In this case, a portrait says a thousand words. Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop emeritus of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, visited St. Charles Borromeo Seminary on April 2 for the official unveiling of his official portrait. He celebrated Mass preceding a dinner reception at the Seminary.What this portrait says to the laity is that seminarians were taught … Continue reading A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Click here to read: "Popes John Paul II and John XXIII: a rush to sainthood?" by Josephine Mckenna, Religion News Service, The Salt Lake Tribune, April 22, 2014Excerpt: "One of the questions here is whether a pope can be a saint and also make managerial mistakes," Thavis said, "and I think Vatican officials would say … Continue reading Should a Pope’s Legacy Be Judged On Child Sex Abuse Cover Up?

Click here to read "Poet laureate confronts his childhood abuse by priest," by Will Higgins, Indystar.com, April 20, 2014Excerpt: "I am a poet who returns to origins. In 1980 and '83, my wife and I adopted two infants from Bogotá, Colombia, and she felt we should give them a religious experience. Katherine is deeply religious, … Continue reading Poet Laureate Reveals Childhood Sex Abuse By Priest

by MICHAEL BAUMANN from his blog "Off My Knees: Standing up for myself and other victims of sexual abuse by clergy," April 14, 2014 “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” - Socrates An article on the Vatican Radio’s Website  reported on  a request from Pope Francis for forgiveness for the priests who … Continue reading A Papal Request for Forgiveness Begs Clarification

During the Philadelphia Coalition for Victim Advocacy lunch on April 11, awards were given to those who go above and beyond for victims of crime. Detective James Dougherty won the Barbara McPherson Award/Police Personnel Award. Here's an excerpt from the program book: "...He worked with compassion and diligence on the clergy abuse cases resulting in … Continue reading Detective James Dougherty Honored for Work On Philly’s Clergy Sex Abuse Cases

Click here to read: "Pope Francis asks forgiveness for priests who sexually abused children," by Daniel Burke and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN, April 11, 2014Excerpt: "The church is aware of this damage, it is personal, moral damage carried out by men of the church, and we will not take one step backward with regards to how … Continue reading Pope Pledges to Penalize Clergy Who Harm Children

The same story everywhere....Click here to read, "As a Kansas City detective is honored in the Shawn Ratigan case, the diocese is castigated," by Judy L. Thomas, The Kansas City Star, April 9, 2014Excerpt: “When it becomes clear at the outset of the investigation that the entire hierarchy of a centuries-old religious denomination does not … Continue reading Law Enforcement and Victims Make It Safer for Kids – Not Kansas City Diocese

Join Kathy and myself on May 3rd at this second annual event organized by Justice4PAKids, a non-profit that raises awareness and provides education on protecting children from sexual abuse. It's a choice of 5K or a 1 mile walk managed by Chester County Running Store. It's a great way to meet each other. Ask for … Continue reading Join C4C in Justice4PAKids 5K or Mile Walk

Click here to read: "On the same page with Francis?," by Will Bunch, The Philadelphia Daily News, April 4, 2013 Excerpt: Indeed, the raw feelings caused by the abuse scandal has some local Catholics saying that Chaput could still be even more humble. One group calling itself Catholics4Change questioned the cost of the recent donation-funded … Continue reading How Would You Compare Pope Francis and Archbishop Chaput?