Isabella Aguilar | 2025 I.S Symposium

Name: Isabella Aguilar
Title: Blood Stained Glass: Intimate Partner Violence Within the Catholic Church
Majors: Religious Studies; Education
Advisors: Sarah Mirza; Terry Reeder

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a pervasive issue that affects those from all faiths and backgrounds. This study reflects on the resistance and hesitancy researchers face when attempting to initiate dialogue around domestic abuse and highlights the social, cultural, and theological factors that contribute to this silence. By focusing on the attitudes of faith leaders within the Roman Catholic Church, this research examines the Church’s role in counseling survivors of domestic abuse. The study also explores how the Church’s history with scandal, denial of IPV as a prevalent issue, and the lack of formal training among pastoral staff shape its response to survivors. Analysis of Church doctrine, current responses—or lack thereof—and the lived experience of pastoral staff and survivors suggests a flawed system that fails to adequately support members of the community. Equipping pastoral staff with the necessary knowledge and confidence to address IPV can ultimately lead to increased awareness and advocacy, more effective support, and the implementation and improvement of pastoral training regarding IPV.

Posted in Symposium 2025 on May 1, 2025.