During the 2007 session of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, 3 lawmakers sponsored and many others added their names as co-sponsors to legislation to modify or eliminate statutes of limitation for criminal and civil actions in Pennsylvania. These pieces of legislation, if approved, would have opened a window for victims of sexual abuse by serial… Continue reading Pennsylvania Legislative Update
Category: Sexual Abuse by Clergy
Florida, not the happiest place on earth…
Near the end of my 8th grade year, Father Gibson made an offer to take me to Florida for a vacation. While most 13 year old kids in 1974 would have jumped at the chance to go to Disney World I knew what I was in for. He made the suggestion to my parents, who… Continue reading Florida, not the happiest place on earth…
Shameful Legacy
The current Bishop of Scranton and his predecessor have a dismal record of dealing with the issue of priest sexual abuse. While these men should have been working hard to tend to their flocks and drive the wolves from the church, they seem to be proud of the fact that they have kept the financial… Continue reading Shameful Legacy
Support Groups
I have been looking for an organization that could provide information and guidance in helping me deal with this mess. The obvious group is the Survivor's Network for those Abused by Priests or SNAP. Snap has a pretty comprehensive website with frequent updates on news, legislative updates and events that impact those who have been… Continue reading Support Groups
The Face of My Abuser
I finally downloaded the drivers to get my HP "All in One" to work with VISTA on my laptop. Once I had the scanner working I was able to scan a photo of Father Gibson out of the 1976 Notre Dame High School yearbook. He was listed as the Pastor of Our Lady Queen of… Continue reading The Face of My Abuser
Investigations of Abuse Claims Are Optional?
One would reasonably think that the Diocese would be interested in either vindicating a priest accused of criminal activity or document his activity in an effort to remove him from any environment where he could repeat his behavior.
An application for an apology….
Spin is very important for an organization as large as a Catholic Diocese. In addition to the army of lobbyists they employ to keep legal avenues closed to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of some of their priests, they employ a communications director who serves as the mouthpiece for the organization. What this… Continue reading An application for an apology….
More information on Father Gibson’s Assignments
The following is a little more detail on the assignments of Father Robert J. Gibson, ordained in the Diocese of Scranton in 1958. The number of parishes he was assigned to that had schools, either in the parish or asscociated with a parish, is alarming. For the record, I have not received any of this… Continue reading More information on Father Gibson’s Assignments
Unexpected Interaction
I am amazed at the positive response I have been receiving to this blog. I have communicated with people that, unfortunately, share a common bond of having been abused/molested/raped by a member of the clergy or are close to someone that was. I was startled by the similarities in the stories not only of the… Continue reading Unexpected Interaction
I Dare You
At the end of my eighth grade year at Notre Dame JR/SR High School there was an assembly of the eighth grade in a large lecture hall next to the chemistry lab. This particular room had auditorium seating and a lab table in the front of the room. At this assembly the "I Dare You"… Continue reading I Dare You
Off My Knees - A Blog by Michael Baumann 