Clergy Outreach and Resilience
COR Ministry
COR Clergy Outreach and Resiliance
Latin "COR" = Heart
"Heart speaks to Heart" - St. John Henry Newman
COR centers on the heart of the priest and deacon - the place of encounter with Christ and with one another in fraternity. The program focuses on healing, strength, and mutual support through the sacred bond of Holy Orders.
As deacons, we know that ministry often places us beside people sitting in darkness; trauma, grief, moral injury, exhaustion, shame, and fear. As clergy, we are no different. PEER Support reminded us that accompaniment to our deacon and priest brothers begins not with answers, but with presence. Not with fixing, but with listening. Not with distancing ourselves from pain, but with the courage to remain close.
Like the fishermen by the Sea of Galilee, we too are called while we are “mending our nets”- tending to our own limitations, histories, and vulnerabilities. PEER Support does not ask us to be immune to suffering; it forms us to walk with others through it responsibly, humbly, and faithfully. It teaches us how to establish trust, honor confidentiality, recognize trauma, and know when to accompany and when to refer; all while remaining rooted in Christ. Jesus calls the fishermen as they are and then sends them outward: “I will make you fishers of men.” The mission always flows from conversion. The light we receive becomes the light we offer.
COR Support is not an added ministry; it is a concrete expression of our diaconal identity - servants who stand in the shadows with others until the light of Christ breaks through. May we never forget where grace has found us. And like the apostles, may we have the courage to leave our nets daily, trusting that the Kingdom truly is at hand.
COR Framework
These materials reflect not only what was presented recently to the National Association of Deacon Directors (NADD), but more importantly the substance of what we experienced together during our January COR Peer Support Certification Training.
The documents summarize the integrated framework of clergy accompaniment and resiliency that we explored throughout the week: evidence-based peer support principles, trauma awareness, crisis response, confidentiality standards, suicide intervention awareness, stress and resiliency education, post-traumatic growth, communication skills, and the importance of fraternity and long-term accompaniment among clergy.
Equally important, they articulate the Catholic theological and pastoral foundation that anchors this work firmly within the life of the Church. Throughout the training, we emphasized that clergy care is not merely organizational wellness, but an ecclesial responsibility flowing directly from the mystery of the Incarnation itself. Christ entered fully into human suffering and weakness, redeeming it from within. Therefore, care for the psychological, spiritual, relational, and pastoral well-being of bishops, priests, and deacons is an authentic work of pastoral charity ordered toward mission.
The framework also incorporates Sacred Scripture, Catholic anthropology, Canon Law, and recent teachings of Pope Leo XIV on fraternity, accompaniment, and authentic Christian brotherhood. As the Holy Father recently taught, “Brothers and sisters support each other in hardship, they do not turn their back on those who are in need.”
COR Resources for Deacons in Crisis
The following resources may be used to assist Deacons in their time of need:
988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call 988
Confidential Request for Assistance
If this is a physical health emergency, please call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room or hospital.
If this is a mental health emergency, please call 9-8-8 or go to the nearest emergency room or hospital.
If you are a Deacon who needs confidential support from a brother Deacon, and the above does not apply, please fill out the following informaiton and a confidential request will be routed to our team.