IOWA CITY (IA)
Des Moines Register
By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE
REGISTER RELIGION EDITOR
June 14, 2005
A conference in Iowa City this month will focus on healing from the Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal.
"A Weekend of Hope and Understanding: Responding to the Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church" will be held on June 24 and 25.
"We hope the weekend will reach those suffering in silence and that it will encourage parishioners to reach out to the wounded in their midst," said Steve Theisen, co-founder of the Northeast Iowa chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
The event is a result of meetings held by the Concerned Catholics of Davenport Diocese, a lay group that asked abuse survivors what could be done to promote healing for victims and their parishes. The group published "Toward Hope and Understanding: Stories of Clergy Sexual Abuses Survivors," a free booklet distributed in parishes.
"We also formed a panel to speak to parishes," said Dorothy Whiston, Concerned Catholics spokeswoman.