Be the Fire – September 26, 2018
We gathered Tuesday evening for a Parish Conversation about the clergy sex abuse crisis. It was a small group: a couple dozen parishioners, Father Steve, the parish staff and our two moderators, Jim Caccamo and Jenifer Valenti.
Jim is an educator and advocate for children and a former member of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph Independent Review Board . Jenifer Valenti is a former prosecutor and the current Independent Ombudsman for the Diocese. In her role she receives and investigates all allegations of sexual abuse of a minor or a vulnerable adult perpetrated by an employee, volunteer, priest or deacon in the Diocese.
They described for us what-is-supposed-to-happen when a priest is accused of abusing (or violating an appropriate, healthy boundary with) a child, teen or vulnerable adult. And they spoke honestly about the church’s failure – in our diocese, in the US and worldwide – to protect children.
They asked us questions: What are you feeling? How does the current situation impact your identity as a Catholic? What would you like to say to the hierarchy – Local and National? What would you need to hear them say/see them do? Why stay Catholic?
And they gave us a charge: Be the Fire. Demand change. Prophesy. We as Catholics may disagree about many things, but the tragic abuse of children, teens and vulnerable adults and the systematic and criminal cover-up by bishops, archbishops and cardinals is a unifying moral issue. We must speak the truth with love to power. The church must change.
One suggestions: write to Bishop Johnston and Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They need to hear from us – what we’re thinking, what we’re feeling, and the changes we believe are necessary.
Most Rev. James V. Johnston, Jr., Bishop
Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
The Catholic Center
PO Box 419037
KCMO 64141
bishopsoffice@diocesekcsj.org
His Eminence Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo
Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
USCCB
3211 Fourth Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
And let us keep praying:
Lord Jesus, stir up within me the fullness of your Holy Spirit. Help me to grow in a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit so I can live in Your power and use Your gifts to make this world a better place.
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