A survivor shared the comment below on Kathy Kane’s post about the Philadelphia Catholic Church’s continuing child protection problems. It’s a case study of how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia ushers out the faithful while inviting in the unknowing.
By a Philadelphia Catholic Survivor
During my High School years at McDevitt, I was abused by the Former Father – but Current and Always will be a Criminal – John Paul. I went thru the investigative process with the Montgomery County DA as well as the Office of Investigations at the AOP. I heard of dozens of former classmates as well as students from other High Schools who were abused by this Criminal – both males and females. He abused my best friend in HS at the same time he was abusing me.
I was also taught “Faith and Morals” by Fr. Edward DePaoli – who was later arrested for child pornography and abuse. It was not a good time to be a student at McDevitt.
But somehow, someway – I managed to focus on the positive experiences at McDevitt. I got a great education and was an excellent student. I could name, and can still name, teachers who were positive influences in my life. And I focused on the Catholic religion and rituals that I had been raised in – that my father had converted to in his 50’s. I tried to look beyond the evil of two men.
Then I sat in a pew at St. Helena’s Church in Blue Bell on Easter Sunday and listened to a lector, during the Prayer of the Faithful, pray for “the victims of abuse in the Church and also the perpetrators of that abuse.” I was being prayed for alongside the criminals that were responsible for my pain. And I never went back.
And at that Baccalaureate Mass at the Cathedral, I was representing the Alumni Association as a Board Member. I had spent countless hours working on events, reading scholarship applications, and raising money so young people could have the educational experience that I had. Then the Porno Priest, Fr Louis Kolenciewicz, waddled up the aisle and all of that positivity, that hard work, the healing I had tried to foster in my head went away. I sat during the Mass with my head down. And I never went back. (See C4C note.)
I read this week that Leslie Davila has left the AOP. I met her several times – was vetted by her before my meeting with Archbishop Chaput. She greeted me when I arrived at that meeting and chastised me that I shouldn’t bring in my Starbucks coffee to the Archbishop’s office. More concerned that I would spill it on the carpet or create a ring on his walnut table than the comfort of a survivor. Perhaps she moved on to a career that better suits her skills – maybe working at Merry Maids.
I don’t attend Catholic Church services any longer. Maybe the occasional wedding or funeral but the desire to participate in the rituals has been erased by the continued heartless actions of the AOP.
To Dan & Brian (see C4C note below) – your Catholic population is dying. There seems to be a growing sect of young people who are intrigued by the conservatism of the Catholic Church – Maybe things will be straightened out by the time their children are in school, becoming altar servers and in the Confessional. But in the meantime, the demographic group that I belong to – 35-65 years old – has left you. And, in terms that I know you can understand, their money has left you too. So, no matter what you say, parishes will close or merge as well as schools. And more people will leave because they see nothing is changing and, the old boys club in cassocks and collars, have left you to hold the mess together with some thread and chewing gum.
But I will never be back.
Note:
Law enforcement advised Archdiocesan leadership that Father Louis Kolenciewicz should be removed from ministry. The Archdiocesan review board voted unanimously to reinstate him.
Dan Cellucci is CEO of the Catholic Leadership Institute, and Brian McCarthy is chief strategy officer of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Catholics4Change 
🙏👍🙏Sent from my iPad
Philadelphia Catholic Survivor, my heart goes out to you, and I’m encouraged by your profound strength and seemingly untroubled resolve.
The way I hear “But I will never come back” is without lament, regret, or sadness. It seems driven by a sense of moral clarity, personal liberation, and the prioritization of your dignity, autonomy, freedom, objectivity, ethical integrity, and values.
You are the antithesis of Brian and Dan.
They are entrenched lay company men, hand chosen, and deemed trustworthy to walk the walk and speak the talk of AOP administrators. Chosen because they are aligned with the administrators’ administrative, public relations and legal strategies that are corrupt and compromised. They represent the “old guard” of advisory structures, which has been under intense scrutiny for enabling and covering up. They act as shields and mouthpieces for administrators rather than conduits for accountability and representatives of the faithful. They relinquished their dignity, independence, freedom, liberation, autonomy and objectivity for company loyalty. They participate in efforts to “change and brighten” the perception of the company; they blabber the company’s duplicitous narrative; they effectively perpetuate the company’s playbook of suppression. They ignore other, more independent lay voices and reformers who are actively trying to expose corruption and prevent abuse. In no way, shape or form are they among the faithful. They are company executives devoid of moral clarity, ethical integrity and values.
Philadelphia Catholic Survivor, I am astounded by your beautiful and authentic form of faithfulness- to your noble self and your moral compass.