TOLEDO (OH)
WTOL
TOLEDO -- A Toledo firefighter is baring his soul to the world in a new film about victims of clergy sexual abuse. The Academy Award-nominated documentary, "Twist of Faith" debuted in our area Monday night at the Maumee Indoor theatre.
It opened with a montage of Toledo landscapes mixed with images of priests. It was peaceful almost serene, until you hear Tony Comes' story. In the film, the 35-year-old Comes details the sexual abuse at age 14, that occured at a lakeside cottage.
Comes and a group of other young boys were sexually abused by Toledo Catholic priest Dennis Gray in the 1980's while Gray was a counselor at Central Catholic High school. Film director Kirby Dick was drawn to Tony's story. "We came out and met with him and immediately we were struck by his charisma, his honesty, his emotional quality and we started shooting the same day we met him," said Kirby.
The film chronicles Tony's legal battle with the Toledo Catholic Diocese and the toll it took on his family, particularly his wife Wendy. "He really is a different person. It's like he's uncomfortable in his own skin," she said in the film.