YARESPOND: ADDRESSING THE CLERGY ABUSE CRISIS IN THE TWIN CITIES

Some of you may have heard of YArespond. We focus on providing holistic and informed responses to the clergy abuse crisis and related crises facing the Catholic Church. While our efforts are based in the Twin Cities and our leadership consists of lay Catholic young adults, we seek to provide support and resources for Catholics everywhere. We’d love for all Catholics in the Twin Cities to be involved in what we’re doing, and we’d like to share an overview of where we’ve been and where we’re going. 

I recognize that this is an unusual time. Most of us have been pulled away from our regular routines and find the internet saturated with news related to the coronavirus. While recognizing the need to stay informed on the virus and public health recommendations, I believe it’s important to not lose sight of other issues that will remain after this pandemic has passed. Even with all of the challenges of the present time, I believe this is an opportunity for all of us to grow, connect, and serve each other and our communities. I believe good can come of this hard time. One hope I have is that the newly-streamed liturgies might provide an opportunity for those who have experienced clerical abuse and have not felt safe in a church to begin reconnecting with the sacraments, as a means to eventually join us again in person, if they wish to do so. 

With that being said, I’ll give some background on YArespond. A Catholic Studies professor once told me: “Monsters are born large.” I think about that when I think about YArespond. When the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report broke in 2018, and we started organizing a response, I had no idea it would get so big so quickly. 

The Grand Jury report’s detailing of child sexual violence and institutional failure shocked Catholics around the world. We had already gone through our own reckoning in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis a few years before, but this release of information ignited a new shock and anger. It also provided new fuel for each person’s pet issue when it comes to Catholicism: homosexuality, celibacy, the role of women, the hierarchy, the list goes on. We saw a proliferation of theories about the causes and contexts of abuse, and the onslaught of information made it difficult to determine which of the opposing positions held the most truth. 

Because of this, I hosted a casual conversation among friends. After learning from the others, including a seminarian, a canon lawyer, a therapist, and someone who had worked with the department of corrections, I realized how little I knew about sexual violence, especially sexual violence against children. We also realized that something needed to be done. Even if our Archdiocese was far ahead of the majority of the American Church, the laity needed something. And we weren’t going to wait for the clergy to provide it for us.

We focused on four areas: prayer, education, dialogue, and action. Our independently-organized prayer vigil at the steps of the Cathedral had more than 100 attendees, including the Archbishop. Our organizing group took the name YArespond, and the education and discussion event we hosted the next week again had more than 100 Catholic young adults in attendance. Our subsequent letter to the Archdiocese with 8 recommendations for change had more than 100 signatures. We were happy to find that the Archbishop received our eight recommendations positively and with a spirit of openness. 

Since that time, we’ve met with other organizers, young adults across the Archdiocese, clergy abuse survivors, and local experts to better understand abuse, sexual violence, institutional failure, and what can be done moving forward. We’ve realized that this Archdiocese, and society generally, has a long ways to go in creating safe environments and assisting those still suffering from past harms. At the same time, recognizing that no one can (or should) do everything, YArespond has refocused our efforts and our mission. We asked the question: what can we provide that isn’t currently being provided by others?

We’ve chosen to focus on three areas:

1. While we do not engage in ongoing activism, we undertake specific projects for which we believe we are well-situated and which we believe will contribute to promoting transparency, accountability, and healing in the Church. 

2. We curate and create resources for Catholics seeking to respond to crises in the Church. 

3. When we are not engaged in projects, we host bi-monthly discussions for Catholic young adults interested in education and dialogue, so as to be prepared when a need for a project-based response arises. 

 

One of our current projects is a new letter to the Archdiocese, with some additional recommendations. We hope you’ll join us in signing the letter and also share it with your friends. The new recommendations focus on four areas:

1. Assisting local clergy abuse survivors still bound by confidentiality requirements. 

2. Maintaining safe environments across changes of leadership.

3. Providing closure regarding the past investigations into former Archbishop John Nienstedt. 

4. Developing a “continuing learning program” for clergy.

As you know, much more can be done. But we believe that these recommendations can continue to move this Archdiocese forward as a leader in the universal Church and a model for those invested in safe environments. You can learn more about and sign the letter here. 
In addition to the letter, we hope that you’ll join us for some of our casual conversations or consider other ways to get involved. When we come out on the other side of this pandemic, we hope the Church will hit the ground running with the great work we have to do. We’d love for the young adults of this Archdiocese to be the best equipped in the country when it comes to addressing the clergy abuse and related crises in our Church. Like us on Facebook or check out our website for more information!

 

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Chris Damian is a writer, attorney, and business professional living in St. Paul. He is a parishioner at St. Thomas More and a co-founder of YArespond.