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PDF versionOblates of St. Francis de Sales target of abuse suits
by Tom Roberts on Jul. 06, 2009
Perhaps it was an inevitability, simply a matter of time, before the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in the Eastern U.S., got caught up in the ugliness of the sex abuse scandal.
An article in yesterday's The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa., details some of the charges involved in "nearly 30 lawsuits alleging that 10 priests had for years sexually abused students at Oblate-run high schools in Delaware and Pennsylvania."
During a recent discussion with a priest about the damage the sex abuse crisis had done to the church and the deep scars it had left on some members of the community, he stopped and said, "Still, you are who you are because of the church."
And he was, to a great degree correct. Much of who I am is because of my education at the hands of nuns and priests, including the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales at their only college, now called De Sales University (and back then known as Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales). I was a member of the second class to attend the college. I arrived in September of 1966, when there were a few buildings, lots of spindly trees, mud, cornerstones still lying on the ground waiting for a ceremony, and, it seemed then, miles of sidewalks leading to nowhere.
The men who started the place in what must have been an exercise of idealism and a leap of hope in the future, were, in most instances, men of great breadth and substance and they fleshed out a potent vision of Christian humanism and intellectual inquiry. But even in those early years the projects of these men (and they were incredibly patient with the comings and goings of this less-than-stellar scholar whose attention was yanked hither and yon at the slightest provocation) was badly timed. The seminary on the hill across the street from the college, which plays a role in the story of abuse and errant clergy behavior detailed in the news story, was buffeted almost before it was completed by the winds of change blowing through the church and the wider culture.
Before too many years had lapsed, many of the men who taught me had left the order, as had many of the seminarians. The end of the Vietnam era and the clergy and seminarian exodus that occurred through the 1970s and early 1980s pretty much doomed the place as a seminary. It never really got going as it was intended.
The college, I am led to believe, flourishes today, a place rich in a diversity of programs -- from business to science to the arts.
In all the reams of coverage I've produced and edited over the years regarding the sex abuse crisis, this is different.
NCR: February 3-16, 2012
Subscribe to NCR to get all the news and special features that aren't always available online. In this issue:
- US News: Bishops Host Conference on Immigration
Conference fields advocates' questions on law, policy
- Special Section: Deacons. Serving as parish administrator; roles of wives; and more
- Study: Black Catholics are more engaged
New study by Notre Dame researcher about parish involvement in America
I share a bit more in the shock of this, not because I knew any of those abused or accused -- and I hope all have a day in court to establish the truth -- but because I understand perhaps in a more visceral way in this case the disturbing nature of the news, the realization that among this community of men some may have harmed the innocent. I understand more deeply in this case than in others how such behavior offends the order's charism and aspirations as I have known them.
Tom, It is perfectly natural
Tom,
It is perfectly natural to love what is good.
The scandal has shown that forgiveness is one thing, and accountability is another. I think the Church community will be healthier to pray for both.
I am what I am because I am Catholic. Does my abuse make me any less? No.
Sometimes, it is nearly impossible to divide what we WANT the Church community to be and what we NEED the Church community to be, and what it truly IS.
God's work is still a mystery.
Kelly
Dear Mr. Roberts, I am an
Dear Mr. Roberts,
I am an Oblate-taught middle-aged nurse, married and mother of 2 boys. The Oblates taught me, my brothers, our father and uncle, and even my mother. They have been in my life since I was about 10 years old. I am a fiercely proud graduate of DeSales University's Nursing Program. Many good priests and brothers came through Brisson Seminary. That needs to be acknowledged. What they taught and modeled for me, I have passed on to my children and my patients. Francis de Sales encourages us to "Be who you are, be that well". I try to live this everyday. So, reading all of the articles has been more than upsetting. It's downright distressing.
While more than a few of these cases probably have merit, I can't help but be skeptical about some in this Age of the American lottery(lawsuits). And by saying that, some will attack me as defending the indefensible. The bottom line is this: no one can defend it. People in authority often don't and won't tackle the difficult issues. It's hard coming to terms with the idea of how we arrived at this point. Aberrant behaviors/issues and possibly counterculture within a seminary and religious order were permitted to flourish on some level. So, 25-30 years later, we are all the recipients of "the no consequences crowd". As the abused & rest of us now know,the consequences are all too real and the behavior beyond reckless. Sadly, for those who have been accused and didn't do anything wrong or illegal, their reputations ARE GONE FOREVER. In all likelihood, there will be no day in court for them as the lawyers and the insurance companies will push the Order to settle. And, it's fairly easy to prosecute dead men.
Couple of points: there were men who entered seminaries in order to avoid the Draft during WW II, Korea, and the Vietnam War. Look it up. So, the fact that many left the seminary in the mid-70's is no revelation. Incidentally, the Oblates and many orders were stuck paying the tab for their education. Another point that I'm not reading anywhere is that Mr. Reck, the attorney for the plaintiffs, is a former Catholic. There's got to be a story there somewhere but no one covers it because he is perceived as formidable. Nonetheless, it's a valid dimension to this saga with seemingly endless dimensions.
Any abuse stays with a person forever. But, it's my hope that my good works inspired by the priests and brothers of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, live on in my patients, my nursing, and in my relationships. None of that deserves to be negated.
Sincerely,
My response to your letter is
My response to your letter is this if you care.
You knew what was going on and I'll bet you did what all your friends did.
You let abuse happen over and over,shame on all of you.
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