"I recently downloaded a list of Jesuits—priests, brothers and deacons—who have been accused of sexual abuse of children and, presumably, adult parishioners as well. The list is more than 130 names and gives the year of ordination, current status (accused, sued, settled or convicted) and the diocese in which each served at the time of the alleged or proven abuse. And this is only a partial list, for some Jesuit provinces in the U.S. are not yet included. The list does not include information as to whether the victims/accusers were Native American students in mission schools, although the location of some of the dioceses would indicate that it was likely not the case.

Although it is always good to see justice done, I do feel some pain at these revelations. It can be said that I was born a Catholic, for I was baptized within an hour of my birth by a man in our reservation community who was a Catechist (a layman who conducted Catholic prayer meetings—usually in Lakota—in the absence of a priest). My mother told me that I was convulsing at birth and it appeared that I would not live, so the Catechist was called to baptize me. The man happened to be my uncle, John Fast Wolf who, like the Lakota holy man Black Elk, was both a traditional holy man and a Catholic Catechist. I was raised Catholic by my mother, who was a very devout member of the Church. My father, who died when I was not yet 2 years old, was not a Catholic but respected my mother’s wish for all 13 of their children to be baptized, and the 11 of us who survived beyond childhood to be raised as Catholics.

But except for funeral services, I have not been in a church for many years. I am having my own personal crisis of faith, due in part to the exposition of the phenomenal numbers of predatory priests and the damage they have done and are doing to children and their families. And the damage they have done and are doing to people who want to believe, who want to have faith, and whose spiritual life is shaken by these rogue pastors."

Get the Story:
Charles Trimble: Circle of Violence: A Lakota’s Faith and Betrayal (Indian Country Today 7/21)

Related Stories:
Harold Monteau: Somewhere in Indian Country, domestic violence (7/18)
Karonienhawi Thomas: Saying no more to violence against women (7/18)
Ray Cook: Taking a stand to put end to violence in Indian Country (7/15)