“I shall continue to remember you and your family in my prayers.”

How dare you pray for me Devenish. How dare you offer me your prayers. You, Father Martin Devenish, were given the opportunity to meet me. To meet me in a way that was based around an honesty and a truthfulness that now seems to be beyond your understanding. You have no idea of the importance that that meeting would have been to me and my family. You chose the way of the weak and the frightened. You did not choose the way of the committed Christian. And yet, Father Martin Devenish, you are still a holy priest. You still  think you are in a position where you can pray for me. I, unfortunately do not get that.

….a reminder of what I wrote, and a reminder of the responses from you and your confreres.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

When I wrote to Bishop Giuseppe Zenti, the Bishop of Verona, in 2010 to inform him about Nardo living in the Comboni Mother House in Verona, I had a similar reply that you had – not from the Bishop, but fromhis Vicar General, Giuseppe Pelligrini.
“Assure you of our prayers” and “the people involved fall within the competence of the Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries,” was his response. In other words: ‘nothing to do with me.’ Terrible really.
I took the advice of Pelligrini, the Verona Vicar General, and wrote to Father Enrique Sanchez, the Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries.
Sanchez’s response was: “Please be assured of my continuing prayer,” and “at the end of the day, Mark, we are all in the hands of God. May He go with you always.”
My reply: “where were the hands of god when I was being abused by the hands of a priest.”
I received a similar response from the Verona Bishop, Flavio Roberto Carraro in 2002. Carraro’s Vicar General, also offered to say prayers for me and, yes, he also said: ‘nothing to do with me.’
I am not short of people praying for me!
When I wrote to Father Martin Devenish, the Provincial of the Comboni’s London Province, in 2001, he, also offered prayers: “I am sorry that I can do no more in the circumstances, although I shall continue to remember you and your family in my prayers.”

I wonder if the above are still praying to their god for me now.

Mark Murray

I have just heard that Peter Murray is obliged to take the Verona Fathers – also known as the Comboni Missionaries – to court.

Mark Murray

A powerful video.  It shows  a ‘strong and big man’

Mark Murray

Pope Francis has recently appointed Bishop Scicluna to work on addressing clerical abuse in the Catholic Church – http://www.ibtimes.com/who-bishop-charles-scicluna-pope-appoints-former-sex-crimes-prosecutor-lead-new-panel-1790168

Bishop Scicluna was also involved in similar work when Pope Ratzinger was in place.

I telephoned Bishop Scicluna in Malta last year. Bishop Scicluna informed me that he would be meeting Pope Francis the following week and he would raise, not only my situation, but also the situation of a number of my fellow seminarians that were also abused at the Comboni Fathers junior seminary in Mirfield in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

I also arranged a telephone meeting with him when he was sent to Scotland last year to investigate the clerical abuse that took place there. That meeting/conversation with me never took place – no excuses, no apologies – I was just kept waiting and hoping.

Kevin and I are still waiting for a reply to his – Kevin’s – letter, which I have copied below.

The correct email address was used – it was, in fact, the same email address that the Bishop had been using when he emailed me.

Dear Bishop Scicluna
My name is Kevin Deignan I was a seminarian at Mirfield with Mark Murray . I understand that Mark has been in contact with you to seek help in achieving some kind of closure for himself after the abuse he endured at the hands of Romano Nardo , and the mental abuse he is still suffering through the inaction of the order.
Prior to Mark’s disclosure to me 3yrs ago I considered my time at the seminary to be a totally positive one. I believed that the small community of priests who were entrusted with our care and wellbeing were amongst the most principled people I had ever met . After Mark’s revelation other people came forward and for me the illusion was shattered. Not one of these principled men could , for whatever reason , do the right thing .
As a naïve 11yr old boy I could not see , nor understand ,what was happening. I let a good friend down. As a 58yr old,worldly wise man, I will not let him down. I am trying to give Mark and his family as much support as they need to get through these difficult times. To this end I decided to contact you.
My main concern is that if nothing positive comes from his contact with you this will have a crushing effect on him. Mark has battled on in isolation for over 15yrs exploring all options to reach the closure he needs and deserves . Mark’s efforts have been thwarted by the order at every turn . Token gestures have been made to try and placate Mark while protecting the order and giving sanctuary to the abuser . The order’s actions ,or rather their inactions have forced Mark to look for a legal assistance .
I can only think that the order’s reluctance to meet Mark’s requests was due to fear of litigation but through their inaction they have brought about the thing they feared, Mark seeks closure not financial gain .
In all honesty I can say that I have had little faith in the church in matters of abuse within it’s ranks . There has been a lack of transparency and a reluctance for independent investigation . I am no longer a practising catholic . I was amazed by the fact that Mark and his family , until recently, were practising catholics . However on reflection this is not so strange as Mark was very devout as a young seminarian . I believe that it was this devout side of Mark , as well as several other young men , that Fr Nardo exploited. Nardo would often refer to passages from the bible to justify his action. The washing of Peter’s feet by Jesus would give him justification for intimate contact . The words ” suffer little children who come unto me ” would take on a completely different meaning .
I believe that you can bring pressure to bear that will ultimately give Mark the closure ,and his family the peace they deserve. The question is “ do I believe this will happen ? “ in truth the answer is no. Pope Francis is giving me hope ,a principled man. Can he guide the church to make the changes that will bring the disillusioned back to the fold ?
Mark hopes that something will come of this contact , but I would ask , no empty promises , honesty and fairness is all Mark asks for.

Your’s faithfully Kevin Deignan

Father Enrique Sanchez and Father David Glenday.

I would like to talk with you – you would not want to talk with me, I am sure of that.  However, it is you, the representatives of the Comboni Missionaries, that should be offering the hand of reconciliation and pleading for forgiveness and not me.

I sometimes  think how I would talk with – and how he would listen and how he would respond  – to Father Peter Zuani, my Comboni Missionary Novice Master. I believe his response would have beeen totally different to yours.  Father Peter  was one of the most spiritual and holy men that I had ever been  blessed with knowing.

There were many times – as so many of you must know – that I spent talking and praying with Father Peter about my vocation to the religious life. And there were times when I was on the cusp of telling him I had no vocation. There were times when I wanted to – was desperate inside to – tell him about the sexual abuse that Nardo had done to me. And yet, as a missionary Comboni Brother I was  being sent to the very country that my abuser had been living in since 1970.  I was living a lie, and I was too frightened to tell anyone or  do anything about it.

I believed – irrationally –  that because I had been sexually abused by  the Comboni Missionary, Father Romano Nardo, I too,  would go on and become an abuser of children. The fear that accompanied me when I thought about it, directed me in becoming a Comboni Brother.   I too, just like Nardo was, would be kept safe and protected when,  and if,  I started abusing children.

It is probably now to late for talking, at least to me.

The abuse inquiry has begun. Today it is Day One for Judge, Lowell Goddard.  It will be a  Statutory Inquiry.

Mark Murray

The Comboni Missionaries, will, at some time,  have to enter into an honest and meaningful dialogue with men who were abused, as children, at Mirfield. It is difficult to find a word that can describe  the Comboni Missionaries in relation to their lack of any truthful response to the Mirfield Blog  and   to the abuse that took place at Mirfield.

The only  response that I am aware of   is from Father Robert Hicks.

Father Robert Hicks  was visited,  in Sunnigdale,  last year,   by a man that was abused as a child at Mirfield.  Father Robert Hicks used the well known hand sign of rubbing his thumb and forfinger together as a means  of  indicating that all we –  that is, those that were sexually abused at Mirfield  – were concerned  with,  was money.

How sad. Find words to describe it –  It is difficult.

Mark Murray

Comboni Missionaries

Listening to those that were abused or  listening to lawyers advice and then ignoring the abused – what is the most important.

If you where a holy man, a man that cared about humanity and the suffering,  what would be most important to you.

Where is the offer of pastoral and spiritual care from the Comboni Missionaries towards those that were abused by their priests.

This is on a high agenda in Pope Francis’s Vatican.

Mark

A spokesman for the Comboni Missionaries expressed “great sadness and regret” at the allegations and added: “Given the passage of time of almost half a century we will never know the truth of what happened.”

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/men-who-claimed-were-sexually-7984941

How dare they. How dare they call us liars.

The Comboni Missionaries, the Comboni Fathers: Father Robert Hicks, Father John Clark, Father John Fraser, Father John Downey and many more, know,  and knew,  that sexual abuse happened at Mirfield. Children went to them and told them that they, or their friends,  were being abused.

They know that the abuse that happened  by priests  at Roe Head  was then covered up. They know that  the priests that abused children were moved on to other positions. Positions where they would not cause concerns or problems for those that moved them.

Comboni Fathers:   talk; have dialogue; reflect and use the reflection to move forward. Where is your God in  this. Where is your empathy. Where is your humility. Why do you think I am writing this. Answer that question – why am I writing this. Are you so afraid. Are you so proud. Do you not  realise that acceptance of what happened at Mirfield means much more than my words.

Your actions have destroyed so many people’s faith.

Mark Murray

Comboni Missionaries (Missionari Comboniani)

I recently wrote a letter to the Father General of  the Comboni Missionaries asking to meet Father Romano Nardo   or the Father General, Father Enrique Sanchez.

I wanted a different reply than the one I received .

The reply, i received, stated that I  could  not meet Romano Nardo as his mental state is still  too fragile.

I have wanted, and requested,  for many years,  to meet my abuser, Father Romano Nardo

If that had been made possible in 2001,  when I requested such a meeting, through a letter I wrote  to Father Martin Devenish, the then Father Provincial, I would not be writing this now.

Comboni Missionaries Blog

This blog  would not exist,  and the sordid abuse that happened at Mirfield would, also possibly,  not now be out in the public domain.

I am, now able to say to  Father Martin Devenish, that I am glad you responded in the way you did.

Because of your inaction to my letter, then in 2001, you have enabled,  and you have empowered, many people to have the  courage to speak out about their suffering and abuse at Mirfield.

The Blog exists because of your refusal to accept and have honest and truthful, dialogue with me.

Father Martin Devenish

I never thought I would say  this: “thank you, Father Martin Devenish.”

You have always offered me and my family prayers. But those prayers Father Martin  Devenish are hard to accept. I cannot embrace such prayers.

The prayers, because of your past actions are empty. And how dare you offer me prayers when  you have no idea of my religious beliefs or non religious beliefs.

I am sure there are many people that are now able to thank you for your inaction in 2001. You should feel good that there are now many people that, have for the first time, been able to talk and write about the abuse that happened to them at Mirfield.

Mark Murray

If I can not meet up with father Romano Nardo, I would still be willing to meet Father David Glenday and Superior General Father Enrique Sanchez.