Sins of the Fathers
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On October 1st 2019, SNAP held a press conference in front of the Old Post Office in downtown St. Louis. I arrived a few minutes early and, shortly afterwards later, Kevin Killeen of KMOX arrived. He asked me if I was there for the press conference. I said I was and that I was a survivor.

After I gave him a quick overview of my story, his first question to me was a simple, but loaded, one.

What's new?

The tone of and skepticism behind that question bothered — but didn't surprise — me because of the unstated assumption behind it.

That there's nothing new to the story of survivors in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the state of Missouri.

And the underlying narrative that there's nothing to see here.

Well, nothing new.

As a survivor whose battle with the Catholic Church continues to this day, I can tell you that there's plenty that's new when it comes to the sex abuse crisis, starting with the...

What's New?

Contrary to the narrative that the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Catholic Church are putting forward — that there's nothing new to the story and it's all old news — in truth, there's a tremendous amount of new news with respect to the Catholic sex abuse crisis in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, at least.

Pope and VOS ESTIS LUX MUNDI

During the time I was trying to get Archbishop Carlson and the Archdiocese of St. Louis to help me, the Pope's new mandate VOS ESTIS LUX MUNDI went into effect, so the actions of ArchStL represent Violations of VOS ESTIS LUX MUNDI. I have tried to alert Rome and the Pope to that fact multiple times, but nobody seems to care.

Worse Than Spotlight

While the movie SPOTLIGHT tells a terrible tale, the unquestioned hero of the story is the press. Sadly, the same isn't true of the press of St. Louis. For whatever reason, the press has decided to stop covering the story of the treatment of survivors by the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

KMOV had a camera in the room and filmed the MO AG office terrorizing and traumatizing me and having the police throwing me out of the building. Yet, for whatever reason, they won't air or even web the footage.

Similarly, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other press outlets are sitting on stories that would paint the Archdiocese of St. Louis — and/or St. Louis? — in an unfavorable light.

Perhaps they think they are supporting or helping, but what they are actually doing is enabling.

Abuse of the Abused

One thing that's new, and that hasn't been reported on, is the treatment of acknowledged — kind of — survivors who go to the Archdiocese of St. Louis for help.

And who endure what I call the abuse of the abused.

And — not that it matters — but the abuse of the abused continues to this day.

Smear Campaign

On March 26, 2019 I met with Archbishop Robert Carlson of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Among other things, durng that meeting I informed +Carlson that ArchStL was waging a Smear Campaign against me and asked him to end it.

Three months later, he hadn't, so I released the recording and transcript of the meeting I had made — just in case — so that people can hear and read for themselves what it's like to ask your bishop for help.

Stonewalling

During those three months I also asked Sandra Price to take Archbishop Carlson up on his offer of another meeting and faced nothing but Stonewalling.

False Accusations to the Police

In 2018 I tried to notify USCCB that the Archdiocese of St. Louis wasn't honoring their promise of providing survivors with access to an Assistance Coordinator. When I wouldn't shut up, they falsely accused me of making Terroristic Threats.

Neglect of Survivors

In the recording and transcript of my meeting with Archbishop Carlson, Sandra Price discusses the reality of the Assistance Coordinator program in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Misconduct by MO AG Schmitt

I was interviewed twice by the MO AG's office and appear long with my abuser in the MO AG's report. Despite this fact, when I tried to attend the MO AG's press conference on September 13, 2019, I was terrorized and traumatized by the MO AG's office and they had the police throw me out of the building. For just standing quietly in the corner, hoping to bear witness.

And this was after I had been terrorized by a family member of First Assistant Attorney General Tom Albus right before the first of the year.

What MORE Do Survivors Want?

All of this brings to mind a question I've gotten a number of times.

That reflects an assumption.

That the Catholic Church is doing ANYTHING to help survivors.