Justice4PAKids will hold a 5K Walk or Run and 1 Mile Fun on Saturday, May 4, 2013, starting at 8 a.m. on the Chester Valley Trail, at 140 Church Farm Lane, Exton PA.
The event will honor victims of child sexual abuse and several Chester County elected officials will be coming out to lend their support. In attendance will be: Chester County DA, Tom Hogan; Assistant DA and Candidate for Chester County Judge, Pat Carmody; State Rep. Duane Milne, and Philadelphia City Councilman, Denny O’Brien, staff members from State Senator Andy Dinniman’s office and Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone.
The timed race will include prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place with T-shirts for all participants. FREE pizza from Season’s Pizza and free snacks from Herr’s. Every child will receive a goodie bag filled such prizes as free bounce time at Bounce U, a free bowling game at The Bowling Palace, Coupons for Rita’s and Dairy Queen and more. A raffle includes Wagsworth Manor doggie day care, Dairy Queen cake, 6 tickets for a behind the scenes tour for QVC, golf passes for Broad Run Golf Course and so much more!
Entry fees are $20 ($25 on Race Day). To register as a runner or walker stop into the Chester County Running Company or click on their site at: http://www.runccrs.com
If you are interested in being a sponsor or volunteer for the 5K please email: info@justice4pkids.com.
You guys are so amazing. I don’t know of anywhere else that is so pro-active on behalf of victims. Thank you for your witness.
Yea! Sounds wonderful. Praying in Florida!
Looking forward to this…….see you there!!!!!!!!!!
I will be there. Beth is coming to, we will come together!
Vicky its an honor to attend the 5K with you!
I will be with you all in spirit.
Remember Australia to everyone, especially the Chester elected officials and remind them that we down-under have had you all under our hearts through all your ordeals and the precidents you have set world wide.
The Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into abuse .
Chris Wilding submission transcript March 26 2013 is the latest Catholic issue.
Unfortunately, I will be unable to join you all for this event. I recently found out from a new surgeon I’ve been seeing that my entire lumbar spine and perhaps part of my thoracic spine needs to be reconstructed, fusing bones from my hip and thigh. The expected recovery time is about 12-24 months, maybe longer. Since I’ve already endured daily severe pain for the past 22 months, I guess another year or so does not make much difference. I haven’t decided yet whether I want to proceed with this major surgery, even though my new doctor is shocked that I’ve been able to somehow endure the pain for this long since he believes my injury, after reviewing my several MRIs and other tests, shows how serious my injury is and probably developed more seriously painful over time. (Besides, I’m 7 feet – 1 inch tall. Has anyone ever seen a man my size run? Just watch an NBA game. It’s hilarious. LOL 😉 )
I understand that it’s impossible to honor every cause at one event, but I think it would be nice if somehow you could incorporate the victims of the Boston attacks and the Newtown shooting in the run. While I believe the terrorists in these attacks must not be allowed to shut us down from our daily lives, I also believe that victims of these tragedies need to see that people all over our country have not forgotten about the deceased victims, the surviving victims, and their families. We need to show Newtown and Boston that we’re thinking of them and we are going to cross the finish line for them.
Krystle Campbell “Daddy’s little girl,” 29, of Arlington, Mass.
Lu Lingzi, 23, China, Student at University of Boston.
Martin Richard, 8, Dorchester, Mass. “Peace: No more hurting people.”
Unidentified MIT Police Officer also killed 4-19-2013
I believe we live in an important time in world history. These days will be remembered and written about for hundreds of years in the future. These were the days when religious and right-wing extremist terrorized the world. These were the days when religious institutions, such as the Catholic Church tolerated and permitted religious to sexually molest, rape, and torture innocent children; their minds, bodies, and souls. These were the days when our elected politically leaders failed to act on behalf of their own people, the most innocent and defenseless people, and instead reaped the benefits for their individual personal gain. These were the days when a priest was exposed in a community and parish for raping a child, only to be transferred to another community with a certain amount of anonymity so they could rape more children. These were the times when the buck stopped at the broken child and completely changed direction to line the pockets of those elected leaders who swore an oath to protect the people who elected them. These were the times when children don’t matter much, and the object of money rules the world. These were the times when I wished I hadn’t yet been born for a thousand years. These were the times when victims of such incorrigible attacks took their own lives because they couldn’t live with the pain any longer.
Maybe someday our government will view child sexual abuse by adults as “terrorist attacks” as well. Ask any victim/survivor of sexual abuse if they felt terrorized by their abusers, and terrified by the physical and sexual acts forced upon them. I think they will agree to the terror they felt. I know I felt terror. Yet, terror attacks continue in this country every day, and throughout the entire world, and I guess because our attackers don’t often use guns or bombs, the attacks aren’t newsworthy or criminal enough to warrant a serious investigation and extensive manhunt to bring those child terrorists to justice. In fact, this sort of terror is considered so inconsequential and irrelevant that our government doesn’t even have sufficient laws, or can be bothered creating new laws necessary to protect children from sexual predators even in the face of overwhelming evidence that proves a perpetrators’ guilt and the covering up by institutions that tolerate such criminal behavior.
Proper and reasonable laws would better protect every child of any religion or no religion from sexual abuse. It is estimated that child sexual abuse accounts for less than 5% of all children sexually victimized. I wonder why laws that would serve to protect the other 95% of children, is constantly lobbied against by a religious institution that claims to preach love. Why do our Catholic elected leaders disregard the protection of the majority of children? Laws must be created to allow past victims to expose their perpetrators and to hold accountable any person(s), religious institutions, and private or public organizations from shielding known sexual predators from exposure and harboring their criminal behavior.
I think the uncle of the two suspects in the Boston attacks should be Pope and President of this country. Even though both suspects are his nephews, he denounced their actions and called them “losers, filled with hate, and they deserve to die.” Too bad an immigrant can’t be voted President of the United States.
On April 17, 2013, after legislation was struck down in Congress to expand background checks for anyone purchasing a firearm, President Obama told reporters that he couldn’t understand that if 90% of Americans and 80% of Republicans supported the necessity of this bill why then did it only receive 54 of the required 60 votes it needed to pass. The President went on to say, “It begs the question, who are we here to represent?”
I’ve asked the same question myself, Mr. President. Just who are my elected leaders here to represent? It certainly isn’t me, nor is it innocent children. More than 85% of Americans support better laws and harsher penalties for those guilty of child rape.
“The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected.” – William O. Douglas
Peace out!
Rich
Rich: The only reason I visit this site is to read your remarks and those of Vicky and other survivors. While I appreciate the words of empathy that others may offer, I know that none of them can truly understand the effect that sexual abuse has had on our lives. When I read your comments, I can get in touch with the anger[that fire in the belly] that otherwise I have trouble connecting with, I also admire your ability to be an equal opportunity offender. And I mean that in a good way. You simply do not care who you offend when you post here. There are some on this site who seem to go out of their way not to offend Republican politicians. I live in Franklin County. Two weeks ago, the Republicans invited as their guest speaker for their annual Lincoln Day celebration the president of the NRA.The week before that the local School Board voted down a request by high school students at Chambersburg High School to form a Gay/straight Alliance Club.I hate everything that the Tea Party and the NRA stand for, but you have to admire the manner in which they have taken over the Republican Party. Even socially conscious Republican women, who have no power in the Republican Party, are afraid to offend them. The sad reality is that until we get rid of this totally inept governor and the Democrats take control of the State Legislature, no meaningful legislation on child abuse will ever take place.
Jim Tucker: Just what part of keep politics out of it don’t you understand?
The same part about keeping your bible quotes out of it.
The one thing I have learned in the past two years is to not be quick to categorize people. I have worked side by side with many people concerning the laws in Pa. and simply do not even know their political affiliation…nor do I care. I am registered Independent..no one is insulting me with their political beliefs, this site is just not the place for it.
This 5k is the perfect example of people from different political parties coming together on an issue that they agree. If people only want those who agree on every issue, then good luck in life with that. We have worked hard on this event and now the comments have nothing to do with supporting such an important event for survivors/victims and children. I will be happy to be there on May 4th with people from both political parties supporting our event. I am respectfully asking that these comments stop and anyone who can support the event on the 4th come out for a great event with a group of committed people who have worked very hard over the past few years for victims and children.
Jim,
I have been thinking a lot about you and praying for you as I recently attended my Uncle’s funeral at St. Johns and the whole time I was there I was thinking about the parallel worlds that were going on at the same time years ago. My uncle did a lot of construction for the parish and I wonder if he would have been so eager to do the work if he knew what was going on behind closed doors. I believe the answer would have been no.The parish is pretty much a ghost town. Their were no altar boys at the funeral but adult servers. I had never seen that before. I just kept thinking about what was seen and unseen over the years at this church………it was almost like visiting a war memorial or site where great suffering occurred………anyway I pray someday you might know joy and peace……….
Beth: Thank you for your kindness. About a year ago one of my best friends from grade school and high school died from a heart attack. His mother and my mother had gone to high school together and graduated from Little Flower High School. She was also the head cook at St. Johns when we both attended school there. I so much wanted to attend his funeral but could not go back to that place. The Church where his funeral was held was not even in existence back in 1961 when I was abused. Masses back then were said in the basement underneath the school.My father was also employed in construction. I remember him using his dump truck to help clear some of the stones and rocks from the fields where we eventually played football. St. Johns was new back then and held such promise. Very sad when I hear it described today
I guess so, Jim Tucker. The fact that what I posted was never intended to offend anyone, and I was shocked when I discovered people were actually offended doesn’t seem to matter much. I suppose I really am an equal opportunity offender. That’s fine. Some people see the bigger picture and some do not. I won’t apologize for my opinions based on my own experiences, especially in my own defense against people who haven’t lived my life and would never be able to understand how it is to be “us,” and how we still allow ourselves to continue breathing with the memories we will never escape. Most regular Joes could never live a single minute of our lives. Besides, if my opinions continue to create discussion on the subject of abuse and cause anyone to despise me while still willing to protect children, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do and I have no regrets.
The idea that sexual abuse is the only issue facing children in the world is saddening, if you honestly believe it. It is impossible for me to fight for the protection of children from sexual predators and ignore the conflict that too many children are also murdered by religious extremists and frivolous laws established by politicians who would rather see first graders murdered in their classrooms than bring about effective change that might anger the minority while ultimately protecting the majority. I don’t understand anyone who could turn a blind eye to such disgrace and claim they wish to protect children. I guess that’s just what separates me as a non-religious child protector from the Catholic sexual abuse activists.
It would be easy for me to claim that since I was abused by a Catholic priest, I only have enough time and emotion to fight against the Catholic Church. I’ve heard that argument too many times. I can’t be that way though. It just isn’t in my DNA. It isn’t strictly one issue alone that causes sexual abuse of children. The accumulation of so many outrageous wrongs committed against children create a world in which some believe it’s okay to murder a child, or rape a child, or beat a child, and the consequences are always the same. It equals to money and power, and those who want either or both never protect the innocent child.
If you are someone who can ignore the obvious, while still fighting to protect children from sexually abusive clergy, I commend you for helping in one aspect of the dilemma. If you discredit my thoughts and opinions as not something you yourself believe, and you can still manage to sleep at night and go about your days as if the world is all sunshine and rainbows, then there’s likely nothing I could say or do that could change your mind. I just know that every child abuse victim I’ve ever met, and most stories of abuse I have read also have other aspects of child victimization included that doesn’t pinpoint to a particular cause. For instance, most bullied children are not sexually abused. However, most sexually abused children were bullied. Did you know that?
If people know they can murder a child, or beat a child without any repercussions, do you really think they’ll worry much about what may or may not happen if they rape a child?
I don’t care who is Republican or Democrat. I don’t care if you worship God, Allah, Buddha, or wild mushrooms. I’ve never been a politically outspoken person, though I am very politically knowledgeable. I was a bartender for over 10 years and always the guy telling patrons to leave their religion and politics outside. I’ve never voted one party or another strictly at any point in my life. I usually try to vote for the person I believe lies less in their campaign, which is harder to realize, as I’m sure most of you already know. I don’t think the protection of children should be based upon your political, religious, or demographic affiliations.
A 5-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped in India at the beginning of this month. Doctors removed broken glass and other foreign objects from her vagina. (A FIVE-YEAR-OLD!!!!!!!) Do you really think I care if that little girl was Hindu or lived in another country? Do you not think my heart continues pumping boiled blood because 186 children were murdered in their classrooms in Beslan, Russia in instead of the United States?
I have my opinions. I have my standards that I will never compromise for anyone or anything. I’ve given everyone here details of my life. I’ve shared the tragedy of my childhood in words on a website of strangers, read by anyone. A secret I swore I’d take to my grave just five years ago is known to more people than I had ever thought or imagined. I’m not proud of what happened to me. I’m humiliated, depressed, and miserable, but I still write about it, hoping the history of my life can help protect the next innocent life. My secret has been exposed, Nichols1, and the freedom I have felt since March 4, 2009 has been life altering. I’m not afraid anymore because I know now that it wasn’t my fault and I don’t have to hide it anymore. I no longer have a double life. It’s just me now and it’s so much easier. You may not know many of the exact details of my abuse, but the only secret I had I already exposed, which is the experience of sexual abuse itself. Didn’t you see the papers?
I have always been honest in my testament, here and everywhere. When attorneys asked me for details I knew that happened but couldn’t clearly remember it all, or to exaggerate some details in order to make my case more scandalous, I refused. My abuse had been horrible enough without exaggeration required. My opinions are based on the soles of my feet and the sights my eyes have seen. Until it is that you have walked in my shoes for 36 years, or have seen the same images my mind will never forget, you cannot change my opinion, who I am, how I feel, and why I write my words. I have my opinions based only on experience and the way in which I believe positive change is possible. I write about my life and how I feel because of the trials and tribulations I’ve endured and hoping it will impact anyone who wishes to change the problems that affect innocent lives today even though nobody was there to change the problems that altered my life yesterday. I write because it makes me feel better most of the time and my word processor provides me reprieve from my memories. I write my words and post them here and in other forums because I want my thoughts to be considered valuable and read by those people who are intent enough in trying to prevent people like me from ever needing to write words like mine again. I want my life to have meaning, and I want to relax at the end of every day with the idea that I didn’t waste my day and I made a difference, even if it was only a small impact.
It is impossible and evil to determine any positive result in a child being sexually abused by an adult, but if the man I’ve become is directly related to the suffering of the child I was, and if I could live another life, I’d want to be the same man I am today. As it turns out, the scum of the Earth didn’t destroy me. They only made me stronger.
I wonder how people here would feel if I took their words and opinions from their own horrible experiences and pissed all over them.
“Peace: No more hurting people.” – Martin Richard. It says a lot when an 8-year-old had a more relevant opinionated attitude than 99.9999% of the adults on this planet.
Focusing on one issue with a 5k or a blog post is not being unfeeling to the rest of the issues facing society ,it is being realistic about what we can accomplish at the moment . I can’t change the world or the Church but maybe can have kids better protected in the Archdiocese and help for better laws in Pa. C4C has always been about clergy sex abuse and then the larger issue of child sex abuse with our other organizations such as justice4pakids…we are what we are, we do what we can do. If people want to get into political conversations they are free to take it somewhere else..the internet is great that way..there are blogs for just about anything.
I am not a Catholic sex abuse activist…, I am a mother,a citizen and an advocate and having been a social worker for over 20 years and have worked with many different groups and the one thing I learned is to be focused on what I can realistically accomplish . It was only a few comments before this thread turned into NRA, tea party, Republican etc…. Really? All this from a post about a 5k and then to be questioned about not caring about other issues involving kids? For real? No not accepting that at all. I sleep very well at night knowing that each day I do at least one thing that can help a child. My days of sunshine and rainbows ended probably 25 years ago when I was a social work student and worked with dying patients in a hospice and homeless families and kids in Philly. Child sex abuse is the issue I am involved with now..who knows what the future holds.
Actually I take that back..my days of sunshine and rainbows ended when I was a sophomore in high school and was told that my father was dying..a lot of people in the world face a lot of different hardships.
“Besides, if my opinions continue to create discussion on the subject of abuse and cause anyone to despise me while still willing to protect children, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do and I have no regrets.”
Gotta love that statement…. Thanks, Rich.
See I do not understand that..what is being accomplished? Fighting, arguments? How is that protecting one single child? What I have experienced the past two years is the exact opposite..people from different backgrounds,victims family members, advocates,citizens, elected officials,coming together for a common cause and producing action from their efforts. Making people angry on a blog has never protected one child as far as I know and I thought protecting kids was the goal. I have had many discussions about abuse and have learned the most from the victims and it doesn’t come with being offended,despising one another or anything remotely like that
Rich as always you are in my prayers. Having gone thru a lot of physical pain last year myself I can relate. I hope you get some relief soon.
Rich, as a fellow survivor of sexual abuse, I agree with you on every thing you bring up. As i was cleaning out my closet I found articles writtian in the Inquirer dated 2003, 2004, 2005. Every one is pleading with the state legislators in Pa. to abolish the stature of limitations. Here it is, 2013 and NOTHING has changed. Shame, on every legislator, and religious institution that has lobbied against protecting our children. We don’t hold children in this country valuable which is evident with newtown and all the other innocent people who have been effected by gun violence and sexual abuse. I too, know very well how it feels to be terrified. I could relate to the faces on all those people running in terror after the awful blast of 2 bombs and the terror on the face of a mother who stood behind president Obama clearly in PTSD. Where, I ask, is the Justice.Clearly only money seems to be the God our elected officials care about, not the innocent or the 90% of Americans who supported back ground checks . I guess these institutions, religious, institutions, government care about being elected. The God that they worship is money and greed, I believe greed is one of the deadly sins. Well, when they stand before the real God of justice I wonder what their excuse will be. Shame on all of you who live in your bubble, God save your very souls.
Correct, the NRA and the Catholic prelates both own the lawmakers, These guys must be voted out!
Anyone who makes political hay out of the misery of victims of violence of any kind should be exposed (as some have) and shamed into silence. It is highly insensitive and hurtful to everyone whatever their political views.
We would hope that history will record honestly what transpires in the remaining days of ordinary life on this planet; but we can have the assurance that when “the book are opened” when Christ returns, THAT RECORD WILL BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR.
Correct to “Books.”
This walk /5k is just that, and nothing more. There will be Republican and Democratic elected officials as well as Republican and Democrat advocates for victims and children. There is a time and place for everything and a 5k/fun run is not something with a political agenda..it is a way to honor,raise funds and enjoy one another’s company..period. This has nothing to do with the NRA.or any other cause ,it is what it is. I understand the sentiment but our focus that day is on child sexual abuse and victims/child protection,….the more issues you add on, the more division happens. That is why we stick with the issue of clergy sex abuse on this site and do not venture into other problems of the Church..because the issue is important to the protection of children and the more people weigh in with their personal opinions on other issues the more things get fuzzy.
Vicky and Rich I think it is wonderful that you both acknowledge the pain of others in their tragedies. I didn’t mean my remarks directed at that at all. Vicky I saw the picture of the Newtown mother you referenced and the pain was written all over her face..I agree.
I just want to be clear that all are welcome to this 5 k event for victims/children and many people fall into different categories of political beliefs on various social issues but childhood sexual abuse is the cause that is bringing us together.
Rich, From your above post: ” I wonder how people here would feel if I took their words and opinions from their own horrible experiences and pissed all over them”
I don’t think crude, self-serving, irresponsible, abusive, ideas expressed like this one are very helpful to any cause for children. Kids depend on adults to be in control of their words and actions… and to use them constructively.
For all your “peacing out” to us, there is often a recklessness, a meanness to your posts…and it’s often directed at the wrong people. It’s not OK.
I would like to know exactly where in my initial comment to this post about the 5K Run was/is considered “offensive” to anyone. Please email me with your response instead of continuing the debate here. Victims4JusticeNow@yahoo.com
I am completely blind to what I wrote in that first comment, or any of my comments for that matter which started this argument. Please help me understand.
If my explicit language is offensive to anyone who has read my comments in the past then maybe you shouldn’t read any of my comments in the future. Maybe Kathy or Susan should just remove those comments they find “offensive” altogether. My intention here is not be offensive, by any stretch of “my own” imagination.
I don’t believe I use profanity in excess or at least more than many people I know. I also don’t treat my writing as something I prepare for ahead of the time when I sit down to write, because often times I don’t really know what I’ll end up writing exactly anyway, and I never reread anything I write either (except for the probably 100 times I’ve reread my initial comment to this post), but if people are offended by my use of profanity here and there in my responses, I can’t apologized for that, it’s just how I write.
People have replied to my comments asking me to keep writing here, or agreeing with me, or wrote that they would always read my words, or they only come here to read my words. I thought you people were serious about that. I actually thought, prior to this 5K Run post that I was at least partially responsible for changing the way in which people look at the reality of childhood sexual abuse. It made me feel really good on a level that I don’t think anyone would be able to remotely understand. That’s all I ever wanted to do here. I just wanted people to see abuse based upon the victim’s point of view, and not the view of your religious and/or leaders. Sometimes my words can be raw, of course I am aware of that, but how do you think the abuse itself was?
I would hope that everyone is much more offended by the reality of children being raped by adults than my profanity or percieved anger within my words. You have to be more angry about children being raped, don’t you?
It wasn’t fun being raped when I was a kid. It was horrible. It was worse than horrible. Talking about or writing about child sexual abuse doesn’t exactly bring upon happiness and laughter within me, and when I write I go to another place within myself that I won’t try to explain because I know people don’t usually understand, and I write from my heart and everything I’ve ever written on this site has been honest to the core of my very being. I stand by every word I’ve written here 110% without apology or regret. I let you in, and I gave you so much of the raw data, but it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows regardless of whether you’re a parent or not. It’s ugly, and it’s crude, and it’s offensive, and unfortunately it’s the truth for too many adults and the current childred who suffered and continue to suffer with being sexually abused. But, it is more important to me if you could just forget every word I have ever written and go on protecting children, rather than the other way around.
When I write “Peace Out” at the end of my comments, I mean it, whether or not anybody believes it. The fact that some of you may not believe it because I might curse in my comment while I write about being held down and raped by a grown man as a little boy is very troubling, and if that is something you cling to as being “offensive” in a discussion or a victim’s testimony of childhood sexual abuse, I have all the doubt in the world that nothing will ever change because you had something to do with it.
Please only respond to this comment to my email address: Victims4JusticeNow@yahoo.com
(I expect honest replies. If you can’t give me that courtesy, don’t bother sending me an email.)
Good luck in your 5K Run. I hope you all accomplish what it is you set out to do. I hope it can contribute to education and awareness of the epidemic such as childhood sexual abuse inside and outside the walls of the Catholic Church.
PEACE OUT!
Rich
Your first comment was absolutely fine I just knew that it would lead to others opening up the whole political aspect which is why I made a few comments trying to have that not happen.
Your second comment was so out of line, acting as if you are the ultimate person caring about children and others are somehow clueless or only interested in one cause. I am trying to protect kids and am not looking for anyone’s permission,approval or blessing. My heart bleeds too when I hear about tragedies involving children and when I wake up in the morning thinking I can change the world or stop a child in India from being raped I ultimately will end the day disappointed and depressed,but what I can do is try to help in the situations close to home, in my community, in this Archdiocese, in this city. Does it mean that I don’t care about other children or tragedies? NO Rich it doesn’t, it means that I am realistic about what I can accomplish and where I can make a difference. If caring and anger could solve the world’s problems and have gun control,and end to terrorism and child sex abuse then I would have single handedly solved those problems years ago but the world doesn’t change based on how much people care or angry people get..it doesn’t work like that.
Your disclosing your abuse and the comments you have written about it have been the most heartbreaking and informative of most I have ever read in order to have an understanding of abuse .There is nothing offensive about the way you write about your abuse and no words you use that would offend me in any way possible, but when you get on the high horse of acting above others when it comes to caring and speak as if people are stupid..brother you lost me. I will not accept that.
Kathy, I have a question. Very recently, in a small neighboring parish, a priest was arrested for some sort of improper behavior with a minor in the parish. I heard about this second hand from a credible source. There has been nothing in the news or on the parish website. The parish parents were told.
What happens next for the parish? What is the role/duty of the AD At this point? Who keeps the parishioners informed of the facts of the case …or the parents from neighboring parishes who have kids who were in contact? Is it possible that the AD could simply transfer him and keep it all quiet indefinitely, if nothing comes of it legally? I worry that he may get away with whatever he allegedly did, and his name would never be added to the list of priests removed..and.that he’d never be watched…or that he would be quickly “rehabbed” and transferred.
Crystal, did this incident happen in the Archdiocese of Phila? What exactly were the parents told? Is any further info, documents or correspondence made available by the Phila AD that describes specifically what the incident/charges were about? This is a very important matter and concern.
Michael, it occurred in the Phila. AD, in the past 2-4wks. My 2nd hand source said that the parish was told and was disgusted…I don’t know how they were told or by whom( a letter, a meeting ?) The priest was supposedly accused of, and arrested for some alleged improper behavior with a female minor of the parish….and that the Montco DA is looking into the matter. I don’t know about any further documents or correspondence…I couldn’t even find anything online in the news.
My question is, what happens now? Does the AD usually keep the parishioners up to date with the progress of these cases?..or does the priest just disappear without any further word?
Crystal I haven’t heard anything about any recent arrests but if you want to email me the info at kmkane242@gmail.com I will check it out .
My high horse? Acting as if I’m above others? Treating people as if they are stupid?
That couldn’t possibly be further from the truth or how I feel, because I constantly feel like I am and never will be good enough for anyone, or smarter, or a better man. I don’t understand how my words can be viewed as anger. You can’t see my face or emotions. If anyone reads my words and believes I’m angry, they’re right! They’re also wrong, because anger isn’t the only emotion I deal with when I write. “I am a terrible person. I am responsible for the abuse. I corrupted those men into raping me. There was something about me that caused me to give them signals, it was my body language, and how I talked and looked at them, and I deserved what they did to me. I didn’t behave. I was rightfully being punished. Every bad kid gets the same as me. I became aroused during it which means I must’ve liked it and I hate myself for that. I’m sick because I let a man do that to me. I didn’t tell anybody he was doing that to me even when I knew he was doing them same stuff to other kids. I’m worthless. I could’ve protected other kids and I said and did nothing. It’s my fault other kids were abused. It’s my fault if they are so screwed up now. I brought all this on myself and I just need to live with in because it’s all my fault. I will never be good enough for anyone. NEVER!!! It was my fault, it was my fault, it was my fault, it was my fault, it was my fault. I deserved it!”
Those are just some of the things I say to myself every day. You think I feel as if I’m better than anyone else and I want to treat people like their stupid? You’re wrong Kathy. You will never understand how I feel about me or anyone else. I am done! DONE, DONE, DONE!
If I may I would like to share something that helped me as I was fighting my demons while dealing with them in therapy. It is called simply SURRENDER. To surrender means not to be protective of others. It’s to let our loved ones face their own reality, the consequences of their own decisions. To surrender means to stop trying to control others. It’s to use my energy to become what I dream i can be. To surrender is not to regret the past. It’s to grow and live for the future. To surrender is to stop denying. It’s to become more accepting of reality. To surrender does not mean to stop caring. It means I can’t do it for someone else. To surrender means I cannot enable any longer. It means I have to allow others to feel their own consequences. To surrender means to stop being in the middle of arranging of events. It’s to allow others to impact their happpenings. To surrender is to be unwilling to adjust my schedule to everyone else’s. It’s to allow others to impact their happenings. To surrender is to fear less and give up guilt and inadequacy. It’s to love and accept both ourselves and others more. Once we have surrendered, we make new choices from a stance of awareness.
Rich, we are all hurting. For survivors, we feel on a very deep level when any child is hurt. What has transpired over the last week has put many of us in PTSD. For me it is sometimes easier to feel anger and misunderstood instead of looking beneath and feeling the sorrow. Let’s take a step back and breathe, we are ok. I look forward to the 5K because I will see many people who care about children and really are trying. No one can ever know what it was like to be sexually abused most especially by a priest, however, their are people who do try to understand and want to protect all the children who might be in danger. Sometimes, we have to let go, surrender, and allow others to fight for us. We need to heal. I have been dealing with this matter since 1993. Many organizations wanted me to be their spokesperson and voice for the sexually abused. For a while, I did, but then I realized my own therapy was suffering. I made a very difficult decision and decided I needed to do the work on myself if i was ever going to be a healthy person and happy. Today, I am a different person. I am thriving and happy. Step back, dear friend and let others fight the fight and let us, true survivors journey to our healing, we desearve this especially the little boy and girl that was so hurt.
Very wise words Vicky, that many can relate to.
Yes the 5k will be great,. Many people coming together trying to make an impact for this important cause . My involvement has been a drop in the bucket compared to what others have done in arranging this event and it is such an undertaking . They have done a phenomenal job in corporate sponsorships, elected officials coming, give aways etc..such a good job. A group that came together 2 years ago to try to protect children while also seeking justice for victims and still going strong today, actually stronger than ever. Very proud of them.
Surprise! I am not going to talk about politics. Nichols 1 told me that was not allowed. And I always listen to what others tell me. I had a therapist send me to the zoo to feed the monkeys right in front of the sign that read: “Do not feed the monkeys”. As a young Catholic boy I always did what I was told. I am not young now nor would I consider myself Catholic. What I do want to talk about is adult victims of childhood sexual abuse. In case you haven’t noticed it from reading this blog we are all fractured adults. We do not think like the rest of you. We do not reason like the rest of you and consequently we do not blog like the rest of you. Many of you do not understand Rich.You consider him crude and angry.He embarrasses you.Perhaps you feel the same way about me. I am not sorry for anything that I have said on this site. If you do not agree with it, that is your right. But please, do not tell me to go elsewhere, I have lived my whole life since the abuse going elsewhere. And nobody ever had to tell me. I went on my own. What I really want to say is don’t expect us to be happy go lucky adults because most of us are certainly not.
Jim, Maybe nichols told you to not talk politics but that is something we have tried to moderate on the blog for a long time because the last thing we want is for people to think that this bog is progressive or conservative,we are simply trying to protect kids and all are welcome . When things get political and off topic,no kids are helped that way.Just look at the comments on this thread and you might be able to see what I am trying to explain..a great post about a special event that will help kids and then where does the attention go? Completely off of the event we are asking people to support. An event that many good people (victims and advocates) have put a lot of energy and time into making it happen. So I am allowed to be frustrated about that regardless if the people making the comments are victims or not. You know the saying ‘there is a time and place for everything” well that is a good example of what happened on this blog post. What would have been great is if people said “awesome and event to help kids,let’s support this”. The comments started that way and then went south quickly. I am allowed to be frustrated or angry about that. This post about the 5k was probably the least controversial and most positive blog post we can offer and look where it went. By the time people finish reading the comment section,they totally forget what the original post even was about. My God finally something positive and that can’t even turn out well. I am not asking anyone to be happy go lucky, but if people are drawn to this site because they want to protect kids,which is the symbol on our logo,then let’s do it.
Kathy: You are certainly allowed to be both frustrated and angry. Anger is a very normal human emotion. As a young boy growing up in an alcoholic family, emotions were something the children were never allowed to express. In grade school at St. John of the Cross,we were graded on what they called self control. I always got an A. Today I think maybe the kids who didn’t receive A’s were much healthier, mentally.Anger was always an emotion that was very much frowned upon.So after I was molested at the age of twelve and went home to tell my mother about the abuse by the priest, she told me to forget about what had happened. Of course I had to be angry. Angry at the priest and angry at my mother. I was already very angry at my father, for years of emotional and physical abuse. Where does a kid of twelve go with all that anger?For many victims the anger gets turned inward. We hate ourselves. We blame ourselves. We attempt suicide. Some of us are successful. Some of us are not. But if we survive, we remain angry. Angry at ourseves, but also angry at those around us. Often those who are close to us or those who are trying to help us get the brunt of our anger. Is it misplaced? Without question. Is it fair? Not at all. But we never learned how to express our anger. Instead we buried it. I believe that what frustrates you the most, is victims who do not stay on target. We go off on tangents, that have nothing to do with the subject at hand. I am sure if I was in your place, I would feel the same way.But , as I said in my previous post, we do not think rationally, at times. we carry around so much baggage. I think in some ways, this site would be much better off if it didn’t hear from some victims. On the other hand, you would not really be in touch with what this ugly horror has done to us victims. I will try to avoid political talk from now on, but forgive me if I slip. Sometimes the anger takes over.
Jim thanks for your frank honesty.
Jim thank you for your input. Anger is not only real but also necessary in order for any change. If we weren’t angry we would be complacent about kids being abused and at risk. I know the anger I have felt and am not a victim..so multiply that by a million and that probably does not even scratch the surface of the anger that a victim feels.
I have ‘moderated” a lot of people on this site..most not victims, when things get off track, and I have gotten off track many times myself. Most times it is actually not victims who bring up other issues with the Church that we have no interest in addressing although there are some issues such as clericalism and corruption that go hand in hand with how the abuse escalated,but other times just things people don’t like about the church that has zero to do with what this site is about. I think some have actually felt to ‘moderated’ and no longer comment.
Some sites on the internet just remove comments, we don’t do that to often, we just try to step in and refocus the efforts to child protection. The victims who have followed and commented the past two years are a gift and I have learned so much from them and from all of the other victims I have met off site, in working on various projects. I wouldn’t want that to change but I think this conversation was good in some ways because we have a better understanding of each other.
Kathy and Jim……I was thinking some of the same thoughts….and I remembered something that I had come across the other day that Jesus accepts us as we are but loves us too much to leave us where we are at……..
Will any of the 400+ priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia or surrounding dioceses be running/walking in the race on Saturday, and/or speaking at the event, and/or witnessing and supporting the event?
To date, how are the registrations looking for the event? How many are expected to participate based on the present number of registrants?
Thank you.
Kate I will let you know after Saturday..we have online registration but most people just show up that day to register.
An article in a local paper highlighting the 5k and the efforts of Maureen ,Bob and justice4pakids. The seminars we have run are simply outstanding ,incorporating law enforcement, victims, pediatricians as speakers. Reid who comments here often came to one last year as an audience member and ended contributing a great deal with his information.
http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20130430/LIFE01/130439992&template=printart
What A Great 5K Met So Many Good People Working In Many Different Areas To Keep Kids Safe. Absolutely Beautiful Day !Hoping It Is An Annual Event.Thanks Maureen And Everyone Involved With Planning The Event. Thanks Vicky For navigating So We Made It There:)
Beth, finding where we needed to go for the 5k run was with out, a, team effort, I couldn’t have done it without you. We were so good, we didn’t get angry or upset instead, we stayed the course with GPS or my directions.
I had a great time at the 5K. As a survivor it helps me so much to see people working so hard in many capacities to do what they can in safe guarding our children. I met terrific people and finally met Maureen who is a inspiration to me. Every one fights so hard and it comes from the heart. This event healed me in many ways for which I am most grateful. I have hope and even if our hands continue to be tied by the harrisburg people, I know how hard everyone is fighting. Thank you for showing this survivor that we are being heard and you are doing something about it.
Vicky and Beth ,so great spending time with both of you yesterday. Vicky you seemed so “light” yesterday ,so happy to laugh with you… Although it doesn’t come through on the site,my sense of humor is what sustains me and we laughed a lot yesterday!
The event was so much fun ,great weather,great people..we will write up a short post about it.
Thank you Kathy! I had a great time and so enjoyed our breakfast together. I don’t get out much to eat so it was a real treat for me to say nothing of the wonderful company and laughter! Can’t wait for next year. I thanked Maureen and she replied so generously to me. Hope we can do something like this again and not wait a whole year. Vicky
Wow! The 5K sounds like an incredible experience and success! I hope to make it next year. Kudos to everyone who organized and participated in it. THANK YOU!
Here is an article about Mark Rozzi a clergy abuse victim who is now one of our newly elected Pa. House of Representatives. He joined us at the 5k. This article from a few years ago,discloses Mark’s abuse.
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=218145