As Pennsylvania Confronts Clergy Sex Abuse, Victims and Lawmakers Act

April 04, 2016

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, APRIL 4, 2016, New York Times

LORETTO, Pa. — By the age of 12, Maureen Powers, the daughter of a professor at the local Roman Catholic university, played the organ in the magnificent hilltop Catholic basilica here and volunteered in the parish office. But, she said, she was hiding a secret: Her priest sexually abused her for two years, telling her it was for the purpose of “research.”

By her high school years, she felt so tied up in knots of betrayal and shame that she confided in a succession of priests. She said the first tried to take advantage of her sexually, the second suggested she comfort herself with a daily candy bar and the third told her to see a counselor. None of them reported the abuse to the authorities or mentioned that she could take that step.

So when a Pennsylvania grand jury revealed in a report in March that the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, which includes Loretto, engaged in an extensive cover-up of as many as 50 abusers, Ms. Powers, now 67, decided to . . .

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Allen Sires commented 2016-04-05 21:11:14 -0500
Courageous people in Pennsylvania
@ tweeted this page. 2016-04-04 12:59:11 -0500
As Pennsylvania Confronts Clergy Sex Abuse, Victims and Lawmakers Act http://www.snapnetwork.org/as_pennsylvania_confronts_clergy_sex_abuse_victims_and_lawmakers_act?recruiter_id=342
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To our friends,

2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’

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