esrosedotblog

SENTENCE

They gave Shanley 12-15 years:
Ex-Priest Shanley Sentenced for Rape of Boy.

We knew him, sort of. He was a friend of a friend who owned the inn where we stayed and we spent time with him. He was on vacation at the same time we were. Later, when he lived and worked in San Bernardino we would see him occasionally. That is where they sent him to get him out of Boston when the diocese caught him. There he is with his protector Bernie Law who got canned and sent to Rome.

He was openly gay and always had young, too young, men around him; actually teen agers, under 18. They were punks usually; street kids hanging around with the street priest. Great cover. It is who he used to work with. There was no doubt that they were also hustlers as they were more than comfortable being around a gay inn and playing the part with the other guests.

I haven't written about it at all as there is not much to say. But today, seeing the picture of him in cuffs and leg irons and all, there seems to be a finish on an itch that has lasted a long time.

When I am around stuff that is not OK and don't say or do anything about it there is a soul twinge. I doubt there is a thing I could have said or done at the time that would have mattered. The die was cast long ago. These were not little kids in catechism class. The guys he was with knew which way the wind was blowing. Yet, putting it out there is better than giving it a wink and a nod or, in a way worse, ignoring it entirely.

We did quit going to our friend's inn though and then quit seeing the friend. There were other factors. We never saw Shanley again.