BishopAccountability.org
 
  City Author Writes on Priest Scandal

By Jamie Preston Olmstead
The Register Citizen [Torrington CT]
January 12, 2005

TORRINGTON -- While she has yet to find a specific niche among the fiction, non-fiction and self-help books she’s written, Lisa Rene Reynolds puts a great deal of her personal experiences as a therapist into all of her subject matter.

On the heels of a fiction novel and currently in the middle of a manuscript dedicated to the field of psychiatry, Reynolds, who lives in New Milford and works in Torrington, has been caught up in the whirlwind of attention over her latest release, "Coming Out & Covering Up," a commentary by local priests on the pedophilia scandal that has rocked the Catholic faith.

"The book has been doing fairly well, holding its own. It’s certainly something that is in the news," Reynolds, 35, said Tuesday. "I’ve been in a frenzy for a while, doing a ton of appearances and signings."

Reynolds, who interviewed countless Connecticut priests as part of her three-month research and writing process, drew primarily on her work experience with Danbury Catholic Family Services for background information.

Under the arm of Danbury Catholic Family Services, Reynolds was responsible for helping remove offending priests from office, and providing therapy to the endless number of related rape or molestation victims. It came as some surprise to Reynolds, then, that local Catholic priests met her research with open arms.

"I really never truly expected the response I received," said Reynolds, who sent questionnaires related to the pedophilia scandal to area priests. "I thought maybe a couple people would send it back, but I was overwhelmed with the pages and pages of handwritten commentary."

So in-depth was her research that Reynolds developed what was intended as a magazine article into a full-length book that presented the opinions of area priests in the subject of the pedophilia scandal.

Now balancing a busy family life with the duties of a writer, Reynolds also holds down a post as clinical director of children and family services at the Northwest Center for Family Service and Mental Health, which maintains offices in Torrington, Lakeville and Winsted.

It’s been through her work with the Northwest Center for Family Service and Mental Health in Torrington, and while raising three small daughters, that Reynolds has been able to examine themes prevalent in her book to those of real life.

"One of the biggest problems is that we’re living in a different day and age now," Reynolds said. "We need kids to trust and understand us, while understanding that the days are gone when people say ‘take your problems to your priest or policeman.’"

Despite broaching an oft-controversial topic, the response from her New Milford parish and the local Catholic Church has been surprisingly positive, Reynolds said.

Copies of "Coming Out & Covering Up" are available locally at the Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot, through on-line bookseller amazon.com, and at www.drlisarenereynolds.com.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.