Email Facebook Phone Facebook Phone

i THIRST Initiative

- What is Addiction?
  
  We all have things in our lives to which we may be “attached” more than we should be. These things are distractions which keep us from giving ourselves to God fully. How do we determine if these attachments are really addictions?
  Ask yourself these questions:
  Do I try to rationalize my behavior?
  Do I lie to try to cover up my behavior?
  Has my “attachment” ever led me to do things that are dangerous, thoughtless, or
  insane?
  Are there any effects on my physical health or on my emotional health (of my behavior)?
  Am I able to talk about these behaviors with anyone?
  Addiction is a spiritual disease with devastating effects on the mind and the body.
  Is this you or your loved one?
  Loss of interest in social situations - including school, work, clubs, and activities that the person has previously enjoyed
  Loss of memory - not knowing where he or she had been the day or before, or where an injury might have been incurred
  Change in hygiene habits, including less interest in maintaining personal cleanliness
  Change in sleeping and eating habits, including loss of appetite and inability to sleep
  Change in appearance, including sudden weight loss, gauntness, and a general unhealthy appearance
  Requests for money, even when someone is working, he or she is suddenly requesting financial assistance
  Change of social groups, new “friends” may suddenly appear as the old social group is less involved
  Secretive behavior, the individual seems to be much more secretive about his or her whereabouts, comings and goings, and about the friends with whom he or she is spending time
  New health concerns, including nosebleeds, headaches, weight loss, infections of arms or legs, seizures, tremors
  Changes in personality, including sudden outbursts, increased irritability
  Fluctuation in behavior, including acting completely fatigued and disoriented at one moment, then hyperactive the next
  Onset of paranoia, including a sudden and seemingly irrational distrust of others, and a sense of being “spied upon”
  Addiction is a family disease, affecting everyone who has a relationship with the afflicted individual.
  Whether it is you or your loved one, there is help available. You do not have to live this way.
- Struggling with addiction? Have a loved one who is struggling?
  
  There is help! The iTHIRST Initiative…
  At the heart of the iTHIRST Initiative is an understanding that there is a spiritual dimension to
  the disease of addiction that cannot be met by clinical professionals, but only by the spiritual
  consolation and guidance that the Church can provide.
  The ROAD TO HOPE …
  What is it? The iTHIRST program seeks to provide this spiritual remedy to those suffering from addiction through the development and implementation of programs designed to educate and prevent, provide support to treatment facilities, and those incarcerated, and to develop an aftercare community for the afflicted and their families.
  Why reach out? You are not alone! If you or a loved one is struggling with either alcohol use disorder or substance abuse disorder, we invite you to connect with us.
  How to reach out? Contact Beth Budny at 774-277-5191 or [email protected] to learn more.
  What to expect? In a non-judgmental, confidential, safe, supportive and loving space, you will learn about ways to feel, deal and heal. It will start with a private discussion with an iTHIRST Spiritual Companion, either in person or remotely through video conferencing or phone conversations. These discussions are intended to provide spiritual consolation, guidance and resources
- More about Addiction
  
  Addiction is any sort of unnatural attachment to a substance, behavior, or object that compromises our freedom and distracts our attention from things in our lives that are truly important. Addiction is a spiritual disease with devastating effects on the mind and the body.
  What are signs of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?
  According to Healthline, there are distinct signs of alcohol use disorder; here are a few:
  Being unable to control how much or when you drink
  Feeling compelled or having uncontrollable cravings to drink
  Having to drink to feel “normal” or “good”
  Storing alcohol in hidden places, such as at work, in your car, or in unusual places in your house
  Drinking alone or in secret
  Click here for more information on AUD
  What are signs of Substance Use Disorder (SUD)?
  According to the Mayo Clinic, these are some symptoms or behaviors of substance abuse disorder:
  Feeling that you must use the drug regularly — daily or even several times a day
  Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts
  Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug
  Spending money on the drug, even though you cannot afford it
  Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities, or cutting back on social or recreational activities because of drug use
  Continuing to use the drug, even though you know it is causing problems in your life or causing you physical or psychological harm
  Click here for more information on SUD
  
  The Mayo Clinic indicates these are possible signs to be aware of with family members:
  Problems at school or work — frequently missing school or work, a sudden disinterest in school activities or work, or a drop in grades or work performance
  Physical health issues — lack of energy and motivation, weight loss or gain, or red eyes
  Neglected appearance — lack of interest in clothing, grooming or looks
  Changes in behavior — exaggerated efforts to bar family members from entering his or her room or being secretive about where he or she goes with friends, or drastic changes in behavior and in relationships with family and friends
  Money issues — sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation; or discovering that money is missing or has been stolen or that items have disappeared from the home, indicating maybe they are being sold to support drug use
- More about the iTHIRST Ministry
  
  Our Vision
  To be a Resource for those Suffering from Addictions and Their Families
  Our Mission
  We are called as Christians to “sharpen” in each other our deep desire to love God and do good works.
  Grace comes to us in community where we participate in systems of shared histories, states of both intimacy and interdependence, and coalescing energies, and share in covenants and traditions.
  The Church is the ultimate community as it fulfills all the above. However, it is made even greater by the fact that we participate in a “koinonia”—a community in Christ, as members of His mystical body.
  As secular society moves away from the concept of community, we as Christians must be called to it, for we have been commanded, by Jesus Himself, to love and care for one another.
  The Church can provide spiritual companionship, guidance, and support to those who are afflicted by all sorts of addictions and to their families.
  The Church can be a resource for education and prevention through catechesis and through an educated clergy and laity who understand the nature of the disease of addiction.
  
  What is the iThirst Ministry?
  The iTHIRST Initiative is a mission of The Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity and is a comprehensive approach to education/prevention; support for treatment facilities, jails, and prisons; and aftercare and community-building for those suffering from substance-use disorders
  and for their families.
  
  The goal of the iTHIRST Initiative is to educate about and prevent substance use disorders and to support those who already suffer, and their families, by providing a community in Christ. This community in Christ will provide spiritual support, guidance, and empathy to all who journey on
  the ROAD TO HOPE.
  
  This companionship, support, and community will provide grace and healing for all those affected. The ROAD TO HOPE is the journey “homeward”—back to the love and the freedom for which God created us. It is freedom from the attachment that has enslaved us.
  
  This connectedness will undoubtedly include clinical professionals but must also include “spiritual companionship” to provide consolation, guidance, and empathy. This is the role of pastoral care.
  Why? The Importance of Pastoral Care for the Afflicted and Their Families
  Pastoral care for those afflicted with any sort of addiction and their family members is crucial, for those offering this care are like gentle guides, accompanying those who seek the ROAD TO HOPE, and their families, along a spiritual path, journeying with them from the enslavement of
  attachment back to the freedom of God’s love.
  
  Pastoral care provides a necessary complement to clinical care and methodologies by providing consolation, guidance, and empathy to help the afflicted and their families navigate the often-difficult path “homeward.”
  Spiritual Consolation
  Pastoral Care provides spiritual consolation for those who have been made spiritually desolate by the effects of addiction. That applies to the afflicted person and to those who have suffered “collateral damage” from another’s usage.
  
  Spiritual consolation helps direct afflicted persons’ focus outside of themselves so that they can participate in their own lives, begin a valuable journey on a spiritual path, and return to a life in community.
  
  Spiritual consolation provides hope and inspires. It helps restore balance and energy to one’s life. Spiritual consolation can encourage a person to develop a relationship with God and begin to develop a spiritual intimacy and a life of gratitude.
  Spiritual Guidance
  Pastoral care provides spiritual guidance to the afflicted and their families and friends by guiding them in the way of Faith. It is especially beneficial to those who have decided to travel their ROAD TO HOPE by helping them learn to make good decisions in their lives, based on God’s will for them. Spiritual guidance can also help usher a person back to the sacramental life of the Church.
  Spiritual Empathy
  Pastoral care provides spiritual empathy, the ability to share in someone else’s suffering and pain and vulnerability, much the way the Jesus would have. We seek to look beyond our own judgments and revulsions so that we might be a source of comfort and hope for those that need it most.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – iTHIRST
What does the acronym, “iTHIRST” mean?
- THIRST = The Healing Initiative — Recovery, Spirituality, Twelve Steps
  
  The words “iTHIRST” are among the last words of Christ on the Cross.
  Throughout time it is evident that souls express an undeniable thirst to know God as was
  recognized in Psalm 42: “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee,
  O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” — Psalm 42:1
  Addiction is a defining problem of society, with physiological, and mental health components which must be addressed. Ultimately, however, the desolation, the abandonment and the guilt which are all ‘hallmarks’ of the addicted life, are in many ways spiritual problems which require a spiritual remedy.
  
  The iTHIRST program seeks to provide this spiritual remedy to those suffering from addiction through the development and implementation of programs designed to educate and prevent, provide support to treatment facilities, and those incarcerated, and to develop an aftercare community for the afflicted and their families.
How Can the iTHIRST Ministry Help?
- iTHIRST provides education and prevention services.
  “Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from
  it.” — Proverbs 22:6
  The education and prevention portion of the iTHIRST Initiative provides programs that educate the Catholic community on the nature of substance-use disorders in age-appropriate language and demonstrate how our Catholic faith can be a powerful tool of prevention. These programs are geared toward helping our faith community develop a pastoral approach when treating those afflicted with substance-use disorders and assisting their families.
  
  The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that prevention is still the best way to fight the epidemic of drug addiction, and the best way to prevent is to educate. Education becomes critical as young people, particularly adolescents, have to negotiate the often-tumultuous situations associated with changing schools, challenging new social and academic situations, or parental divorce. The opportunity to abuse drugs and alcohol is especially prevalent during risky times such as these. Also, it is natural that a young person desires to explore and experiment and to test the boundaries of the world. However, experimenting with drugs or alcohol at this age can lead to long-lasting health problems, interaction with the juvenile detention system, and poor family relationships.
  Early education is a must!
What is the ROAD TO HOPE?
- "The Road to Hope: Responding to the Crisis of Addiction" is a book by Keaton Douglas, the Executive Director of the iTHIRST Initiative, co-authored with Lindsay Schlegel.
  
  Published in 2023, the book addresses the profound need within the Church to respond to the addiction crisis. Drawing from her extensive experience in addiction ministry, Douglas educates and equips both clergy and laity to understand and minister to individuals suffering from substance use disorders. The book emphasizes that addiction is not only a physical and psychological illness but also a spiritual disease requiring a spiritual remedy. It advocates for a comprehensive pastoral approach, encouraging parishes to become resources where those struggling with addiction, along with their loved ones, can find spiritual consolation and recovery support. [iTHIRST Initiative]
iTHIRST Support for Treatment Facilities and for the Incarcerated
- “Sowers of Seed”: The parable of the sower of seeds is found in each of the synoptic
  gospels (Matthew 13: 1-23, Mark 4: 1-20, Luke 8: 1-15).
  In the story, the seed tossed by the sower falls either on the path, where it is eaten by birds; on rocky soil, where it sprouts only briefly, then dies; among the thorns, where it perishes, or on rich soil, where it bears much fruit. Jesus explains that the “seed” is the Word, and where it falls represents one’s acceptance or rejection of it.
  
  The Support for Treatment Facilities and for the Incarcerated portion of the ITHIRST Initiative aims to assist those who are currently in treatment facilities, halfway houses, and correctional institutions develop their own spiritual lives. The program introduces them to the concept of spirituality as a necessary dimension of wellness and offers a roadmap to help them find a Higher Power, even amid their struggles, and allow that Power to change them.
  
  An ITHIRST trained representative would speak to folks in detox/treatment facilities (perhaps on a regular basis) and in essence “sow the seeds” of spirituality by addressing spirituality as a “system of beliefs, existing outside of ourselves, from which we draw a moral code.” The representative might share his or her own spiritual journey through the prism of our Catholic faith but would be sensitive to the respective traditions of others as well as to those who do not believe. Here, the representative would bring hope and light to those who have been in darkness.
iTHIRST Support in Aftercare and Community Building
- Aftercare and Community-Building are tremendously important to an afflicted individual and are essential if one is to maintain a sustained sobriety, begin the healing process, and find joy. Individuals who have not found aftercare and community resources are often prone to isolate themselves and to relapse. The goal of the Aftercare and Community-Building portion of the ITHIRST Initiative is to provide a true koinonia—community in Christ—where individuals share histories, covenants, and traditions, intimacies and interdependencies, and coalescent energies— all in Him, who strengthens us. Community provides spiritual companionship, guidance, and support for all those journeying on the ROAD TO HOPE.
Who is the ITHIRST Spiritual Companion?
- “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds; for he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself.” — Sirach 6: 14-17
  The iTHIRST Spiritual Companion is a trained individual who provides spiritual support to those suffering from addiction, as well as their families and loved ones. This role is part of the iTHIRST Initiative, which focuses on addressing the spiritual aspect of recovery from substance use disorders.
What are the Ways to Help Accompany Someone?
- Presence: Being present to someone who has felt marginalized because of the effects of addiction is a calling that requires determination, perseverance, compassion, courage, and love. Listening, and being present in a deeper way to someone who may have felt as though he or she had no voice, is a privilege that provides a moment of connection, and realizes a common humanity, a “oneness in us.” - Marcia Wakeland
  Prayer: Throughout Sacred Scripture we have been taught both to pray for our brothers and sisters and to pray with them.
  Relationship: It takes courage to serve those who may have been marginalized and who are clearly vulnerable due to their addictions or those of their loved ones. It requires dedication and clarity of purpose to listen to the same stories over again, knowing that the person may be caught up in a continuing cycle of self-abuse and destruction.
  The Wisdom of the Other: It is humbling to discover the hidden presumptions and prejudices that often arise when one accompanies another on a spiritual journey. The Spiritual Companion might look at the individual suffering from an addiction or a family member and think, “That person is needy. I am not.” This idea may be fueled by a lack of cultural competence, the ability to be respectful and responsive and to work effectively with people of different cultures. Here, culture is defined not only as race and ethnicity, but as age, gender, sexual orientation, income level, and religion. However, despite any cultural differences, it is critical to acknowledge that there are three “pilgrims” on this Spiritual Journey—the Holy Spirit, who is the true guide; the Spiritual Companion, who is the attentive listener and facilitator; and the person seeking consolation. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, there is always reciprocity between the other two pilgrims, as they build, together, a framework of trust, compassion, and empathy, and learn from one another.
- Brief Biographies of the I THIRST Spiritual Companions
  
  BETH BUDNY has been an active St. Jude parishioner since 1981. She taught religious education for 19 years before becoming St. Jude’s first parish nurse in 2011. She is a widow and mother of adult twins. She retired from the VA after 36 years. Her primary focus was rehabilitation, but she also had experience with long-term care and mental health. She has professional experience with veterans with substance abuse disorders and personal experience with family members dealing with addictions.
  
  MARTY O’SHEA is a semi-retired chef who has been a member of St. Jude’s for over 30 years and active in the Cursillo movement. He has been active in both parish and community activities, married since 1978, and has 2 adult children. He has both alcohol and substance abuse in his immediate family, as well as best friends that have lost siblings and children to substance abuse.
- How to Reach Out
  
  Contact Beth Budny at 774-277-5191 or [email protected] to learn more.
- Documents
  
  List of Community Resources
  
  Spiritually Based Recovery Plan

Medfield & Norfolk
Catholic Collaborative

Saint Edward the Confessor and Saint Jude Parishes

i THIRST Initiative

What is Addiction?

Ask yourself these questions:

Is this you or your loved one?

Struggling with addiction? Have a loved one who is struggling?

There is help! The iTHIRST Initiative…

The ROAD TO HOPE …

More about Addiction

What are signs of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?

What are signs of Substance Use Disorder (SUD)?

More about the iTHIRST Ministry

Our Vision

Our Mission

What is the iThirst Ministry?

Why? The Importance of Pastoral Care for the Afflicted and Their Families

Spiritual Consolation

Spiritual Guidance

Spiritual Empathy

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – iTHIRST

Brief Biographies of the I THIRST Spiritual Companions

How to Reach Out

Documents