Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

How can it not be with a deep sense of profound sadness that we were subjected to the horror and tragedy of the report in Pennsylvania exposing multi-decades of sex abuse and systemic cover-up of said abuse by bishops, priests, deacons, and other church personnel. While all of those named were already out of ministerial service, some for over forty years, it does not diminish the sense of anger, shame, and disappointment that we all feel. In this case it is more of the truth of the adage that the cover-up is worse than the crime.

As you know I grew up in and was a seminarian for the Diocese of Allentown in the 1970’s and 1980’s. I spent my college seminary years at St. Pius X Seminary (Dalton, PA) which was affiliated with the University of Scranton. Sadly, I knew too many (even though one is too many) who were named in this report. Some I worked with, some I worked for, others I was in seminary with, and others I knew because they were priests, either in Allentown or Scranton. Most of those whom I know on the list I knew would be as they were removed from ministry over a decade ago, yet there were some I did not expect to see named. I am, as is everyone else, hurt and disappointed. Perhaps shame is the deepest response. It is even awkward for me as I had to explain this to Father JM, who is now forced to deal with his own feelings and sense of discomfort as a priest in the US.

I have friends who are victims of sex abuse – clerical and other, mostly other – and for some this report was a setback in their recovery and healing, while others have expressed some sense of vindication in their own lives that this has been exposed.

Last weekend we read a statement from Bishop O’Connell that said much of what needs to be said. Unfortunately because we were sponsoring the mission co-op speaker last weekend we were unable to talk more about it in our homilies, though I am not sure what either of us would have said. Because of publishing deadlines I was not able to get this letter in last weekend, but, again, I am not sure I could have written it anyway.

To say that we are praying for the victims seems shallow and trite, yet it something that we must do.

To say that we are praying for the perpetrators sounds callous and cold, yet it is something that we also must do. All of us are in need of God’s mercy. We also need to pray for ourselves – as a church, as a parish, and as individual persons. Some, perhaps many, among us have had our faith tested or challenged. We are certainly all embarrassed in the face of our family and friends who do not understand why we are or remain Catholic to begin with. We need to pray for our priests – not only that we can remain faithful – but that we do not experience despair in the face of this horror. I am concerned for the younger guys – Father JM and his contemporaries. It cannot be easy for them. We need to pray also for our seminarians, that they will have the faith, strength, and courage to persevere, especially when perhaps their families and friends are less certain that they should. We also always need to pray that sincere, faith-filled, and holy men will continue to discern priesthood and religious life.

Later in the bulletin you will find a letter from Pope Francis. I suggest you read it and reflect on it. The parish will host an evening of prayer – Adoration/Benediction, Holy Rosary, and prayers for reparation and healing on Wednesday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m., as a faith-filled expression of our solidarity with the victims and our commitment to secure justice for all involved.

The church has made great strides in background checks, training in safe-environment, screening of ministerial candidates, and in the means of reporting abuse and harassment over the past fifteen years. Few other organizations have followed suit to the same extent, which is also disappointing, and needs to be addressed. Still, these policies are being reevaluated and will be strengthened to add even more layers of security to our vetting of all those who minister in our church.

What we need now is a time of healing, penance, and mercy.

Let us continue to pray for one another.
Father Garry