The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing

Chief Joseph and General Howard:   When Do We Stand Up for Truth and Justice? With reflections on clergy abuse Sometimes our stories are too personal.  We cannot understand what has happened because we are too close to the situation.  Or perhaps, we cannot see the forest through the trees.  We need to hear the stories of others so we can better understand our own.  I was baptized Catholic by a priest who was later was accused of and confessed to abusing children.  My first response was to deny the serious nature of the accusations against the priest.  My journey to understanding and supporting survivors of clergy abuse took years of research and reaching out to and meeting survivors.  I feel frustrated by being unable to convey to other Catholics that more needs to be done, not merely by the leadership of the Church but by them, the people sitting in the pews.  I hope that the story of Chief Joseph and General Howard and ...