Media Release

Road to Recovery
March 16, 2013

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AbuseTrackerArchive/2013/03/#080815

[note: This does not link to another web site.]

Road to Recovery, Inc.

P.O. Box 279

Livingston, NJ 07039

“Ordinary Catholics deserve credit for identifying sexual abuse as most important issue confronting the Catholic Church”

“Pope Francis must place clergy sexual abuse victims’ healing as his top priority”

“Pope Francis must drive all the snakes out of the Church in imitation of St. Patrick”

What: A demonstration and leafleting thanking American Catholics for agreeing with

clergy sexual abuse victims that clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church is the most important issue confronting the Roman Catholic Church and the new Pope Francis.

Where: In front of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue and E. 51st Street, Manhattan,

NYC

When: Sunday, March 17, 2013 (St. Patrick’s Day) from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM. St. Patrick is the patron saint of the Archdiocese of New York.

Who: Clergy sexual abuse victims and their supporters, including many who have been

assisted by Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity based in New Jersey, and its co-founder, Dr. Robert M. Hoatson.

Why: On Thursday, March 7, 2013, the Huffington Post released the results of a survey which asked 184 America Catholics to rank the most pressing issues facing the Roman Catholic Church. By a wide margin, ordinary Catholics indicated that clergy sexual abuse is the most serious and immediate concern of the Catholic Church and its leadership. This news has buoyed clergy sexual abuse victims who have waited for American Catholics to truly understand the damages and injuries caused by well-respected and honored members of the clergy. Clergy abuse survivors will stand in front of the most famous Catholic church in America and thank ordinary Catholics for “getting it.” 34% of Catholics in the survey said that clergy sexual abuse is, by far, the most important Catholic issue of our time. All other issues paled in comparison, and no other issue received a ranking above 9%. It is time for all American Catholics to get on the “road to recovery” by believing, supporting, and walking side by side with clergy sexual abuse victims.

Participants will urge newly-elected Pope Francis to do what American Catholics have done: place the handling of clergy sexual abuse at the very top of his list of priorities. He must drive all the snakes out of the Church in imitation of St. Patrick driving all the snakes out of Ireland.

Contacts: Dr. Robert M. Hoatson, President, Road to Recovery – 862-368-2800

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, Boston, MA – 617-523-6250