I describe myself as a — kind of — acknowledged survivor.

Why the qualifier?

Because, while the Archdiocese of St. Louis has privately — kind of — admitted It Happened, they publicly continue to run a...

• Smear Campaign

...against me.

Despite the Pope's VOS ESTIS.

Acknowledged. Kind of.

While the Archdiocese of St. Louis has privately acknowledged what happened to me, they won't do so publicly.

And worse.

Instead, and despite informing Archbishop Carlson of the Archdiocese of St. Louis twice of what the Archdiocese of St. Louis is doing to me, which I call the...

• Abuse of the Abused

...and asking him to end it, they continue to pubicly discredit me.

Despite the Pope's new motu propio Vos estis lux mundi.

Privately

In terms of what the Archdiocese of St. Louis has admitted privately to me, while they did so amidst a bunch of lies...

February 5, 2018

Hi Chris,

I wanted to respond to you on behalf of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

You chose to litigate your claims of sexual abuse by Rev. Leroy Valentine. Your claims were acknowledged by Deacon Phil Hengen, the Archdiocese of Saint Louis and the court system. This matter has been fully settled through litigation and is final. Because your claim has been fully settled and is final the Archdiocese of Saint Louis will not be responding to any further inquiries regarding these claims. Please know that you and all victims of abuse are in my prayers and I do hope that you are able to find peace in the future. I wish you the best.

Sandra Price
Archdiocese of St. Louis

...Sandra Price of ArchStL has admitted my essential truth.

Your claims were acknowledged...Please know that you and all victims of abuse...

Sandra Price
Archdiocese of St. Louis

It happened.

Or did it?

Kind Of

Why do I say my abuse was privately acknowledged?

Kind of.

Note the hedging in the acknolwedgement.

Your claims were acknowledged...Please know that you and all victims of abuse...

Sandra Price
Archdiocese of St. Louis

The use of the word "acknowledged" and not "admitted."

The use of the word "claims" and not "experiences," much less "abuse."

"Your claims were acknowledged" is lawyer-speak.

And of Satan.

Publicly

In terms of what the Archdiocese of St. Louis has told the PEOPLE of St. Louis, things are quite a bit different. That's consequential because it affects how the Catholics of St. Louis treat me. The problem is, inn the piece by Aisha Sultan entitled Priest Sex Abuse Survivor Says Trauma Lingers in which I went public, Gabe Jones of the Archdiocese of St. Louis said the following...

…when asked to comment on O’Leary’s account, “The archdiocese’s record of Mr. O’Leary’s allegations are significantly different; however, due to a court order as well as our own ethical obligation, we are not at liberty to discuss Mr. O’Leary’s case.” Jones also said the information O’Leary shared initially changed multiple times by the time he broke off communication with the Office of Child and Youth Protection.

So which is it?

Were my claims acknowledged and I'm a victim of abuse as Sandra Price of ArchStL says or am I a liar whose story changed multiple times as Gabe Jones of ArchStL said?

Tacitly

Although the Archdiocese of St. Louis won't publicly acknowledge that I'm a survivor, they haven't — well, not to my knowledge — disputed that I met with Archbishop Robert Carlson on March 26, 2019 to discuss my experiences, a meeting ArchStL only grants if they believe you were in fact abused.