The following story first appeared in the Spring 2004 Glenmary Challenge.
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Glenmary Called to Conversion
Sex abuse crisis raises standards for protection of children and youth
By Father Dan Dorsey

The annual Lenten call to conversion seems particularly poignant this year. The invitation to repent and believe echoes deeply in my heart in light of the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Church for the past two years and the recent publication of the study conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice on the nature and the scope of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. I believe that in all of this there is, for Glenmary, a mandate for personal and communal transformation that can be reflected in an observable new way of life.

This has been a difficult and painful column for me to write but necessary nonetheless. In it I want to address how the sexual abuse of minors has impacted Glenmary. My words flow from my belief that God’s healing can transform and redeem us.

First and foremost: I, and the entire Glenmary community, have committed and continue to commit ourselves to ensuring that no minor shall be put at risk. And I promise you that Glenmary will continue to do all we can to ensure that children and young people are safeguarded.

Glenmary has not been spared the tragedy of members’ sexual abuse of minors. In the past a small number of Glenmarians have sexually abused minors. Though the number involved is small, even one is too many.

Glenmary has had a policy on sexual misconduct in place since 1988. In the past two years, however, we have heard the clear call to more accountability and transparency in how we as a religious community deal with the protection of minors. We have also heard this call in how we handle allegations of sexual abuse, outreach to victims and supervision of our members accused of sexual abuse.

In response to this call Glenmary is participating, along with other U.S. religious communities, in a special program entitled “Instruments of Hope and Healing: Safeguarding Children and Young People.” This two-year program implements the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People adopted at their June 2002 meeting in Dallas.

The goal of this program is to provide training for men’s religious communities and their members with respect to the reporting and the investigation of sexual abuse allegations. It also provides resources for prevention and response. An accrediting process will hold member religious orders accountable for being in compliance with nationally-accepted standards for child-serving organizations. The results of Glenmary’s accreditation will be made public.

As a community we continue to ask forgiveness from victims, their families and everyone affected by this abuse. We are aware of the pain, destruction and anger this abuse has caused. I have listened to the stories of persons abused by a Glenmary priest or brother and, on a personal level, I have been deeply saddened by what I have heard.

I wish I could say that Glenmary has always acted responsibly. But too often I find that past decisions did not live up to the hopes and expectations of those who were abused as well as those we serve and work with in ministry. I am deeply sorry for that and publicly apologize for whenever and however Glenmary has failed victims or their families.

The call to conversion is an invitation to healing and hope. It asks for a communal response on Glenmary’s part—a transformation in dealing with cases of sexual abuse. Let me assure you that Glenmary has heard the call and is committed to this conversion.

Let us be people of hope who walk in faith during these final days of our Lenten journey. It is that faith which sustains us during our earthly sojourn and which is nourished with the eucharistic proclamation: “Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the savior of the world!”