Survivor Support News

SOLIDARITY WALK, Providence, Rhode Island
Sunday, March 16, 2003
Reported by Steve Sheehan

At 9:30 on Sunday morning, about 45 members of Survivors First and Voice of the Faithful assembled in Cathedral Square in Providence to request that the Attorney General of Rhode Island vigorously pursue a course of action to ensure that the rights of those abused by clergy of the Roman Catholic Church be protected and that the perpetrators of crimes against these victims be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

We stood beneath, what some survivors refer to as a Cross of Shame depicting the names of accused priests, alleged enabling bishops and elected officials who failed to execute existing laws and demand accountability from officials of the Catholic Church. We carried posters showing photographs of survivors (or in some cases silhouettes, to maintain the victim's privacy) and outlines of the history of abuse in the diocese of Providence, naming the abusers and demonstrating the failure of the church and the justice system to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Personnel records of accused and convicted priests have not been released, notwithstanding court orders to do so, even after nine years of courtroom battles.

The group then marched while carrying the Cross of Shame, banners and photographs to the area opposite the office of the state Attorney General and then back to Cathedral Square.

This represents the first major multi-organizational demonstration by these agencies in Rhode Island. It will not be the last. Demonstrations will continue here, as they have in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, until justice is served to those whose lives have been so severely damaged (and in some cases, lost) as a result of this terrible tragedy, and until sufficient safeguards are put in place and meticulously maintained to ensure that a scandal of this magnitude can never again be perpetrated, supported, defended and hidden in a Church that rests on the faith and trust of its constituents. Records pertaining to allegations of such crimes must be made available to law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies and victims attorneys/advocates with complete transparency and accountability.

What made this event unique was the presence of a Franciscan priest, Fr. Mike Joyce, OFM, who joined the march while it was in progress and demonstrated true empathy with the survivors and compassion for their pain and that of their families, sorrow for the actions of those of his fellow priests who were involved as abusers, and dismay that the church and civil authorities have done so little to help the victims but continue to add to their suffering. If our bishops could only demonstrate the same Christian love, truth and sense of justice that Mike Joyce exhibited, healing could become a reality, and not just an empty word.

Lenten Vigil, Dracut, Massachusetts
St. Francis Church, March 13, 2003
Reported by VOTF Press Secretary Mike Emerton

Another frigid winter eve had laid claim to the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. The weather forecast called for temperatures dipping below freezing and a light snowfall ending in late afternoon. Of course, this being New England, all weather forecasts are subject to instant change and change it did - as over a dozen people set out to convey a message of ongoing pain and suffering to Bishop Lennon.

Thursday, March 13th at Saint Francis in Dracut, Massachusetts was a dark, blustery and snowy evening. It was Bishop Lennon's first scheduled stop on his Lenten tour to promote unity and healing in the dioceses. .

In stark contrast to the comfortable temperatures in the pews and the "we are working to administer healing and reconciliation for survivors" message echoing throughout the church, over a dozen survivors and laity stood outside in the snow to communicate a very different message.

Traversing the snow-covered roads, representatives from the Coalition of Catholics and Survivors, Linkup, STTOP, Survivors First and Voice of the Faithful came bearing signs asking Bishop Lennon to "Loose the bonds of injustice" and whether or not he "could stay silent if they were your children?" I was moved as they cheerfully greeted the service attendees while rocking side-to-side in a futile attempt to stay warm.

Each person also came bearing a stuffed teddy bear or lamb with the name of a clergy sexual abuse victim written on a yellow tag and tied around the animal's neck. The stuffed icons were stacked in the newly fallen snow and seemed to be supporting each other in the cold shadow of Saint Francis Church. I had an eerie feeling gazing at the pile of stuffed animals when I realized these stuffed toys accurately reflect the daily lives of victims.

Inside the church, I could hear the Bishop's prayers for victims. Outside the church, victims reminded Bishop Lennon that "his call for prayers as part of the solution to the church crisis rings hollow," and "that those prayers are meaningless unless they're accompanied by truth, accountability and justice."

At the conclusion of the service, churchgoers on their way home filed past vigil members who called out "please drive safely" and "it's good to see you." Barbara Thorp, the Archdiocese of Boston's selected leader of their newly created Office of Healing and Assistance Ministry, greeted vigil members with a warm smile and firm handshake. As she introduced herself she informed them that they remain in her prayers.

"What a great example of pastoral care," I thought, as I watched her move from one person to another in lieu of rushing to the shelter of her car. And "What happened to Bishop Lennon?" I wondered. Well, he left the church via the backdoor and drove away through the rear parking lot. I grimaced at his message of unity.

Before I departed, I took a moment to acknowledge the bronze statue of Saint Francis placed in front of the church. He stood watch over the vigil members with his back turned towards the church. He had gathered as much snow on his shoulders as the vigil participants had on theirs.

Staring at the statute, I recalled that from the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, "Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down." Well Saint Francis, I guess we all got the cold shoulder from our Bishop this evening.

I shook my head, cleaned the snow from my car's windshield and headed home.

Excerpts from remarks made by VOTF speakers who gathered for the vigil outside St. Francis Church, Dracut, MA

From survivor John Vellante

We're here tonight to remind Bishop Lennon that his call for prayer as part of the solution to the church crisis rings hollow, that those prayers are meaningless, unless they're accompanied by truth, accountability, and justice.

And we're here tonight to remind Bishop Lennon that his call for repentance must begin with all those Cardinals and Bishops who covered up this horrific abuse.

And we're here tonight to ask Bishop Lennon ``What Would Jesus Do?''

• Would Jesus protect serial predators?
• Would Jesus blame the innocent children?
• Would Jesus argue separation of church and state?
• Would Jesus expose confidential therapy sessions?
• Would Jesus try to silence those that seek justice?
• Would Jesus challenge our memories?

The answers, quite simply, are NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, AND NO.

From Westford-Chelmsford, MA Area Parish Voice Leader Mike Gustin

On Ash Wednesday, Bishop Lennon said that Lent should be a time of Prayer, Conversion, and Reconciliation. We agree with him.
We pray that the Archdiocese will learn from what has happened this past year.
We pray that they will enforce their own policy of Zero Tolerance. Clearly it is up to the laity, to you and me, to hold our Bishops accountable, to make our voices heard.
We pray that Bishop Lennon will realize it is far more important to protect our children than it is to protect the assets of the Archdiocese of Boston. What asset could be more precious than our children and grandchildren? The Archdiocese's first priority should NOT be to settle the cases. The first priority should be to embrace and heal the victims.
We pray that our Bishop, priests, survivors and laity can find a way to work together to solve these problems.
We pray that Bishop Lennon, his attorneys and advisors will experience a conversion and abandon hardball legal tactics and intimidation of survivors and their families.
We pray that Bishop Lennon will follow the example of Jesus and be the pastoral leader that every Bishop is called to be.
We pray that Bishop Lennon will return to the moral and ethical teachings on which the Church was founded.
We pray that Bishop Lennon will realize that only through truth, accountability, compassion and love can reconciliation and true healing begin.

From Stacey Quealey, VOTF Merrimack Valley Regional Coordinator

We gather here tonight, some of us as practicing Catholics, some of us as survivors of clergy sexual abuse, and some as survivors of clergy abuse who still hold dear the faith of their childhood. Wherever each of us may be in our faith or life journey, we agree on one thing: prayer alone will not solve the travesty of rampant sexual abuse of children that was allowed to be covered up for so long. Active justice is essential, and certainly not optional.

For Catholics, this Lenten Season is one of atonement, a time for taking responsibility for past misdeeds and a time for repentance. With that in mind:

• We hope and pray that the Archdiocese will begin to supplement its Healing Initiative with a more focused Pastoral Initiative; one that abandons hardball legal tactics, and begins to listen more intently to the voices of the survivors.
• We hope and pray that Bishop Lennon realizes prayer must accompany active dispensation of justice for survivors, and include full accountability of those involved in the crime of sexual abuse of children.
• We know in our hearts that we have a responsibility as well. We must continue to speak the truth about what has happened, and we must steadfastly work for justice, which we hope will ultimately bring healing.

St Teresa of Avila describes well what our obligations are:

"Christ has no body now but yours, no feet, no hands on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassionate on the world; yours are the hands with which He blesses people now."

MA Survivor Support Initiative

Survivor support advocates encouraged MA residents to support House Bill 1895, which would eliminate all time limits on criminal prosecutions for rape and sex crimes. The MA Legislature hearing was held on April 10. Anne Barrett Doyle at barrett.doyle@attbi.com distributed the names of and contact information for faxing or writing letters to the two Chairmen of the Judiciary Committee as well as website information for those who might not know their representative and/or senator. That website is www.state.ma.us/legis/. Click on "Legislators" by city or town to identify your representatives. One can also visit www.WhereDoIVoteMA.com. Type in your street address and click on your state representative/senator's name to get to their individual web pages.

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