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	Crisis Hotline Is Deemed Lifesaver for Priests By Ann Piasecki Catholic Explorer June 7, 2007 http://www.catholicexplorer.com/explore4325/atd/crisis-hotline-is-deemed-.shtml Romeoville — Franciscan Sister Mary Frances Seeley, a counselor and certified suicidologist, is heading up a plan to establish a crisis hotline specifically to address the needs of priests and religious brothers in the grips of the often depressive effects of today's skeptical society. Called the Upper Room Crisis Hotline, the program is blessed by the National Federation of Priests' Councils and is slated for connection in late summer or early fall. As a national hotline, it is intended to alleviate the emotional toll paid by the overwhelming majority of clergy in the post-scandal era, she said. Citing the demonization of priests by a growing number of faithful in the aftermath of embarrassing revelations concerning the sexual abuse of minors in the church, she was called upon in 2000 by the Chicago-based NFPC to fashion an easily accessible interventional buoy for clergymen seeking safe haven and a place to vent frustration without fear of reprisal. The leaders of the priests' organization relied on the nun's noted expertise in the realm of counseling, specifically her success as the mastermind of The Crisis Line of Will County, which has operated continuously since 1976. A 15-member board of trustees made up of vowed religious, clergy and community leaders is currently immersed in a $200,000 fundraising campaign to seed the venture that's set to operate in an undisclosed office in Joliet. It would be staffed by volunteers from the dioceses of Joliet, Peoria, Springfield and Rockford as well as the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois along with a scattering from border towns in Indiana and Wisconsin. In a June 1 interview with the Catholic Explorer, Sister Seeley said the concept of a crisis hotline, to provide counseling anonymously, has earned the support of presidents from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Lewis University in Romeoville and Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, all of whom sit on a board assembled to oversee the Upper Room Crisis Hotline. From the Diocese of Joliet, Father Michael Lane, pastor of St. Jude Parish in Joliet, and retired Father James Lennon, who lends a compassionate hand to his fellow clergymen while serving in the role of senior priest in residence at Fiat House, a place of discernment for those considering a vocation. Also among the list of hotline board members are USF President Michael Vinciguerra and Lewis University President Christian Brother James Gaffney. NFPC officials were particularly interested in providing concrete counseling solutions for the preponderance of clergy facing the embarrassing stigma in the aftermath of the unacceptable actions of a small percentage from their ranks. It's forced the vast majority of the nation's priests—14,000-plus—to shoulder the blame for a "minority" of offenders, said Sister Seeley. Sister Seeley is aware of only "30 or so" acts of suicide committed by clergy since 2000, but cautions that statistics on the matter are hard to come by. Depression and signs of mental anguish are directly linked to the scandal and punctuated by the fact that, in the post-scandal era, the effects of isolation have grown deeper, she said. Congregants frequently hesitate to draw an individual priest into their circle of friends. Recognizing an increase in the number of suffering brothers in Christ who are showing signs of a depressive state is blamed on the experience of undue criticism. It's further magnified by the adverse impact of isolation due to a reduction in the rank and file of vowed clergy. The NFPC issued an October 2006 statement: "While affirming the steps that the church in the United States is taking, we as a national voice for priests must also call attention to situations of injustice among a growing number of priests who have had allegations made against them. For some priests, after suspension from ministry, basic elements of due process have been denied them. In other cases, even after civil and or canonical process and in some cases, the direct response to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has found these men cleared of charges, they still have not been returned to ministry." NFPC President Father Richard Vega of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles favors the establishment of the hotline because recent policies in the church have significantly diminished the opportunity for clergy to "confide even in their vicars or bishops." In today's environment and specifically in light of "mandated reporting" policies, vicars and bishops are likely to err on the side of caution, he said. As a result, it keeps emotionally distraught priests at bay, sentenced to seek individual resolution when grappling with a sense of "frustration or addictions" caused by a combination of undeserved shame or something as common as stress caused by the problems of administering the parish. A member of the Congregation of the Third Order of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, Sister Seeley's success in pioneering a crisis hotline in Illinois has made her an expert in the field of suicidology. A member of the American Association of Suicidologists, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the designated victims' assistance coordinator for the Diocese of Joliet, Sister Seeley has organized the Upper Room Crisis Hotline, and determined that a staff of 72 volunteers should accommodate the needs for a "24/7-365 day a year" emergency help line. "I've done this for over 30 years," she said. As a vowed religious herself, Sister Seeley understands the current trend and the clergy's sense of frustration. "Now, the men are extremely stressed. … They used to be respected. They've given their lives to the church, and they've been knocked down off their pedestal." Sister Seeley has a four-pronged plan for the hotline. The first is making it nationally accessible by way of a yet undisclosed 800 number. Secondly, she intends to advertise the hotline in clergy publications and on the Internet—the goal is to encourage priests to call even if they're "just seeking information or referral." Next, the plan as it is designed for suicide prevention relies on a method of "person-centered" counseling conducted within the realm of anonymity. Finally, Sister Seeley has devised a system that takes into consideration the elderly priests. Modeled on the existing Joliet hotline, she invites individual clergy, their family members or friends to provide the hotline with a list of names and telephone numbers of those who would benefit from a daily contact. Referred to as "sunshine calls," she said, volunteers would remind them to take their medication and simply chat awhile. "They're reassurance calls," she said. Volunteers for the program would undergo an 8-week training process taught by Sister Seeley and other experts in the field. There has to be a "commitment" to the program, she added. At present, her focus is on raising seed money to purchase the necessary equipment—a bank of phones and computers for database information and referral services. The details of a fundraising campaign are currently being hammered out, she said. However, the hotline is setting up to accept donations and offers opportunities for donations made in memory of loved ones.
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