In Hartford, Woman Talks Of Speaking Out About Sexual Abuse By Priest

By Kristin Stoller
Hartford Courant
April 21, 2015

http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-hartford-voice-of-faithful-marie-collins-talk-20150418-story.html

HARTFORD — For years, Marie Collins thought it was her fault.

Shortly after her 13th birthday in Ireland in 1960, Collins became ill and was admitted to a Dublin children's hospital. She said her mother was pleased to find out that a hospital chaplain, a Catholic priest, had taken a special interest in her.

But soon, Collins said, that interest turned to abuse, as the priest subjected her to "indecent" photographs and touches.

"I had gone in [to the hospital] a very confident, happy child," she said. "When I came out, I was a very different child."

Collins spoke Saturday morning at the 2015 National Assembly of the Voice of the Faithful, a Massachusetts-based group formed after the priest sex abuse scandal broke more than 10 years ago.

The group is dedicated to supporting victims of abuse, and also says it supports priests of integrity and structural change within the church.

Collins was recently appointed to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors by Pope Francis.

After her abuse, Collins said, she suffered severe depression, anxiety and panic attacks and was unable to work or leave her house. Only 25 years later did Collins report the abuse to a curate in her parish on the advice of her doctor.

But the curate told her not to name her abuser.

"He said it was probably your fault anyway. The real kicker was [he said], 'You are forgiven now,'" she said. "My whole being just crumbled into very small pieces. I left not angry. I left feeling I was right all the time, that it was my fault."

A decade later, she said, a high profile clerical abuse case was brought into the media, and she said she knew she had to again report her abuser, who was still in his parish and working with children. Again, Collins said she faced resistance from the Archbishop of Dublin, who told her not to destroy the priest's "good name."

Despite the church's efforts, the priest was brought to court and convicted of sexual abuse in 1997, Collins said. She said he was later convicted of abusing another child 19 years after her.

As part of the Pontifical Commission, which is made up of 17 members from five continents, Collins said she is dedicated to improving child protection. The commission has formed groups to deal with accountability, education for those in church leadership, survivor issues/healing and guidelines in best practice, among others, she said.

"You can't make others listen and hear," she said. "But with the sakes of children's lives in the future and the healing of survivors, we've got to try."

Jayne O'Donnell, development coordinator for Voice of the Faithful, said she is past the anger she felt in 2002, when the clergy sex abuse scandal first broke. Now, she said, the group is working toward healing by hosting Restorative Justice Healing Circles, which allow survivors to tell their stories in a "safe, non-threatening environment."

O'Donnell said she felt hopeful from Collins' remarks on the Pontifical Commission because they are not under the direct direction of the Vatican.

"They are pretty much an independent board," she said. "It looks like it's a very hopeful place for survivors to have their voices heard."