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	Bishop Hubbard Begins Healing Process WNYT February 18, 2011 http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S1979936.shtml?cat=300 It was in the town of Queensbury more than two decades ago where Father Gary Mercure persuaded two young boys to come with him on a Berkshire retreat. Now that Mercure has been convicted and sentenced for raping those alter boys, Bishop Howard Hubbard on Thursday night traveled to Queensbury intent on healing the community. About 200 parishioners, priests, and lay people attended the Healing Prayer Service at Our Lady of the Annunciation in Queensbury just a day after their former spiritual leader Father Gary Mercure was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison by a Massachusetts judge. Bishop Hubbard told the faithful that the diocese "Misunderstood, misapprehended, underestimated and failed to confront candidly the problem of sexual abuse of children. He said, "We recognized it as evil but somehow believed it was isolated, a matter of individual failure, and not a widespread problem." He continued, "I did not appreciate fully the long term tragic effects of sexual abuse on victims and their families, and the corresponding need of the Church to be more proactive in bringing healing into their lives. For this I apologize." The Bishop said, "Tonight we hear the groans of all the victims of clergy sex abuse, especially the people who in the innocence of their youth were preyed upon by the ordained whom they were taught to respect and revere." "Many victims," he said, "Experienced depression and the loss of motivation for education or career advancement, but the most pernicious wound of all was the loss of faith or their rejection of God whom they felt had abandoned them." The Bishop then became introspective, asking, "How could men of God be doing the work of the devil? How could bishops be more concerned about avoiding scandal and preserving the image of the Church than protecting children?" "Quite frankly," He concluded, "I don't have facile answers. I know we are in a crisis. I know we are in pain. I know we are in need of healing." Bishop Hubbard also said he "always treated allegations of clergy sexual abuse seriously, never ignoring or dismissing the." He said though that it became clear to him that the diocese needed to better address the needs of victims and he says today, the diocese does have a better process in place.
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