Standing Tall: Introducing Your Safe Place

In Luke’s Gospel, we hear about a woman who had been bent over for eighteen long years. Her back curved, her gaze cast down, her body carried the weight of suffering and silence. She was invisible in her community—easy to overlook, easy to dismiss.

But Jesus saw her. He called her forward, touched her, and declared: “Woman, you are set free.” Immediately she stood tall and praised God.

It is a story of liberation, but also of disruption. Jesus refused to leave her hidden at the margins. He insisted that she belonged at the very center of God’s healing love—even if that meant breaking social rules, even if it enraged the leaders, even if it caused conflict.

Too often, women today hear the same words as that synagogue leader: “Not now. Not here. Not like this.” When survivors ask for protection and are denied by judges. When police are called repeatedly, but nothing happens until it’s too late. When the system protects an abuser’s rights more than a woman’s safety.

The statistics are sobering: fewer than 6% of rapes lead to arrest. Less than 2% of domestic abusers ever serve jail time. Only 1% of rapists see prison. Again and again, our society sends the same cruel message: violence against women is acceptable.

And yet Jesus calls that what it is—hypocrisy. He reminds us that Sabbath itself is rooted in liberation: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out.” Sabbath is God’s way of saying no one gets to own you, no one gets to control you, no one gets to keep you bowed down in fear.

That same liberating spirit is alive today. And at St. Mary’s, we believe the church is called not only to preach about liberation but to participate in it.

A Story of Survival and Strength

One survivor, a professional fighter, shares how she endured over six years of emotional, physical, and financial abuse. Despite her public image of strength, behind closed doors she was controlled, isolated, and broken down. Even pregnant, she faced violence. Even when she tried to leave, she was left homeless with her daughter, pushing a stroller filled with toys and clothes through city streets.

Her breaking point came when her abuser falsely accused her, and the police arrested her instead of him. For ten agonizing days she was separated from her daughter until the courts began to see the truth.

With relentless determination, she sought help from hotlines, legal aid, and—finally—a Safe Haven shelter. Walking through those doors, she felt the crushing weight of years of abuse lift from her shoulders. She began to heal. She discovered self-love. She refused to remain a victim—she became a survivor.

Her story is one of courage, resilience, and hope. It reminds us that domestic violence does not discriminate. It affects every community, every background, every walk of life. But it also shows us that healing is possible, that cycles of abuse can be broken, and that there is light on the other side of darkness.

Introducing Your Safe Place

That is why St. Mary’s is partnering with the San Diego Family Justice Center and Your Safe Place to host a monthly clinic here in Ramona.

Your Safe Place offers confidential, trauma-informed services for survivors of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and human trafficking. Their team helps survivors navigate the legal system, remove firearms from dangerous homes, find safe shelter, and begin the long work of healing.

By opening our doors, St. Mary’s becomes a haven of hope—a visible reminder in our community that no one stands alone, that every person’s dignity is sacred, and that Jesus is still in the business of setting people free.

Our Call

The Gospel ends with the community rejoicing. The leaders are put to shame, but the people celebrate because the bent-over woman finally stood tall. That is what liberation feels like: joy.

Here at St. Mary’s, we rejoice with those who find healing. We stand with the bent-over until they can stand tall. We open our doors and our hearts so that those who have endured violence and silence can find safety, dignity, and freedom.

If you or someone you love is experiencing abuse, know this: there is help. There is hope. And there is a safe place for you.