At 9:30 on Sunday morning, about 50 members of SurvivorsFirst and Voice of the Faithful assembled in Cathedral Square in Providence to request that the Attorney General of Rhode Island vigorously pursue a course of action to insure that the rights of those abused by clergy of the Roman Catholic Church be protected and that the perpetrators of crimes against these victims be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Standing beneath a Cross of Shame depicting the names of accused priests, alleged enabling bishops, and elected officials who allegedly failed to execute existing laws and demand accountability from officials of the Catholic Church, and carrying posters showing photographs (or in some cases silhouettes, to maintain the victim’s privacy), survivors of abuse and their supporters outlined the history of abuse in the diocese of Providence, named the abusers, and demonstrated the failure of the Church and the justice system to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Personnel records of accused and convicted priests have not been released, despite court orders to do so, even after nine years of courtroom battles.

The group then marched while carrying the Cross of Shame, banners, and photographs to the area opposite the office of the state Attorney General, and then back to Cathedral Square.

This represents the first major multi-organizational demonstration by these agencies in Rhode Island. Demonstrations will continue here, as they have in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, until justice is served for those whose lives have been so severely damaged (and in some cases, lost) as a result of this terrible tragedy, and until sufficient safeguards are put in place and meticulously maintained to insure that a scandal of this magnitude can never again be executed, supported, defended, and hidden in an organization that compels such faith and trust from its constituency, and until records pertaining to allegations of such crimes can be made available to law enforcement, prosecutorial agencies, and victims' attorneys/advocates with complete transparency and accountability.

What made this event unique was the presence of a Franciscan priest, Fr. Mike Joyce, OFM, who joined the march while it was in progress and demonstrated true empathy with the survivors for their pain, compassion for them and their families, sorrow for the actions of those of his fellow priests who were involved as abusers, and dismay that the Church and civil authorities have done so little to help the victims but continue to add to their suffering. If our bishops could only demonstrate the same Christian love, truth and sense of justice that Fr. Mike Joyce exhibited, healing could become a reality.

-- Steve Sheehan