The more we expose the abuse that happened to us as children, the more  change will happen.

Thanks for  todays’ posts on the   Mirfield Memories blog.

Keep them coming.

Mark

After my time in Mirfield with the Verona Fathers (now rebranded as the Comboni Missionaries) in 1965-67 I gave up all belief there was a God and there was a heaven. You may ask why? Well I was abused by Father Pinkman. In my own innocence I went to the Father Provincial (Father Bresciani) who I thought would help me by protecting me and punishing the man who had committed a sexual violation and a crime against me. That’s the beauty and simplicity of a child’s mind we trust in adults to protect us. Instead of comfort and support which I expected I was greeted with a cold unemotional man who offered no succour for the pain and torment I had experienced. Instead I was left with the feeling of despondency and hopelessness. It was at this point I no longer believed in God or the Roman catholic church. I no longer took communion or went to confession. How could a church follow the teachings of Christ where children are venerated yet blatantly ignore my suffering.

So here we have a group of so called devout priests who dedicate their lives to God and the work of the Comboni Missionaries. Through their work they may engender a belief that they will one day meet God and go to heaven as a result of their  actions in this life. However amongst the Comboni Missionaries there are those that were in full knowledge of what happened to me and many others during our time at Mirfield. Given that they knew what occurred with Father Pinkman, Father Valmaggia and Father Nardo why would they still believe that they will be joining their maker. There is no way that if there is a God and there is a heaven that he would allow them to reside with him for eternity. You see God doesn’t like people who tell lies. God doesn’t like people who protect the abuser at the expense of the victim.

However if there is a God and there is a heaven perhaps he is merciful but only if the person involved is willing to repent and change their lives. I believe that the Comboni Missionaries have it within their power to acknowledge that priests under their jurisdiction committed horrendous crimes against young boys who were in their charge. I leave it to the conscience of the priests who have the knowledge that this abuse occurred. The choice is yours they can continue to follow their misguided support for clericalism, where their lies continue to allow the Comboni Missionaries to present a sham and a façade to the rest of the world. Or they can return to the day when they took your holy vows as a priest to God (not the Church) and clear your conscience before you finally meet your maker.

A number of the priests who were at Mirfield are now reaching an age where your time on this earth is now relatively short perhaps you may like to use this time to ask yourselves the following questions: What could I have done to help the young boys who suffered abuse at the hands of Pinkman, Valmaggia and Nardo? What can I do now to help the young boys who suffered at the hands of Pinkman, Valmaggia and Nardo? If the answer is nothing then there will be no God or heaven awaiting you in the future. If your answer is  yes and I can do something then maybe there will be a God and a heaven waiting for you.

I don’t expect acknowledgement or apology from the Comboni Missionaries,but I do however think you should aplogise to my devout Catholic parents who trusted you to protect their son all those years ago. You owe an apology to my ex wife and children. You owe an apology to the Parish where I came from. I don’t expect anything from the Comboni’s, they have shown what they think of me, but “Man up” and stop being cowards, face up to what happened all those years ago, get some self respect.

Children were abused at the Comboni Missionary  seminary in Mirfield.

Had the abuse not taken place  you would not be reading this today.

Had there been a different response to the abuse,  you, possibly,  would  not be  reading this today.

Had you listened, this blog would not exist.

Had that been the case  many  lives would be different today.

I wish this blog did not exist.

Mark Murray

In June 2009,   Missionario Comboniano   Romano Nardo,  represented the Comboni Missionaries in a show;  Anniversari speciali per Avis e Aido Celebrazioni al via con una mostra.

In this show different religious personnel, from different orders, where chosen. Father Romano Nardo appears to have been chosen  on the strength of his missionary experiences in Uganda.  I find it strange to choose  a man, who allegedly,  was severely mentally traumatised by the atrocities  that he had witnessed in Uganda.

Not forgetting,  that I had been promised,  by father John Clark in 2006, that Father Romano Nardo would remain in the Mother House – in Verona – working on the first floor, with the Mori Bundi (the terminally ill).

It’s just a pity it did not go to court. I would have loved to see them being made to answer the questions under oath: Do you know why Pinkman was dismissed from the order? Do you know why Valmaggia was dismissed and sent back to Italy? Did you warn the diocese and parish that Valmaggia ended up in of his crimes? Do you know why Nardo was sent back to Italy?
They would have a difficult choice, break the Omerta ordered by their superiors or commit perjury.

Also Fr. Hicks could be asked to explain this part of the history he wrote of the Verona Fathers in the UK:

“I would remind you that these notes are not complete because they do not recall
“vari casi dolorosi”, in obedience to the Apostle’s admonition that these things should not be even mentioned among Christians, and they do not do justice to the love and kindness and generous sacrifices of so many confreres and friends and benefactors which must remain hidden and form the true history of our Province, as it is recorded in the Book of Life.”
In other words, shut up about the scandals, they might stop the cash coming in.

For those who have forgotten Fr. Stenico’s Italian lessons, “vari casi dolorosi” (why did he put it in Italian?) means “several unfortunate occurrences” which he does not seem to have been allowed to mention. It is not the scandal of the Fr. Provincial who was sacked from his job for gambling the order’s entire funds in the UK (and losing) since he surprisingly mentions that in the history, so it must be something else. He admits that there are skeletons in the cupboard. We can only guess what they are.

I was never a great diarist at Mirfield. In 3 years I completed about 6 entries with no dates. Only ever kept one page. A boring day really yet it engraved itself on my mind, just for that reason. Here it is :-
‘I was tired this morning. The bell went and I didn’t move. Big John (Carberry) was already sorting his bed when I got up. He is a goody-goody but is actually alright, not one of the praying all the time ones. Soap bag, toothpaste, towel, I waited for Eddie (Roberts) again to go to the washroom then followed him. He jokes all the time, supposed to get washed in silence but not with Eddie around. It would be alright as long as he’s there. Pinkie watched all the time from the far end. Brushing my teeth I saw him staring but Eddie made me laugh and I turned away. Must be more careful. I might tell Eddie about Pinkie sometime but he would laugh and tell everyone, so not now. Pinkie in dorm, following me everywhere. Waited till he headed up the dorm then got dressed. He missed me.
Chapel, mass. I think it’s Cerea saying mass. He hates me and I get him for History today. Cherry and Pinkman. The two priests who hate me the most straight after each other. I hate this place. I’m writing this in the toilet halfway through mass because I felt sick. Pinkie wasn’t there. I can smell Huddersfield from the window, it is a very smoky place. Heading back, feel better.
Stayed in the middle during the run round the wall keeping away from Pinkie. It was cold but I quite like keeping fit. Porridge for breakfast, English boys put sugar on theirs, yuk. Pinkie and Cerisoli at their table get good stuff. I don’t know why I’m here but we get football today so that’s good. I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to play because Pinkie told me I had to clean the library as it wasn’t done properly on Saturday. I told him I had done the recreation barn on Sat but he just walked away.
Me and Lockie are the only ones called Francis. Cherry always calls Lockie Francis this and Francis that. When it’s me he says maggeeenezzz. I watched the door all the time incase Pinkie came in like before. History is alright and so is Geography. I enjoy learning about other places and people. I just hate them. I never look up during Geography and I won’t. It’s hard to always never look at him, think he knows. I don’t know what else to do. At finish he told me to do the library instead of football. I am in the team and he won’t even let me practice. It’s because I never went to see him I think. This is a rotten day.
French tonight. I never know what she is saying. watching the door when Pinkie came in. Spoke to the teacher then went away. My heart was thumping. Polished the floor in library, Pinkie was down at the football. Played a few games of table-tennis, getting quite good. Evening prayers are boring but I like the hymns. Salve Regina always ends the day.
Getting closer to getting home for Christmas. I’ll tell them I’m not coming back. Pinkie doing his rounds. Soon be lights-out. He can see me writing this. Finish it tomorrow. Waiting for Eddie’.

The Comboni Missionaries Lie Factory

There has been an article in the Liverpool Echo today about the abuse that we received at the hands of the Comboni Missionaries (ex Verona Fathers). See it here http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-man-breaks-silence-over-7999755

The Comboni Missionaries are still in denial about it. A spokesperson for them in the Echo said:-

“The 11 claims which have now been resolved were all settled on a purely commercial basis and with no admission of liability.”

I think that ordinary people will put two and two together as they did when Michael Jackson paid out the father of a child he abused $20m while saying that he didn’t actually abuse him.

She continued “Given the passage of almost half a century since the alleged abuse, and particularly the deaths of the two alleged abusers named in 10 of the claims, we will never know the truth of what happened at St Peter’s.”

Well, we all know exactly what happened at the Comboni Missionaries seminary in Mirfield. The stories told by the boys (now men) who were abused are compelling. Indeed the stories show a pattern of abuse in the opportunities used whether it was Fr John Pinkman bringing boys to his room to tell them the facts of life to get them to remove their clothes for further explanation or Fr Valmaggia’s using his role as Infirmarian to get the boys to take off their clothes as he needed to weigh them regularly.

One of the comboni Missionaries abusers is still alive and is wanted for questioning by the West Yorkshire Police who have stated that a crime has been committed. He is holed up at the mother house in Verona and our police are being told he is not well enough to extradite.

She continued “Considering the numbers of boys who were educated at St Peter’s, the Verona Fathers absolutely do not accept that claims from 12 individuals demonstrate a culture of abuse at the seminary. There are priests who are currently members of the Verona Fathers who were at St Peter’s in the 1960s and 1970s and who never witnessed or heard of any abuse.”

She must know that more than 12 boys claimed to be abused as she has the statements of other boys who were abused who did not want to be part of the case but who wanted to corroborate the stories of those taking action against the Comboni Missionaries. There are also other boys we could name who were abused but who want to forget about it and just get on with their lives.

I never talked about it when I was there, and neither did most others, but at the first reunion that I attended it turned out that the MAJORITY of those attending had been abused by Pinkman, Valmaggia or both. The Comboni Missionaries knew all about it. Some of the boys told people who are still alive, at the time.

Here’s a question that needs to be answered. If the Verona Fathers knew nothing about it why was Fr Valmaggia summarily dismissed on the very day that several boys told Fr Hicks about their abuse at his hands and sent packing that very day? Of course they had been told before about it by several boys but it was only when Fr Hicks demanded action that they got rid of him from the seminary – although they never reported him to the police and he was allowed to live out the rest of his days in Italy till his death in 2011.

I have been asked if anyone using the blog has  information about Michael Joseph Gilhooly’s  time at Mirfield.

Apparently, Michael started at the Mirfield  Comboni Seminary   in 1970 or 1971 and was  more than likely  only a pupil at Mirfield  for a very short time. He spent a short period in the armed forces before returning to his home town of Barnsley

Michael died 21st. June 1980.

Any information sent   does  not have to be posted on the blog, and will,  therefore,  only   be seen  by  either Kevin Deignan or myself.

Thanks,

Mark (Murray