John Timothy McGuire, a victim of sexual abuse as a child, wrote this as an open letter to Michael R. Cote, Bishop of the Diocese of Norwich, which covers eastern Connecticut and Fishers Island.

Bishop Cote,

I have been trying to reach you for a long time.

I was sexually assaulted in 1967 numerous times by Father James Curry at St. Joseph’s Church in Noank when I was eight-years-old. You know of me, and my situation. My story of being abused was in The Day recently, and the spokesman for the Norwich diocese responded with a guest commentary.

I questioned Father Curry about the abuse, after getting more and more uncomfortable with his increasing weekly sexual demands. His response: “You are not what God is looking for.” He told me to leave the church. I lost God that day. I was forced to continue attending church. I shook in fear every time I locked eyes with him.

I was taught there is one God. He is to be loved, and His wrath is to be feared. In my mind, I had said no to God’s love. I was going to Hell. Terror and self-loathing defined me.

“What’s wrong with Tim?” The school psychiatrist, teachers, family, friends, they all wanted to know. I didn’t realize at the time they could have helped me. My fear of Father Curry and God kept me from telling anyone. The perfect segue to more pedophilia. Father Curry moved to St. Mary’s church in Groton and continued molesting children. No investigation, no background check.

In 2007 my wife and I went to Catholic Charities in New London at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church to get assistance with food, and some counseling about struggling financially. During one of the sessions, the story of my being molested in the church came out. The counselor assured me my message of wanting to talk to you about it would get to you. I believe she tried. She had been a friend of mine since high school. She knew how important it was to me.

I left there with some canned goods and a promise. I truly did wait. I never heard back from you, Safe Environments, or anyone. I now felt dissected, reassembled, and discarded.

I have since found God again. Through my children and my wife I see His way. He does not condone molesting and abandoning children. I pray often, and I pray for others like me. I worry for you. I pray for all of us who wish to remain Catholic.

Father Curry raped my body, my innocence, and my church is being raped still. I have been forced to separate “your” church from my church. I believe in “our” God, but I see blasphemy in “your” church. I worship God where I stand. My family is my congregation. You offend me, and His faithful, deeply.

In his commentary, your director of communications, Wayne Gignac, conveniently sidesteps what you are to be accountable for: “Next steps as they pertain to accountability.” You both know that if your offenses are still being committed, your accountability is a farce. Neglect is an ACTIVE form of abuse.

All damage control done to date has been to save face, not to save victims from further damage. Safe Environments fails me, and possibly scores of other past victims of the Norwich diocese. Your number one overriding concern is compassion for your victims, yet you don’t recognize your victims? That is dispassion, not compassion. Your genuine concern lacks God’s grace.

I pray for God’s understanding of my anger.

I am asking you, The Most Rev. Bishop Michael R. Cote, to acknowledge me, my abuse, the abuse of others, and the culpability of the Norwich Diocese. Request a civil investigation of your diocese by the district attorney. Ask the state legislature to remove barriers to a statewide civil investigation of the Catholic Church.

Act on the meaning, the original meaning, of words that are common in Church liturgy: reparation, atonement, and rectification. Reparare — “create oneness where an injustice has occurred”. Recitificatio — “the action or process of rectifying; to repair, to put something right.” Attone — “agreed, literally at one”.

Respect God, respect your forgotten, respect God’s faithful, and respect me.

John Timothy McGuire lives in New London.