She knows it because she’s experienced it, and now Kathy Barton is leading a new program that will educate, counsel, and support local residents who are now divorced or going through the process.
Barton is the director of the Social Ministries Office in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, and she’s organized the Olive Branch program’s first event this Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the St. Michael’s Angelus Center on National Road. The Olive Branch offers information and resources “to aid in achieving personal and spiritual growth while navigating the complicated and painful process of separation or divorce”.
National wellness speaker Joelle Moray, counselor Donna Niggemyer, and Father Carlos Melocoton, V.F., will speak to the group. Those participating in the free event do not have to be Catholic, and more information can be found at www.dwc.org.
“What I know about divorce is that it is a loss. People go through a real loss. It’s a loss of dreams. It’s a loss of family. It’s a loss of your best friend. It’s a loss of a love. It’s a loss of all of it,” Barton explained. “And on top of that, sometimes it’s very difficult for other family members to deal with it because they were invested with your spouse. That spouse was family to them. So, as friends, you’ve been a couple, and most of your friends have been couples.
“They don’t know how to deal with it, and they wonder if they have to choose sides. So, what tends to happen is, in addition to the loss, everybody stays clear of both because they don’t really know what to do. They don’t know how to help,” she said. “We have Hallmark cards that are beautiful for all kinds of loss, but there’s no Hallmark card for divorce. So, Olive Branch is going to start the conversation.”
Barton cites Genesis, Chapter 8, where it reads that ‘the olive branch’ is a symbol of new life because a dove delivered one to Noah as the first sign the flood was subsiding.
“We’re starting the Olive Branch Retreat with this initial one-day event so we can talk about it so there’s some understanding about how your feeling, the path ahead of you, and where there’s help,” Barton said. “You do not need to go through this alone.
“I was blessed to have a lot of family around me that was very supportive, and not everybody has that,” she said. “But this group will come together this Saturday, and hopefully we’ll meet quarterly and continue to have events sponsored by the Olive Branch. There are a lot of topics that can be discussed so, we hope you can join us.”
While this Saturday’s event is free, registration is required in order to prepare for refreshments, lunch, and materials. For more information and to register, go to: https://dwc.org and select the Olive Branch Ministry event button.
