Tag: clergy scandal

Women’s Letter to Archbishop Sartain

Below is the text of a letter that I sent to Archbishop Sartain on November 16, 2018. At that time, the letter was printed and mailed with over 130 signatures of women.

                                                                                                                                                      November 15, 2018

To: The Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain, Archbishop of Seattle

Your Excellency:

               We are Catholic women who feel sickened and betrayed by revelations of the continuing culture of coverup, silence, and inaction in response to the “summer of shame” in our church. We are wives, mothers, sisters, parish volunteers, parish staff, and Catholic women active in our faith who love our church and, with mother’s hearts, are horrified that young men, teenaged boys, children, and girls have been sexually violated and traumatized to gratify the desires of predatory priests. We are equally horrified by the culture of coverup that enables this to continue.

Continue reading “Women’s Letter to Archbishop Sartain”

Helping kids and teens deal with the scandal

Photo: ShutterstockThree tips for addressing clergy sex abuse and the cover-up with your children

How do we talk to our young children and teens about clergy sex abuse and the cover-up by bishops? It is good that victims’ stories are getting heard like never before. It is healthy for the church that systematic cover-up be exposed and addressed. Yet, for most Catholic families, struggling through this “summer of shame” has been a blow. Cardinal McCarrick’s double life. The Pennsylvania grand jury report. The controversy surrounding former papal nuncio Viganò’s accusations, and Pope Francis’ enigmatic response. Faith has been shaken, trust has been broken, and learning about the accounts of abuse may have caused secondary trauma for many. How do we address these difficult topics with our children? Continue reading “Helping kids and teens deal with the scandal”