A Plea From A 'Cradle Catholic' . . .

by Shannon Shaughnessy Age

The writer lives in Taylorsville, Ky. Rather Cole died in 1991. He is named in five lawsuits, including one filed by the author.

I am a "cradle Catholic." My parents brought us up to believe that you never question a priest because he is the next best thing to God.

My family life revolved around St. Luke Church. We lived directly across the street. Dad was in charge of altar boy training. Mom was in the choir, was a cantor, lector, C.C.D. instructor and head of Youth Ministry. My sister was a C.C.D. teacher and became the Youth Minister when Mom stepped down.

I started the pre-school religion program when I was 14 years old, and was in charge of the program until I was 19. I was the seventh and eighth grade cheerleading coach from 1974 until 1981. At my adult parish, St. Barnard, my husband and I and another couple started a mission group named Sow the Word. We and over 100 others traveled to Appalachia many weekends for eight years to help at the tuition free college prep school founded in 1990. We worked on the school, worked on homes, served meals and delivered food.

My son and I represented St. Barnard on the steering committee of the Community Hunger Walk for many years. Our whole family worked at a homeless shelter in the Creation Relation program called Study Buddies. And my sister and I were abused by Father Kevin Cole for six very long years. The letters recently released, which Archbishop Thomas Kelly wrote in 1983 regarding the abuse perpetrated by Father Tam Creagh was devastating to me and, as a result, my family and I left the Catholic Church last Thursday. Knowing without a doubt the Archbishop Kelly left Father Creagh in service with access to innocent children, I can no longer feel comfortable in this church. Knowing that he described the victim's family as vindictive and hostile lets me know Archbishop Kelly's true feelings about the victims and their families.

Do not let Archbishop Kelly confuse you! He did not turn over the files willingly or cheerfully; he did so only because of a court order. And he has tried to downplay his involvement in the Father Miller cases, too. Archbishop Kelly came to be our leader in 1982, and at that time, inherited all the church files. These files included abuse cases reported about Father Miller from 1957 to the present time. Yet it took Archbishop Kelly eight years to move Father Miller out of the church setting. And where did he move Father Miller? To a nursing home to serve as a chaplain. Father Miller was never supervised on weekends, which is when many grandparents were visited by their grandchildren.

In the case of Father Creagh, Archbishop Kelly knew firsthand of the abuse. Yet, even when the scandal was breaking in Boston, Archbishop Kelly did not remove Father Creagh or any of the other priests in his archdiocese known to have committed abuse. Only after the National Conference of Bishops made it mandatory did Archbishop Kelly remove any of the abusive priests.

My decision to leave the Catholic Church is one that I have struggled with since I began therapy in 1992. At many times, I was unable to attend mass because of memories of the abuse; of being raped by God's bride and only he could show me God's love, of having to go to confession to him at St. Luke's after he had abused me in the sacristy, the confessional, the rectory and any of the hundreds of times he abused me from 1964 to 1970. Buy my faith in the holiness of mass, and especially communion, always brought me back.

When I think of the good shepherd, I think of a person willing to do anything to protect his flock. Archbishop Kelly has tima dn again shown that the safety of children is less important to him than the reputation of the church. Only now that the abuse issue has become public knowledge, has he attempted to act like he really cares. After reading the documents, I know I will never feel safe in the Catholic Church led by one who as continually put children in danger.

Archbishop, if you truly want to show compassion to the victims, please step down so we can begin to heal!

Special to the Courier-Journal

The Archdiocese of Louisville was offered an opportunity to respond, but declined. It is against its policy to comment on maters under litigation. Editor