With book on sex abuse, author hopes to help himself, others heal

Shrinking the Monster: Healing the Wounds of Our Abuse,”  by Norbert Krapf.  In Extenso Press (Munhall, Pennsylvania, 2016).  236 pp. $14.95.
In the 1950s, Norbert Krapf was sexually abused — along with scores of other boys — by a priest of the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana, who was loved and respected by the community.
After five decades of silence, Krapf — a retired professor, author and award-winning former Indiana Poet Laureate — confronted the monster of his past both by outing the then-deceased priest to the bishop and, in 2012, publishing a book of poems called “Catholic Boy Blues” to help himself and other victims heal.

http://catholicphilly.com/2017/01/us-world-news/culture/with-book-on-sex-abuse-author-hopes-to-help-himself-others-heal/ 

‘Silence,’ Scorsese’s masterpiece about Jesuit priests in Japan, is film we’ve been praying for

Silence" speaks loudly. It's a demand for religious tolerance. A cry against injustice. A rebuke to European arrogance. And a strikingly sung psalm to the power of faith — and doubt.
That's not surprising, coming from Martin Scorsese. At least it shouldn't be. Over his long career he made one controversial movie about Jesus, another mostly unseen one about the Dalai Lama.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/scorsese-silence-film-praying-movie-review-article-1.2905323 

'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' Trailer: Eva Green Is a Master of Misfits

"Because our abilities don't fit in the outside world, we live in places like this." Eva Green is a master of misfits in the first trailer for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
The actress reunites with her Dark Shadows director, Tim Burton, to play the titular headmistress of the orphanage full of those with "peculiarities," such as being invisible and eating through the back of one's head, to name a few.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/miss-peregrines-home-peculiar-children-875718 

St. Cronan's priest defends work of Catholic pastors

Priests are supposed to love children. That’s the message of a self-published book, “Are You Still a Priest?” by the Rev. Gerald J. Kleba, pastor of St. Cronan Roman Catholic Church in St. Louis. About 14 years ago, Kleba took over as pastor of a parish devastated by sexual abuse and cover-up.
The sex abuse scandal was erupting in the Boston Archdiocese, thanks to the Boston Globe’s reporting into its failures to protect children from predator priests. In the last week of February 2002, as the Post-Dispatch was preparing its own story about secret settlements by the St. Louis Archdiocese to victims of sexual abuse, the archdiocese removed two priests from their assignments.

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/reviews/st-cronan-s-priest-defends-work-of-catholic-pastors/article_9346728b-2fa1-5f24-a461-f8906f9444bb.html 

St. John Bosco; Don Bosco.

Saint John Bosco... was a very Favourite Saint of mine... what i loved about him... was how he took in all of the homeless boys... I so wanted to be a boy... so I could go to one of his homes... Boys Town... rang in my head... I got every thing about him... and also Saint Dominic Savio... they were my heros...

 

But I never knew the hardship... of his boys... in years to come... would be raped... abused... and raped many times over... and brought shame on his name... and dare to call themseleves... Salesians Brothers of Don Bosco... I hope that they will get... what is coming to them... they terrorised his innocent boys...

 

how could they do so much evil?... under such a good name... they say that good can come out of evil... who every said that... was so wrong... these brothers... bought shame onto a very good man's name...

 

I did not know... about the sexual abuse... which these Salesians Brothers of Don Bosco... had done to these boys... until Roy told us here on Catholica... I was so shocked... to every think about it... hurt me so much... about these boys... and the name  Salesians Brothers of Don Bosco... had used to do these evil deeds with... how could they every do these evil things in his name... they did not care about that... as they never cared... about using god's name... to sexula abuse... and abused the boys... and girls with...   Ann

==============================

Founder of the Salesian Society. Born of poor parents in a little cabin at Becchi, a hill-side hamlet near Castelnuovo, Piedmont, Italy, 16 August, 1815; died 31 January 1888; declared Venerable by Pius X, 21 July, 1907. Note: Pope Pius XI beatified him in 1929 and canonized him in 1934.
When he was little more than two years old his father died, leaving the support of three boys to the mother, Margaret Bosco. John's early years were spent as a shepherd and he received his first instruction at the hands of the parish priest. He possessed a ready wit, a retentive memory, and as years passed his appetite for study grew stronger. Owing to the poverty of the home, however, he was often obliged to turn from his books to the field, but the desire of what he had to give up never left him. In 1835 he entered the seminary at Chieri and after six years of study was ordained priest on the eve of Trinity Sunday by Archbishop Franzoni of Turin.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02689d.htm

 

Why God Is Not Like Santa ClausWhy God Is Not Like Santa Claus

In recent years, atheism has enjoyed something of a resurgence, especially with the rise of the so-called “New Atheism.” The term was first coined in 2006 to describe the group of media-savvy atheists — men like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and the late Christopher Hitchens — whose books attacking religion in general and Christianity in particular have sold by the truckload.
Yet despite its popularity, much of contemporary atheism thrives on poor arguments and cheap sound bites, making claims that simply don’t stand up to scrutiny. Like a cheaply made cardigan, they’re full of loose threads that quickly unravel if you tug at them.

http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2015/09/23/why-god-is-not-like-santa-claus/37823 

Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia – a first of its kind urban history documentary

History Making Productions, the Philadelphia-based EMMY award winning documentary film production company behind Philadelphia: The Great Experiment, has produced a new documentary film, Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia. The film is presented in three 26-minute chapters.

Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia will broadcast exclusively on 6abc/WPVI-TV. Parts one and two aired back to back last night, September 22. Part three will air on Sunday, September 27th at Midnight, after Pope Francis’ departure from Philadelphia.

http://ucreview.com/urban-trinity-the-story-of-catholic-philadelphia-a-first-of-its-kind-urb-p5945-1.htm 

Tom O’Connell requests a visit with Pope Francis

Tom O’Connell has requested a meeting with Pope Francis during the pontiff’s visit to the United States later this month.
The Hudson funeral home owner would like to talk to the pope about his son Daniel, who was murdered in 2002 by a parish priest thought to be trying to conceal his sexual abuse of young boys.

http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/news/region/3831599-tom-oconnell-requests-visit-pope-francis 

The Divine: A Play for Sarah Berhnardt This powerful play based on a true story is an absolute must-see this summer.

The Divine: A Play for Sarah Berhnardt was created for The Shaw Festival by Quebecois playwright Michel Marc Bouchard and translated into English by Linda Gaboriau. In some ways it is uniquely Canadian. But the power and passion that is brought to stage by the combined talents of the writer, director, and ensemble of actors will resonate with audiences around the world because it speaks so directly to the most fundamental issue of our time –
 the corruption of and exploitation by the institutions we believed were created to protect and serve us. In this case, we are looking at the Roman Catholic Church at the turn of the century in Quebec, but the sense of loss and betrayal, the desperation, and the vulnerability felt at the hands of powerful institutions that control our lives is profound and timely.

http://www.shalomlife.com/culture/29757/shaw-festival-review-the-divine-a-play-for-sarah-berhnardt/

Convicted child sex offender listed as violent on VA state registry is "Care Director" pastor at Fairfax Community Church

It's come to this: as I told my husband a few days ago when I was alerted to this story, we now must caution parents and church members/attendees to search for church pastors and staff on sex offender registries.
Child sex offenders "hiding" in plain sight, elevated to positions of spiritual authority and trust? Alarmingly, yes. How would the public react to news that a violent registered sex offender worked at a school with kids? Daycare? Coach? Counselor?

http://watchkeep.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/convicted-child-sex-offender-listed-as.html?m=1 

Church Turned In Prominent Priest Over Possibly Criminal Sexual Images

Suspicious material found on the computer of a prominent pastor has resulted in an investigation and the removal of Rev. Octavio Munoz Capetillo from his position at St. Pancratius Church in Brighton Park.
The Archdiocese of Chicago released a statement this week, picked up by ABC7, notifying the public of Capetillo’s dismissal on July 27 after “sexual images and material” were found in his possession, though no further details were released about the nature of the items. The statement reads in full:

http://chicagoist.com/2015/08/04/prominent_catholic_priest_removed_f.php 

We Were Children

Warning: this film contains disturbing content and is recommended for audiences 16 years of age and older. Parental discretion, and/or watching this film within a group setting, is strongly advised. If you need counselling support, please contact Health Canada.
In this feature film, the profound impact of the Canadian government’s residential school system is conveyed through the eyes of two children who were forced to face hardships beyond their years. As young children, Lyna and Glen were taken from their homes and placed in church-run boarding schools, where they suffered years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, the effects of which persist in their adult lives. We Were Children gives voice to a national tragedy and demonstrates the incredible resilience of the human spirit.

http://www.nfb.ca/film/we_were_children 

Catholic Priest Confronts Church's Sexual Abuse Scandal with His New Novel, 'The Black Wall of Silence'

In his new novel released by Dog Ear Publishing, Fr. Paul Morrissey, O.S.A., a prison chaplain in Philadelphia, confronts the struggle between loyalty and honesty in the Church during the crisis of sexual abuse and the cover-up by some of its bishops.
(PRWEB) June 29, 2015
The priest on the cover of this new book is rendered mute by his collar, both literally and figuratively. As Fr. Morrissey says, "We need to be able to speak honestly in the Church as Pope Francis has encouraged us. My hope is that this book will foster a discussion about sexuality, gender and power in the Church so that we can heal." His book is dedicated to Pope Francis.

http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/15/06/p5631815/catholic-priest-confronts-churchs-sexual-abuse-scandal-with-his-new-nov 

A devoted priest faces the past

We have heard much about the shocking allegations of the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests worldwide over the past several decades, so it was with a sense of trepidation that I approached John Boyne's latest novel.
"A History of Loneliness" tells the achingly sad story of Odran Yates, a Catholic priest in Dublin as he looks back over his life, from the time he was a young boy in the 1970s up to the present day, when he must face the role he, too, may have played in the vast and far-reaching coverup of sexual abuse by the Roman Catholic Church over the past five decades. 

http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/5667454-a-devoted-priest-faces-the-past/ 

Book looks at modern Irish Catholic church

Dubuque has been referred to as "Little Rome," thanks in part to its seven hills with seven religious institutions atop them. And, more specifically, it is the Irish Catholic Church that has had the strongest influence on Catholic Dubuque.
Though it began earlier, the immigration of Irish Catholics to America reached a fever pitch because of the Irish Potato Famine of 1845. Nearly a million poor Irish immigrants began to flood the East Coast of the U.S. and soon made their way West.

http://www.thonline.com/news/feature_stories/article_e1a12c26-03e0-543b-9fb6-053c1ad6df8c.html 

Philly priest uses fiction to break Catholic Church's 'wall of silence'

It's Father Paul F. Morrissey's duty, as an Augustinian priest, to help relieve the pain and suffering of others. But what if the pain and suffering is within the Catholic Church itself? That is the central issue Morrissey addresses in his provocative novel, "The Black Wall of Silence."
The cover shows a priest muffled by his own collar. "We are all muffled in some way, torn between loyalty and honesty," says Morrissey who, like the central character of his novel, serves as a prison chaplain and spiritual director.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/essayworks/81593-philly-priest-uses-fiction-to-break-catholic-churchs-wall-of-silence 

Sister of pedophile priest writes of anger, trauma

Carol A. Kuhnert of Union grew up in south St. Louis alongside an older brother and sister. In 1961, the brother was ordained as a priest — the Rev. Norman Christian.
In 1987 she learned an awful secret. Her brother was a pedophile. He died in 2004. Now, in “No Longer on Pedestals,” Kuhnert vents her anger — at her brother, of course, but also at her beloved Roman Catholic Church. As she puts it early in her book:

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/reviews/sister-of-pedophile-priest-writes-of-anger-trauma/article_6deb2a0b-bb92-59b9-b85c-a546c288dad4.html 

Boys of the Cloth: The Accidental Role of Church Reforms in Causing and Curbing Abuse by Priests

Drawing on the author’s unusual background as a seminarian turned scientist and business executive, Boys of the Cloth presents a unique analysis of the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. The book combines a first-hand account of seminary life during the 1960s—a period that turns out to be crucial for understanding the crisis—with explorations of the history of the seminary system, current scientific knowledge about abusive behavior, and the Church’s own investigations into the “epidemic” of abuse by its priests. 
Through the interplay between these topics, two paradoxical conclusions emerge. First, that the epidemic was caused by an ancient reform intended to eradicate rather than encourage clerical corruption. Second, that it was reversed by modern Church policies with no obvious connection to sexual abuse. Boys of the Cloth will transform your understanding of predatory behavior by priests and of measures that will be crucial to prevent it.

http://www.ebookmax.org/technical-list/boys-of-the-cloth-the-accidental-role-of-church-reforms-in-causing-and-curbing-abuse-by-priests_2olij.html

Think 'Father Ted' as imagined by Tarantino

Well they do say you should write about what you know. Irish-born writer Kevin Maher made a virtue of that in his debut novel, The Fields, and he's working off a similar template for his zany, turbo-charged follow-up, Last Night on Earth. 
Pertinent film references pepper the narrative as you might expect from an author who is also an occasional presenter, alongside Claudia Winkleman, of BBC's Film 2015, while Irish colloquialisms are thrown around like, well, snuff at a wake. Think Father Ted as imagined by Quentin Tarantino and you're well on the way to getting a feel for the narrative strands that punctuate this picaresque piece.

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/books-think-father-ted-as-imagined-by-tarantino-31117117.html 

HOLY WEEK EXCLUSIVE: Juan Pablo Abalo’s ‘Canciones de Misa’

In 2012, compelled by what he’d read in the news and seen on the TV, Chilean musician Juan Pablo Abalo decided to write an album that would confront the sexual abuses perpetrated by Catholic priests in Chile that had recently hit the headlines. “In Chile it is a problem because the church has power,” says Abalo today. “It has been hiding [things] and manipulating [people] through faith.”
The result of Abalo’s need to meditate on this subject became Canciones de Misa, an 8-track album whose song titles (“El Pastor”, “La Confesion”, “Padre Nuestro”) clearly show where Abalo projected his songwriting. His voice and guitar-playing take centre-stage on the album, pushing these songs – full of misplaced trust and abuses of power with mutliple biblical references and a constant sinister underbelly – forward but he is joined by strings, piano, organs and bass for a multi-layered production that adds a sense of grandiose, and power, to these intimate portraits.

http://www.soundsandcolours.com/articles/chile/holy-week-exclusive-juan-pablo-abalos-canciones-de-misa/