by Bob Hart
Special to The Leaven
Jacob is a single 39-year-old man and a 16-year active-duty U.S. Navy veteran.
Following his final deployment, which included multiple postings in the Middle East, he was not only diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but found that his use of alcohol had gotten out of hand.
“Drinking became a very big issue,” he said.
A Kansas City, Kansas, native, Jacob returned home and learned from his parents about a group called Catholic in Recovery (CIR), which “takes the principles of 12-step programs and blends them with the sacraments of the Catholic Church,” explained Jacob.
The group proved to be a lifesaver for Jacob, now sober for close to 16 months.
There were no local in-person meetings at the time of his initial sobriety, however, so he attended online meetings and traveled to a CIR retreat in Wichita when he had just three months’ sobriety under his belt.
“It was great,” he said, “and I just thought, ‘I wish there was an in-person meeting in the Kansas City area, whether on the Kansas or the Missouri side.’”
So he took action, approaching Father Mark Mertes of St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, and requesting that he form a regular meeting for others in recovery. The pastor was immediately supportive.
“Jacob’s doing a great job,” said Father Mertes. “I think [CIR] is a very good thing, but not a replacement for doing an actual 12-step program. This is an area of support for people who are already doing that and need to come together.”
Jacob emphasizes that CIR is not only for recovering alcoholics, but those fighting any addiction. Many may be attending 12-step groups for narcotic abuse, overeating, gambling or sex addiction, for example. All are welcome at CIR, he said.
“Some people have experienced a hostile reaction to bringing up their faith in traditional 12-step meetings,” Jacob added. “This is not something they have to worry about at Catholic in Recovery.”
While online meetings are available every day through the national CIR organization, the local meeting facilitated by Jacob at St. Patrick Parish is held each Wednesday night at 8 p.m. The group has been meeting since January of this year.
Father Mertes believes the inclusion of those suffering from different addictions is one of the group’s strengths.
“The whole essence of a 12-step program is to uncover, ‘Why am I in this addiction in the first place?’” he said. “The underlying causes are universal — not specific to the particular addiction, but to the human condition. I believe [the group] is a wonderful thing.”
More about Catholic in Recovery
Catholic in Recovery is a nonprofit organization founded by Wisconsin native Scott Weeman, author of the book “The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments: A Catholic Journey Through Recovery” (2017, Ave Maria Press).
The website at: catholicinrecovery.com offers information including lists of virtual and in-person meetings; other websites of interest; printed and online resources; and much more.
“The goal of every encounter and interaction that one has with our organization is a connection,” according to the CIR website. “Connections with others who have struggled or still struggle from a similar state of hopelessness as well as connection to Jesus Christ, the Lord that delivers new life.”
