A Heart Encircled with Thorns: A Clergy Abuse Victim Receives a Mysterious Message of Compassion and Healing from the Mother of Jesus
By Kevin Burke, LSW Author Rod Dreher shares about a deceased friend named Michael. In the 1960’s, at age 11, Michael was raped by a monsignor who was principal of his Catholic school. The boy told his mother what had happened. Did she respond with love and concern? Tragically, a toxic manifestation of clericalism led to a different response: [Michael] told his working-class Irish Catholic mother what happened. She slapped him hard and told him never to speak ill of…