By Jessica Easthope
Frank Tramontano’s silent prayer has been the same for many years, that the Catholic church continues to do more for people like him.
“Thank God for the counseling, counseling brought me a long way,” Frank said. “And I’m really grateful for it but there’s stuff I struggle with every day.”
Frank is one of many, an unknown number of survivors of clerical sexual abuse. For him, it happened nearly six decades ago – in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
“I got compensated and it was nice to get, but I’d give it up in a minute to go back and undo and see what would happen to my life,” he said. “I’d give back twice as much because I feel I missed out on being who I am.”
Frank’s road to healing hasn’t been smooth but he took a big step forward when he joined the Diocese of Brooklyn’s survivors group and attended his first mass of hope and healing.
“They had all the priests there and it was overwhelming. I mean I think I sat in a pew and just cried. It was very emotional for me,” said Frank.
Today, the group is small but tight knit. Frank looks to his fellow members for strength, one in particular is Jeff, known to his parishioners as Father Jeff Dillon.
“I came to the realization that if I wanted to be healed, I have to choose that” Fr. Jeff said. “And I’d have to choose to say this happened to me but it doesn’t have to be the authorship of my life.”
Fr. Jeff’s abuse occurred in another corner of Brooklyn, also in the 1960s. Today, the men who are both in their seventies, say they want survivors to get the recognition and respect they deserve. And for the church to offer hope and healing every day of the year.
“Certainly every Eucharist is a healing Eucharist,” Fr. Jeff said. “It’s a healing celebration, so my hope is that more and more survivors come to the mass.”
The mass of hope and healing is being celebrated this year at St. Finbar Church in Bath Beach on October 29 at 7 p.m. The diocesan survivors group collaborates with the Office for the Protection of Children and Young People on how the church can expand its outreach.
“How I’ve wanted to help has never changed,” said Frank.
“I am greater than this and so I move forward and move beyond it,” said Fr. Jeff.
The men say if their work empowers even one more survivor to come forward and begin their healing journey – the prayer has been answered.