Date: Monday, July 27, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Reverend Derek Sakowski
“And” is one of the most important words in the English language. It allows us to hold more space for the complexity of human experience. Every human being has both beauty and brokenness. Every family has both goodness and dysfunction. One of the most common symptoms for trauma survivors is black-and-white thinking, which helps us feel in control and tells a distorted story about ourselves or others. Sometimes this all-or-nothing thinking gets embedded in our collective narrative – the stories we tell ourselves in our family, community, church, or nation. “And” allows us to tell a more truthful story, embrace more fully the paradox of human existence, and live more abundant lives.
Rev. Derek Sakowski was ordained a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse in 2003. He holds a Licentiate in Philosophy from Catholic University of America and a Doctorate in Ecclesiology from the Gregorian University. He has been on his own path of healing and recovery, including three years of training with the Allender Center, where he became certified in Narrative Focused Trauma Care. His ministry has included high school teaching and pastoring two parishes. In 2023, he began serving as Director of the Rebuild My Church Initiative, inviting priests into deeper human integration and spiritual renewal. He often reminds both clergy and lay leaders that we cannot accompany others any farther than we are willing to go ourselves. Many know him through his blog, Abiding in Love and Truth, where he writes about trauma, healing, and the lifelong journey toward wholeness.
For more information contact Paula Kaempffer, Coordinator for Restorative Practices & Survivor Support for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, at kaempfferp@archspm.org.
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