Diocese of Ballarat
Suffragan of Archdiocese of Melbourne

Bishop Peter J Connors DD DCL Bishop of Ballarat Diocesan Office: 5 Lyons Street South, Ballarat VIC 3350 Postal Address: PO Box 121, Ballarat VIC 3353 Cathedral: St Patrick's, 3 Dawson Street South, Ballarat Tel: (03) 5337 7121 Fax: (03) 5332 1122 Email: bishop@ballarat.catholic.org.au Web Site: http://www.ballarat.catholic.org.au

I noted parts of your Charter and in particular
"Its role include listening to, and responding to, the needs of the
disadvantaged locally and elsewhere, by creating an awareness of unjust
situations, by collaborating with other Church agencies, national and
diocesan, and by working for structural change and possible solutions."

It is with that in mind that I write to you today.

I am in a situation where I am repeatedly forced to go back over my
childhood abuse and that I am not afforded justice or proper care
through the Commission into sexual Abuse as set up by the Archdiocese of
Melbourne.

It was after reading your charter that I felt I should make you aware of
some of the circumstances survivors and victims of clergy abuse are put
through. These appear to be completely devoid of the needs or feeling s
of the victims and survivors and the fact that this is perpetrated by a
system which was established in the name of the Church.

I would like to bring to your attention many of the undesirable aspects
of this process and the re-inflicting of earlier abuses together with a
complete disregard for the personal welfare and well-being of those the
Commission deals with.

I do not wish to begin the task of detailing those things here at this
point in time as the many attempts I have made to obtain a hearing have
fallen on deaf ears and subsequently I await a response from you.

regards

John A Brown

I would be interested in comments in regards clergy abuse and obtaining
justice, healing, closure and compensation for victims of clergy abuse.

I have set up my own site at https://www.tfyqa.biz?ref=1096_130 and have
made an international call for volunteers at
index.php?id=161&ref=1096_130

As you will see there is a lot of pain and anguish in this site, however
I understand that the way to go is through a proper dialogue with those
in the positions of power and responsibility.

I personally have made a number of attempting to get in contact and be
able to communicate with those in the positions of power and
responsibility. (This has been heavily documented and will be published
at a later date together with this attempt to establish a meaningful
dialogue with either the Archdiocese of Melbourne, the Catholic Church
of Australia or its parishioners.).

It was felt and argued that there are many more real Christians in the
congregations of the Church than in the hierarchy and that there should
be an open opportunity for those real Christians to get behind those who
are possibly the most deserving individuals.

Many of those who have been abused and have sought closure and justice
from the structures established by the church are still Christians and
still have a wish to belong to their church. They feel they are
ostracised, ignored and further abused by being left out because their
situation has not been suitably acknowledged or dealt with.

It is for those reasons why the site was set up.

We would appreciate your visit and appreciate your help in obtaining
justice for those who have suffered from spiritual abuse as well.

rgds

John Brown (my real name).