Catholics In Recovery

by Fr. Don Kline, V.F.  |  09/21/2025  |  Letter from the Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

People are sometimes curious about what I do all day. Fair question. People are also surprised when I tell them that among my priestly duties, not a day goes by that I don’t encounter parishioners who have been afflicted with an addiction. Addiction touches nearly everyone, either directly or through a relationship with a loved one. Sadly, addiction was previously understood as some sort of substance abuse and dependence. The truth is that addiction originates and manifests itself in a variety of ways. Addictions have been linked to increased access to online pornography, legalized marijuana and sports gambling in many states, heightened pressure to meet societal standards, and fewer personal bonds has left our culture looking for love and seeking God in the wrong places.

I have found that a person who has the disease of addiction is most often a victim of trauma (whether it be sexual, physical or emotional abuse and/or neglect. This is why it is essential to look at those who are suffering with addiction through a trauma informed lens. Reaching out to those who are suffering always includes a generous amount of empathy, just as we do for a person who has cancer or heart disease or a traumatic injury because this is what we are truly dealing with. When a person suffers a traumatic injury to the heart, it can become ingrained and may even change the person’s brain in very significant ways. This is why God is close to the brokenhearted and to those suffering – the poor of spirit, the mentally ill, those with addiction. It is essential to get to the root, the cause of the disease, which means utilizing all support, including God, therapy, counseling, and even medications.

Over the years, I have agonized with frightened parents who swore it would never happen to one of their children. I visited parishioners in jail after driving under the influence. I have been “drunk-dialed” by people who have fallen off the wagon. I have taken the keys away from drunk people. Yes, addiction tears at the fabric of many of our families and our community. It’s complicated and involves manipulation, lying, theft and family disrepair. In the worst case, it involves death.

But tremendous hope is found when an addict humbles himself/herself and reaches out for help including the teen who is experimenting with weed or pills, or an adult that drinks too much, or the person who is trapped in the cycle of pornography addiction. For me, it is a labor of God’s love for those who find it challenging to be loved and to love others or themself.

What have I learned? What can I do? I listen, console, support, and challenge. I also realized early on that if someone has the courage to come and see me about a personal addiction or one that is ravaging a family member, that I am only a small part of the solution to the problem. There are instances where I have referred someone to a professional counselor and/or a 12-Step program. I have a quiet network of recovering addicts that I can turn to for help. Their assistance is instrumental in the healing process.

If you have a person struggling with addiction in your family, it can be a very lonely place to be. In an affluent community like Scottsdale, people become convinced that they are the only family facing the hysteria of a family member with an addiction. If this is you, you’re wrong. Sadly, there are far too many struggling with addictions of all sorts. You are not alone in your struggle.

Our instinct as Christians is to reach out and try to save a person struggling with addiction. One learns early on that the correct path is just the opposite--that saving a person with an addiction may be a nice way to say that you are enabling that person. Yes, we can literally kill a person with an addiction with our misdirected kindness. Shaming that person doesn’t help either. The counterintuitive nature of addiction treatment tells me that we need to know what we are doing--a life is at stake.

Families, which form the fabric of our culture and Church, have been devastated by these trends. 10% of American adults suffer from alcoholism. 131 Americans die every day from opioid overdose1 (the most common cause of accidental death). At least 50% of Christian men and 20% of Christian women are addicted to pornography, which has been identified as a leading cause of divorce.

There is hope. There is a new program beginning at St. Bernadette called “Catholics in Recovery”. This ministry is an effort to provide a Catholic solution to the dangers of addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. The Catholic Church has been a refuge for healing for the past two thousand years, providing sacramental transformation through God’s grace and will. This is more than a program. Catholics in Recovery is an experience of God’s healing mercy that integrates twelve-step recovery principles with fellowship, Scripture, and an emphasis on the sacraments. This process has provided many the opportunity to experience freedom from addiction and develop a deep and lasting relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our parish will be taking steps to help those who are suffering from addiction to overcome lifelong issues. It is our hope the “Catholics in Recovery” experience will offer parishioners a place to recover from their wounds and lay the foundation for a culture of healing and surrender. Meetings will begin in October. For more information visit catholicinrecovery.com or use the contact information in the article below. In the meantime, pray for God’s blessing and healing mercy upon all who are seeking to find hope and freedom from addiction.

God Bless,

Fr. Don Kline