Justice4PAKids Holds Motorcycle Ride to Raise Awareness

~ Susan Matthews

Please click here to read: “Justice4PAKids Holds Motorcycle Ride to Benefit Mission,” by Kelly Lyons, Daily Local News, September 8, 2014

Excerpt: Now in its second year, participants will meet for the Ride4PAKids between 9 :30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 at The Office Bar & Grille in Charlestown. The ride will start at 11 a.m. and finish at about 1 p.m. The three-year-old nonprofit, Justice4PAKids, focuses on raising awareness of sexual abuse of children through seminars for adults and body-safety coloring books for children.

Editor’s note: Please consider participating in or donating to this event. Many Catholics4Change blog readers are involved with this action-oriented organization. A few months after the 2011 Grand jury report, we were invited to join a group of professionals who gathered together in their passion for children. From that initial meeting, Justice4PAkids was formed, and continues thriving to this day. This article is a great reminder of the work that many people do on behalf of children. We hope it gives some peace for victims to know that they are not alone in their hope to raise awareness.

18 thoughts on “Justice4PAKids Holds Motorcycle Ride to Raise Awareness”

  2. I have so much respect for Bob Riley and the work he has done with Justice4Pakids in just a few short years. It is always good to see someone step up and get involved..Bob did more than get involved, he founded an organization. Bob’s grandchildren can be very proud of his work as they are a large part of his motivation. I have always said over the past few years that the men in the GJ reports who are abusers and colluders are foreign to me because I don’t know men like that..the men I know are just like Bob.

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    1. So true Kathy. I have not done this particular event but I have done the justice4pakids walk and they are an awesome group of people.

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  3. I don’t really know where to put this but I have been thinking a lot lately and have been having a hard time in general but God is good and sends us people or other consolations so that we know he is there if we just look and seek his face. I have had a few lately and one that I cant overlook is that the Philly Rally for Life will be held at Love Park on Sept 28 which just happens to be my youngest daughters birthday. What I have been thinking is that I hope the Philly AD realizes there can be a connection between child sexual abuse and abortion. Some child sex abuse survivors have been forced to have abortions, some survivors may choose to do so on a subscious level as adults because they may fear their child go thru what they did. Some spouses of child sex abuse survivors may try to force their spouse to do so as they have unresolved issues and pregnancy and child birth can bring up those many times buried issues. I never knew this til I lived thru some of this. Just when I see social and moral issues I think it is always good to look at the reasons why someone makes the decisions they do. I really had never looked at abortion from this angle before but life experiences and talking to people make you realize so many things one may not have thought of before. It definitely gives me more compassion for other people and what they have gone thru. It also reminds me that God always said to choose life not death…..that he is the Way the Truth and the Light. The Devil is darkness, death , lies and destruction……..maybe a good bumper sticker would be stop abortion, stop child sex abuse……..all things are connected and nothing is simple……..but been thinking a lot about this lately……..the connection I see really makes me sad and I really feel for people that have had to deal with any of these issues and you are in my prayers……..

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  8. On Sept. 9, Bishop McDevitt High School honored Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Lower Paxton) by dedicating a wing of the school to him and naming it ‘The Honorable Ron Marsico Center for History and Government’. Left to right: Marsico, Bishop Ronald W. Gainer, and Father Edward J. Quinlan. (from http://www.ronmarsico.com/)

    And the accolades for Ronnie keep on coming……

    Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Lower Paxton) recently received the ‘Champion of Children’s Rights ChildFirst PA’ plaque from Jason P. Kutulakis, Esq., co-founder of ChildFirst Pennsylvania. This organization was established to assist states in developing certified forensic interview training programs in cases of child abuse and to assist those participants and interviewers in defending their interviews and work product in court. (link: http://www.teammarsico.com/blog/2014/5/19/representative-marsico-honored-by-childfirst-pa)

    Here’s an article re Marsico’s new proposals…..http://www.phillytrib.com/news/article_9f12a040-d9ee-51f8-9045-a5eb8e7c09b5.html

    My comment:

    “There have been too many incidences where a sex offender leaves prison and immediately commits the same or similar crime as the one he or she was convicted of previously. It’s a public safety issue, and I’m going to do everything I can to prevent these heinous crimes from occurring.”

    Mr. Marsico, if you are so concerned about “prevent(ing) these heinous crimes from occurring”, please explain to the citizens of the Commonwealth why you have refused to hold hearings on valuable and important legislative proposals that would extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse for several years now. These legislative proposals were sponsored by two of your colleagues who were victims of sexual abuse in their childhood and youth and the research is very clear and convincing that it takes many years for victims to come forward with their allegations of abuse, torture and humiliation. Mr. Marscio, if you are serious about placing children first (you have recently received an award from the ChildFirst PA organization, Jason P. Kutulakis, Esquire, co-founder ), schedule hearings on these valuable pieces of legislation so that the public can know, learn and understand just what the new SOL legislation will do for our children in the future as well as help to identify existing perpetrators in our midst. As a fellow father and grandfather, this is what you want, isn’t it, Mr. Marsico? The protection of our children from sexual victimization and, for those that should become victims, legislation that provides the best legal opportunities to report their allegations and allow for prosecution and recovery.
    If Rep. Louise Bishop and Rep. Mark Rozzi had the courage and determination to share their stories of abuse with the citizens of the Commonwealth, then you must exhibit a similar courage and schedule hearings on the proposals below immediately.

    House Bill 237 would abolish the statute of limitations on criminal charges and civil lawsuits in cases of child sexual abuse, while House Bill 238 would suspend any expired statute of limitations for two years in child sex abuse cases.

    Michael Skiendzielewski
    Captain (retired)
    Philadelphia Police Dept.

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    1. Michael,
      In the Bible Jesus says”forgive them for they know not what they do”. Thats the only thing that comes to mind with the above story.Kids are not being protected because politicans are playing favorites and acting like saviors of the church which they are not. This world is passing and the only thing that matters is saving souls. I am catholic. I love my faith. My faith helped me confront a predator and temporarily put him in jail. Thing is he is out walking the streets, coffee shops and grocery stores and no longer even has an ankle bracelet on. He destroyed many lives and though hes on parole he’s hardly watched. Even Archbishop Chaput and other church leaders know of predators that cant be prosecuted because the statue of limitations have run out. Some of these men are defrocked priests living in other states but that doesn’t change the fact they are predators that are being protected and not the children presently living around them.

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  9. Below is the statement from ron marsico :

    “The bottom line is that the legislation calling for removal of the two-year window is unconstitutional. Like all legislators, I have taken a personal oath to support, obey and defend the constitutions of the United States and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I take that oath very seriously. Know that however difficult it is for me – as a father, grandfather and a husband, not only as an elected representative – to acknowledge this constitutional limit on the General Assembly’s power, it is also my sworn duty to do so.

    “While it might feel satisfying to pass a bill that includes a window, any such provision would simply give false hopes to a victim whose civil claim has been barred by the existing statute-of-limitations because it would later be declared unconstitutional by the courts. Those victims deserve better than to be giving such false hope, only to see it snatched away.

    ron marsico must be made to defend this statement that the changes are ‘Unconstitutional and provide a Judicial Remedy for the Victims’ also the legislation does not call for the removal it calls for the imposition of a Two Year Window !

    Just saying something does not necessarily make it true ! Lets go ron, stop protecting the enablers and abusers !

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  10. I’d love to see Ronnie explain that to one of his teen-aged or young adult grandchildren and witness their reaction and feedback…………..Don’t worry, as George told Jerry Seinfeld the day before a scheduled polygraph…….”Don’t worry, Jerry (Ronnie), if you believe it, it’s not a lie.”

    Know that however difficult it is for me – as a father, grandfather and a husband, not only as an elected representative – to acknowledge this constitutional limit on the General Assembly’s power, it is also my sworn duty to do so.

    Wonder whether or not the “father, grandfather” reference has anything to do with my including these facts in recent comments re the representative’s “failure to act” on child-centered and protective legislative proposals.

    We will eventually have a Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee other than Marsico or Caltagirone. Sooner or later……..True advocacy is diligent and persistent.

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  11. Sure would like to get an invite to the next luncheon with Ron Marsico and Charles Chaput. Now, there would be real TRANSPARENCY.

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  13. FINN! Finally under investigation by the Vatican!

    The delay has been mind boggling and hugely detrimental to the health of the Church.

    But, the fact of the matter is that there are few if any bishops who are not guilty of protecting pedophile priests. Indeed, protecting them has been a centuries-old modes operandi. Cult members loyally meet their duties.

    One, sick priesthood.

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  14. Katherine,
    I actually looked up the definition of a cult, why one joins a cult and how to get someone out of a cult and it was very interesting especially in the context you suggest. Looking at the church I see many children sacrificed at the altar of power and greed. I have yet to see priests sacrificing themselves for the these innocent souls. It really makes me wonder what God they worship.

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