Ron Corcoran: When I stepped down from full time ministry as a Parish Priest in 2015, I knew in my soul that there was one more task in ministry that God was calling me to do. I confess I felt a little bit like Abraham. “By Faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going.” (Heb 11:8)
At the time I left full time pastoral ministry I was writing my life story even though I was not sure that it would ever be published. But with lots of counsel from those who love and support us, my wife and I felt convicted to publish. The book, Deliver Us From Evil, is now a reality. The subtitle of the book is: “The Remarkable True Story of a Child’s Abuse, Spiritual Deception and Ultimate Redemption.” One secular reviewer wrote: “His memoir is not a woeful lament but a celebration of redemption, composed thoughtfully and showing a profound sense of gratitude. The author’s viewpoint is decidedly religious, but he never proselytizes, and as a result, this book should appeal even to those readers who don’t share his deep religious commitments. It is a story about forgiveness, repentance, reconciliation, suffering, healing and redemption, how God can take broken, sin-filled people and transform them into Wounded Healers for His Glory and Praise.”
The term “Wounded Healers,” coined by the psychologist Carl Jung, reflects the view that those who have been wounded make the best healers. I think of the Catholic Priest, Henri Nouwen, who wrote a book entitled ‘The Wounded Healer.’ He himself suffered greatly and this book really epitomized for me what it means to be a “Wounded Healer.” I have found that those who have suffered are able to weep with those who weep, because they understand what it means to hurt and to come alongside another human being in their time of grief and sorrow. “Wounded Healers” are not necessarily ‘counsellors’, but they are ‘listeners’ and ‘empathizers’ who can stand with and pray with those who are hurting. That is what this new ministry will be built on. It will be an opportunity for people to tell their stories, receive prayer, accept forgiveness, experience reconciliation, healing and hope for their future.
“Healing is one wounded healer telling another wounded healer where to find the Great Wounded Healer, Jesus Christ.”
