In August 2018, a grand jury report released by the Pennsylvania Attorney General revealed that hundreds of Roman Catholic priests had sexually abused thousands of minors over several decades. Disturbingly, one of those victims might be my cousin, Chanci.
Chanci grew up in Millville, New Jersey, just a short drive from Philadelphia. He was a few years older than me and had a natural talent for entertaining; he loved to joke, play music, and sing. It’s no wonder that the priests found him appealing.
While I don’t have all the details about Chanci’s experiences, I did hear rumors that he had been taken to the Jersey shore by priests, where he was “passed around” among them. It’s possible that some of the abusive Pennsylvania priests exploited him while on vacation.
The extensive 900-page grand jury report details sexual abuse across six Pennsylvania dioceses, naming over 300 priests involved. Many of these individuals are still alive and have sought legal action to prevent their identities from being disclosed. The report also outlines the systematic cover-up tactics employed by bishops and church officials, who moved offending priests from parish to parish, allowing them to continue preying on children without any warnings to new congregations. Incredibly, they maintained secret archives of abuse complaints, which investigators were able to access.
For more information on this scandal, the Philadelphia Inquirer has in-depth articles, including one titled Pa. Catholic Church sex abuse report names hundreds of priests, accuses leaders of cover-up: ‘They hid it all.’
Recently, the Press of Atlantic City published a piece about a priest who had served in my family’s parish, St. Francis of Assisi in Vineland, New Jersey, right next to Millville. The article chillingly describes how priests were shuffled between parishes without accountability.
As for my cousin Chanci, I believe the trauma of being sexually abused by priests had devastating effects on his life. He eventually spoke out, but his mother, a devout Catholic, struggled to accept the reality of his experiences for a long time. As adults, Chanci and two of his friends were among the first to receive settlements from the Church, but these came with confidentiality agreements that prevented them from discussing their ordeals. Tragically, Chanci spent most of his settlement money on drinks for friends at the bar.
Chanci never established a stable career and often found himself without a steady job. Although he married a wonderful woman from a good family and had two children, his marriage eventually fell apart. After losing his family home, he had to move back in with his elderly father.
Unfortunately, Chanci became addicted to heroin, leading to a cycle of deceit and manipulation. At one point, he assaulted his father, resulting in a restraining order against him. After his father’s passing, Chanci continued living in their home with various transients until it tragically burned down. By then, he had severed ties with his family, and no one wanted anything to do with him.
Chanci passed away in February. Despite the chaos of his life, he was surrounded by friends; around 200 people attended his wake at a local bar, celebrating his good qualities while avoiding discussions of his suffering.
For a deeper understanding of the impacts of such trauma, you might find this blog post on forgiveness valuable. Furthermore, if you’re interested in exploring the psychological aspects of abusive relationships, check out this resource on high conflict personalities.
For those looking for insight into the complexities of trauma and its portrayal in media, visit Out of the Fog.