Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.: "Preaching: Conversation in Friendship"

[@timothylowes4184]

Excellent...as ever.

[@wendyfield7708]

Hooray for Doctrine!

[@utahaztec]

I was abused by a Dominican priest in the late 60s to early 70s at St. Pius Church in Pilsen. The priest was named Father Dyer. I was twelve-years-old. By the time I was seventeen, I was a drop-out on drugs. A few years earlier, I was a straight-A student at a Catholic high school in Chicago. I now know that many children who are abused often resort to drugs as a means to hide from the pain and torment. I learned to self-medicate. It lasted years. I became sober when I was thirty-nine. I reported Dyer when I was forty-seven. I earned a masters degree in social work when I was fifty-one from the University of Utah, where I have lived since 1980. There should be a permanent list of all priests who have abused children. There also should be a federal law prohibiting any statute of limitations for people who commit felonious acts on children. This should also include the ability to prosecute those who protect the serial pedophiles. There is no doubt in my mind that the Dominicans knew about George Dyer. He was transferred from parish to parish until I reported him in 2004. After I reported Dyer, the Dominicans scrubbed all evidence of Dyer's existence from the internet. Why would they do that other than to protect Dyer and themselves from any consequences from the actions of a serial pedophile who was allowed to run loose on an unsuspected public. Dyer was allowed to retire in peace in Huntsville, Alabama. He was never arrested. He was never charged. He was never punished for his crimes, which were many. I was not his only victim. He took advantage of me and used me to lure other victims. Dyer has the keys to a Catholic high school in Chicago which was run by the Dominican order. If I remember correctly, the name of the school was Fenwick. He befriended me and invited me to swim with him at the pool on a Saturday afternoon. We were the only people in the building. At first, I thought that it was great that we had this pool all to ourselves. Then, he abused me. He pinned me in the corner of the pool. I tried to fight back, but he was too strong. He tried to calm me by saying that this would only take a moment. It took a lifetime. Had I been a child today, I would have a diagnosis of being on the spectrum. It is obvious to me that Dyer saw that I was a child with special needs and he took advantage of it. Dyer coerced me to invite more children to join us for swimming on Saturdays at Fenwick. I thought that I would be safe at the pool if more people were around. I was wrong. Dyer fondled every boy whom I invited. He continued to abuse me. He abused me during the week. It was hard to avoid him. He lived at the parish while he was attending the University of Chicago. I went to the parish school at the time. He would go to my class and ask the nun to let me out so I could help him. Then, he would take me for a ride in a car and abuse me. This happened multiple times I missed a lot of school. The nuns questioned my mother as to why I was frequently absent. They thought that I was bullied. How do I tell someone? Kids were not educated back then as to what child sex abuse was. Dyer was a priest. He was a representative of Christ on earth. No one would believe me. I must have asked for it. The principal took me to her office on the last day of school. She yelled at me for missing so much school. She said if I was sick then maybe I needed to be hospitalized. She did not let me return to St. Pius. There have been times I wish I could go back in time and advocate for my twelve-year-old self and yell back at the principal "If your priests would not try to sexually abuse me during the school day, perhaps I would feel safe coming to school." It feels good just writing that. I attended Peter Cooper the next year. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. I could be a boy, again. I did not have to be taken out of class to be abused. I went to class to learn. I was very confused by all this. It is easy to see how and why I turned to hard drugs. I feel much guilt because I invited other children who were abused. I was only a child and I was manipulated by an evil man, but I cannot forget it. Perhaps, it is my neurological make-up that prevents me from forgetting. I am now sixty-one years old. My health is failing. I have a serious heart condition along with other major health ailments. I doubt if I am around to see my 14-year-old son graduate from high school. I would like to heal before I die. I recently asked the Dominicans in Louisiana, where Dyer was based, to pay for counseling. They refused. They originally offered to pay for it in an e-mail that they sent me when I first reported the serial pedophile predator, George Dyer. But, now they refuse to pay for the counseling. The Dominicans are more concerned about money than they are trying to help the survivors of their pedophile priests. Writing this may be the closest I get to therapy. Yes, the Catholic Church should provide the names of every priest who has had a credible allegation made against him and it should be put in a easily accessible data bank for anyone to access. I know that they will never voluntarily do this.

[@johnvarghese3]

Hii pal .. why do not you report to civil authority?

[@elizabethhowlett4689]

I am really really sorry to hear that...I will pray for you and all other victims in my prayer group. God Bless

[@michellea9857]

Terrible, report it please. Certain elements in the church seem quite focussed on persecuting Catholics who hold to Catholic doctrines rather than dealing with child abusers.

[@emmanuelobelogu]

I hope you’re doing well as I write, so sorry for your experience sir. Take care and stay safe and healthy always