MADISON (WI)
Journal Sentinel [Milwaukee WI]
July 16, 2026
By Patricia Marchant, Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Would you be satisfied if you knew the priest that violated your brother or sister, classmate, neighbor or extended family was given a pass, not reported to authorities in the criminal justice system?
Key Points:
- Wisconsin’s Attorney General launched an investigation in 2021 into sexual abuse by clergy and faith leaders.
- Survivors and advocates are awaiting the public release of the investigation’s findings.
- The author, a survivor and psychotherapist, has been involved in training investigators for the case.
- The article calls for transparency and accountability from religious institutions and support from the community.
For the past five years, I have been active in supporting and participating in Wisconsin attorney general’s Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse investigation. AG Josh Kaul opened the investigation in April 2021 to investigate ongoing sexual abuse committed by clergy and faith leaders as well as the mishandling of the cases by religious organizations.
This massive undertaking follows 23 investigations conducted and completed by other U.S. attorneys general. The investigation has given victims a long-awaited opportunity to report the sexual violence they suffered, and experience renewed hope as the DOJ is committed to a comprehensive investigation with the promise of appropriate next steps.
Critical to any action taken by the DOJ is the public release of its report detailing the investigation’s findings. Survivors and family members are diligently hoping Kaul greenlights the report sooner than later and captures the whole truth of decades of sexual crimes committed by priests and corresponding institutional cover up.
Many Catholics want to believe these crimes are no longer happening and that the Church is being transparent, even helpful to victims in their efforts. However, in August of 2025, Andrew J. Showers, a 37-year-old priest from the Diocese of Madison, was arrested for attempting to have sex with a girl he thought was 14 years old. The police intervened and arrested him. Within minutes of his arrest, all mention of his affiliation with his parish was removed from the church’s website.
Showers was laicized by Pope Leo on June 24, 2026. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse are relieved action was taken to remove him from ministry and that he has been officially charged with child enticement, attempted sexual assault and possession of child sex abuse material. We are optimistic Showers, and any other offending priests from the last few years, will be included in the report.
We hope the DOJ’s report will be a step forward
The timing of the release of the report remains uncertain. Still, we are hoping the DOJ’s report will be a step forward in documenting all credibly accused priests to date and describes the suffering that victims and their families have endured. This is especially important to those who were abused in Madison and Milwaukee, the only dioceses in the U.S. that refused to cooperate with the investigation.
The Milwaukee Archdiocese, where I reside, cited concerns for survivors’ well being in releasing documents related to sexual assault crimes committed against them as children over many decades. Survivors find the reasoning absurd and long for long overdue justice. As we await the formal release of the investigation’s findings, we hope the time for justice has arrived.
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To prepare hundreds of investigators hired by Wisconsin’s Department of Justice to both handle incoming calls to the hotline set up by the DOJ, and in anticipation of the report’s release, I conducted several training sessions to educate investigators on the unique suffering of clergy sexual abuse victims and the nuances of the Church’s mishandling of reported crimes. Sixty years ago, I experienced the violence one person can inflict on another as my innocence was taken and I was sexually invaded. As a seven-year-old child, I was repeatedly raped by a charismatic priest, Father Lawrence Trainor who is on a credibly accused list from the Diocese of Madison.
In addition to my own personal healing, I have spent 40 years working as a psychotherapist helping clients confront their own sexual trauma history and navigate the deep grief work associated with clergy abuse. I have consistently fought for the rights of survivors to have their truths made known publicly and their perpetrators and higher authorities held accountable. Speaking truth to power is essential to release trauma and to right the wrongs.
As we wait for the investigations’ report, I wonder if we will be blamed once again, as we often are by Church leaders and those in the pews, for not being satisfied or healed. Many will continue to say we are after money. Will Catholics speak out on our behalf and insist on full transparency and accountability of church officials in all dioceses?
Can the masses respect the fact that most victims of clergy sexual abuse would not turn to the perpetrating institution for recovery options but are longing to hear the name of the person that violated them? Will they join us in demanding accountability and repair as the goal with no more secrets tolerated and defended?
Stop tolerating evasion from the Church
Victims of any crime expect their perpetrators to be investigated, charged and face the penalty. Would you be satisfied if you knew the priest that violated your brother or sister, classmate, neighbor, or extended family was given a pass, not reported to authorities in the criminal justice system? Or faced any consequences personally or professionally for the harm they inflicted?
When the report is issued, we ask the community of Catholic believers to think about the priests who will be named. Keep an open mind. Listen objectively to the destructive practices within the Church that perpetuated the harming of many in their midst. Read the names of all priests that have credible evidence of sexually abusing children and encourage victims to continue speaking up about this tough subject. Stop tolerating evasive and avoidant responses from the Church. Help stop the grief that is perpetuated by the collective inaction we witness.
I pray that the Catholics in our midst consider truth and reconciliation action. The institutional leaders must admit to the harm they caused, take full responsibility for the crimes committed against children, and make amends. Stop blaming victims or trying to silence us. The truth sets all of us free. Right?
Patricia Marchant is a psychotherapist, educator, trainer, and activist working for justice for survivors of clergy sexual abuse. She is writing a book about her own experiences as a clergy sexual abuse survivor, her healing and recovery, and her work to bring awareness of clergy sexual abuse in Wisconsin and nationally.