A Conversation with Janet E. Clark
Q. You have said that Blind Faith is the story of the Roman Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal as seen through the eyes of young Jack O.Donnell and his family. Would you say that Jack's is a fairly typical story?
A. I don't know that there is a typical story. Just as each person is different, so is each victim and each perpetrator. From what I've seen and the research I've done, though, I do believe many victims, like Jack, came from vulnerable family situations that made them an easy target for predatory priests. Many others came from very devout families where it would have been extremely hard for a child to come forward with the truth because the life of the family was so deeply enmeshed with the church. But many other victims don't meet either of those profiles. Unfortunately, sexual abusers tend to be equal-opportunity offenders, choosing victims from all walks of life.
Q. What was the most difficult part about writing this book?
A. Writing from the point of view of Father Delanoit, the perpetrator. I asked for prayer from my husband and several friends before I began writing that part. Well, before I began the whole project, but especially that section. When I began that process, writing from the abuser's point of view, I felt like I was entering a long, dark tunnel: inside the mind of a child molester is not a happy place to be. But through that process, I discovered that, while most of us would never molest a child, virtually all of us have used our power to exploit others to get what we want. Writing from the abuser's point of view has made me very aware and very careful of how I use my own power in relationships.
Q. Did you find a need to balance the serious nature of the book's subject matter with moments of levity?
A. I did. In fact, that's why I introduced Kelly in Chapter Six. Jack was going through such a horrendous ordeal that I was having a hard time handling it myself. I needed to interject something positive into his life. Hence, as with Charlie Brown of Peanuts fame, the little red-haired girl! And bringing Pappa to live in Hook's Point brought some needed light into the situation. He is a wise character and a steadying influence for the entire family.
Q. Some people may be frustrated by how the book ends. Why did you not have Father Delanoit suffer any consequences for his behavior?
A. Because most of the time, abusers didn't. The Roman Catholic Church only began to seriously address the issue of abusive clergy and the bishops who moved them from parish to parish after the Boston Globe broke the story in 2002.
Q. Why did no one report the abuse to the police?
A. Frequently, abuse by clergy was considered a problem best handled 'in house'. The media has reported on incidents where the family did report the abuse to the police, only to find the police turned the issue back over to the church instead of filing charges. In 1974 the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was passed by Congress, providing funding to help states set up or expand mandatory reporter programs. To this day, however, many states do not require clergy to act as mandatory reporters.
Q. Is clergy sexual abuse strictly a Catholic problem?
A. No, there are similar problems in other churches and faith groups. Author Dee Miller has examined the problem in her former denomination, the Southern Baptists, and found a similar dynamic with what occurred in the Catholic Church: a pattern of denial and cover-up which serves not to solve the problem, but to hide it. Blind faith, when applied to human beings and human institutions, even if they purport to represent God, is a risky business, in my opinion.
Q. Is there an autobiographical element to this narrative?
A. I am a sexual abuse survivor, yes. Other than the fact that I belong to that unfortunately large fraternity/sorority and that I live in Iowa where the story takes place, no. This is neither my story nor the story of anyone I know. The shame, pain and sense of isolation sexual abuse causes are common to all survivors, though.
Q. What kind of research did you do for the book?
A. When I was struggling to deal with my own issues, I read many books and surfed many Web sites devoted to understanding and healing from sexual abuse. Also, I participated in both individual and group therapy.
In order to gain understanding about boys abused by clergy members, I interviewed male survivors, attended a conference where the speakers included survivors and their spouses, a priest who is the brother of a survivor, and this was after I had already written Jack's brother David into the story and David Clohessy, director of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. I read documents from the Bishops Accountability Website, which details the paper trail that proves abusive priests were moved from parish to parish, that survivors and their families were stonewalled when they confronted church officials, and that far greater concern was shown to offending clergymen than to their victims.
Q. What's been the biggest help to you in your own healing journey?
A. First of all, realizing it's just that, a journey, not a destination. When I began therapy, I thought, okay, I'll do this for a year, tops, and then I'll be back to normal. Wrong! Like anyone who deals with a life-changing event, be it the loss of a loved one, a serious illness or disability, or sexual abuse, I discovered that I would need to adjust to a new normal. Once I accepted that fact, everything got easier. Not easy, by any means, but more manageable.
Of all the books I've read, Secret Survivors by E. Sue Blume was most helpful to me. I thought she did an incredible job of illustrating how abuse affects every aspect of a woman's life. But she also shows how a person can transcend even the most serious effects of abuse and build a meaningful, joy-filled life.
And most crucial to my healing thus far has been the many people who've helped me along the way. You really, really can't do something like this alone. I've relied on my very gifted therapist, survivors group, 12-step groups, beautiful friends, my incredibly supportive family, especially my husband and children, and God as I understand Her. Which is often and first through Jesus, but also God as Mother as well as God as Father.