“I had a Judas, who betrayed me with a kiss. It felt like Jesus left me. I only found Jesus again by identifying with him, with his passion, with his cross.”

”I am finally at a point in my healing journey where I can claim my own story.”

“Silence destroys the body of Christ. Protecting survivors and demanding accountability does not attack faith; it is an act of fidelity to it.”

“I am so grateful to say that my life is more than my trauma, and in many ways I triumphed in spite of my pain.” 

“When I first stepped forward, I did so alone, as an individual. Now I step forward as part of a worldwide movement of survivors.”

“Healing my image of God has been incredibly impactful in both healing my trauma and helping me learn to accept love.”

“The most difficult part of my journey was not the abuse itself but the lack of response from the church to that abuse.”

“I aim to promote understanding by educating church leaders and congregations about the compounded effects of racism, sexism, and clergy abuse on BIPOC survivors.”

"Overcoming the intense fear of sharing was no easy task, but . . . . darkness cannot continue once the lights are turned on.”

“God, through prayer, helped me understand I can never be the person I could have been had I not been abused, but I can be the person I can be.”

"Speaking out has allowed me to grow as a man, father, and spouse...I finally feel that I can look at myself in the mirror and like who I see."

“I find it extremely necessary to share my stories with as many practicing Catholics as I can.”

“One person can make a huge difference in someone’s life just by speaking up.”

“I decided to share my story because it’s not the typical story you hear about abuse in the Church.”

“I believe in the power of storytelling as a means for people to feel validated, to feel heard, and it’s been a big part of my own healing.”

“If I was the only victim I don’t think I could keep going. But I think of someone else’s story and that keeps me motivated.”

“When one victim-survivor can extend the hand of compassion and kindness to another, even when struggling with their own pain, that is grace to me.”

“My wish is to help the laity understand that abuse victims are not some delicate flowers that can’t handle life because of the abuse. We are valuable members of society and … we deserve the chance to be heard.”

“To be able to share my story, which I kept secret for over 30 years, and still feel safe and loved was such a profound experience.”

“Years of therapy and support groups have shown me that to heal I must talk about the abuse.”

“The greatest challenge I have had to endure as a survivor is shame. Because others forced me to keep silent about the abuse, I thought I was the one at fault, that I had done something wrong.”

“One of the most helpful things is working with a trauma therapist who has helped me understand why childhood trauma is so very difficult to uncover.”

“Pope Francis says that the Church needs to be a ‘field hospital’ for the marginalized. I believe that we survivors of trauma have roles to play as doctors and nurses for the field hospital.”

“Writing has been a catalyst to health. As a child I didn’t have language for what was happening to me.”

“Talking about these things in a place where you’re profoundly understood is a gift in the healing process.”