PITTSBURGH (PA)
TribLive.com

October 12, 2018

By Ryan O’Connor

I am a practicing Catholic, which means I attend church regularly. I accept Holy Communion. I pray with my fellow parishioners and our parish priests. In addition, my wife and I made the decision to send our two children to our local Catholic school.

I am also a survivor of child sexual abuse. When I was 10 years old, I was repeatedly molested by a priest at Our Mother of Sorrows Church in Johnstown. For years, I was broken from the abuse. I turned to drugs and alcohol.

But I never gave up my faith in God. And I never gave up my faith in what my church can be — and should be. So, yes, I continue to be a Roman Catholic.

My downward spiral ended in 2005 when I met my wife. I prayed for help and for…