Welcome! We are so glad that you have stopped by our web site. Our site is just beginning to be constructed so there are a lot of things not yet complete. However, this page and the navigation bar above should give you an idea of who we are and what you may expect to see here in the future. Please visit often and let us know what you think. We can be reached a trc@truthandrecognition.org

The work we are committed to doing has historically been, to the majority of the people, successfully kept silent and invisible by both the religious and secular communities we all share. Denial, minimization and secrecy were just some of the ways that the courageous voices of those who came before us and spoke about the sexual abuse that was done to them by fathers, brothers, neighbors and clergy and, in some cases, by mothers and sisters was almost successfully silenced. But their truths could not be silenced completely. The vibrations of their voices reached forward to us and in January of 2002 our voices joined theirs in as the headlines about clergy sexual abuse and cover up in the Catholic Church began to be revealed not only in Boston, but across the country and eventually around the world. And then, when the courts, thanks to The Honorable Constance Sweeney in Boston, MA began to order that church documents be made public, more and more people began to sadly and furiously learn that sexual abuse was not rare in our culture or in our churches...the only thing that was rare about sexual abuse was talking about it.

With such unprecedented visibility and evidence, much of which was provided by the churches own documents and supported by the painful experiences told publicly by countless survivors, some of us realized what a rare moment in history we were living in. We knew only too well the silenced history of so many and feared that without action to document and preserve these truths, time, manipulation and public desire would undoubtedly facilitate once again the invisibility of so many. Determined to honor the courage of those who have survived and to actively learn from the past, in the summer of 2004 some survivors and some catholics met and decided to partner together to insure that the sexual, ritual and spiritual abuse of so many is never again silenced or swept into invisibility.

This site is part of that commitment. In the months to follow we will have more information here, including a section that will allow you to bear witness to the experiences of the women and men who have survived the abuse and betrayal of some priests, employees and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. We hope you will come back often...bear witness...and when possible, help our efforts through financial or in kind donation as well as volunteer participation.

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Our Mission Statement

To create a process for truth telling;
To create an permanent verbal and visual historical record of the widespread crimes of sexual abuse by clergy and the conspiracy by the hierarchy to cover-up and protect perpetrators
To develop resources for education, research, prevention, and recovery;
To affirm the partnership of survivors and supporters in eradicating sexual abuse through knowledge, understanding, and accountability.

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Vision Statement

The mission of the Truth and Recognition Coalition, Inc. (TRC) is to create a tangible record of the crimes of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Told in the words of those who suffered the abuse, this project will be used to permanently end forever the silenced truths of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. It will also be used to promote knowledge and understanding as a vehicle of prevention against the recurrence of these crimes both in the church and in the larger society we all share.

It is with humility, knowledge and sadness that we recognize that adequately portraying the long term effects of sexual abuse is impossible. However, we have experienced some of the benefits that can result in telling and in witnessing the experience of those who have survived. Therefore, not to attempt to build a bridge of recognition and acknowledgement would be wrong and would contribute to nurture and perpetuate the on going abuse of all of our children.

The project is designed to help people connect intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and socially with the experiences of those willing to participate and to demonstrate our responsibility, accountability and desire to bear witness. Our work seeks justice for what survivors have experienced and insurance that "all truths" are heard not just the ones that flatter or compliment the Catholic Church. The TRC is rooted in a sense of moral responsibility and emotional grief our commitment includes creating this opportunity for those who have been victimized to speak their truths and have their experiences respectfully witnessed by others. Likewise important is the opportunity this projects presents for those who "didn't know what was happening" as our children were being raped, molested and tortured. Our intent is not to contribute to feelings of guilt or shame that those who didn't know may carry but rather to inspire them to raise their consciousness and consciences and join us and others in eradicating the sexual abuse of all children. This project enables all of us who were silenced to never be silenced again and to both learn and teach growth, wisdom, courage and compassion that will create a clear path to accountability, responsibility and change!

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About Our Logo

It did not take long for our coalition to reach consensus on what our logo would be. For many reasons we all wanted a tree associated with our name. Words such as strong, growth and protection were just a few that helped choosing a logo be one of the easier tasks we did. When we reached our decision we realized that the tree also had a shared importance in each of our lives. Read on.

The Healing Tree
A reflection by Steve Sheehan,
Survivor Support Working Group

In front of the official residence of the Boston, MA Archbishop, on a tiny strip of grass separating the sidewalk from the traffic-laden Commonwealth Avenue, stands a tree. It is not a very large tree, and it is not a very imposing tree. In fact, it is quite unremarkable when compared to the hundreds of trees that border this impressive thoroughfare that stretches from the Public Gardens in Boston to the Wellesley town line. Nonetheless, this is a very special tree, and what makes it special is a very special person, Steven Lynch.

Twice in his life Steve has made this tree his shelter and his shrine. In 1999, Steve spent 40 days under this tree in a meditative vigil, in protest of the intransigence of the Archdiocese of Boston in dealing (or failing to deal) with the survivor community in their search for justice in the continuing scandal burgeoning in the Roman Catholic Church. At that time, Steve was dealing with a great deal of anguish and rage resulting from being brutally abused by a priest, and the failure of the Church to admit its complicity and provide for the healing of its victims.

This year, beginning on June 26 and ending on July 6, Steve sat beneath this same tree, fasting and meditating, not to express anguish and rage, but rather to gain, for himself, inner peace and tranquility. Steve asked that friends, supporters and other survivors join him from time to time in meditation and bring, if they so desired, small offerings of a meaningful nature to affix to the tree, to increase its healing energy. That so many did, speaks volumes about the efficacy of simply coming together in love, in peace and in togetherness. The result was a tree bearing the fruit of many personal spiritual artifacts, memories, hopes and pleas — a tree that represented the spirituality of all who visited and spent time meditating under its welcoming branches, a tree that brought together many diverse personalities and backgrounds and created out of them a community of love, hope and peace.

Steve left this site on July 6, and the artifacts were removed from the tree, many who visited taking with them some article in remembrance of their personal experience in the shade and companionship of the “Healing Tree.” Whether Steve will return once again to the tree is uncertain. What is certain is that the tree still stands. It still sheds it cooling shade over this small plot of land. But much more than its mere presence is detectable here. The energy given to the tree by Steve, his friends, and the many objects that hung from its branches during this ten-day period continues to be dispensed by the tree to those visiting or passing by, should they take the time to stop and sense its effects. For the energy once accumulated and set in motion continues to radiate and spread to all who are willing to accept it. This is the true message of the “Healing Tree.” This is the message of Steve Lynch. This is the message that needs to be heard.

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