ARLINGTON (VA)
ABC7
November 19, 2018
By Victoria Sanchez
Some Northern Virginia religious bookstores are feeling the effects of the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in their bottom lines three months after the release of the scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report.
Meg Rydzewski opened the doors to Joyful Spirit Gifts in 2014. The Catholic store and church supply in Arlington provides things like candles to come local parishes and religious milestone items like baptismal and first communion clothing to families. In August, Rydzewski noticed a drop in customers and purchases.
The release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report uncovered decades of sexual abuse in the church involving roughly 300 priests. The news rattled the national Catholic community and Rydzewski’s small business 250 miles away.
“It was certainly unexpected for me and it was hard for me to understand that that’s what might be happening but as we moved through summer into September and into October, with the softer sales continuing, I kind of had to connect the dots,” she said.
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