Having victims as review board members gets mixed reaction

Published: 2003-12-15

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Nora Connors was outraged twice over because of the scandals involving clergy sex abuse of minors. At first she was an angry parishioner wondering if the church was digging into the collection plate to pay for settlements. Then the crisis reawakened the 67-year-old, semi-retired accountant's awareness that she had survived abuse by a priest when she was 9 years old. Now Connors' concerns have an official outlet. She is one of nine members of the review board in the Diocese of Paterson, N.J., where she advises on prevention policies and on actions to be taken against accused priests. "Having a survivor on the board is part of our approach. A survivor is part of our community," said Marianna Thompson, diocesan communications director and a review board consultant. "She knows the feelings of survivors. She is understanding and articulate and helps us come to a fuller understanding of each situation," Thompson said of Connors. Having a victim on the board, however, has not been a uniformly positive experience for dioceses. In the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, two victims quit the board over policy disagreements in 2003, with one saying publicly that he also left the church.

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