The U.S. Bishops statement against domestic violence emphasizes the key role the Church can play as a first responder and refuge for victims of abuse and is addressed to pastors and other parish personnel, victims, abusers and the general public to increase awareness and prevention of abuse. “As pastors of the Catholic Church in the United States, we state as clearly and strongly as we can that violence against women, inside or outside the home, is never justified. Violence in any form ‘—physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal’ —is sinful; often, it is a crime as well. We have called for a moral revolution to replace a culture of violence. We acknowledge that violence has many forms, many causes, and many victims—men as well as women.”
— When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against Women, 1992
USCCB When I Call For Help Pastoral Response
One source of healing we have in our lives as Christians is prayer. Psalm 55 may be an especially apt prayer for women who are dealing with abusive situations. With all of you we pray these verses:
Listen, God, to my prayer;
Do not hide from my pleading;
Hear me and give answer.
If an enemy had reviled me,
That I could bear;
If my foe had viewed me with contempt,
From that, I could hide.
But it was you, my other self,
My comrade and friend,
You, whose company I enjoyed,
At whose side I walked
In procession in the house of God.
But I will call upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
At dusk, dawn, and noon
I will grieve and complain,
And my prayer will be heard.
(Ps 55:2-3, 13-15, 17-18)