BishopAccountability.org
	An Open Letter to All Survivors and to All Who Have Been Hurt by the Clergy Abuse Crisis Healing and Spirituality April 5, 2010 http://www.jaimeromo.com/blog/ For many of us who endured the unspeakable crime of clergy sexual abuse, our memory of betrayal is once again triggered by the most recent allegations reaching all the way to the Vatican. We cannot erase the traumatic memory of our past. The expressions of horror, regret, and even deep denial are all around us. With every breaking news story we are once again confronted with our own personal terror. Though many of us today no longer follow any one religion, many more are still searching for a spiritual re-connection. What matters most is how we choose to respond to the crisis. Spiritual and emotional health becomes critical during such a public retelling of our experience. We live with our pain and suffering on a daily basis. We cope as best we can. But the risk of re-injury on the world stage is greater than ever now. Caring for oneself is the first priority. It begins with compassion for ourselves and continues when we extend it to others. This is not the easy way out. It takes courage to advocate for understanding. Every healing journey passes through friendly and dangerous territories alike. A certain measure of any recovery depends upon recognizing and responding to gestures of concern from others. If the ultimate communal goal is to help the greatest number, then a universal response is the most meaningful and effective. For those who give and for those who receive, a necessary change must occur that includes a willingness to respond compassionately. This is no small pivotal movement in our shared memory. It encourages personal and collective healing by challenging us to begin the shift from within. The cries we hear are not ours alone. The clergy abuse crisis is systemic. It is also transformative. Out of a great evil can come a greater good. Many of us are working for fundamental reform while engaged in a process of deep, personal healing. The two are not mutually exclusive. Join us. April 2010 Signatories Paul Fericano Director,SafeNet: Survivors Alliance and Franciscan Exchange Network Santa Barbara/Millbrae, CA www.mysafenet.org —– Mary Setterholm Seminarian Union Theological Seminary, NYC,Accepted to Harvard Divinity School 2010/2011 MDIV; returned Catholic. —– Dr. Jaime Romo Education Director,The Healing Foundation Vista, CA www.jaimeromo.com —– Dolores Davidson Lay Advocate for Victims Assistance Ministry L.A. Archdiocese Returned Catholic —- Olan Horne Board Member Instruments of Peace Westchester, MA www.iopeace.org —- John McCord Co-Founder, SafeNet: Survivors Alliance and Franciscan Exchange Network San Francisco, CA www.mysafenet.org —- Vincent S. Perez, MD Board Certified Psychiatrist Pleasanton, CA —- Katie O'Reilly Rogers Landscape Architect;Designer / The Garden of Forgiveness Santa Barbara, CA —- Alice MacDonald, MA Board Member,Instruments of Peace Santa Barbara, CA Evolving C/catholic www.iopeace.org —- Mike Higgins Warwick, NY —- Stan Caspary Sheffield, IA —- Susan Blomstad, O.S.F. Sisters of Saint Francis Redwood City, CA —- Anonymous Bismarck, ND —- David Johnson San Jose, California —- Bill Casey Chair/Voice of the Faithful —- Grieving and hoping with my Catholic and formerly Catholic brothers and sisters Rev. Julie Prey-Harbaugh Mennonite Church USA;Director, One Childhood Consulting www.onechildhoodconsulting.com Co-Leader, Dove's Nest Collaborative www.dovesnest.net —- Udo Strutynski, J.D., Ph.D. Survivor and Supporter —- Dan Dameron Vista, CA Current status of Non-Believer. —- Margaret Schettler Religious Education Coordinator, Our Lady of Grace Church, Encino, CA Survivor Supporter —- Anonymous Logan, UT —- Christine Salvia Milne Leadership Team, Voice of the Faithful/Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA —- Eric Large Saddle Lake Cree Nation Indian Residential School Office/Resolution Health Support Worker Alberta, Canada. —- Howard Fradkin, Ph.D., Chairperson MaleSurvivor Weekends of Recovery www.malesurvivor.org —- Mikele Rauch, LMFT Author, Healing the Soul after Religious Abuse www.malesurvivor.org —- Jeff Jones www.jeffjones.globalverge.com —- Clement Krause Santa Barbara, CA —- Steven J. Raths Tempe, AZ Former seminarian; Practicing Catholic —- Anonymous Stand with brothers and sisters Portland, OR —- John Dooley South San Francisco, CA —- Sharon Doubiago Poet and Writer San Francisco, CA Author of My Father's Love, Portrait of the Poet as a Young Girl, a legacy of incest. www.sharondoubiago.com —- Annie Menebroker Poet, Survivor Supporter Sacramento, CA —- Alan Scouten Architect Charlottsville, VA www.shelterusnow.com —- Dan Gerber Poet Santa Ynez, CA —- T. D. H. Davie, FL —- A.D. Winans Poet and Writer San Francisco, CA —- Glenn Felion, Cathedral City, CA —- Bob Banner Publisher / Editor, HopeDance San Luis Obispo, CA www.hopedance.org —- Matthias Lambert Rohnert Park, CA —- Rita Lambert Theologian Rohnert Park, CA —- Kevin J. Belton Former Seminarian Napa, CA —- J. Smith Patterson, NJ —- Philomena Romo Survivor supporter Vista, CA
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