is also (this is the important thing) a portal to the new secret Group. Facebookers can find the Page, see that a secret Group exists, and petition to join the Group.

Ultimately, the best way to participate anonymously is to go to the main website: http://www.recoveryforchrist.com. Please bear in mind however that the “Recovery for Christ” site will be undergoing some changes within a month, so perhaps people might want to wait. The Recovery for Christ Facebook Page and Group will have news of any and all changes.

So, that’s it. To find the Page, type in the Search box “Recovery for Christ”, or email me at sobercatholic@facebook.com or sobercatholic@gmail.com. I can also add you to the Group. Group members can also invite people to the new Group.

Any questions, email me at either address above.

Thank you!”

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Sober Catholic/The Four Last Things Facebook Page

Posted on by

Updated: I deleted the “Four Last Things” part of the Facebook Page, that blog will have it’s own Page.

I am not sure offhand what I am going to do with this, and it may serve a purpose in promoting this blog, but there is now a Facebook “Page” for Sober Catholic and The Four Last Things, click below:

Sober Catholic/The Four Last Things Facebook Page

I suppose if readers have Facebook accounts and you all want to meet up there and discuss things, that’ll be nice. That may be an advantage in blogs having a Page on Facebook, additional interaction and “community.” If you wish to interact and build community, while maintaining anonymity, there is still always:

Recovery for Christ

Anyway, the Facebook Page will remain, and grow into something hopefully useful.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Nothing will be impossible for you with great faith

Posted on by

The Gospel Reading from the Mass for Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time has an excellent teaching from Jesus on the power of Faith to heal:

Matthew 17:14-20: “A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said,
‘Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely;
often he falls into fire, and often into water.
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.’
Jesus said in reply,
‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? 
Bring the boy here to me.’
Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him,
and from that hour the boy was cured.
Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said,
‘Why could we not drive it out?’
He said to them, ‘Because of your little faith.
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.’”

Via USCCB.)

As alcoholics and addicts there are competing sources for our attention, all telling us that this works or that works, that a 12 Step program is all you need, or religion and 12 Steps… you get the idea.

Jesus is the Divine Physician. He came to us to heal us of our afflictions and to redeem us from our sins. Mere human methods can help us, at least from the outset and perhaps occasionally afterwards in certain situations. But only Jesus, through the Sacraments He established in His Church, can give us the lasting healing from that which plagues us.

Twelve Step programs speak of “HOW”, which means “Honesty, Open-mindedness, and Willingness” as the key to a successful recovery. Honesty with yourself and others, an openness to working the program fully, and a willingness to do whatever it takes by the program’s offerings. A similar thing is a part of accepting Jesus and His Church as your healer.

The “HOW” can be the Humility needed to submit to God’s will in all areas of your life so He can lead you to the healing you crave; the Openness to God’s graces flowing forth from the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession; and the Willingness to live according to the Gospels.

With faith believe in the healing power of Jesus and the Sacraments and be humble, open and willing to accept it. Miracles happen.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Catholic Recovery is now Recovery for Christ

Posted on by

This is just an announcement that the old Catholic Recovery Social Network is now moved over to its new web location, the new site can be found at:

Recovery for Christ

(or http://www.recoveryforchrist.com if you’re having trouble seeing the link).

I successfully transferred all the CR site info such as member accounts, Groups and Forums to the new RfC site. So, if you were a member of CR, you’re now also a member of RfC. All you have to do is claim your account, which can be done in this manner:

Go to RfC. Then attempt to login using your login username from CR. This would be your username or email address that you used for CR. (I am not sure which one RfC recognizes as valid, it handles things differently. Try both.) Anyway, you might fail in your attempt to log in, as there was an error of some sort when the site went live. If this happens, then please use the Password Recovery option. To do that, do this:

Just below the login fields where it displays the place for the username and password, there is a linked question that says “Lost your Password?” Click on it. Type in your email address that you used for CR. You will get an email very shortly. When it arrives, click on the link in it. This confirms the email address is a valid one, and another email will be sent to you. This one contains a new temporary password. Go back to RfC and login with your username and this password. Then see the bar at the top? Click on “My Account”, then in the drop down menu click on “Settings”. Change your password there. You can also change you username here, too.

So far, I do not know if you can upload photos and videos. The importer couldn’t handle them. I have them all archived, so they’re not lost. This is something I will investigate. RfC uses “BuddyPress”, so if any reader knows how media can be uploaded, email me or post a comment.

Another difference is that the old discussion forums are now Groups. Unlike CR, there were discussion forums apart from Groups, on the new site all discussion forums were made into Groups. This is how BuddyPress handles things. This is not a problem, an easy change to get used to. If you started a discussion or replied to one on CR, I think you are automatically now a member of the corresponding RfC Group.

There is a possibility that posts might be missing. Although the importer said everything successfully transferred, I am not sure if everything did.

Other than that, you can do on RfC basically everything you did on CR. I set up a Private Group called “Catholic Recovery Reunion Group” which you can use to seek out old friends from CR. You can also do a member search if you remember their username. CR will still be available until August 19/20 (or 20/21 depending on time zone, I think), so you can visit it and your Page and look up things. (Friendship connections also didn’t transfer over, so you’ll have to search for and “refriend” people.)

I think that’s it for now. I have the next few days off from work to tend to the new site, I also have most of next week off, so I should be around Recovery for Christ quite often.

If you were a member of CR before, sign up again and claim your account. If you weren’t, the please, join up at the new “Recovery for Christ”!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)