Clergy Abuse Chronicles, Ellie Harold

THE CLERGY ABUSE CHRONICLES

Ellie's Personal Links are in Blue and Published News Articles are in Red

October 26, 1963: Original letter from Ellie Harold's mother and 8 eight other concerned parents about Father Biggers sexual misconduct with the girls.
January 23, 2002 - Atlanta Journal & Constitution: Vatican shouldn't give cover to abusive priests; An article written by Reverend Ellie Harold recounting her personal abuse and what happened when she confronted her abuser.
January 24, 2002 from Ellie Harold to Archbishop Donoghue: Ellie expresses to Archbishop Donoghue the fact that actions of abuse happened at St. Joseph's Parish in Marietta, Georgia in the early 60's and she feels impelled to do what ever she can to make sure what happened to her and others does not happen again.
March 8, 2002, Monastery of the Holy Spirit - Conyers, GA: Father Clarence Bigers Celebrates 79th Birthday; Today we celebrate the 79th birthday of Father Clarence Biggers, the only native of Georgia in our 53-member community.
March 15th, 2002 letter from Ellie Harold to Archbishop Donoghue: Ellie's letter requests a formal, public apology from the Catholic church.
March 24th, 2002 - Response to March 15th letter: Letter from Dennis Steik, S.M., Provincial acknowledging receipt of March 15th and January 24th letters to Archbishop Donoghue.
March 23, 2002 letter from Ellie Harold to Archbishop Donoghue: Stating shock and confusion after being told that the Archbishop would not meet with her until she was "screened" by the Archdiocese of Atlanta's Attorney per a conversation with Kathi Stearns, Vice Chancellor.
March 25th, 2002 letter from Kathi Stearns, responding to 3/15 letter: Ms. Stearns assures Ellie that the Archdiocese does not and will not tolerate child abuse in any form, by any clergy, religious or layperson - whether an employee or volunteer.
March 26th, 2002 letter from Ellie Harold to Kathi Stearns: This letter details the many phone conversations from March 19th through 21st and reiterates Ellie's wish to meet with Archbishop Donoghue for an apology. It also voices her concern that the church is treating her in a manner befitting a corporate entity rather than a spiritual community.
March 27th, 2002 letter from Kathi Stearns, responding to 3/23 & 3/26: Ms. Stearns expresses her belief that Ellie is "posturing" the church and suggests that Ellie's attorney contact the Archdiocese's attorney.
April 2nd, 2002 - Atlanta Journal & Constitution: Church Faces Painful Past.; In a local version of the scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church, a Norcross woman is petitioning officials to apologize for a priest she says molested her 40 years ago at St. Joseph's Church in Marietta.
April 12th Letter from Archbishop John F. Donoghue: His letter thanks Ellie for meeting with Kathi Stearns and states the Archdiocesan policy about reporting child abuse to public child welfare authorities.
April 17th Letter from Attorney for the Archdiocese of Atlanta to Ellie Harold's Attorney: The Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Archbishop are willing to offer reasonable spiritual and pastoral assistance but under no circumstances will they provide monetary payment with respect to any civil claims.
April 25th, 2002 - WXIA Atlanta - 11 Alive News -: Woman Upset With Church Apology; An Atlanta woman who says she was sexually abused by her priest 40 years ago is not satisfied with the apology she received from the Atlanta Archdiocese.
June 8th, 2002 - The Boston Globe - City & Religion: Theologians Call for Wider Debate; - Theologians called on the Catholic Church to re-explore its power structure, its priesthood, and its teachings about sexuality.
June 12th, 2002 - DallasNews.com: Two-Thirds of Bishops Let Accused Priests Work; Roughly two-thirds of the top U.S. Catholic leaders have allowed priests accused of sexual abuse to keep working, a practice that spans decades and continues today, a three-month Dallas Morning News review shows.
June 13th, 2002 - Atlanta Journal & Constitution: As Bishops Talk - Women Speak Up Too; As the nation's Catholic bishops meet today in Dallas to address the church's widening sex abuse scandal, Ellie Harold of Norcross will also be there --- making sure that she and other victims are not ignored.
June 13th, 2002 - Atlanta Journal & Constitution - Jay Croft's Mail Bag: On the Catholic Church Blaming Homosexuality; Read what our readers have to say - Ellie speaks out.
June 16th, 2002 - Atlanta Journal & Constitution: Bishops Are Under Watch by Parishioners; After a wrenching meeting that produced a new national policy for handling sexual abuse in the church . . . They face parishioners, many with eyebrows firmly raised in skepticism, waiting to see how the new policy plays out in the day-to-day life of the church.
June 16th, 2002 - New York Times: Women Tell of Priests' Abusing Them as Girls; Gary R. Schoener of Minneapolis, a psychologist who has been counseling victims of abuse by clergymen for 30 years, said that because 70 percent of American Catholic priests are heterosexuals, according to academic estimates, it is far more common for them to seduce girls and women than boys or men.
2002 - The White House for National Journal - The Priest Scandal: How Old News Became a National Story - And Why It Took So Long; Media coverage of abusive priests since the 1980's - by Carl M. Cannon
October 18, 2002 The Vatican Rejects Clerical Abuse Policy: The Vatican rejected the US Church's new sexual abuse policy Friday, saying the sweeping zero-tolerance crackdown needed to be revised because elements conflict with universal Church law.
Current & Ongoing - The Boston Globe Spotlight Investigation: Abuse in the Catholic Church; New Developments and Ongoing Investigation.
March, 2003 - How the Archdiocese of Atlanta Promotes Healing of Sex Abuse Victims: Read an interesting series of e-mails/letters about St. Joseph's Catholic School 50th Anniversary Celebration, to which Ellie was sent an invitation. Read what happened when she responded.
Church Abandons Victimized Women: Read about a past (1995) incident where the church abandons clergy abuse victims but continues to support the abusive priests.
Sexual Abuse by the Clergy - A Healing Response? March 28, 2003: OpEd article submitted for publication by Ellie Harold to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
June 4th, 2003 - Ellie's story submitted to Det. Grant Foster of the Marietta: Letter and account of Ellie's story submitted to Det. Grant Foster of the Marietta City Police on June 4, 2003 as part of official police report.
June 16th, 2003 AJC - Catholic Reforms Slow in Altanta: A year after American Catholic bishops met in Dallas to clean up the sex abuse scandal in the church, the Archdiocese of Atlanta has yet to establish a policy that conforms to the bishops' reforms.
June 16th, 2003 ACJ - Victim Puts Anger to Work - Coming to Terms with Ghosts of the Past.: For Pattie Hunter Bagley of Marietta, the last year has meant coming to terms with ghosts of the past.
August 6th, 2003 ACJ - New Sex Abuse Policy Requires Priest Removal.: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta releasing plan.
October 25th, 2003 ACJ - Women Absolve Priest.: A service of healing and forgiveness is held at Ellie's house officiated by Ellie and Father Dennis Steik of the Marist Order.

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