Forgiving the Catholic Church

Bill Christman had always been an affectionate and confident child, but when he entered first grade he began to be plagued with anxieties and fears. From the moment he awoke, his mind was filled with a single thought: Something bad is going to happen. Over time, he found release in rage and became a serious behavioral problem. By high school, he was getting drunk, fighting all the time, in trouble with the law and, eventually, homeless. He began to seriously consider ending his life.

In despair, Bill begged God for help. He began attending Alcoholics Anonymous, became sober and got his life on track, but the feeling that he was somehow defective remained. It wasn't until 2002 that Bill began to understand the source of his shame and fear. When Bill's father died when he was six, a Catholic priest had offered to be a father figure for him and his older brother. Now, memories long repressed of how that priest had sexually abused him began to come to the surface.

Forgiving the Catholic Church tells the account of Bill's incredible journey. It is a story not only of the tragic effects of his abuse but also how he was able to overcome his circumstances and, with the help of others, forgive the priest who had abused him. It is also a story of how God reached into his life at his lowest points and lifted him up-just as He does with each of us today.