PENNSYLVANIA
Tribune-Democrat
By Dave Sutor
dsutor@tribdem.com
Bishop Mark Bartchak started his reflection on Monday by posing the question “What can you possibly say at a time like this?” during a prayer service for victims of sexual abuse.
It is a question many members of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown have wrestled with since the state Office of the Attorney General released a grand jury report in March that accused the organization of being involved in a decades-long coverup to protect priests and other religious leaders who allegedly sexually abused children.
“As we gather this evening for this prayer, I am very much aware that a lot of people are hurting and have been hurting for some time because children and young people have been sexually abused by clergy and religious, as well as by others, and we must continue our efforts to safeguard our children and young people at all times,” Bartchak told an audience of about three dozen worshipers at St. Andrew Church.
“We need to assist those who are hurting, not just those who were victimized, but their families and others in our parishes and communities who share their pain.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.