How do we respond to trauma that happens on a community level? I (Eleni) was deeply inspired by this conversation with Fr. Paul Abernathy about trauma as a collective experience, and how community itself is a transformational element in the healing process. Fr. Paul is the pastor of St. Moses the Black Orthodox Church, an author, a husband, a father, a veteran, and the founding CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project in Pittsburgh. Under Fr. Paul’s leadership, innovative grass-roots strategies have been created and implemented to address acute, historical, transgenerational and complex trauma on a community level.
Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.
In this episode, we talk about:
* The origins of the Neighborhood Resilience Project in the Hill District of Pittsburgh
* What the Trauma-Informed Community Development model is and why a community-based approach made sense
* Cities resemble a human mind — just as we often dissociate from emotions or experiences that are associated with trauma, certain neighborhoods or groups of people can also be “cut off”
* The wound of radical individualism and the foundational Christian emphasis on relationship
* “Never enter this pain alone” — the communion of the saints and how the Church offers us an image of interdependence that can protect us from burnout and despair
* How the current emphasis on healthy boundaries is helpful, but incomplete — we also need healthy connection
* Two questions to ask when we are helping another: How do I love this person? And who will love this person when they leave me?
* The virtue of otherworldly hope — change is always possible
* Remembering the lives of the saints as stories of radical change, and how this impacts Fr. Paul’s interactions with the people he serves through the NRP
* Christ sees us in our potential
* A Virtuous Cycle — If trauma can set off a cascade of harmful effects, then compassion and care has its own ripple effect towards the good
Resources and links mentioned:
* The Prayer of a Broken Heart: An Orthodox Christian Reflection on African American Spirituality by Fr. Paul Abernathy - available from Ancient Faith Press
* Neighborhood Resilience Project Website
* “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by John Donne
* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodes
Let’s Connect:
* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections:
Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.
Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
