Survivor Community News

From Ron DuBois, Paulist Center, Boston, MA VOTF:

Recently, Olan Horne, a childhood victim of the pedophile priest, Father Joseph Birmingham, addressed the Paulist Center Voice of the Faithful Affiliate in Boston, Mass. He told of the seductiveness of Fr. Birmingham in setting up this vulnerable and troubled eleven-year old for abuse by pretending to be his best friend and confidante. Some thirty years after the abuse ended, Horne began to prepare himself for going public with his story. He began calling former classmates in the Lowell parish where he first met Birmingham. As others began to admit that they, too, had been abused by this man, they began to call men in other parishes where Birmingham had been stationed. They discovered at least 128 men who admitted to having been abused by Birmingham when they were children.

Because of his continued work with these victims/survivors, Horne insisted that the true story of this scandal is the pain and suffering of the survivors and their families. Research has indicated that fully 87% of these survivors are alcoholics and/or drug abusers. And because of their suppressed anger, many are abusers of their wives and children. Their pain and suffering does not end because of a legal settlement. Many, if not most of them, will need continued therapy and even residential treatment from time to time. Yet, the diocese is not staffed or funded to meet all these needs. The true story, according to Horne, is that the diocese has been and continues to be more concerned about protecting itself than about caring for suffering human beings.

When asked what we can do, Horne answered, "Don't just wring your hands or point fingers. Do something." He suggested that a real need is for help for the parents and families of these victims/survivors. Many of the survivors have left the church, but their parents and families still hang on to the church and want some answers and some relief. He said there is need for support groups for these people. He suggested advertising and starting such a group. He even indicated that a Voice of the Faithful group in Springfield MA had done just that and it appears to be meeting a real need.

We will be following up with the group in Springfield. We would also need some professional counselors to volunteer to help lead such a group if we were to start one. If anyone has further ideas or suggestions, please send an email to the PCC_VOTF listserv.

As all of our readers know, Fr. Tom Doyle has been the best face of the Catholic Church for over two decades as he stood by and spoke for the survivors of clergy sexual abuse. His dismissal as a military chaplain provoked a great rush of support from survivors, survivor organizations and their supporters, VOTF and countless others. [See the VOTF Web site for additional coverage on Tom Doyle's dismissal.] Steve Sheehan, a VOTF activist in the Survivor Support Working Group was moved to write the following tribute to Fr. Tom Doyle:

Standing

We must stand behind the man who stood behind the victims of clergy sexual abuse when there was no one else to stand up for them.

We must stand behind the man who challenged the hierarchy of the church he loves and discarded his chances of ever becoming a cardinal.

We must stand behind the man who stood with us in the Hynes Auditorium that wonderful day in July 2002.

We must stand behind the man who stood in front of cathedrals with us to demand justice, compassion and accountability from the bishops and cardinals of our church.

We must stand behind the man who on numerous occasions has had the humility and honesty to take a microphone in his hands, lean forward and say "My name is Tom, and I'm a recovering Catholic."

We must stand behind a man who doesn't preach love, but lives it.

We must stand behind a man who now is an injured brother, who has spent the last 20 years caring for his injured brothers and sisters.

We must stand and be counted.

D-DAY JUNE 6, 2004 - Steve Sheehan notes:

A major event is being planned by SNAP, STTOP and other participating survivor organizations for Sunday, June 6, in pursuit of their goal of convincing John McCormack and Francis Christian to resign their positions in the Manchester, NH Diocese. The event will take place in front of the cathedral of Saint Joseph on Pine Street, Manchester, NH. For information contact Steve Sheehan at: sheehan1777@aol.com

An informal, silent gathering is planned in front of the chancery of the Archdiocese of Boston, 2121 Commonwealth Avenue, Brighton, MA to impress upon the archbishop and others in the hierarchy of the church that many of the laity are still concerned about the lack of regard that the institutional church demonstrates for the concerns of its members.

Specific items to be addressed are the continued lack of bishop accountability; the failure of the diocese to provide information as to the actions taken or proposed against accused priests, where those accused abusers are now residing, and the extent to which we, the laity, are still supporting them financially and otherwise; the offensive words and actions taken by members of the hierarchy, which denigrate women.

The remaining gatherings at the Boston chancery will take place from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM on Friday, May 21 and Tuesday, May 25.

Want to write a letter to the editor but don't know where to start? Here are some tips from the SNAP website at www.survivorsnetwork.org.

Be brief, be quick and leave your phone numbers. These are the three most important things to remember when writing letters to the editor. Be brief, because there's a lot of competition for a small amount of space; be quick in writing because the best letter in the world won't get run if the newspaper gets it weeks after the original article it refers to was printed; leave your number since many papers won't print letters unless they can call the author to verify that he or she wrote it, so, sign the letter, and leave both your day and evening phone number.

Other tips: 1) Use statistics sparingly. They can get confusing and overwhelming very quickly; 2) Mention an article already printed by the paper. This dramatically increases the chances that your letter will be run; 3) Remember your audience. In most cases you're trying to sway the public, not your adversary. Therefore, you should take pains to seem moderate and fair. This doesn't mean you should be bland. But you should write with the average person in mind, and use phrases and arguments that resonate with them. You don't want John Q. Public to be turned off your rhetoric and think, "Well, both sides are extremists"; 4) A catchy first line is helpful. Instead of "I'm writing to respond to the Star Tribune editorial of August 3rd," try "As a gun owner, the August 3rd editorial left me wondering if Star Tribune editorial writers live in the real world"; 5) Don't mention criticism that has been leveled against you or your client. Avoid saying "I am not a crook, thief and a liar as reported in last week's Star Tribune." Better to say "Star Tribune readers wonder who's telling the truth in the controversy over___"; 6) Use short punchy sentences. This makes it easier for the reader to follow your thinking and easier for the editor to cut your letter if necessary (and better to have an edited version of your letter printed than none at all); 7) Many papers accept letters by fax and email as well as U.S. mail these days. It never hurts to send your letter via both fax and email. Feel free to follow up with a phone call to make sure the appropriate person got your letter.

Some e-mail addresses for several key newspapers across the country: Boston Globe letter@Globe.com; New York Times letters@nytimes.com; Washington Post letters@washpost.com; Wall Street Journal editor@edit.wsj.com; USA Today; use the form on their web site, USATODAY.com; LA Times letters@latimes.com; Chicago Tribune TribLetter@Tribune.com.

SNAP NEEDS OUR HELP

Submitted by Marge Bean, co-chair of the Survivor Support Working Group

An opportunity to support survivors is yours. As co-leader of the National Survivor Support Working Group and in keeping with VOTF Goal #1, I ask that you pass the hat toward scholarships for survivors to attend their National Conference. The SNAP National Conference will be held in Denver, Colorado, on June 11- June 13, 2004. The Conference is provided for Healing, Fun, and Information; it will feature Conference Sessions, a delegate Assembly, Renowned Speakers, and Support Group Meetings for survivors, friends, and family of survivors. Catholic laity and general public are welcome. Some sessions will be for survivors or their loved ones only, with alternative sessions offered for others.

The Conference itself is about $125, which does not include transportation, accommodations, and other expenses involved. Please help to bring survivors to Denver! You can contact your local SNAP chapter, or the National Chapter. The National Office number is 312-409-2720; the SNAP Web site is www.snapnetwork.org. Make sure you designate that the money should go towards the Conference Scholarship. You can also contact margebean@cs.com for additional information.

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