Woman Finds Peace in Forgiving Priest Who Abused Her

By Brian Kelly
Sault Star
February 10, 2012

http://www.saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3468364

Elizabeth McKenna will never get the apology she always wanted.

Rev. Francis Reed, the Catholic priest who allegedly sexually abused her for a decade, died Jan. 31 in Newcastle, England.

Reed was ordained in 1964. He was assigned to Blessed Sacrament parish on Cathcart Street where he met a 17-year-old McKenna that same year.

"I had always held out a miniscule hope that before he left this Earth he would fully acknowledge what he did and perhaps apologize to me," said McKenna.

"I wanted it for him as much as I did for myself because he needed peace too. But he didn't do that, so unfortunately he went to the grave with it."

She reached a settlement with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie in 2001. Details were not released because of a confidentiality agreement. The last time McKenna had contact with Reed was in court in 2000.

She decided to forgive Reed about two years ago after 18 months of daily prayer. McKenna is no longer a Catholic. She was an atheist "for quite awhile," but now believes in "a spirit of the universe."

"I found it was very, very important for me to forgive Father Reed," she said.

"It doesn't just spontaneously happen. You have to work at it. I needed to free myself from all the anger and bitterness and all that negativity. The one way I could do that would be to forgive him."

McKenna, 64, now lives in southern Ontario. She prefers the actual community not be named. McKenna is training to become a medical transcriptionist. She enjoys square dancing and has "lots of friends."

McKenna visits annually with family who still live in the city.

"Sometimes a best revenge is to live well and I'm living well," she said.

"I'm grateful for every day I have living in this newfound freedom. It's great. I was a very sad person for a very long time."

Blessed Sacrament closed in 2010 as part of a diocesan reorganization. The church was sold in early 2011.

"That was very symbolic for me — that this place where it all began and where I had suffered was now out of commission," said McKenna.

"I have to tell you it felt good. It really did."

Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe apologized to McKenna for Reed's "wrongful conduct" in 2000.

"We sympathize and empathize with Elizabeth McKenna and apologize for whatever hurt or harm she may have endured from the wrongful conduct of Fr. Francis Reed," his letter read.

McKenna fears there will be more victims of abuse by clergy.

"Anything goes that protects the church," she said.

"There's a great power imbalance in favour of clergy and the hierarchy. As long as that imbalance exists within the church, the abuse and the cover-ups will continue."

A requiem mass for Reed was held Feb. 4 in England.

Contact: bkelly@saultstar.com