Workshop to educate parish staff on addiction crisis

BRAINTREE -- A free workshop meant to educate and provide resources on addiction to clergy and parish staff will be held at the Pastoral Center in Braintree, Oct. 26.

Called "Bringing Christ into Recovery," the workshop will begin and end in prayer, and will feature short talks by a number of mental health and addiction recovery professionals. A free lunch, which will include time to network, will also be provided.

Sponsored by the Archdiocesan Addiction Recovery Pastoral Support Services (AARPSS), the Archdiocese of Boston's Office of Chaplaincy, and the Opioid Task Force, the workshop is just one of the ways the Archdiocese of Boston is working to address the addiction crisis.

The purpose of the workshop is "to heighten awareness of resources available both within the community already... and to provide these resources to those administering in the parishes," said Father Joe White, head of AARPSS and administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Boston, speaking to The Pilot Oct. 12.

"The intention is to provide these resources ongoing" to parishes and to the community, he continued.

"Parishes and collaboratives are encouraged and invited to seek resources for their community, for their parish," he said.

"AARPSS will go into the parish and provide mini-sessions," similar to the workshop, Father White said.

Registration for the Oct. 26 workshop can be completed online at www.aarpss.org/register.