Standing up for people traumatized

I am the youngest child of Maryetta Dussourd, and I am writing to address the matter of St. Andrew’s Church’s place in history [JP Gazette, Sept. 21] in my own opinion. I believe my mother has a very good reason for wanting the church to serve as a shrine in honor of all those who have unfortunately had to experience the trauma of all the inappropriate behavior of the church and church personnel.

Many people think by closing St. Andrew’s the matter will just be put to rest. But with the church and its history gone, how could that possibly solve anything if the truth is hidden? I honestly believe that if people respect and care for each other they should be able to understand why it is so important to people truly affected by this to allow this church to be a monument to give answers to so many of us who have questions. This church, out of all the churches being closed, could be the realization for many out there who do not accept the truth of all this chaos.

It is understandable that some people may not want the church to be a shrine. Maybe they were so hurt by all this that they want it to just all go away. Maybe seeing the church itself causes them pain. But look at the good it can become. Let’s take this negative and turn it into a positive.

I may be considered just another Dussourd family member who will not let this go. I don’t care. I am not a person who will stay in the shadows and allow bad things to go on. I would rather have people hate me for protesting against the church abuse than have them love me for turning my back on the truth and allowing others to be hurt.

My mother has been fighting to have the truth exposed so strongly with so many other survivors, and to take it away from them as the Catholic Church has taken away so much from the individual churches, such as sacred art objects, would be just wrong. What has the world come to if those dear to us become targets for the church to destroy as it has taken away joy, trust, innocence, even love and religion, from so many hit by this horror?

I am one of many who have been a witness to the pain and suffering and betrayal the events around St. Andrew’s inflicted upon people close to them. I, for one, will always stand up for them. Now I am going to stop here because I am in too much pain.

Alicia Doussourd
Jamaica Plain

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