Companions in Hope believes all survivors who have come forward are Advocates for the protection of children, Prophets in the Wilderness, and Bearers of the Truth. Below are individuals who may or may not be survivors of child sexual assault. All of them, however, have in their own way taken a public stand for children, justice, and truth. Many have paid a great price for doing so including losing their job, losing relationships with family or friends, or having their good health suffer, or being called out from the altar as "the enemy". We honor their courage, persistance, compassion, and self-sacrifice.
For more information about each advocate and their personal efforts in the area of child protection, victims' rights, and/or church and legal reforms, please click on their names if their names are in blue. Information on the others is forthcoming.
Many More Names and Information to Come.
Please Send Us the Names and Information on Those We May Have Missed. Thanks!!!
"There are troublemakers among us. They step out of line, go against the grain. They challenge the status quo, do not accept the way things are. They are dissidents, discontents, even malcontents. They do not sit in the back of the bus. They are instigators, agitators, innovators. Rebels, radicals, revolutionaries, martyrs. They challenge the 'group think'. They are a pain in the butt. They make us think. They sit in. They protest and demonstrate and perform outrageous acts for their cause, to get attention, to shake things up.
They are often naive and idealistic, headstrong, full of hope, and occasionally heroic. They speak their minds. They defy authority. They elicit our anger and resentment; they earn our praise and admiration. They see things others don't. They do not want pat answers. They lay down their possessions to follow Him. They rattle the Establishment. They talk back to the Man. They may not obey the rules, but they live by the Greatest Commandment of them all. They do not care what people think, but they seek to rally popular opinion. Some attract a following, some join forces with others. Some take on Big Business, Big Government, Big Oil, others try to work from within in order to bring change about. They see value in the company of others, the power of the people, the marshaling of forces. They find solace in the community as they bring comfort to the afflicted with a message meant to afflict the comfortable.
...They remind us that indifference is a choice and that we all can do more, and that talk and words and plans and dreams are not enough."
written by Kerry Temple '74, excerpted from Notre Dame Magazine July 2006
Note: The individuals named above have been strong advocates in one way or another for either the protection of children, healing of abuse survivors, reform of the Catholic Church, or all of the above. We consider them Advocates and recognize them for their work and their efforts. However, those named above do not necessarily agree with everything on this web site and any or all positions taken or ideas proposed by Companions in Hope. At the same time, Companions in Hope does not necessarily agree with all of the positions of the individuals or organizations listed above. However, we share at least two common priorities which are the protection of children and the healing of those who have been abused.
Note: We will be adding links to each of these names that will lead to a page describing some of what they have done in the effort of protecting children, reforming the church, or helping survivors and their loved ones find healing and comfort. Please check back soon for more names and more information.
If you know someone who should be added to this page, please send a report (brief or long) on their efforts to:
Companions in Hope
P.O. Box 638
Geneva, Illinois 60134
mail@companionsinhope.com
Thank you for your interest and your participation.