Group Distributes Fliers after Mass at Lansing Church
By Susan Vela
Lansing State Journal
January 8, 2007
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070108/NEWS01/701080332/1001/opinion
Diane Ruhl braved Sunday's cold to hand out leaflets reminding parishioners at a Lansing church of the sexual abuse committed by Catholic clergy.
Departing from Mass at St. Mary Cathedral, most people accepted the fliers, which highlighted the 2002 Boston Globe stories regarding defrocked priest John Geoghan, who was transferred from parish to parish, despite evidence he was sexually abusing children.
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SNAP reminds: Bob and Aline Frybarger, of Jackson, pass out leaflets Sunday to parishioners of Lansing's St. Mary Cathedral urging people not to forget about the priest sex abuse scandal. Photo by Robert Killips/Lansing State Journal |
The fliers named some priests who have been accused of abuse and also urged parishioners to lobby against the church keeping clergy sex crimes secret.
"That's very encouraging," said Ruhl, after one Catholic told her she would pray for Ruhl and other victims.
Ruhl has accused a priest and retired Loyola University professor of sexually abusing her in the 1970s.
She is a member of Chicago-based SNAP, or Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
The group works to heal those sexually abused by the clergy and to protect the vulnerable.
This past weekend, in more than 50 cities nationwide, supporters stood outside churches with signs, candles, childhood photos and leaflets to mark the five-year anniversary of the Boston Globe series.
Richard Maurer, a Lansing school teacher, joined several SNAP members Sunday at the cathedral.
"They just don't recognize us," he said of those ignoring SNAP members to walk to their cars.
In 1994, Maurer reached a $107,860 settlement with the Franciscan Friars.
Maurer has said a Franciscan priest raped him when he was a teen.
Maurer met the priest, now deceased, through Holy Cross Church of Lansing.
Contact Susan Vela at 702-4248 or svela@lsj.com.
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