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We are pleased to announce the launch of our Philadelphia archdiocesan
archive. The first installment comprises 195 pages from the file of
convicted former priest Edward Avery. Each month we will post additional
documents, until by year-end the entire 5,780-page collection will be
online.
These documents, which became public when they were entered into evidence at the 2012
trial of
Msgr. William J. Lynn and
Rev. James J. Brennan,
offer a rich sample of the archdiocesan files that formed the basis of
the work of three Philadelphia grand juries. Those men and women were
impaneled under
District Attorneys Lynne Abraham and
Seth Williams, and the reports that they produced in
2003,
2005, and
2011 are the gold standard of investigative work on the Catholic abuse crisis in the United States.
The
2005 Philadelphia Grand Jury Report
in particular is remarkably comprehensive, dealing in an integrated and
forceful way with aspects of the crisis that are too often examined in
isolation. The abuse itself is described in harrowing and meticulous
detail. But the report also studies the mismanagement of the crisis and
the cover-up of the abuse, and it clearly explains the holes in current
secular law that sometimes make it difficult or impossible to punish
abusers and enablers. In a remarkable
essay for the National Catholic Reporter,
Michael Newall shows the level of engagement that this work required,
and the toll that it took. Lastly, the 2005 report demonstrates that the
abuse crisis cannot be understood without drawing on many sources of
information – long conversations with survivors, and work with priests
who are willing to help, and hundreds of hours spent in the archives,
poring over assignment histories, memos, letters, and intake reports.
It is that kind of reading and immersion that we invite
you to do in this archive. Reading these documents will be difficult,
but you will gain from the experience a deep understanding of the
culture within which the abuse was done and kept secret. You will emerge
with a haunting sense of the harm for which the abusers and enablers
are responsible, and the courage of the survivors and their families and
loved ones.
The Avery file was posted to the internet on January 22,
2013. Improvements to the presentation of the Avery file will continue
for several days, and the most recent updates and changes to the
Philadelphia Archive will be noted here. If you'd like to receive
announcements when we add priest files to this archive, please
subscribe to our Monitor newsletter, which will be sent twice a month.
We have redacted the name of the Avery survivor whose
story is partly told in these documents, as well as the names of his
family members and friends. We have also redacted the names of Avery's
family members. If you notice a missed redaction or a name or detail
that you believe should be redacted, please
email us,
putting Philadelphia Archive in the subject line, and we will correct
and improve the archive accordingly. We welcome your general feedback
too.
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The Avery file is presented in the chronological order of
the exhibits as they were introduced at the Lynn trial. Sometimes a
single exhibit includes several documents. The table that you see was created by the prosecutors. We have converted it to web format, and
linked it to the documents, exhibit by exhibit, using the C-1, C-2, etc.
exhibit numbers.