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| Out of Ireland a Call That Could Lead to Justice
By Kristine Ward
National Survivor Advocates Coalition
April 4, 2012
http://nationalsurvivoradvocatescoalition.wordpress.com/editorials/
NSAC calls its readers attention today to an important event inIrelandthat could have far reaching implications.
This is a first of its kind call and an undertaking that has become reality in no small measure through the diligence and courage of an Irish survivor, Mark Vincent Healy.
The Irish province of a religious order known as the Spiritans, formerly known as the Holy Ghost Fathers, has requested a "public audit" of its handling of child sexual abuse to be conducted by the Irish National Board for Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCI). The NBSCCI is the organization that has investigated the Irish Dioceses of Ardagh, Clonmacnois,Derry, Dromore, Kilmore, Raphoe and Tuam.
While this audit is being requested by theIrishProvinceof the Spiritans, we call our readers attention to the presence of the Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers) in 53 countries including theUnited States. The Spiritans have personnel on five (5) continents.
The Spiritans are a congregation that was founded in 1703. The order includes priests, brothers and lay associates. (The Irish province, the website notes, numbers 370; two thirds are inIrelandand one third working in 27 other countries.)
Here are links that are important to this public call for an independent audit:
The Spiritans' announcement says in part, " This notice is to inform Spiritan membership, their co-workers, their associates, their pastoral and educational institutes, their development and community works and the public at large that an audit will be carried out in early May 2012. The audit report will be published at a later date to be agreed by the other dioceses and congregations in the same tranche of audits."
NSAC is pleased to use our pages to sound the all points bulletin that this investigation will be conducted.
But the investigation will only be as good and fruitful as the information it is able to obtain.
We ask our readers to spread the word and become part of a wide distribution of this message so that any victims of sexual abuse by Spiritans may be found or any persons with knowledge of abuse by Spiritans may be found in Ireland or in any of the 53 countries on five (5) continents in which Spiritans have been and are located.
With vigor, we call upon anyone with knowledge of abuse by Spiritans to make their information known to the NBSCCI.
NSAC offers its services as a conduit for information to anyone wishing to connect with the Irish entity, the NBSCCI, which is conducting the audit. Simply send the information to us and we will get it to the NBSCCI.
Please do not let lack of computer literacy, knowledge of how to contact the Irish NBSCCI or thoughts that information may not be relevant or any other reason keep you from providing any information you may have that could be needed for this investigation. If in doubt about anything you may know, err on the side of providing the information. This is ultimately about the protection of children – and justice.
NSAC sends a top of the morning salute to Mr. Healy for his determined work.
NSAC wishes the NBSCCI success in this endeavor.
The Spiritans proclaim "We give voice to Gospel justice where it cannot be heard or is silenced." Let us hope that this will be the truth of this investigation.
NSAC will keep a steady eye out for results.
Contact: KristineWard@hotmail.com
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