GLENDALE — People sexually abused by clergy are on a journey that can sometimes seem like two steps forward and one step back.  

That’s according to one survivor who attended the annual Mass of Hope and Healing on Oct. 24 at St. Pancras Parish in Glendale, Queens. 

One year ago, longtime Survivors Advisory Committee member Anthony Hughes took that one step back.

A parish priest abused him when he was 13, as did a school teacher. However, despite years of therapy and advocating for other survivors through the advisory committee, Hughes, now 49, found himself feeling uneasy at the sight of priests. So he avoided Mass.

“You get a feeling that it’s not right when you’re a victim or a survivor, especially with clergy abuse,” said Hughes. “What goes through your mind is, ‘Did this gentleman abuse somebody? Is he the right person?’ It can play tricks on your mind.

“I did lose faith,” he acknowledged. 

However, he said that changed during the the Mass at St. Pancras for victim-survivors of sexual abuse celebrated by Bishop Robert Brennan. Also attending were Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski and Auxiliary Bishops Emeritus Neil Tiedemann, Raymond Chappetto, Octavio Cisneros, and Paul Sanchez.

Each year, the Mass is organized by the Office for Protection of Children and Young People for the Diocese of Brooklyn and its Survivors Advisory Committee.

Hughes said he was emotionally moved seeing the entrance procession, which included dozens of priests and deacons from the diocese. Survivors, their families and friends, plus religious sisters, filled the pews. 

“It felt different,” Hughes said. “There was a little bit more meaning with all the bishops here and all the priests who showed up. The church was really crowded, which was a big plus for us.”

Hughes said Bishop Brennan delivered a “wonderful” heartfelt homily. It focused on Ephesians 3:14-21, in which St. Paul, while imprisoned in Rome, wrote an uplifting letter to the “suffering church” in Ephesus — a message of God’s healing love.

“I felt there was more meaning,” Hughes said of the Mass. “It’s like God was here with us this evening. I was a little down last year. But this year, I’m glad I came back and picked it up again.”

St. Pancras Parish is one example of how allegations of sexual abuse can rattle an entire community. In July 2020, the FBI arrested the pastor on accusations of sharing explicit texts with a minor. Shock, confusion, and pain ensued throughout the parish.

Msgr. Steven Aguggia, chancellor of the diocese, has filled the role of pastor since. For Christmas that year, St. Pancras hosted “A Concert for Healing” — a multilingual showcase of classic liturgical music from the parish’s volunteer cantors.

All of this happened before Bishop Brennan came to the diocese in 2021, but after the Mass on Oct. 24, he acknowledged the trauma that occurred at the parish. 

“This is a place where there’s been suffering,” Bishop Brennan said, noting that the incident at St. Pancras mirrors thousands of others all over the world and throughout the history of the Church.

“Unfortunately, many parishes are affected,” Bishop Brennan said. “The two words right now that really matter are solidarity and prayer. To pray as one Church.

“That’s what this is all about — that we’re all in this together.”

Bishop Brennan added that solidarity with victims also demands vigilance against becoming complacent with clergy sex abuse.

“When people get removed from an experience, their guard starts to go down, and we become complacent,” he said. “We can never be complacent. Never.”

Elizabeth Harris, the Victim Assistance Coordinator for the diocese, explained the annual Mass began a decade ago “when it was recognized that there was a need to come together for the hope of healing.”

“Today and every day, we must hold onto that hope,” Harris said.

Still, she said, the prescription for healing is not the same for everyone. As an example, she related a recent conversation with a survivor who said he had lost faith in the Church “but never in his God.”

“We know that’s not the case for all,” Harris said. “We recognize that these are heavy burdens to carry.”

Hughes confirmed that survivors handle the journey differently.

“Some are set back more than others,” he said. “Will you have a day that you feel down and hurt? Yes. But you have to have a strong will and believe that things will get better.

“It’s a long, long road.”

Anyone who is a victim of sexual abuse within the diocese is encouraged to call the confidential reporting line (888-634-4499), which connects directly to law enforcement authorities.

For information on how the diocese is dealing with clergy sex abuse, visit the website of the Office of Safe Environment. Also, see “Protecting our Children” on the diocese website.