[maryz]

At this point, I am very tired of it all -- and especially of lawyers, and I'm more inclined to retire to the desert and spend my remaining years in prayer and penance for the world. (Not much available desert in Southie, though; the beach would be ok in the winter, but it's not really conducive to prayer and/or penance in warmer weather.)

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

I'm NOT all that fond of these large legal settlements particularly when the "victim" cooperated willingly in sexual relationships with the offending clergy. Have police departments or public school systems or the U.S. Army been forced to pay such settlements? However, it might be useful to force church diocesan officials to make sure that when they send people to staff a parish or a school that those people are believing, faithful Catholics. That has not always been done in the past - KNOWINGLY. They knew some of these types did not follow the church's teachings on sexual morality.

[american colleen]

At this point, I am very tired of it all -- and especially of lawyers, and I'm more inclined to retire to the desert and spend my remaining years in prayer and penance for the world.

I'm with you! A few months ago I quit the archdiocese and found a priest who actually teaches the faith, says a beautiful and holy Mass and who is unabashedly Catholic and not afraid to say the word "Catholic" during the homily. My kids are the better for it and they see the difference from out old parish home. If it were just me, I would have stayed in my parish but I could see my kids drifting away slowly, especially my son. Since this priest only has a local hospital ministry, I kind of do feel like we are out in the desert!