The Tucson man is a survivor.

“The priest that abused me used to take me to baseball games, to the park, to a movie, and molestation was always a part of that," he explained.

Lennon repressed the memories for decades. The alleged abuse happened when he was 12-years-old. But one day the memories of trauma came flooding back.

“I basically froze. I didn’t say anything, didn’t do anything, and the memories were buried for 30 years," he said. “When at twelve ... I couldn’t fight back. Now I can."

He’s turned the anger he felt over the abuse into a passion for helping survivors everywhere.

“This is a crisis point for the church.”

Lennon said it’s a crisis he’d like to see change in.

Over the last couple of decades, several people have come forward with their stories of survival.

A hopeful Lennon was in Italy last week to host meetings on behalf of SNAP at Pope Francis’ summit. Lennon left Italy on Friday, and returned home to Tucson disappointed by the Pope.

“He talks about thoughts and prayers, prayers and penance ... but no action,” Lennon explained. “The church had a possibility, an opening if you will to make changes and they didn’t.”

He had hoped that the Catholic church would take responsibility -- first by holding accountable the priests who have a history of abuse and the bishops who may have covered it up.

“Not one child is safer because of it,” he said of the Pope’s decision to simply speak on the issue, and not make any big changes.