The Worthy Adversary

Tag: catholic league

  • It all started with a support group

    This past Sunday, I had a bit of an epiphany.

    I was getting ready to receive an award for my work on behalf of SNAP for creating awareness for support groups. The organization honoring us—SHARE! The Self Help and Recovery Exchange—is an awesome non-profit that provides more than 140 support groups a week, helps people in crisis find temporary-to-permanent housing, and offers volunteer-to-job training (among a myriad of other services). What struck me about the group is that they empower people to help themselves—instead of allowing the vulnerable to become a “part of the system” and relying on useless handouts without the tools and capabilities to function in society. But I digress. photo

    I was worried: I needed to give a 5-minute speech. I didn’t really want to talk about me or my story, because that wasn’t what the award was about. I didn’t want to talk about “my” work, because let’s face it: I don’t and can’t do the work that I do alone.

    But then, it dawned on me: It all started with a support group.

    The explosion in child sex abuse awareness and prevention did not start with a bunch of doctors standing up and saying, “We have an epidemic!” The child sex abuse and cover-up crisis in the Catholic Church and other religious organizations was not exposed when a bunch of judges to awakened one night and said, “I am going to commence a trial right now and expose this crap.” And none of it was started by lawyers. It started in a support group meeting.

    The movement began a victim reached out find other victims and when a parent wanted to find out the truth about her child. Together and separately, they started to heal. Then they met more victims. Soon, they discovered they had civil and criminal rights and worked with law enforcement to punish wrongdoers. Then they realized: we can change our laws to help more victims and protect children from being abused in the first place. As laws were changed and abuse and cover-up were exposed, more victims came forward. Where did they go? They went to support group meetings. Now instead of a cycle of abuse and pain, survivors of sexual abuse had created a cycle of support, healing and change.

    Receiving the SHARE! award with Esther Miller, SNAP leader and founder of Whoop Ass Healing
    Receiving the SHARE! award with Esther Miller, SNAP leader and founder of Whoop Ass Healing

    No one gave us a handout. We were (and still are) politically incorrect in many circles. Religious leaders lambast us in the media and try to vilify us. But they won’t succeed. Why? Because we empowered ourselves to create the cycle of healing.

    And like other persecuted groups, we stood up and said it was time for us to be counted.

    What happened? We fought for more victim and child-friendly laws across the country. We exposed predators and those who covered up for predators world-wide. We have gotten the notice of international judicial bodies who have decided to help us. We have reached out to families and communities and showed them that it is safe and easy to protect their children from abuse.

    But what is the most important thing we have done? We have done something that has transcended the “scandal.” We have opened the dialogue in homes and families, schools and communities. People are talking and walking into our cycle of healing whether that be in our meetings or the meetings of other wonderful organizations. The Catholic Church and other institutions did not start or continue the cycle of healing. Victims did. Without support groups, none of this would have been possible.

    Suddenly, I had something fill up my five minutes.

    Other amazing honorees at the SHARE! Awards included the LA County Client Coalition; John Hall with Secular Organizations for Sobreity; Veterans in Film and Television, the Center for Lupus Care; and actress and suicide prevention activist Mariette Hartley.

    With fellow honoree Mariette Hartley
    With fellow honoree Mariette Hartley

     

    Post by Darcy Fehringer.
     

  • BREAKING: Former Hawaii bishop accused of molesting boy

    For immediate release: Wednesday, June 13, 2012

    Hawaii bishop accused of molesting boy

    New sex abuse and cover-up lawsuit is filed

    This is the 2nd victim to name Ferrario as offender

    Diocese knew and covered up allegations, lawsuit says

    New state law lets victims expose abusers & protect kids

    In a new civil lawsuit using an unusual new state law, a former Hawaii bishop and one of his priests are accused of molesting a boy and Catholic officials are accused of ignoring or concealing their crimes.

    A California man says he was sexually violated as a ten-year-old in 1973, first by Fr. Joseph Henry and then by former Honolulu Bishop Joseph Ferrario. At the time, the boy attended mass at St. Anthony’s parish in Kailua. Both alleged wrongdoers are now deceased.

    The lawsuit is one of the first filed under a new Hawaii law that lets child sex abuse victims use the courts to expose predators, protect kids and seek justice, even decades after they were assaulted.

    The victim, who grew up in Hawaii and now lives in California, is suing the Honolulu Diocese, which employed both clerics.

    The suit says that after being sexually victimized by Henry, the confused and scared boy was placed in religious education classes with Joseph Ferrario. Ferrario was a new priest at the parish who allegedly “counseled” the victim and began abusing the boy himself. The abuse reportedly continued after Ferrario was made an auxiliary bishop and continued until 1978.

    Before Ferrario came to the parish, boy reported the abuse by Henry to two other priests, who told him to keep quiet, the suit maintains

    This is the second victim of Henry and Ferrario to come forward.

    In 1991, David Figueroa of Hawaii filed a similar suit against both clerics. In 1991, it was dismissed because the statute of limitations had passed .

    The victim in the new suit came forward to a church lawyer in 1991 to report his abuse, but allegedly, Honolulu church officials offered no help and launched no investigation (or did so secretly).

    “This is a perfect example of how Hawaii’s new civil window law can being justice and accountability to victims,” said Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Western Regional Director. “Here’s a victim who did everything ‘right,’ but church officials silenced him and kept kids at risk. But because of this smart new law, the public will be able to learn which diocesan staff ignored or concealed these heinous crimes.”

    “The new Hawaii law is especially important in situations like this one, when the power of an accused bishop is one of the factors that has prevented justice from being done,” said Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org. “We know of 22 bishops in the U.S. who have been accused of abuse, including Bishop Ferrario, and as bishops, they have a crucial role in the clerical culture of abuse and the enabling of abuse.”

    The new law, Act 068, sponsored by Sen. Maile Shimabukuru and signed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in April gives child sex abuse victims a two-year “window” to use the civil courts to expose their perpetrators and those who may have ignored or concealed the crimes. This is the second known case filed under the new law. The first, against Damien High School chaplain Gerald Funcheon, was filed in May.

    In California and Delaware, civil window laws exposed hundreds of predators and help law enforcement put predators behind bars.

    Henry, who died in 1974, also went by J. Michael Henry and Joseph M. Henry. Ferrario died in 2003 and spent part of his clerical career working in Hawaii and California. You can see his entire history here

    Copies of the lawsuit are available on the website http://www.abusedinhawaii.com

    The lawsuit was filed in the Hawaii’s First Circuit Court and seeks unspecified damages.


  • Call me crazy, but priests who admit to sexually assaulting ANYONE need to find a new job …

    I mean, c’mon. Fr. Davila pled GUILTY. He wouldn’t pass the diocese background check, yet he’s in a parish:

    Bishops Robert Brom and Cirillo Flores say that they have addressed all of the pastoral concerns. Really? How about the concerns of the victim?

    ************************************

    For immediate release: Tuesday, June 12

    For more information: David Clohessy (314.566.9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Joelle Casteix (949-322.7434, jcasteix@gmail.com)

    Victims ask US bishops to censure CA colleague

    “Denounce San Diego’s recklessness,” SNAP begs

    They’re upset that a convicted priest is back in a parish

    Clergy sex abuse victims are urging America’s Catholic bishops to denounce San Diego’s top church official for restoring a priest to ministry barely a month after he pled guilty to molesting a teenage parishioner.

    In a letter sent today to the prelates, leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, express concern about Fr. Jose Alexis Davila of San Diego. In April, he pled guilty to battery for groping a then-19-year-old parishioner at her home. He was given three years’ probation. A month later, San Diego Bishop Robert Brom quietly put Davila back into active parish ministry at St. Jude’s Catholic Church.

    “It’s hard to imagine a more reckless move,” said Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, Western Regional Director of SNAP. “This basically sends the message that you can assault teenagers and go unpunished.”

    According to a press release last week from the Diocese of San Diego, officials there “have no reason to believe that women or children are at a risk because of [Davila’s] return to ministry.”

    Leaders of SNAP argue instead that his conviction shows that Davila is still a threat. They also believe that the decision to put Davila back into a parish so soon after being convicted of a sex crime flies in the face of the bishops’ sex abuse policy, and are hoping that other members of the church hierarchy will recognize the problem and work to fix it.

    “A decade ago, America’s bishops pledged to ‘correct’ each other when clergy sex cases were mishandled,” said Barbara Dorris, SNAP Outreach Director. “That’s what we want to see here. If wrongdoing is ignored, wrongdoing is encouraged. So we’re hoping that – formally or informally – at least a few bishops will be brave enough to publicly say ‘The San Diego Catholic hierarchy is acting irresponsibly.’”

    America’s bishops hold their semi-annual meeting this week. They are scheduled to discuss their ten-year old national abuse policy. SNAP wants that policy “radically revamped” to include penalties for “church officials who “ignore, hid and enable child sex crimes.”

    (SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 12,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers and increasingly, victims who were assaulted in a wide range of institutional settings like summer camps, athletic programs, Boy Scouts, etc. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

    Contact – David Clohessy (314-566-9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, bblaine@snapnetwork.org), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688, 314-503-0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com), Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, jcasteix@gmail.com), Peter Isely (414-429-7259, peterisely@yahoo.com)

     

     

  • Dissecting Dolan’s Apologists

     

    Documents recently exposed in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee showed that NY Cardinal Timothy Dolan paid predator priests $20,000 to quietly leave the priesthood. Yeah, really.

    The response from Dolan? Cue the crickets. But that doesn’t mean that Dolan’s apologists have also clammed up. In fact, they have been very loud in defending Dolan, saying, “Well, at least he got rid of these bad apples.” If you want to read those articles, you can look them up. I really don’t want to drive traffic to them via my links.

    I am not going to rehash the same news you can find on a million other websites. I am also not going to restate the 9,000 fine points of the public safety hazard Dolan caused. Every point is painfully obvious to anyone with a soul. Instead, this post is about why the apologists are dead wrong.

    1) This ain’t the Wizard of Oz, sister. So quit trying to divert my attention.

    The Catholic League, Archbishop Charles Chaput and others always like to say, “There’s nothing to see here. Abuse is way worse in public schools. It’s a liberal conspiracy.” Here are my responses: Yes there is; Maybe; and Hell, no.

    Lady Justice carries a sword and scales. Do you know why?  So that she may not remove the blindfold from her eyes. Justice must remain blind, whether you wear the clerical collar or are a federal politician. What murderer could stand before the court and say, “Gee, maybe I killed one person, but look at Hitler. He killed millions.” It’s a ridiculous argument and should be viewed as such.

    I am going to give the apologists the same answer that my father gave me every day of my life until I moved out for good: “I don’t care what ‘everyone else’ is doing. You need to obey MY rules.” Dolan was WRONG. He BROKE THE LAW by not reporting abuse. He covered up for abusers. He must be held accountable. Period.

    2) If it’s okay to pay predator priests $20K, why didn’t you pay good and honorable priests the same amount when they choose to leave the priesthood?

    I know a number of former priests (and have talked to a couple before writing this. I encourage others to comment or contact me). I do not know a single good, honorable priest who was given a dime when they left the priesthood. A friend of my father’s and former LA priest Terrence Halloran (who reached out to me and has been an amazing and honest source of information and support), left the priesthood in 1967 because he fell in love. When I asked him, he said, “I didn’t even get paid for November 1967, my last full month in ministry.” He was also handed a bill (eventually forgiven by the Archdiocese of LA) for his education.

    Patrick Wall, a former priest and my friend and colleage (and according to the Official Catholic Directory 1994-1996 a judge/advocate for the Tribunal for the Archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul – you can look it up. In fact, I INVITE you to, because it will be subject of a later post) was also handed a bill for his education when he left the priesthood. It was huge and it was never forgiven. He didn’t say that he was leaving to become an advocate for victims. He didn’t molest kids. He was just sick and tired of covering up for child molesters. His first job outside of the priesthood was as a nurses aide in a rest home. Now, the church is trying to say that he was never a judge/advocate. But the OCD never lies.

    These two good and honorable men were forced to enter the secular world with no savings, no support, no slush fund, no “wink and nod,” no annuity. So quit telling me that Dolan did the right thing by paying predators off to go away.  Twice-convicted child predator Oliver O’Grady is set for life, so why did Patrick Wall have to empty bedpans to eat?

    3) This has nothing to do with politics

    Yes, the bishops are suing the Obama administration regarding the Affordable Health Care Act. That is their right and duty under the Constitution. And yes, many liberal voices have spoken out for victims against the cover-up of abuse … but so have conservatives. So let’s cut to the chase: Sex abuse and cover up are not about politics. I know victims who have been ardent supporters of the cause who worked in the George H.W. Bush administration, victims who are Republicans, Libertarians, unaffiliated voters, and conservative Catholics. Some of my own biggest supporters are the mega-conservative Catholics who attending Latin services. Don’t tell me that this is a liberal conspiracy. Just as many Republicans were sexually abused as Democrats. Yes, the leadership of SNAP leans to the liberal side. So what? My husband is a Republican. (And I love my husband much more than I love David Clohessy. Sorry, David.)

    4) Predator public school teachers get paid off all of the time. Why aren’t you going after them?

    Yes, predator public school teachers get paid off all of the time. And I hate it, so I fight against it every time I can. But the public sector doesn’t use God, moral authority, eternal damnation or excommunication via lynch mod to hide abuse. The Catholic Church must be held to the same “higher standard” that that they demand of their faithful. Especially when they use tax dollars.

    That being said, the public sector MUST be held to account. That requires money, political power, influence and connections. It means fighting unions and the status quo. Heck, the U.S. Catholic Church itself doesn’t have the money to expose sex abuse in governmental organizations. It’s a grassroots movement in its infancy. But the real change will have to come from the inside with victims coming forward and demanding justice …just like the real change in exposing sex abuse in the Catholic Church came from victims and Catholics.

    We can continue the discussion in the comments or on Twitter at #CardinalDolan

    Find me on Twitter @jcasteix

     

     

     

  • Altarcations debuts at the Hollywood Fringe Festival

    “A bishop. A priest. A woman. A boy.”

    My friend Steve Julian‘s play Altarcations will debut in June at the 2012 Hollywood Fringe Festival. I met Steve (whom some of you may recognize as the morning host of KPCC‘s Morning Edition) after I “outed” one of his former high school teachers as an admitted perpetrator in the New York Times. When he told me about this play, I flipped (in a very good way). I’ve been lucky enough to see early drafts and talk to him about the progression of the play and the growth of the characters.

    It’s going to be an amazing production.

    Then I found out the play had been accepting into the Hollywood Fringe Festival. I flipped again.

    The play runs from June 8 to 14 24 at The Actors Circle Theater. Tickets are a VERY AFFORDABLE $10 to $15. You need to go. And then you need to tell your friends to go. You can buy tickets here.

    You can also donate to help offset the cost of the production through the Pasadena Arts Council EMERGE Fiscal Sponsorship Program. We all know that ticket sales alone do very little to help offset the costs of producing a play. An added plus: all donations are tax deductible. When you donate, you will sleep better at night and like yourself more, knowing that you contributed to the growth of live theater in Los Angeles.