DIOCESE/State Watch
Spokane, WA: A church divided, a diocese in
bankruptcy proceedings, and priests are looking for hope: See the Nov. 10 National
Catholic Reporter story, “Compensating for the sins of the
fathers.”Peter Borre of the Boston Council of Parishes made this comment: “The
article on the Diocese of Spokane lays out the various dimensions of the
most prominent diocesan bankruptcy now under way in the U.S. By the latest
rumors in the financial world, a Spokane settlement may be in the offing,
accelerated by the fact that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting
last week in Baltimore; its president is Spokane's Bishop William Skylstad.
The Spokane legal odyssey will set an important precedent for what will eventually
happen to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; LA, in turn, may be the watershed
for Catholic America.”
Brooklyn, NY: In a letter to their bishop,
Nicholas DiMarzio, VOTF Brooklyn, NY joined the chorus of voices looking
for a fully funded Causes and Context
Study, a proposal accepted by the bishops in 2002. In part, the letter quoted
Pope Benedict XVI’s recent plea to “establish the truth of what
happened." Read
more. and said: “Many, ourselves included, have put forth opinions
on this subject and fingers have been pointed in various directions. It is
time to commence this objective, professional inquiry and, equally importantly,
all of our bishops and their staffs will need to be open and forthcoming,
in the full spirit of the Holy Father’s injunction. This means full
cooperation, however painful, including disclosure, to those conducting the
study of relevant documents.”
AFFILIATE Highlight:
For the third consecutive year, VOTF affiliates in
the Washington, DC metropolitan area (Northern Virginia, Holy Trinity at
Georgetown parish, and Montgomery
County) gathered on the eve of the bi-annual meeting of U.S. Bishops to witness
publicly to the continuing clergy sexual abuse crisis and to grant an award
of compassion to a layperson who has made a significant contribution to the
survivor community. This year affiliate members and guests met at Holy Trinity
to view a new documentary on the scandal. In Hand of God, the filmmaker (Joe
Cultrera) narrates the story of his older brother and their close-knit Italian
family in Salem, Massachusetts upon discovering only decades later that he
was abused by a serial priest-abuser (Joseph Birmingham) of the Boston Archdiocese
in 1964. As with Twist of Faith and Deliver Us From Evil, the documentary
conveys the lifetime effects of abuse upon not only a young boy but also
on those closest to him over the years. It also documents in depositional
testimony the despicable behavior of Archdiocesan officials, including the
current Bishop of Manchester, NH (John McCormack).
Attendees engaged in a lively discussion with the filmmaker
about his experience in making the film, the impact upon him and his family
in doing so, and public
response to it. Joe is screening the film at about 10 independent film festivals
around the country and abroad, and it has already won awards. PBS Frontline
just purchased rights to the documentary and will be airing it sometime in
February 2007. More information is available about the film and its schedule
of screenings here.
The DC metro affiliates recognized three local members for their dedication
over the past two years in hosting Survivor Support Group meetings in Montgomery
County and Northern Virginia every month (whether anyone attended or not).
In fact, many survivors have participated and gained much support from these
sessions as they graced us with their stories of abuse and hope. Wayne Dorough,
Bettie Eisenhaur, and Ellen Radday received the 2006 Awards of Compassion.
