Two American Catholic sisters, Theresa Aletheia and Danielle Lussier, have founded the Sisters of the Little Way of Beauty, Truth and Goodness, believed to be the only Catholic religious community devoted entirely to supporting survivors of abuse by clergy and church leaders. The pair left their previous order, the Daughters of St Paul, in 2022 after learning that their spiritual director, a priest, had sexually assaulted a fellow sister in 2017 and was suspected of grooming others. Their initiative highlights how deeply the Church's abuse crisis has affected even those within religious life, and it matters because it offers survivors a form of pastoral support from women who understand institutional betrayal first-hand.

Based near Lexington, Kentucky, the sisters offer prayer, listening and counselling to victims of emotional, spiritual, financial and sexual abuse, largely via video calls arranged through their website. Bishop John Stowe of Lexington has backed the project, saying it is significant that the sisters have themselves experienced abuse and can relate to survivors without appearing threatening. The community currently holds the status of a "private association of the faithful", an early step towards full Church recognition, a process Pope Francis made harder shortly before his death partly to guard against future abuses. Among nearly 2,000 Catholic religious orders worldwide, theirs is thought to be the first built specifically around this mission, and the founders say several women have expressed interest in joining this summer.