Struck Down, Not Destroyed

“In Struck Down, Not Destroyed, Colleen Dulle takes a unique spiritual pilgrimage, one that confronts candidly the institutional mistakes and failures of the Catholic Church, while holding on to faith. It’s a book that will resonate with many Catholics, young and old, who are trying to understand the scandals of recent years and move beyond them.”—John Thavis, New York Times bestselling author of The Vatican Diaries “The Catholic Church, in her earthly, human dimension, will always be battling sin, always in need of purgation. A necessary part of that rectifying work is the truth teller—the man or woman willing to look hard at the dark fallen side of the church in order to bring hidden betrayals into the light for the sake of justice and healing. What we don’t often think about are the personal costs of that truth telling. In Struck Down, Not Destroyed, Colleen Dulle honestly reveals that underside of the story: the profound spiritual challenges of reporting on scandal and corruption in the institutional church as a believing, practicing Catholic. Resisting cynicism and simplistic tribalism, Dulle writes frankly about recent scandals in the church and movingly about how she’s managed to keep her faith. Like Jacob wrestling with God in the dead of night, she holds on—and in the midst of the struggle, somehow a blessing comes. This is a compelling, fortifying read for anyone who is grappling with the fallen side of the church.”—Abigail Favale, author of The Genesis of Gender “With courage and candor, Ms. Dulle lays bare her inner turmoil as she, a faithful Catholic and a correspondent for America magazine, reveals how her faith was tested when confronted with one scandal after another in the institutional church. No doubt, her struggles will mirror those of many and provide them with inspiration as they wrestle with the ‘already and the not yet’ nature of the Catholic Church. Confronting the ‘dark side of the Good News’ is not easy, but it can lead to a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Catholic today. It is no accident that the most prevalent symbol of the Catholic Church is the cross, a sign of contradiction as death is conquered by life, sin by grace. We are the church, the body of Christ, a living organism that proclaims redemption even as it begs for forgiveness. Thank you, Ms. Dulle, for reminding us of this difficult yet compelling truth.”—Most Reverend John C. Wester, archbishop of Santa Fe