St. Patrick Parish discusses abuse and healing
Published on May 1st, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - Last Thursday Saint Patrick Parish gave parishioners a night to vent their anger about the child molestation scandal plaguing the Catholic Church.
Fathers Shanley, White, Coughlin and Porter are among the accused. All of these men served at St. Pat’s. As of last Thursday, public accusations against them involved incidents in parishes other than St. Pat’s, but a Stoneham family came forward this week on television, accusing Father Shanley of molesting their son in the 1960s at St. Pat’s.
This is not a surprise; people around town have exchanged painful stories and more were told at the Thursday meeting. Without getting into details — families spoke with the knowledge that the press was not recording them — it is safe to say every new accusation sickens the entire faith community.
Father William Schmidt took what he describes as a first step in a healing process by opening the floor to parishioners last Thursday night in St. Pat’s upstairs church.
“There was a lot of anger and frustration,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt estimated around 200 people attended the meeting. Bishop Francis X. Irwin was present to answer questions and Sister Marie Puleo, M.F.I.C. facilitated the debate.
The plan was to give anyone who wanted to speak a chance and then move on to a discussion of What now? or Where do we go from here? But so many people had so much to say that the scheduled two-hour meeting was filled by concerned and upset parishioners.
“Bishop Irwin did his best, but there were some questions he couldn’t answer,” Schmidt said. “People asked, How could this happen? How could the Cardinal (Law) have reassigned priests who harmed children?”
Schmidt said the Parish Council, a board of appointed and elected parishioners, will discuss the next step in the healing process at their upcoming monthly meetings.
Many people are suffering under the weight of this scandal, the victims and their families of course but also good priests and all Catholics.
Saint Patrick Parish opened a conversation that had to be opened and must continue. The Church, Father Schmidt said, wants to help people. And parishioners seem willing to do their part. There is anger, but not without compassion.
“People are very angry. We’ve got a lot of anonymous calls, but we have also received kind words and concern for us,” Schmidt said.
A storm of this magnitude can only be weathered together.
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