The Murder of Innocence: The Truth about Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church

by Sam Unglo

Overview

Michael Unglo died on May 4, 2010, but his life had begun to slip away from him long before. In 1981, shortly before Michael’s 10th birthday his father died of a heart attack, a great loss that ultimately led to yet another great loss. The loss of innocence.

From the ages of 10 to 14, Michael fell prey to a Catholic priest who exploited the family’s tragedy for his own twisted desires. Child sexual abuse leaves deep emotional scars that are greatly amplified when the perpetrator is a trusted member of society.

Throughout his too short life, Michael struggled to overcome the pain and trauma of his childhood. In 2008 after his first suicide attempt, he finally unveiled the truth about what happened. Unfortunately, it brought him face-toface with another betrayal. The church met Michael’s accusations with self-righteousness, and justice would not be served.

Much needs to change. Michael’s death can be a powerful catalyst for that change. He may be gone but his writing is still here, in the pages of this book.

Michael’s words are his legacy. His brother Sam Unglo’s words are a promise kept — that Michael’s words would someday be published. Well good for all of us that day has finally come. And while the church was the primary culprit, Michael’s story helps us to understand how parents, members of society, and child abuse advocates can make the world safer for the most vulnerable among us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781733245302
Publisher:	Just Be Publishing Co.
Publication date:	12/17/2019
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Sam Unglo is the author of The Murder of Innocence: The Truth about Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church. He is an honors graduate of Cornell University, an accomplished finance executive, keynote speaker, and the CFO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Sam has also devoted himself to honoring the life and memory of his brother Michael R. Unglo, who died tragically in 2010, and after which he founded the Just Be Foundation. The foundation's mission is to end child sex abuse and to raise awareness and advocacy on behalf of child victims. An avid runner and multi-marathoner, Sam has completed 52 marathons covering 48 of the 50 states and at least one marathon per year since 1998. He lives in metro Atlanta with his wife and two children.

Table of Contents

Part One: Michael 1

1 Innocence Shattered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Pretty Traumatic Love—Michael, Autumn 2008 . . . . . 5

3 Meaningful Survival—Michael, January 2009 . . . . . . . 17

4 Trauma—Michael, July 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Part Two: More Than Just Bad Church Leadership 37

5 Michael’s Suicide and My Introductory Thoughts . . . . . 39

6 Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

7 The First Time Michael Tried to Tell, My Mom’s

Complexities, and Family Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

8 Dorsch’s Attempt on Our Oldest Brother, Paul—

but No One Takes Heed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Part Three: The Battle with the catholic church 61

9 Why catholic-Related Words Appear in Lowercase:

Beware of Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

10 The Perpetrator: Richard J. Dorsch. . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

11 Correspondence with the diocese of Pittsburgh

RE: Support of and for Michael. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

12 Lawsuit Filed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Part Four: More on Michael and Me . 125

13. No Turning Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

14. Changing Your Paradigm about Loved Ones . . . . . . 131

15. Homelessness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

16. Michael’s Shame and Fallout from Being Sexually

Abused Ages 10–14 by a Priest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Part Five: Grieving and Evolving . 159

17. My Grieving Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

18. Breaking My Own Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

19. My Sister Frances’s Thoughts on Our Dad,

the church, and Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

20. What I Would Have Done Differently . . . . . . . . . . 215

Part Six: Loose Ends . 219

21. For the Common Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

22. What Survivors of Child Sex Abuse Want . . . . . . . . 223

23. It’s Worth Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

24. Letter to Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

25. Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

26. Some of Michael’s Other Writings . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

27. Closing Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255