Off My Knees – A Blog by Michael Baumann
Standing up for myself and other victims of sexual abuse by clergy.
In March 2020, I attended an event at the University of Scranton where I challenged officials from the Diocese of Scranton on their lack of honesty when dealing with victims of Diocesan priests. I wanted to point out that survivors have a voice, a story to tell, and the right to be heard. While I… Continue reading Another Road Trip to the Electric City this November
Author's note: This is my second attempt at this post. I have tempered my approach, but my outrage has not abated. A half-truth is even more dangerous than a lie. A lie, you can detect at some stage, but half a truth is sure to mislead you for long.” Anurag Shourie I have had two… Continue reading A letter from the VAC at the Diocese of Scranton: Independent Survivor Compensation Program
It has been a while since I read the Aeneid in which Virgil warned "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." I will paraphrase in the traditional English fashion. "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." Today, the Trojan Horse was rolled out of the Chancery on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. Just days after the mid-term elections failed… Continue reading Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts
With the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report in August 2018, I have seen a resurgence of visits to this site, thousands of visits reading multiple posts. In the analytics, I can see the search terms people are using, mostly the names of predator priests or a specific Pennsylvania Diocese. While I am happy… Continue reading What do I want?
This is from an email that FACSA sent out Yesterday. It was important enough to come out of my self imposed archive. 1-888-538-8541 Last April, the PA Attorney General’s Office established a toll-free phone number for survivors of child sex abuse (who were PA residents, or were abused by someone in PA) to call… Continue reading Action Alert from the Foundation To Abolish Child Sex Abuse (FACSA)
The last time I had gone to a reunion, the great terrible secret was still under wraps. I had gone with 2 purposes, one of them was to find out if Gibson was still alive and destroying lives. The second was to try to exorcise the memories of what had happened. I was… Continue reading Reunion
I received the invitation to my high school reunion about a week ago. I knew it was coming, I had talked to a classmate organizing it on the phone a few weeks ago. I had also had conversations with a friend who is going, I was encouraged to go along. Notre Dame High School Class… Continue reading Can You Go Back?
It has been an interesting 31 days. I still have not processed it all. I don’t know how to process some of it. I have been told to try to look at these things in the context of "the glass being half full". What I have found in looking through my own personal lens at… Continue reading A Month of Significant Events Does Not Change My Reality
Returning from an event in Northern Virgina, I decided to call the Diocese of Scranton and get confirmation that Robert Gibson had died. I identified myself and asked for the office that could help me confirm that a priest, formerly of the Diocese, had passed away. I was transferred to another office and, once again,… Continue reading Confirmation of What I Knew Already
I have heard from what I consider to be a very reliable source that Robert Gibson passed away in late May 2012. I do not have a confirmation on that from the Diocese of Scranton. I will be asking for that confirmation as soon as I have posted this. I don't know exactly what I… Continue reading Father Robert J. Gibson has died
