Prata di Pordenone), June 24, 2008

CHIESA DI SAN GIOVANNI DEI CAVALIERI CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE KNIGHTS

XVII Festa Medievale di S. Giovanni 2008 XVII Medieval Feast of St. John in 2008

Inaugurazione dei restauri della Chiesa di San Giovanni Unveiling of the restored Church of St. John Vespro – (con i cori parrocchiali di Prata, Villanova, Maron, Visinale e Puia) Vespers – (with parish choirs of Prata, Villanova, Maron, Visinale and Puia) “Santa Messa, col proprio di San Giovanni” “Mass, with his St. John” Cantata dalla Cappella Altoliventina diretta da Sandro Bergamo Performed by Cappella Altoliventina directed by Sandro Bergamo

Link below

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.natisone.it/0_archivio_messe/messe2006/messe406.htm&prev=search

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 from his 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

It is so good to see more Mirfield Old Boys getting in touch with the Mirfield Memories site. The emotions described in ‘ More Sad News’ are familiar to many of us. It may be helpful to know that we have all felt much benefit from the new friendships formed through the blog. Cristopher; take comfort in knowing that you are not alone.It would be great to hear from you both again. I enclose my own e-mail should that be of use. I’d be very happy to be contacted. frankmcginnis88@gmail.com

Just been reading this blog, having been informed by a friend of the article in the Observer Magazine on 19th October, 2014 and seen Tony Smith and Bede Mullen on “Look North” the local BBC News Bulletin a week or so ago. This has stirred up all kinds of memories for me, happy, sad, confused, disappointed, joyful, among them. My time at Roe Head (1965-1970) was troubling from a number of aspects including sexual abuse by Fathers Pinkman and Valmaggia at possibly the most crucial time in my life from the point of view of emotional, social and sexual development. At one time I was Vice Captain of the school ( a sort of Deputy Head Boy) when James Garvey was school captain and I had responsibility for the Junior ranks patrolling the dormitories at lights out being one of my duties.

I remember the petition being passed around against Father Pinkman and the dilemma I felt I faced at that time as to whether or not to sign. I think my loyalty to him and the school got the better of loyalty to my peers. If I remember rightly Frank McGinnis was one o f those brave enough to set the wheels in motion
I remember Patrick Joyce who I think was from Huddersfield and David Harrigan amongst those who have contributed to this blog.

I am in the process of contacting West Yorkshire Police. From what I have read it seems as though they are still interested in receiving further information about events at the school and I a more than happy to pass that on if it assists in the building up of a picture of the “culture of abuse” which the Order seem so keen to deny existed. I have no particular axe to grind against the Comboni Missionaries, interesting as it is they have changed their name, but wish to set some records straight.

I too am one of the “Boys” from the 1960’s who was abused at Mirfield by the then Verona Fathers now going under the name of Comboni Missionaries, i urge anybody reading this who was abused by the Comboni (Verona Fathers) to make contact with the site.

Sometimes I think what would have happened if Fr. Pinkman had not turned his back on me that day on that railway platform. What if he had approached me and put his arms around me and told me he was sorry. It would have meant the world to me. I would have forgiven him there and then. It would, to a great extend, have lightened that burden on my back, that devil I’ve been carrying all my life.

I really believed that Fr Pinkman cared for me, maybe I needed to believe that. Even after he had turned away from me that day.I still believed he cared. I realise now that he never cared at all.

But Fr Pinkman has gone,so has Ceresoli and Valmaggia. They can never appologise now. I always had a silly dream that they would, especially Fr. Pinkman. But of course they never did and were never likely to do that. I cried when I found out that Fr Pinkman had died, I desperately needed something from him, an admission, a sorry, an acknowledgement of wrong things done. If he had cared about me he would have done that,

They are dead and gone but the injustice continues relentlessly.

Nardo is still alive and so are the Verona Fathers and the church. They owe Mark something and the church owes us all something. When an individual does something wrong it’s on them. But the church is complicit in all that has happened and is happeneing. They are protecting the evil and that makes the church evil.

I must admit I don’t quite understand it all yet. I wonder if Fr Pinkman and Nardo and Ceresoli and Valmaggia and all others like them,including those who are protecting them, ever went to confession I don’t understand how, on the one hand confession can bring forgivness, and on the other hand, confession doesn’t seem to include a genuine expression of sorrow to the victims. An acknowledgment of guilt to those affected so cruelly. Maybe they are in denial and if so they are denying the very God they are suppose to represent. Maybe Ceresoli is not the only whited sepulchur,maybe the whole damn church is, but I hope that is not the case.

The church has something that’s priceless, something far greater than money. Something that would alleviate some of the pain and horror inflicted by them. All it would take is some genuine humility. I hope that will happen one day. But for now,it seems beyond them to do that.

To All,

It is very difficult.

I need to move forward and attempt to regain my life back again – not only for my sake, but for the sake of my children, my wife and my family and friends.

The last three years, to say they have been difficult, is a massive understatement.

Whist out walking today, I began to think about the inner peace and happiness that used to be such a big part of my life. A peace that I desire to find and embrace again.

My striving and fighting for justice has become too much. It has taken its toll in all areas of my life. The anger and fight that I directed at the Comboni Missionaries, in subtle ways is coming back and hitting me.

It was in this vein that I rang Rome today and asked to speak with Sanchez, the Superior General. I explained to the receptionist and then to a priest who i was. I was informed a couple of minutes later that Sanchez would ring me back. The Sanchez call never came. I rang again and was once again, informed that Sanchez would ring me back. The Sanchez call never came. I suspect that they were seeking advice and legal council. I rang back and was told that Sanchez was out. I asked to speak to a priest that spoke English, and the phone was put down. It was subsequently put down on all of my calls after that. It is still being put down now two hours later.

Having the phone put down on me was difficult and hard to understand. It upset me. I had built myself up to talk. An opportunity to have a dialogue and more importantly, an opportunity for progress. Progress, not only for me but also for my abuser and the Combonis. Nobody else would have been involved. It was them and me. Nobody else would have known.

The dialogue that I wanted would have certainly finished off the criminal case that WYP are still pursuing against my abuser.

I still see the need for change within the Catholic Church, and I would like to believe, that I will continue, to chip away at the church’s foundations, especially in relation to clericalism and the abuse of children.

The offer is still there.

The Civil case has finished – both mine and my friends. We are able to move on. There is, if I want to grasp it, a freedom now that allows me to say: “listen to me.” “This is what you did.” “This is how you avoided the truth.” Lawyers are no longer involved. This is how we feel now. The Combonis have had opportunities to a dialogue that could free them, and also free many others. They have not been able to do it. I suspect clericalism is too powerful a force in their life. Perhaps it is like a drug that they cannot give up. I would like to know. I have a right to know. My family have a right to know. We all have a right to know.

Comboni Missionaries Exposed

Yesterday the Obsever Newspaper published an article exposing the culture of abuse at the seminary in Mifield owned by the Comboni Missionaries (ex-Verona Fathers).

Read it here – http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/19/sins-of-the-fathers-sexual-abuse-catholic-order