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A member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston since she was a teen (technically not a nun, since she was not cloistered), Sr. Mulkerrin worked for the poor, and campaigned against nuclear proliferation. In the early 1990s Mulkerrin worked for the Archdiocese of Boston -- in its office for victims of abuse. Over a two-year period she received reports about more than 100 priests in the Archdiocese that had molested children. She repeatedly brought the most credible reports to the attention of her superiors -- and was ignored. "I know I sound like a broken record," she wrote in one memo, "but we need to put in church bulletins 'It has come to our attention a priest stationed here between 19XX and 19XX may have molested children.'" But Bishop John B. McCormack, who was in charge of ministerial personnel and an aide to Cardinal Bernard F. Law, never acted. Sr. Mulkerrin's warnings came to light when the scandal exploded in 2002, leading to billions of dollars in lawsuits being filed against the Roman Catholic Church, most particularly in the Boston Archdiocese. Her warnings to the church were brought to light when the lawsuits were filed. When it became clear that Cardinal Law had been repeatedly warned about the problem priests, yet did nothing, he resigned as archbishop. Sr. Mulkerrin also spent six years as the leader of her order. She had cancer for 24 years before it finally killed her on May 17, at 72. From This is True for 18 May 2008 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Georges Bernanos List Price: $15.95 Amazon Price: $11.65 Editorial Review: In this classic Catholic novel, Bernanos movingly recounts the life of a young French country priest who grows to understand his provincial parish while learning spiritual humility himself. Awarded the Grand Prix for Literature by the Academie Francaise, The Diary of a Country Priest was adapted into an acclaimed film by Robert Bresson. "A book of the utmost sensitiveness and compassion...it is a work of deep, subtle and singularly encompassing art." ? New York Times Book Review (front page)An idealistic young Catholic priest in an isolated French village keeps a diary describing the unheroic suffering and the petty internal conflicts of his parish. This may sound like a thin plot for a novel, but Diary of a Country Priest, by George Bernanos, remains one of the 20th century's most vivid evocations of saintly life. First published in 1937, Bernanos's Diary describes a faithful man's experience of failure. In his diary, the priest records feelings of inferiority and sadness that he cannot express to his parishioners. And as he approaches death, from cancer, the priest's saintliness remains unclear to him, but becomes undeniable to the reader. "How easy it is to hate oneself! True grace is to forget. Yet if pride could die in us, the supreme grace would be to love oneself in all simplicity--as one would love any one of those who themselves have suffered and loved in Christ." --Michael Joseph Gross  By: Walter J. CiszekDaniel L. Flaherty List Price: $16.95 Amazon Price: $11.53 Editorial Review: Father Walter Ciszek, S.J., author of the best-selling He Leadeth Me, tells here the gripping, astounding story of his twenty-three years in Russian prison camps in Siberia, how he was falsely imprisoned as an "American spy", the incredible rigors of daily life as a prisoner, and his extraordinary faith in God and commitment to his priestly vows and vocation. He said Mass under cover, in constant danger of death. He heard confession of hundreds who could have betrayed him; he aided spiritually many who could have gained by exposing him. This is a remarkable story of personal experience. It would be difficult to write fiction that could honestly portray the heroic patience, endurance, fortitude and complete trust in God lived by Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J.  By: Joseph Cardinal Bernardin List Price: $12.95 Amazon Price: $10.36 Editorial Review: Joseph Cardinal Bernardin's gentle leadership throughout his life of ministerial service had made him an internationally beloved figure, but the words he left behind about his final journey would change the lives of many more people from all faiths, from all backgrounds, and from all over the world. In the last two months of his life, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin made it his ultimate mission to share his personal reflections and insights as a legacy to those he left behind. The Gift of Peace reveals the Cardinal's spiritual growth amid a string of traumatic events: a false accusation of sexual abuse; reconciliation a year later with his accuser, who had earlier recanted the charges; a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and surgery; the return of cancer, now in his liver; his decision to discontinue chemotherapy and live his remaining days as fully as possible. In these pages, Bernardin tells his story openly and honestly, and shares the profound peace he came to at the end of his life. He accepted his peace as a gift from God, and he in turn now shares that gift with the world.  By: Gereon Karl GoldmannGereron Goldmann List Price: $16.95 Amazon Price: $11.53 Editorial Review: We had to do it. We had to reprint this book. Rarely has a book had such an impact on so many of us here at Ignatius Press. It is one of the most powerful and moving books we have come across. If you can only buy one book this season, this must be the one. Here is the astonishing true story of the harrowing experiences of a young German seminarian drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS at the onset of World War II. Without betraying his Christian ideals, against all odds, and in the face of Evil, Gereon Goldmann was able to complete his priestly training, be ordained, and secretly minister to German Catholic soldiers and innocent civilian victims caught up in the horrors of war. How it all came to pass will astound you. Father Goldmann tells of his own incredible experiences of the trials of war, his many escapes from almost certain death, and the diabolical persecution that he and his fellow Catholic soldiers encountered on account of their faith. What emerges is an extraordinary witness to the workings of Divine Providence and the undying power of love, prayer, faith, and sacrifice. Illustrated  By: Dennis G. Michno List Price: $35.00 Amazon Price: $23.10 Editorial Review: A Priest's Handbook explains the appropriate use of vestments, color, altar preparation, as well as gestures and movements during the various services. It also explores the particular prayer and liturgical options for the Holy Eucharist, Holy Week, Baptism, and other events in the Church's calendar. Sections on the use of the lectionary and the daily Offices make this handbook truly comprehensive. |
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