CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Tribune
By Margaret Ramirez
Tribune religion reporter
Published June 11, 2005
It was 10 years ago, inside a Holiday Inn in Markham, when a small group of Catholics who had been sexually abused by priests gathered for the first time.
Barbara Blaine recalls that the group shared painful stories of the past and talked about how their lives could move forward.
"We only knew a couple of survivors back then, and we really weren't sure what we wanted to do," Blaine said.
This weekend, nearly 300 victims are expected to attend a national conference of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which has grown to include more than 5,000 people nationwide and emerged as one of the most powerful voices for victims who were abused by clergy as children.
As the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis has deepened, Blaine said the gathering organized by the Chicago-based group has become important for those seeking support.
"It's empowering, healing and consoling for us. We share a sense of inspiration that victims can make a difference in protecting children," Blaine said. "At this point, we see this as a new civil rights campaign. We want to prevent sexual abuse of children by any adult, priests, teachers or anyone."