If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one. – Michael Garabedian, “Spotlight”
There is not a single person who is reading these words that has not either directly experienced some form of abuse, or has a loved one who has been abused. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention finds that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of some form of violence in their lives from a partner. In 2015, it has been estimated that 702,000 children were the victims of abuse and neglect. One of the fastest growing types of abuse is Elder Abuse, which ranges from physical to behavioral to financial. This is an issue that burns through all age groups and all economic levels. It is our responsibility as a Catholic Church to never allow abuse to go unnoticed or unreported. With open eyes and a healing embrace, we are called to protect and love.
This Sunday at 6 PM (immediately following the 5 PM Mass), we will be showing “Spotlight”, the story of priest abuse, the Catholic Church cover-up, and the fight to shine a light on a story that needed to be told to the world. For many people my age, the truth of this story made us leave the church behind for part of our lives, and some have still not returned. Some of my friends still ask me how I can be so deeply devoted to the Catholic Church that hurt so many. I tell them simply, “I want to make the world a better place, and there is no better place to start that than our church.” The only way to do that is for all of us together, not closing our eyes to the truth of our past, but working positively for the safe environment we choose to make for ourselves and the world around us.
Please join me and our priests for “Spotlight” on Sunday night. Then, join us again on Wednesday, February 22, at 6 PM, for a frank discussion of the movie and its themes.
As we Build Our Future, Serve Our Past, we still need all the gifts, prayers, and support of our Parish Family to reach our Pinnacle Goals. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Lichwalla, the Campaign Coordinator at 239-495-2001 or email: [email protected].