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
Whoever listens to a witness, becomes a witnessElie Wiesel The University of Scranton's Task Force on Healing, Reconciliation and Hope was created in 2018 with the mandate to "address the difficult but necessary questions raised by the Grand Jury report detailing the sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Pennsylvania and failures by church leaders in… Continue reading The University of Scranton Task Force Report Is In
I took today off to finish drafting my ISCP package. With any luck, I will have it off my plate by the end of the weekend. I will go through that mess with you all as soon as it is emailed to go through a review for legal sufficiency. But for now, I have a… Continue reading This week’s reading. Follow the money!
a person who is avoided or rejected by others for moral or social reasons. Let's just put this out there. Abuse survivors are the new lepers to the "Catholic faithful." Recently, a Facebook Post reply from the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference to a comment left by Carolyn Fortney showed that organization's disdain for the universe of… Continue reading Abuse Survivors, the New Lepers
The Diocese of Eire has removed Monsignor Charles Kaza from St. Tobias Parish in Brockway, PA while an investigation is made into allegations that he sexually abused a minor at St. John The Baptist Parish in Erie in the 1980s. As of the time I was writing this on 19 May 2019, it is five… Continue reading Senator Scarnati’s Pastor Removed for Allegations of Sexual Abuse with a Minor
I have been struggling with this for weeks. I am trying to make sense of this play by the Diocese of Scranton. They have set a window for survivors to apply for the Independent Survivor Compensation Program (ISCP) that terminates in July for those who have not previously reported their abuse or in September for… Continue reading Filling out the ISCP application
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
Today, 25 October, is the Feast of St Crispin. It is also the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt (1415) during the Hundred Years War between France and England. It was an English victory despite the overwhelming numerical superiority of the French forces that engaged a tired English army. A turning point in the war,… Continue reading St. Crispin’s Day
Here is the latest group of articles I am recommending as your reading for the week: How a Catholic sex abuse report in Pennsylvania echoed around the U.S. D.C. attorney general opens inquiry into sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Washington Bill White: PA Senate's inaction on child sex abuse bill was cowardly Want to… Continue reading This week’s required reading…
"DARE TO DO RIGHT AND TRUST THE CONSEQUENCES TO INFINITE WISDOM" James G. Blaine Those words are carved into a stone bench facing the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. It makes me wonder if the people who work there, allegedly in the service of the people of the Commonwealth of… Continue reading Dare to do right…
Off My Knees - A Blog by Michael Baumann 