Overview

Prologue by Jennifer Wortham, Dr.PH, The Human Flourishing Center, Harvard University

A survivor’s candid and hope-filled story of clergy abuse, trauma, recovery, and healing.

Clergy abuse survivor Mark Joseph Williams shares his personal journey of spiraling after abuse and trauma into shame, substance abuse, and isolation. For Williams, hitting rock bottom, confronting evil, anger, and the agonizing results of his trauma provided a starting point for healing. He discovered something central to his healing in the place few survivors would look—the Catholic Church. There, despite and beyond the harms of clergy abuse, their secrets, and political plays of hierarchy, he rediscovered life anew deep within the sacraments and the mystery of the cross.

Now from his unique perspective as a victim seeking redemption, he has counseled both victims of clergy abuse and faith leaders who care about transforming a broken church. His remarkable story provides a concrete spiritual and institutional path forward for changes to be made in the Church, for justice, wholeness, humility – and restorative love.

Mark Joseph Williams is a management consultant and forensic psychological clinician with an MS in Social Work from Columbia University, NYC. A clerical abuse survivor, he is a co-founder of Global Cooperative, and represents the Archdiocese of Newark as Special Advisor. He also serves on North American Safeguarding Committee of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops. He and his wife, Karen, have four grown children and five grandchildren.

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