LOS ANGELES — April marks Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is commemorating and taking a significant step to support victim-survivors of sexual abuse.

The Garden of Healing is inspired by the vision of victim-survivors, and the Archdiocese of LA has four of these healing gardens in the county. The first one opened in 2022 at St. Camilius Pastoral Center in downtown LA. 

The gardens are simple, with benches, stones and flowers. Each has a weeping wall fountain. 

And as Child Abuse Prevention Month is being observed, the Catholic Church wants to recommit itself to preventing it by raising awareness and creating a place where everyone can feel safe and protected. 

That’s why the church will soon be dedicating the fifth Garden of Healing to victims and survivors of sexual abuse.