A Psychiatric Nurse Applauds Book's Courage

I am a psychiatric nurse who has said for years that I am simply picking up the pieces of people battered by the church, and the deep Judeo-Christian roots of self-loathing, then teaching them to love every broken piece as we help them reconstruct themselves. Your book has validated not simply the abuse of power, but the depth of
mental illness in the Roman Catholic Church. It breaks my heart, and it angers me. I applaud your courage to tell the truth; to make it all three dimensional indeed. At the same time, this feels balanced in its approach. Your love of people and of God is evident. I think God had a very special purpose in calling you to the MC's. The world needs to move on to acceptance of the enormous blessing of our own incarnation. I have washed and tended the bodies and souls of hundreds of patients as a nurse of thirty-five years. That work, those bodies as well as the sacred fluids within them, are my piety. You have given much to the profession of nursing in this, Mary, and I thank you for that, too. This was very validating to me in my own decision to leave seminary three years ago, and return to nursing, yet again.

I also feel that your leaving was also your ultimate taking care of and loving yourself. I argued vehemently in seminary that Jesus' words "Love your neighbor as yourself"............AS YOURSELF.........have been overlooked. What does it mean to love ourselves? Unfortunately, or fortunately, this is now the work of mental health professionals. How sad that the message of Jesus was buried with him. Thank God there are books like yours who are resurrecting it! Thank you for your gift. Maybe now those of us who have been sitting on manuscripts for years will have found the courage!

... From Pamela Mitchell, Oregon.  Oregon’s Deschutes River is now home to psychiatric nurse and poet Pamela Mitchell. A New York Adirondack Mountain native, she has responded to the voices of her patients’ inner wilderness for 35 years. She has published in various anthologies and received her MFA from Goddard College. Recently she completed a seminary stint in Berkeley, only to return to the call of nursing and its mystery of foot washing.