GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio , heugenio@guampdn.com Published April 13, 2017

As the number of lawsuits against Guam clergy continues to grow, a new independent support program, initiated by the Archdiocese of Agana, already has started to provide professional counseling and other support to victims of clergy sexual abuse, said attorney Michael W. Caspino, executive director of the non-profit organization Hope and Healing Guam.

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes has also started meeting with victims, Caspino said.

Caspino said the archdiocese and Byrnes acknowledge the victims’ pain, and the creation of Hope and Healing aims to do that — provide hope and healing.

The archdiocese will fund Hope and Healing Guam using payments from its insurance providers and also from the sale of church property, Caspino said, adding it is expected to bring millions in funding.