By Mary Morrell |Managing Editor

The statistics are startling.

In 2011, 20.6 million people aged 12 or older were classified with substance dependence or abuse in the past year.

Also identified in the same year by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration were the 19.3 million people aged 12 or older who needed treatment for an addiction, but, for any number of reasons, did not receive that treatment.

Those who work in the field of addictions and recovery agree that support for those addicted, or those affected by someone who is addicted, is a great need and, often, a seemingly insurmountable challenge, but it is a challenge that has been met in St. James Parish, Pennington, for 17 years.

Having dealt with compulsive behaviors and addictions within their own family, parishioners Theresa and Moore Hank felt called to establish a ministry to support others who were facing, as Theresa Hank describes it, “a daily struggle for serenity.”

Following initial training through the Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction to form what was then called a Congregation Assistance Program, focusing particularly on spiritual outreach, Hope Addictions Ministry was born in St. James Parish in 1996.

In addition to the Hanks, a core team of parishioners was blessed and commissioned by then pastor, Father James McConnell. Over the years, the ministry has talked with and prayed for a significant number of parishioners, and others who have heard of the ministry.

Hope reaches out through weekly reflections in the church bulletin, youth group presentations prayer services and awareness weekends. A library of relevant resources is available for borrowing.

Hope Ministry is different from other addiction support programs, explained Theresa Hank, because the first thing shared, rather than the commonality of disease, is faith. “We are first and foremost a spiritual support and then a practical resource. As spiritual support our goals are to listen and pray. As a practical resource, our goals are to provide awareness, education, prevention, treatment resources, recovery support. Our mantra is: Addiction is a disease, not a disgrace,” she said.

For Moore, who was ordained a deacon in 2003, one of the greatest blessings has been the opportunity to preach … “so I can address openly what recovery means to me and how I’ve come to live with my disease [of alcoholism]. By doing so, I let our congregation, our community of believers, know that there is no shame in any illness, and especially so in one that touches almost all of us, whether in our own families or with friends, co-workers and countless others we know. By being able to share openly my recovery story, I allow others to come to me and share theirs.”

Today the Hope Ministry team of five embraces a mission to “listen in a non-judgmental way, provide a safe and confidential support network, and offer referrals to a variety of assistance groups and agencies, as well as, offering education and awareness.”

One of the greatest challenges to support and recovery, explained team member James Haggerty, is the stigma attached to addiction, which “is still so very strong and does discourage people from acknowledging and reaching out for help.”

Haggerty, who was the director of admissions and administration for a 50bed detox/rehabilitation center for 18 years, explained that, “the stereotype patient of the mid-30s male drinking alcohol has changed dramatically. The population that we see more and more frequently is the young generation, ages 12-25. These young adults and adolescents today often start with narcotics, opiates, and pain medication that is very powerful and addictive.

“It is not unusual to find parents reaching out to us with a 16 year-old taking I.V. heroin since it is so inexpensive and potent. … This is an epidemic, just starting to be addressed.”

Peter Antoniewicz, who has been with Hope for 10 years, explained that he became involved in the ministry as a result of what he learned from a 12step program for co-dependents after having to deal with a family member’s experience. “I wanted to share what I had learned the hard way, to help other individuals who might just be starting their struggle with the effects of addiction. The training and educational materials made available to me through the ministry have enabled me to broaden my awareness and be of greater help as an educator/advocate in general,” he said.

His experience, he said, has convinced him, as it has other team members, of the importance of this type of ministry for all parish communities.

St. James pastor, Msgr. Michael Walsh, agrees. “One of the big steps that a person seeking to come to recovery has to take is an openness to acknowledging God in their lives. The capacity to cope with an addiction is strengthened tremendously by this awareness of the power of faith in a person’s life. The context of putting that experience into a mode of living is connection with ‘Church.’ “Here is where the parish provides the context. Our Hope Ministry challenges all of us to recognize the sickness of addiction like we are aware of other illnesses, and through our prayer of intercession and our spirit of welcoming and support give the person building day-by-day sobriety a community that trusts in the power of God and sees the value of each person.”

On the practical level, noted Antoniewicz, the ministry training and connections with multiple prevention and recovery programs puts them “in touch with many sources of information and support resources. That enables us to offer support at many levels – prevention information for parents of teens, direct presentations to our Youth Group, information on concerns regarding medications(and related impacts on alcohol use or depression) for aging adults, and others,” said Antoniewicz.

Haggerty stressed another dimension. “Someone needs to be there for our young, the future leaders of our great country. The Hope Ministry in St. James Parish, due to its reputation, takes referrals from throughout the Trenton Diocese and helps place, direct, support and give hope to community members of many churches in the area. Help is just one phone call away.”

The Hope Ministry team is available to share their experience with any parish interested in forming an addictions ministry.

Interested parishes may contact the Hanks at 609-883-8721 or email [email protected].

Members of Hope Ministry receive training through NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals.