Kathy and I want to thank everyone who came to the vigil today. It was so nice to put faces to names. You all feel like old friends.
It was a good turnout for a holiday weekend and FOX 29 recorded some footage. Grandparents, parents, children, a priest, three nuns, survivors, professionals and advocates joined in our vigil on the sidewalk in front of the Cathedral. A young priest even stopped by on his way to the Stations of the Cross to say he agreed with us. But my most meaningful Good Friday moment came when the mother of a clergy abuse victim reminded us of Mary’s pain watching her son suffer on the cross and asked us to pray the Hail Mary with her.
Despite the absolute heartache associated with all this, I felt a sense of peace in our unity today. I hope others did, too. There is power in prayer.
Catholics4Change 
I was with you in spirit today as you prayed. What a wonderful witness you all are for our church in the midst of this awful pain. God bless all of you who witnessed the passion of christ today.
Great job Susan, Kathy, and all participants. I was thinking positive thoughts and prayers for you guys all day.
Susan…thank you for the report..very glad to hear it went well….any chance we could see the Fox 29 video!!!!
I can’t think of a better or more holy way to have spent Good Friday. I felt Christ’s presence among us as we shared in our common prayer and hope for innocence, protection of children and healing for victims and their families. I was touched so deeply today by many of you. Thank you.
Thank you very much for organizing this prayer service.
Truly, I was deeply touched by the “Mother’s prayer” for her abused son, and, as she so unselfishly prayed for all those abused. Also, I was happy to put names with faces as we interacted in the sunshine. Happy to meet Susan’s parents also. Vickie’s comment was spot on when she pointed us in the direction of the “Cathedral” church and said, in effect: “That’s not the church in there … the REAL church is out here.” Profound!
And Vicky praying for all the victims who did not survive. It was so nice meeting so many people today who follow the site.I am going to put a slideshow of pictures together and we will post for all to share in the day.
Thanks to all who organized and spoke. I agree Susan –there was a lot of peace, a lot of heartache, and one common frustration– “What can we do to make people care more and take a stand on this issue?!”
Thank you to everyone in attendance in mind, body and spirit.
Thank you, Vicky, for praying for all of the victims who did not survive, among them Michael Hutchison:
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20120406_ap_plaintiffinlandmarkpapriestabusecasedies.html
RIP, Michael.
You’re in heaven, so you will never have to see another Catholic priest ever again.
The compassion down there today was palpable. So much suffering so many good people that want to help others. I got teary when I got home……….I had such a feeling of good energy coming from everyone……..this is what it is all about loving your neighbor etc. I felt like I was surrounded by compassionate fighters who are determined not to give up. Everyone down there has a story and I wish I could have heard everyone as they made us into who we are today and why we care so much. Peace and a Blessed Easter
I just returned from the vigil, my first one. It was the most inspiring way to spend “Good Friday” ever for me. To be a part of something so important, and to be in the company of people truly living the beatitudes, especially those “suffering persecution for justice sake”…was a wonderful privilege for me. Thank you to Susan and Kathy and all who organized it.
V4J, please take care of yourself. I pray for a complete recovery, and hope it is not too difficult for you.
Vicky, SW and the other victims who I’ve come to know on this blog, your words continue to inspire. Thank you for sharing your lives in spite of all the pain you have endured. Your love and concern for children and the preservation of the innocence of childhood is awesome. You are a reflection of what Jesus would do.
I want you to know how sorry I am that you are carrying this cross. It is my impression that the Roman Catholic Church has imposed it on you. This is NOT a cross that Jesus has given you. He would not want you to carry it at all, let alone by your selves, and certainly not in His name, as the hierarchy would have us believe.
Although I have never been abused by a priest, as you have, I am one of the many who have been spiritually abused by my church. To me, spiritual abuse is when our priests expect us to assume the responsibility of their ministry to God’s people and restitution for all their terrible sins.Then, we are supposed to let them take credit for all the good graces that God has given us.
From my heart, I want you to know that the church (That’s us) WILL make you whole somehow. I know you will never get back what has been stolen from you, but if the pain, and horror of your life can be acknowledged with a sincere apology, and we can bear witness to all of that, you so deserve it. You are worth every penny that it will take. I so resent that we also have to pay the exorbitant legal fees to defend the terrible people who have hurt you, and our church.
That has been my struggle — how do we take it back from the terrible men who have done this. I just don’t know what to do.
So, having the chance to be at that vigil, and imagining that I was bearing witness to the suffering of Jesus, your suffering, well, it was a privilege for me to be in the company of people who are living the beatitudes. I hope you feel heard and supported. What else I can do to lighten this terrible burden? Happy Easter!
Child Guardian,
Your words are so healing.
I wanted to clarify that I am a survivor, but not of clergy sexual abuse, but my husband is.
It sounds like it was an amazing day!!! I was with you in spirit!
God bless you both. We felt your presence. Happy Easter!
Wow! What a morning. I have to add that for me so much of the anxiety about the trial these last few weeks seemed to melt away as we stood in prayer together. I feel so very blessed to have had the opportunity to meet everyone and share our time In prayer and support for the survivors and their families. Until we meet again. Happy and blessed Easter to everyone!
Thankyou Kathy and Susan and Sister Maureen for organizing this and thanyou to all our survivors for your courage it is humbling for me to see your strength.
Why are the nuns and sisters not courageously speaking-up against child sexual abuse when they themselves have been abused and are being abused? Dr. Raphael, alias Sister Jesme, belonged to a Carmelite Convent in India. In her book called AMEN, which is the autobiography of a nun, she speaks-out against the endemic culture of spiritual abuse that prevails, and which encompasses sexual, psychological, mental, emotional, verbal, physical, and financial abuse etc. It is a must read as she is courageously exposing the sexual abuse of nuns in an Indian Convent.
Also please check-out the following link on the Sexual Abuse of Nuns in Convents and Nunneries. http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4864861/
Content:
1- The Independent – Rape of Nuns by Priest in 23 Countries (2001). Vatican confirms report of sexual abuse and rape of nuns by priests in 23 countries.
2- Knight Ridder – Thousands of Nuns Sexually Victimized (2003). A summary of the St. Louis University Survey amongst Nuns in the US.
3- TE Watson – What Goes on in the Nunneries? and Is your Brain for Sale?
4- Nuns and Nunneries – Sketches Compiled from Romish Authorities (1852).
5- De Potter – Female Convents Secrets (1834). Compiled from the Autograph Manuscripts of Scipio De Ricci, a Roman Catholic Bishop of Pistonia and Prato.
6- Awful Disclosures by Maria Monk (1836).
7- F Hendrickson – The Black Convent Slave (1914). The climax of nunnery exposures.
8- The Convent Horror Of Barbara Ubryk (1957).
9- Escaped Nun – Disclosures of Convent Life, and the Confessions of a Sister of Charity.
10- JM Bunkley – Testimony of an Escaped Novice from Sisterhood St. Joseph (1955).
11- JM Wright – Secrets of Convent and Confession (1873).
12- R McCrindell – The Convent; A Narrative Founded on Facts (1848).
13, 14, 15- Atrocities of a Convent, Vol 1, Vol 2 and Vol 3 (1808). The Necessity of Thinking for Ourselves Exemplified in the History of a Nun.
16- International Call to End Sexual Abuse of Nuns (2002).
Also please listen to the testimony of Sister Charlotte Keckler Part 1 & 2 on the foll. link:
I hope that some nuns and sisters get to read this.
In the Diocese in which I grew up, our nuns were highly instrumental in keeping a lid on Priest Pedophilia and sexual abuse. We were continually lectured in our religion classes about how we would “Go to HELL” if we listened to or repeated stories “About Priests Doing BAD Things!” Of course our good, pious little nuns wouldn’t go into detail, but we all knew well enough not to ask questions. We just wondered what was going on and what she was referring to. I imagine this kind of intimidation went on in Catholic Schools, all over the country, because our nuns simply weren’t smart enough to have an original thought! Later it was learned, when we were adults, that there were at least 2 waves of Priest Pedophilia in our parish and many in a parish, which had spun off from ours. If any of you across the country have had similar experiences, please let me know. Jeannie
Shhhhh, kids, don’t seek the truth. Listen to us and not to God.
wow………….luckily .I did not have that experience with nuns saying such things but i can believe it happened.
Sickening, absolutely. It’s a world wide phenomenon, and I agree they do.
I recall in a Victorian country town, a priest was plastering women with alcohol while their husbands were at work so thought I should warn nuns in the local area, Josephites actually, brown ones. I made an appointment with the priest gave his name and was ordered out of the presbytery. I then contacted one of the nuns and she was furious to think I should think she wasn’t safe, stating she had slept at the presbtery many times and he had never accosted her.
After that, I thought to hell with the lot of you, to be wandering around in your dressing gown with no one else around but the two of you, you know what your doing and need no protection from anyone.
There was a convent in the area and she chose not to stay there.
No wilting violet there.
Silly me.
jeannieguzman, I am a survivor and I understand what you are saying. I went to a nun in catholic high school my freshman year and told her what one of my perps was doing to me. She had called me out of my classroom because I my grades were failing and I looked depressed. i confided in her about what Fr. richard Dolan was doing to me on a weekly basis. Her reply was she was going to call my mother. i begged not too as my mother was very religious and would never believe me. This nun betrayed me and as I was walking in my home from school, my mother was just hanging up with this nun. . My mother confronted me and until I finally said it was not true about the priest, I had stood in front of her for 3 hours. I still didn’t stop there, i eventually went to his pastor and 7 months later he was transferred to another parish. Needless to say, I no longer trusted a nun after that.
Dear Vicky,
I am so sorry the this nun’s despicable behavior. Another shining example of Catholic leadership tenet #1.
Product the guilty…abuse the innocent.
May God Bless you and guide you.
Vicky…that nun should be shot!
Child Guardian: Well said!
Thank you so much to Susan and Kathy and Sr. Maureen and Martin and Vicky and Theresa and all the wonderful people I prayed with this morning. It was so nice to put faces to all the names here on this blog. (I am the Michelle with 2 L’s ) lol. I felt such a wonderful sense of community and fellowship with you all. I was not abused but know those who have been and my heart breaks for you, but is also in awe of your strength. Your souls are things of beauty that shine forth a light for the rest of us. A light that will shine on through the hypocrisy and fear.
I did not want to leave this morning. When we finally did all start to go home I walked into the Cathedral. I had never been in there before. I was wearing my little blue ribbon sticker and as I walked in I was wishing it was a billboard. I walked over to the side alter and looked at the statue of Mary. I said my Hail Mary in honor of and for the survivors. I said another Hail Mary for my own children whom I love more than life itself. And I said a third for justice to prevail in our Church.
Mary, never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.
Thank you all and I hope to see you again.
2 L 🙂
The Memorare has always been my favorite prayer. I prayed it in front of the cathedral.
Wonderful to have met you.
Martin
Today, many of you felt the presence of an unseen guest. Jesus taught, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” I hope that all were strengthened and blessed by each other and by the “real presence” of Jesus. I wish that I could have been there with you. Jeannie
Exactly – you literally, and figuratively, only found Jesus and Christianity outside the Catholic church.
I want to thank Susan, Kathy and Sister Maureen for organizing today’s vigil. This was the first event I have attended. I have been following this site from the beginning. I can’t begin to thank you for all you have done. I also want to thank those who have had the courage to share their stories. I know how hard this is for you. Also thanks to those who share their words of wisdom and support.
I have to agree with Susan. I left today feeling at peace. It was wonderful to finally meet the people I have read about and listened to over the past year. I would especially like to thank
Kathy and Beth for listening to my story. It helps to keep me sane and know I’m not crazy. LOL. I met so many wonderful people who gave up there morning to be a part of this special
event. Thanks to Jackie I was finally able to meet Sister Maureen and personally thank her.
Vicky your courage amazes me. I felt privileged to be among you all. Please keep up the good work for our children!! I will keep you all in my prayers. Happy Easter 🙂
Carmella, it was so nice to speak with you last Friday. I am glad you felt some comfort among a group of people who really do care about children and victims. I have thought about our conversation over the past few days and am just amazed at people’s strength in the midst of hardship and determination in seeking truth and justice even at times when they feel not only alone, but when people have turned against them. If you ever need us, you know we are here for you and you can always use the “Contact me” at the top of this page to contact us offline.
Carmella,
The older I get the more I realize it is the brave and those with intergrity that can stare sometimes ugly reality in the face and not retreat . It also makes it easier to do so with reinforcements(C4C community)You my friend are very brave……know that we are always here for you and in our prayers.
Thank you all so much for sharing such a wonderful, holy experience in support of those hurt by clergy on this Good Friday. Out here in San Francisco there is little public outrage over what has been a plague at parishes all over the archdiocese. At Star of the Sea parish alone in San Francisco there were three pedophiles together at the rectory for most of the Fifties and part of the Sixties. Cardinal William Levada, the former archbishop of San Francisco, placed a known pedophile, Rev. Gregory Ingels, in charge of establishing the sex abuse policies for the wider church, and this as recently as 2002.
And thank you, Susan and Kathy, for your intelligent, compassionate website.
AW
Jeannie, if only other groups, within the RCC, such as members of the religious and lay-orders disclosed their sexual abuse at the hands of superiors, what a difference it would make to the cause of justice for the victims. Why are the pew-catholics not speaking-up? Where is their humanity? I’ve heard responses such as … pray for the priests … the church has to look after her sons … forgive and forget … obey superiors who are in place of God Himself… offer up your sufferings to Him… bear them in His Name … protect the reputation of the church … maintain the culture of silence etc. This twisted way of thinking has contributed to the RCC’s abuse of power, dysfunction, arrogance, hypocrisy, greed, lust, corruption and crimes etc. They are fighting us with their spiritual jargon and our money is paying for their expensive lawyers and insurers. What about justice and support for the victims who have had to carry their crosses alone, traumatized by the perpetrators, the church-hierarchy and the laity and their mob-mentality.
Why does it take between 8 to 9 years to become a priest when we have seen inspired persons do wonders for humanity and display Godly and human virtues such as courage, selflessness, truthfulness, and justice in much shorter periods of time? Indoctrination weeds-out virtues and breeds vices which are passed down to the pew-catholics during the mind-control process. At the recent Chrism Mass, Chaput told the priests “… because our vocation calls us to be the spark of God’s love in the hearts of his people” and again “… we need to give ourselves to God without holding anything back, so that through us, God will create a new life for our local Church, for our people and for ourselves.” Imagine the mess the laity would be in, if we allowed our religious-leaders to be the spark in our hearts and lives. We are now on our own, betrayed, abandoned, and alone. Perhaps we should ask Jesus how he got through betrayals, abandonment, and loneliness.
As His day’s were drawing to a close, I think His time in the Garden of Gethsemane culminated all His psychological and physical feelings, by sweating blood.
I think heaven was needing a hero! May you finally rest in peace, Mark Hutchison.
As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of the Resurrection, let us reflect on whether the Holy Spirit is asking the faithful to spit out the present Roman leaders. “Hoover FBI tactics used against Irish priests by Vatican” http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Hoover-FBI-tactics-used-against-Irish-priests-by-Vatican-claims-superior-146519165.html “Pope Chastises Rogue Priests” http://www.newsmax.com/EdwardPentin/Pope-Benedict-Austrian-Priests-Initiative-Catholic/2012/04/06/id/435126 and “Man abused by priest found dead in Ohio home” http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-east/man-abused-by-priest-found-dead-in-ohio-home-630249/
mark, 1st article: Why would Fr Egan be flabbergasted by the vatican’s actions toward this outspoken liberal priest?…Of course they’ll crack down on a dissident…He’s lucky they don’t burn him at the stake.
Maybe one of these days they’ll pick on the wrong priest or group of priests and they’ll open up the floodgates to a real revolution in the priesthood–and then they’ll just be a bunch of wealthy old guys in satin living in crumbling splendor in Rome with nobody to boss around… (and then i wake up..)
2nd article— I’m always amazed at the wordsmithery of the hierarchy (or whoever writes their stuff). They can make any crazy, oppressive, power-grabbing idea sound downright commonsensical!
In 2009, I was a member of the American Association of University Women’s delegation to Cuba, the first U.S. sanctioned delegation to enter Cuba since the Revolution in 1959. Since then, I have been particularly interested in Cuba, its people, and their dilemma. Therefore, Benedict’s recent visit to Cuba peaked my interest.
How could Benedict ask Cuban leadership to permit freedom of expression when he does not respect it in the Church? As we speak, there are innumerable priests, priest associations, lay associations and religious orders in the U.S., Ireland, Australia and across Europe asserting how the Vatican is subjecting intellectually astute, creative-minded and concerned priests to “FBI-style tactics” intended to silence their voices. The priests are calling for dialogue on such issues as celibacy, women priests and the handling of the sexual abuse crisis. Dialogue. Only dialogue. Vatican “agents” are doing everything in their power to suppress it.
It is scenarios like this that foster in the thinking faithful a deep seated distaste for the hierarchy. Time after time, we see hierarchical representatives saying one thing and doing another. The representatives seem to consist of men having split personalities. There is no consistency; no authenticity; no integrity. Particularly disturbing are the lengths they will go to in order to protect the groupthink and the party line, implementing fear tactics and threats which have the effect of relegating the people of the Church to hostages.
I wonder if my Cuban friends realize how their dilemma is mine?
For the first time in a long time I feel I LIVED Holy Week. Thursday in court, witnessing the Lord’s merciless interrogation, and on Friday, walking in union with the real CHURCH. I am blessed to have been led to Philly at this time. All of you, victims and you who support them so lovingly, are and will be in my prayers.““
To Mark: 1st Article: When the indoctrination, group-think, and cult-tactics are not enough for ‘population control’ and some groups in Australia, Ireland, Europe, and America start “ACTING-UP”, then overt FBI Tactics are called into action. When the RCC accuses some denominations as being ‘cults’ and other societies as being ‘cultures of death’, they are successfully and consciously taking the attention off themselves. This is not ‘Psychological Projection’ which is when one subconsciously denies one’s own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, and ascribes them to the outside world. This is intentional. Are we taking on a modernized form of the Roman Army that once ruled the world? Are the Irish not allowed to make suggestions after the horrendous child-sexual abuse that has gone on in their country?
2nd Article: Full of spiritual gibberish and ‘wordsmithery’ that no longer influences me, thanks to Susan and Kathy and the thinking-faithful of this website who have opened my eyes (not too long ago).
To HaditCatholic:
With its background in communism, dictatorship, poverty etc., Cuba is a fine breeding-ground for the RCC Cult to establish itself, just as they have done in our vulnerable parts of the world such as India, Africa etc. where there is a growing, over-abundance of priests. One can only imagine the power of superiors over their subordinates when the ultimate career-ambitions of many priests are to have their own parishes. The chances of this happening in their own country is limited because of the long wait-list. They “grovel in submission to feed their own ambition”, while justifying this in the name of promises/vows of obedience. I wonder if those with the old-fashioned, God-Given vocations were let go in their early seminarian years because they could think for themselves. The present child sexual-abuse is not about a few bad apples but began way back within a culture of systemic abuse. Our money is used to perpetuate this situation as it pays for the expensive lawyers, insurers, private investigators, lobbyists, Vatican agents etc. The tree is rotten from within and according to forest-management, it has to come down as it is blocking new growth. I BELIEVE THE VICTIMS.
Speaking-up…The establishment of the church, with all its corruption, in the 3rd world is troubling. As if war, starvation, disease and genocide hasn’t been bad enough. Heaven help them.
“Are not the Irish allowed to make suggestions after what happened there?” —That there’s only a 2% mass attendance these days in Dublin, ought to suggest plenty!!
jeannieguzman- I guess I can understand why some nuns knew and covered up for the abuse they witnessed or suspected…They had so much less power and far fewer options in the world than did priests.–Even so, its hard to fathom.
…and while on this topic, I’ve not heard any mention of the movie, “Doubt” on C4C… We just loved this!!–(even my apologist husb.!) Although fictional, it helped to open my eyes to the issue –it ought to be the “official movie” of this blog! (lol)
Crystal, i saw Doubt awhile ago and loved it! My thought throughout the movie was I wished I had known a nun like the superior who would have protected me. It was a great movie and I love how the movie made you think.
Speaking Up,
Speaking of the RCC cult in vulnerable parts of the world, your post triggered some memories from my extended time in Sierra Leone.
There were so many priests there. Indeed, it seemed that men had only two choices, either be a priest or idly await death due to malaria, starvation or exposure. I’ve never encountered more monsignors under the age of 35 in my life. Nor have I ever encountered more priests and monsignors with live-in, female partners (not to mention live-in children). Nor have I ever encountered more priests wearing fine Italian shirts and shoes in a culture of dress consisting of rags, if not nakedness. Nor have I ever encountered more “Catholics” practicing Catholicism that was only skin deep, preferring animism and indigenous tribal beliefs when the going got tough (which was 99.9% of the time). Nor have I ever witnessed hundreds of monsignors who were absolutely paranoid at the thought of having to replace the Italian bishop who was relieved of his duties for “unknown” reasons. Not one, baby-faced, pudgy, well-fed monsignor displayed one iota of confidence or interest in filling the position. I’ll never forget one monsignor’s live-in girlfriend who prepared us a meal wearing a pair of jeans with “sexy thing” written in sequins on the seat of them. ( In all honesty, in my opinion, the monsignor was the “sexy thing.”)
Putting my itinerary together for Oceania.
hadit, that is so disturbing.
Catholics who yearn to see our Church as an inclusive one will be interested to learn that Huffington Post is reporting:
“Joseph Amodeo Quits Catholic Charities Board Over Cardinal Dolan’s Stance on LGBT Youth”
On the day before Easter, a Catholic has the courage to BE a Catholic.
To Crystal: I guess the Irish are like French-Quebec… they vote with their feet … good for them. So the RCC are now sanctioning the Irish Priests for trying to protect their flock! I will see the movie ‘Doubt.’ Some good movies that touch upon child-abuse are: 1) Water 2) V for Vendetta.
To HaditCatholic: I guess the situation at Sierra Leone is representative of other vulnerable parts of the world, where financial and social factors strongly influence the so-called ‘God-sent vocations’. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and its social structures, there was an increase in conversions and a growth in the membership of religious orders, as is happening today in certain impoverished countries. Once the new-comers join the seminary, monastery or convent etc, they hand over their ‘soul, body, mind, and spirit’ to their superiors … a life-long commitment of obedience. I guess the question that begs to be asked is: Are they doing this to satisfy material and status-needs?
Speaking Up,
Is it at all unlike the male children of Polish, Irish, Italian, etc. Catholic immigrants in, say, the first half of the 20th century in the U.S.? Did not many do it to acquire educations, work, social status and material possessions? Don’t you think these factors remain an attraction for some, today? As long as the priesthood is parasitical in nature, it will appeal to certain groups of people.
Speaking-up, there has been a historical pattern in impoverished countries of vocations, hopefully real, but perhaps, in part or all ‘to satisfy material and status needs’.
I recently was with a priest who had spent a large amount of his life in Africa. I told him of my Philly concerns, but said I didn’t for a moment think that abuse wasn’t a world wide problem, particularly in the Third World, where the rule of law was problematical, the media ineffective and protective laws, nonexistent. And that SNAP with 55 languages on their website was using those languages, because of Third World abuse.
He said, he was hugely concerned that in countries where women and children had no status or standing, he thought (and indeed knew) that the abuse was endemic.
A few months ago there was a very ‘cosmetic’ Symposium initiated by the Vatican to supposedly deal with a Vatican approach to these matters.
I won’t bore you with the pathetic attempt, except to say that if you were reading the ‘fine print’…Asian bishops were meeting ‘behind closed doors’ and publicallly expressed that abuse was a concern.
The movie “Doubt” had a fundamental lie as its basis. In the early Sixties, ( and in many places still today) a nun, even if she were a widow as was Meryl Streep’s rare character, who challenged, disobeyed, or otherwise defied a priest would have stood no chance at justice. Nuns were forced to obey priests, and the priests would protect each other, no matter what their crimes. Any priest could ask for any boy or girl to leave a classroom and Sister would have to comply. When it came to male clergy, nuns had no rights.
AW
Such a convoluted and damaging history we harbor. Clericalism has led to so many kinds of soul deaths.
Augusta, the story was certainly flawed in this regard.–an empowered nun was not realistic -they were the silent subordinates of all other clergy. Still I felt it effectively depicted the slimy, secretive clergy abuse of those times.–the grooming, the way it worked so seamlessly in a parochial school and the codependencies it spawned off. It really pointed out the disparities between the lifestyles and dedication of nuns vs. priests.
I didn’t attend cath. gr sch., but my husb. who did, was just amazed at how well the film captured the feeling in a city school of that era. The voice and facial expressions of the nun had him feeling like a cath. sch. boy again.
This Easter Morning I am overjoyed to be in a church that represents Him, surrounded by fellow believers who serve Him, listening to a pastor with a heart for Jesus in word and deed.
I pray the same for my Catholic friends too.
I am a cradle-catholic. For the first time in my life, I celebrated the Easter Season in another Christian Church and it was a refreshing experience. The teachings also answered some of my long-standing questions and motivated me to reach for the source i.e. the Bible. I wish you all a very happy and holy Easter.