This August, CMN will host a two-part workshop on building trauma-informed skills for Catholic ministry. We hope that you will join us!

Storytelling, public witness, and restorative practices are powerful tools to advance justice and begin healing in Catholic communities. And, this ministry inevitably unfolds in the presence of personal and collective trauma, often in ways that are not immediately visible. This workshop will equip you with a grounded understanding of trauma and practical tools to accompany others with care and intention – promoting safety, resilience, and dignity in Catholic ministry, work, and daily life.

The two sessions will be led by expert voices on the intersection of restorative justice, trauma healing, and Catholic Ministry: Sheila M. McMahon, Ph.D., M.Div., MSW, LCSW, director for the Restorative Justice and Catholic Social Thought program at the University of San Diego and Sr. Ilaria Buonriposi, CMS, Health Manager at United Way of Central Maryland. 

Event Details

The training consists of two 2-hour sessions. The sessions are highly interactive: participants are expected to arrive on time and stay for the entirety of the session. To ensure training quality, it is required to participate in the first session in order to attend the second one. 

Dates: 
Session 1: Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 12–2pm ET / 9–11 a.m. PT
Session 2: Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 12–2pm ET / 9–11 a.m. PT

Location:
Virtual via Zoom. The event will not be recorded.

Cost:
$30. Discount available at registration.
This includes:

• Both virtual training sessions
• Access to the training slidedeck and list of resources

Session Facilitators

Sheila M. McMahon, Ph.D., M.Div., MSW, LCSW (she/her) is currently the visiting scholar and director for the Restorative Justice and Catholic Social Thought program at the Center for Restorative Justice, University of San Diego. She co-chairs the Restorative Justice Network of Catholic Campuses (RJNCC), which assists in implementation of restorative practices on member campuses. Her research and practice interests center on campus-based and community-level interventions, such as restorative justice (RJ) and transformative justice (TJ), to prevent and address sexualized violence, build a sense of community, and strengthen individual and collective well-being. 

A graduate of Harvard Divinity School and later Rutgers University School of Social Work, she is a licensed clinical social worker in Florida and New Hampshire.

Sr. Ilaria Buonriposi, CMS, is a social worker with over 30 years of experience accompanying individuals and communities impacted by trauma, loss, and violence. She currently serves as Health Program Manager at United Way of Central Maryland, where she designs and facilitates trauma-informed workshops that help communities understand how harm, stress, and violence affect people, relationships, and systems—and how resilience and healing can be nurtured.

A Comboni Missionary Sister, Ilaria’s work is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and a lifelong commitment to walking alongside people on the margins. For more than 30 years, she has volunteered in prison settings across several countries, witnessing how cycles of violence and unaddressed trauma harm individuals, families, and communities, and how accompaniment and accountability can open pathways toward transformation.