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STRAIGHT GUY WITH THE CATHOLIC EYE Murder, Abuse in New York Catholic Orphanage? May 10, 2004 by Matt C. Abbott St. Colman’s Home for boys and girls was an orphanage founded in Watervliet, New York, by the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The orphanage housed children who suffered from mental and emotional problems. All was not well at St. Colman’s, according to some of the (now-adult) orphans who lived there many years ago. Check out the St. Colman’s Survivors website. There are posts such as this one, from Sue Sleasman of Albany, New York… “The damage that the Sisters of the Presentation caused me and the other young people who lived at the home will never be totally healed. Before I was sent there, at the age of 15, I was a victim of severe and prolonged physical, mental and sexual abuse; St Colman's only compounded the trauma I aleady [sic] had. The mental tourture [sic] was more than my young could handle and I ended up developing an angry and self destructive teenage alter [sic]. Besides placing me in head locks and threatening to ‘lock me up’ in the crazy house, many times I would stand between them and a young child. I could not stand violence and tried to protect the younger children, especially the autistic ones. Over the 19 months I was forced to live there I ran away on several occasions and would save up the drugs they gave me, so that I would die. I was already a damaged young teenager, but once I left there I turned to drugs and self-destructiion [sic] to deal with the pain….” Also on the site is this message… “Children have been enduring abuse at the hands of the nun's [sic] at St Colman's for way to [sic] long. Three children have died under suspicious circumstance's [sic] that we know of. How many [have died] that we don't know of? How many children have to suffer before the authorities do something about the severely abusive conduct by the nun's [sic]? There are several survivors that [sic] have testified to the fact that they endured extreme abuse at the hand's [sic] of the so called ‘Gods [sic] servants’ at St Colman's. 8yr old [sic] Gilbert Bonneau cried for help for close to 3 days! While his brain hemeraged [sic] in his skull. The only help the nuns would offer is to suffocate him to death. There is a witness! There are also witnesses to Gilberts [sic] brutal stick beating that landed him in the infirmary where he was later suffocated.”“Salt for their wounds” From Mary Ann Kreitzer of Les Femmes... “One of the problems with the bishops is the ‘experts’ on whom they rely. This month in the Diocese of Arlington, Bishop Paul Loverde is bringing in Fr. Steve Rosetti, head of the St. Luke Institute, to conduct a MANDATORY workshop for priests. While the article below was written in 1997 there is little indication that things at St. Luke have changed. Recently a priest (who was sent to St. Luke for evaluation) told me about another test they do which involves stretching all the orifices of the body. I will not be any more explicit than that. No sensible Catholic needs any more description to call it an abomination. “But consider also this excerpt from a 2002 article in the Baltimore Sun. “’When priests arrive at St. Luke, their initial evaluations include a battery of psychological, personality and intelligence tests. They also typically undergo CAT scans of the brain and are attached to a device designed to measure arousal in men when they are shown pornographic photographs. “’That device, called a penile plethysmograph, is one of the most controversial parts of St. Luke's approach, and some priests subjected to it call the experience humiliating. “’Dr. Fred S. Berlin, founder of the Baltimore-based National Institute for the Study, Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Trauma, said the arousal measurements, as well as sometimes confrontational counseling sessions, are important components of the program. "'The idea is not for these guys in treatment to be comfortable,' said Berlin, who worked with St. Luke as it began its sexual offender program in the early 1980s.’ “Fred Berlin is a proponent of Kinsey's discredited sexual theories and another ‘expert’ upon whom the bishops have relied. With the exception of a few orthodox bishops and dioceses, these are the kinds of psychologists who have the ears of our shepherds --- which is one reason that Dr. Judith Reisman has suggested the bishops sue their advisors for malpractice. “We urge Arlington Catholics to protest to Bishop Loverde about his plan to expose our clergy to Fr. Steve Rosetti and the homosexual propaganda of St. Luke Institute. They are the likely source of the ridiculous statement made recently by our Victim Assistance Coordinator that the sex abuse scandal wasn't about homosexuality, that the abusers weren't homosexual and that ‘children are safer with homosexuals than heterosexuals.’ “I heard that same nonsense spouted by former St. Luke head Fr. Canice Connors when I attended the child abuse seminar back in the 80s. He was introduced by Fr. Rippy and proceeded to tell the hundreds of us gathered in O'Connell High School's Theatre that heterosexuals, not homosexuals, were abusers. I knew at the time he was presenting a false picture -- that the NUMBER of heterosexual abuse cases was greater, but that homosexuals commit a much higher PERCENTAGE of the crimes. In fact, homosexuals commit about 37% of sexual abuse cases while representing only about 2% of the population. So clearly, they are a much greater threat to children. But those meetings offered no opportunity for questions or challenge….” Young Adult Ministry in Chicago The Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocese of Chicago is in bad need of Catholic orthodoxy. To wit: I received the following e-mail from Steve… “I am a single young adult, and a few years ago I must say I was impressed in 2001 to read in St. Anthony Messenger how on fire the young adults in Chicago are about their faith. The story centered on ‘young adult’ parishes Old St. Pat's, St. Michael, St. Clement and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. What I found out, in reading and in person, was that this was just a cover up for cafeteria Catholicism at its best. While visiting Chicago in December, 2001, I went to Old St. Pat's to a Mass ‘presided’ by Fr. [John] Cusick, self-anointed Mr. Young Adult Priest. Needless to say, I won't be back. Sure enough, the place was busting at the seams with young adults. But, it was like a social hall before Mass. I couldn't concentrate on saying a prayer. No one even seemed interested in praying before Mass. But, they couldn't wait to ask each other about where they went the night before. Perhaps a comment from a young woman in the pew behind me summed up the level of catechesis I was among: ‘Have you seen so and so?’ her friend said. ‘No,’ the young woman answered. ‘I think she's attending some 'Bible thumping' church now.’ I thought to myself, ‘Where do you think our readings at Mass, and practically all the text in the Mass, come from?’ It only got worse once Fr. Cusick sauntered down the aisle toward the altar. The most appalling part of the Mass came as it was time for the Eucharistic Prayer. Fr. Cusick started the prayer by saying, ‘And now it's time for the same old, same old...’ I couldn't believe my ears. Discouraged, I still got on my knees after the ‘Holy, Holy, Holy.’ I was the only one of more than 1,000 people in the church on my knees! What a disgrace. That's why I read with great sadness in the [Chicago] Sun-Times about that Democratic pro-abort Senator [Dick] Durbin who talks about how great the music is and how welcome he feels at Old St. Pat's. His glad-handing priest Fr. Cusick seems to find everything exciting about Mass except for the ‘same-old, same-old’ prayer to God, which happens to be the source and summit of our faith: Jesus truly present in the Eucharist. Thanks be to God I have found St. John Cantius and St. Mary of the Angels…and can go to Mass in peace!”God bless you, Steve! Matt C. Abbott is the former executive director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee and the former director of public affairs for the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, respectively. He is also a contributor to MichNews.com, AmericanDaily.com, ChristianNewsToday.com, Catholiccitizens.org, "The Wanderer" Catholic newspaper, TCRNews2.com, Catholic.org, and CatholicExchange.com. He can be reached at mattcabbott@hotmail.com. |
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