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The Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review
is the office at the Archdiocese of Chicago
that receives all reports of the
*** abuse of children, minors, anyone under the age of 18,
by priests, deacons, lay employees, and volunteers of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
There was a victim who sent me an email,
probably about a month and a half, two months ago,
and he shared some initial information about
he was sex abused as a child by a priest
in a parish, and gave me all the specific information,
and he lives out of state and had said that he really wanted to meet with
us.
So, he could not come here; he asked if we could go to him.
In less than seven days we went out and we met with him, and
he made connections. He was able to make connections as to why this was the time
for him
to come forward, and he had told us he'd never spoken to anyone.
This is why we're here. I hear a lot from people
that they say, as soon as our meeting is over and they
formalize their allegation, or they tell their story,
a lot of people say, "You know, I just I feel like there's a weight that's been
lifted."
That doesn't mean it's perfect. No one knows how someone's healing process is
going to be, but I still make sure that they are aware of, if they don't know
already about Assistance Ministry,
because even if someone doesn't want to meet with me, the offer for outreach and
support from Assistance Ministry is
always there. I grew up Catholic. I grew up in this Church,
and I understand that we're not perfect, the Church is not perfect, but the fact
that Bernadine and now Cardinal George,
that they so believe in this work and that
I can maybe help someone get to a point in their lives,
and to help in their healing process? That's what's most
rewarding to me.