Recovery Sunday
This Sunday, October 13th is Recovery Sunday—a day to celebrate and pray for those in recovery, a day to pray for and support those who need to be in recovery, a day to lift up those whose lives are effected by loved ones who are suffering with addictions, and a day to remember those who we have lost to this disease.It’s no secret that this is one of the most pressing issues our community and nation is dealing with, and so we really hope to see you here on Sunday—and if you know someone who should be here, please invite them!
At 9am our youth will be gathering in the chapel with Nicki Sumka, a young speaker and artist who has a powerful story to share. At 10am Keaton Douglas from the Shrine of St Joseph will be with us to offer the homily. You can see her bio below.
Keaton Douglas
Keaton Douglas
Keaton Douglas, the Program Coordinator of the I THIRST Initiative, a Mission of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, is a consultant, educator, counselor and frequent guest speaker in the field of addiction and recovery, particularly as it pertains to the interface of Catholic spirituality and recovery. She is the creator of the I THIRST Initiative – (The Healing Initiative – Recovery, Spirituality, Twelve step), a comprehensive program which focuses on spirituality in the prevention, treatment and aftercare of those suffering from substance use disorders and their families. The I THIRST curriculum has been taught in the Archdiocese of Boston at the behest of Cardinal O’Malley’s Opioid Task Force, to seminarians in Heredia, Costa Rica, and at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling. She is a founding member of NJ-DART, the New Jersey Diocesan Addiction and Recovery Taskforce, She has served as the Program Coordinator for the Recovery Ministry at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling, New Jersey since December 2016, where part of her work has involved teaching Sacred Scripture and 12 Step programs, overseeing the Retreat Program, and the working with and training of volunteers. Shehad previously been a member of the Recovery Team there at The Shrine since 2014. She speaks twice a week in the detox department at Straight and Narrow in Paterson, New Jersey,where she is on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, helping others in their personal spiritual development.Keaton is a regular contributor for Relevant Radio, a nationally syndicated Catholic radio station, where she discusses issues on forgiveness, healing and addiction. She has been part of the “70x 7 Forgiveness Retreats” offered by Seton Hall University, and has twice appeared with Dr. Robert Enright, co-founder of the International Forgiveness Institute. She has spoken at the World Apostolate of Fatima in Washington, New Jersey and before many church groups and parishes throughout New Jersey. She is a regular contributor at St. Paul’s Inside the Walls, the Diocesan Center for Evangelization in the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey where she is the emcee at the annual Feminine, Faithful and Fearless Women’s Conference.
Before working in the field of addiction and recovery, Keaton enjoyed a successful career as a singer and entertainer, performing at two Presidential Inaugural Balls and countless other venues throughout the nation. She has spent many years as a music educator and voice and performance coach. She also spent some time on Wall Street, as an Assistant Vice President of Marketing for a major financial institution, creating and implementing the annual budgets, and working with the creative team to develop financial product strategies.
Keaton holds a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., and an M.A. in Theology from the Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall. She is also a CCAR (Connecticut Community Addiction Recovery) Recovery Coach.
Keaton has one grown son, Michael, and she and her husband, Tom, live on a small horse farm in Sussex County, New Jersey.