Below are several emails and feedback regarding this web site and Saint John’s Abbey’s handling of the issues related to misconduct by members of its community.
“Without your website I believe I’d still be piled under tons of self-blame, guilt, depression, fear, anguish….need I go on? I am emerging to see the light of day, a happier self. I now hope to reach out to help others but I need to go slow, be stronger. You help others to be strong and not alone, to see where the blame really belongs, on the abuser and the institution that is complicit by their cover up and silence and utter deliberate or non-deliberate stupidity.” – April 20, 2011
“I’ll say it simpler. Your website is the only place to get the truth. 100% factual information that tries to connect the dots of what sju has thus far kept as isolated incidents. It’s not your Mission to run sju into the ground, nor the people like me that have been put into harms way, taken advantage of, and lied to. All we want is accountability and to stop the secrecy and deceit. Its not surprising that the abbott deems those basic asks of human rights and decency as “running sju into the ground.” only in a perverse world or a malicious organization is transparency and truth seen as an attack or evil effort against it. All I can do is laugh when I read things like that from the Abbott.” – April 19, 2011
“It is certainly my opinion that had St Johns dealt with this in a real way when many of us asked them to, behindthepinecurtain would not be so threatening. Instead they chose to continue to hide, cover up and run away. I have and will always include the link to the website in any correspondence regarding these matters. It is not my intention to run anyone into the ground, however, I will always speak when asked so that no other person should suffer the horrors of sexual abuse.” – April 19, 2011
“St. John’s is so left of center that they are an anomaly among other Benedictine communities. Their radical theology, dissent from Church teaching, and flamboyant immoral behavior has serious consequences, because they degrade and pull their various missions to the edge with them: the Prep school has lost its way, and has lost many teachers, families, and donors; the seminary is shuttered; the university wants no affiliation whatsoever, and is separating from the Abbey.” – April 19, 2011
“Thank you for creating this web site. Albeit very painful for me to look at “the list” as I was a victim of two men on that list. I received “the letter’ today from St. John’s Abbey which was difficult unto itself. This caused me for the first time ever to google names and your web site came up. I have never formulated these words on paper but do know that being a sentinel for children of the future is so deeply appreciated Patrick.” – April 18, 2011
“Know that I believe what you are doing with Behind the Pine Curtain is both courageous and absolutely imperative to help victims of this form of insidious abuse to realize a semblance of justice.” – March 31, 2011
“I am compelled to thank you. For me to reach out like this and to act beyond fear is a testimony to the enormous healing I have recieved from your action, your website. Expressing my gratitude seems so small, so trite, in relation to what you have given but I thank you from the very depths of my being. You are so courageous and your courage gives so much strength. I am stronger because of you and hope that I too can reach out with courage to help alleviate the suffering of those, whom like me, were the victims of such terrible and horrific violence.” – March 31, 2011
