Victim Assistance Coordinator

Joan L. Holmes, a licensed counselor who has 18 years of experience in the field is the the victim assistance coordinator for the Diocese of Scranton.

This position is part of the diocese’s Policy Concerning Clerics Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors.

According to the policy, the role of the victim assistance coordinator is to provide, directly and through others, for the immediate pastoral care of persons who claim to have been sexually abused when they were minors by a priest or deacon. The coordinator is also charged with informing those who have suffered such abuse that the diocese stands ready to assist them.

“We want people to know that the church is reaching out to them, offering healing and reconciliation,” Mrs. Holmes said.

“When someone has been abused, especially by a member of the clergy, that is a deep betrayal of trust. There is spiritual pain in addition to the emotional trauma.”

She said that when a victim comes forward, she will meet with the person and discuss the situation, “above all, expressing our concern for their emotional and spiritual well-being.”

Mrs. Holmes has compiled a list of providers who can provide counseling, including pastoral counseling, and other resources. She also plans to establish a support group for victims.

“I am here to enable victims to speak about their problem and to have their voice heard,” she said. “They need to be acknowledged. They need to hear, ‘I believe you and I’m here to help you.’ That’s the beginning of the healing process.”

The victim assistance coordinator can be contacted by calling (570) 344-5216 or (570) 954-5399.  She can also be reached by e-mail at: Victim Assistance Coordinator.

Mrs. Holmes has maintained a private counseling practice in Scranton since 1984, providing services in individual and group sessions. She is a national certified counselor and a licensed professional counselor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

She holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from Marywood University, including an M.A. in counseling. She earned a certificate in family therapy from the Family Therapy Institute in Washington, D.C., and a certificate in mental health counseling from the Hatherleigh Company, LTD. She also completed coursework at the Institute for Contemporary Spirituality at The University of Scranton.

Prior to entering the counseling field, she taught elementary school in the Scranton School District for 21 years.

Since 1975 Mrs. Holmes has assisted the chaplain at the Lackawanna County Prison, providing counseling to inmates and their families, and facilitating scripture study and rosary groups. She is a lector at Immaculate Conception Church in Scranton and leader of the Children’s Prayer Group based at the church. She is also a Eucharistic minister to Cozy Comfort Personal Care Home.

She and her husband, Robert B. Holmes, have been married for 50 years. They have seven children, a foster son and 16 grandchildren.