Standing together, listening, supporting and surviving — those were the messages sent out Saturday evening at St. Bernard School at the first “Call to Survivors” event.
“This is where it began,” said Ed Rodgers, looking around at what once was Bradford Central Christian High School. There, about 30 years ago, he was abused by the school’s headmaster. There, on Saturday, he stood with fellow abuse survivors, members of law enforcement, victims’ advocates and community members.
The event was organized by Rodgers and Jim VanSickle, Bradford native and advocate for abuse survivors. He, too, was abused at Central Christian, a decade before Rodgers, by a different priest.
Opening the event was Father Ray Gramata of St. Bernard Church.
“I love what the Holy Spirit has done by opening up the can of worms that you experienced in your lifetime, but were afraid to speak up,” Gramata said, speaking to the men and the group assembled. “But now you can speak. And we are trying to listen.”
He added that child sexual abuse is a worldwide problem.
Gramata offered a prayer, one written by Bishop Lawrence Persico for victims of sexual abuse.
“Let us pray for all victims of sexual, physical or emotional abuse, especially those who have suffered at the hands of those who work in the church, that they may find understanding, consolation, healing and peace,” Gramata said.
He continued, “Almighty and ever-living God, may those who have suffered due to the violation of trust at the hands of ministers of the church, find through your constant care, concern and love, an unfailing source of comfort, support and a renewed trust.”
Bradford Township Police Chief Robb Shipman spoke, encouraging any victims to seek help.
“There are people here willing to listen,” he said.
VanSickle talked about the launch of a non-profit organization called Courage2Heal, which is set up to help connect victims with legal assistance, and with therapists.
His wife, Trish VanSickle, spoke about her life with her husband for more than 30 years, until he opened up about his abuse and sought help. He was angry and lashed out at them, to a point of emotional abuse, she said.
“At times, there were glimpses of the Jim I fell in love with,” she said. “I stayed.”
Since he came forward, she has been speaking to groups about being a “secondary survivor,” as someone who lives with an abuse survivor. “We’re finding that we share the same stories.”
She explained the couple is now seeking to bring survivors together, to heal together, and to know they are not alone.
“We all have to really focus on helping people come forward. It doesn’t have to be on a huge scale like (her husband) does, but just get them to the help they need,” she said.
Ryan O’Connor from Johnstown said, “I am a two-time survivor of child sexual abuse. Before I was 12 years old, I was abused for a third of my life.”
He spoke about turning to drugs and alcohol, but never speaking up about what had happened to him because it just wasn’t done.
“I was afraid,” he said, voice brimming with emotion. He would pray for God to let him die, or to send him a savior. “He sent me my wife,” O’Connor said, adding that his substance abuse stopped and he started on the road to healing.
Mickey Swackhamer from the YWCA Bradford Victims Resource Center spoke about the agency’s service, as did Mindi Brown and Tonia Hartzell from the Children’s Advocacy Center of McKean County. The last to speak was District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer, who encouraged every victim to come forward to speak to law enforcement, regardless of when the abuse took place.
Also present at the event were members of Lewis Run-based state police, Bradford Mayor Tom Riel, a representative from Catholic Charities and members of the public.
