By James L. Franklin, Globe Staff, 1/3/1994

n an appeal to Boston area Catholics that began yesterday, Cardinal Bernard F. Law is asking individuals who have suffered sexual abuse by the clergy to seek help from the church or a trusted family member or counselor to end the cycle of harm that can result.

"Silence and denial do not help the one hurt nor the one who has offended," Cardinal Law said in a letter distributed through the 400 parishes of the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.

The letter -- which is being presented to parishioners the weekends of Jan. 2 or 9 -- is aimed at making individual Catholics more aware of the program the archdiocese has established to handle abuse complaints.

The church wants "to do all that we can to prevent anyone else from being harmed by such abuse," Cardinal Law writes in the letter, which was to be read aloud at weekend Masses or printed in parish bulletins.

"Most priests serve the church well and live exemplary priestly lives," he said. "It is a sad and tragic fact, however that there are some priests who have committed acts which contradict all that priestly life is about."

Revelations of clergy sexual abuse have "disturbed everyone profoundly," the cardinal said. "Such misconduct affects not only the personal lives of children but also their relationships with family, friends and church."

The letter urges those who have been affected to confide in "a family member, friend or counselor" if the individual finds it difficult "to speak about this matter directly with a priest or a parish staff member."

Cardinal Law said the two delegates he has named to handle abuse complaints -- Sister Catherine Mulkerrin and Rev. John McCormack -- "are ready and willing to be of whatever help possible."

"Their primary efforts are to express the pastoral concern of the church to those affected and to do all we can to prevent anyone else from suffering such abuse," he said. "They will respect the rights of each individual."

The letter urges clergy to make such services known to all in their parishes and urges parish leaders to pray for all affected by abuse and "especially to overcome all forms of abuse, be it in the family, the church or society."

"After all is said and done, what we do best as a church is to provide genuine assistance for a hurting person to be healed, a family to be strengthened, a parish to be comforted, a cleric to be helped, and if need be, restrained, and the morale of his brother priests, parish ministers and parishioners to be strengthened and restored."

The archdiocesan delegates for abuse complaints can be reached by phone at 617-254-0100.

This story ran in the Boston Globe on 1/3/1994.
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