The Sack Cloth Penance Patch is a two inch square frayed brown burlap patch with a brown ribbon in the center worn by Catholics to express penance, sorrow, and apology for clergy abuse, and to let survivors know that we Catholics are praying for them.

The Sack Cloth Penance Patch was designed by Ann Czuba,  a parishioner at Madeleine Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon.  Ann came to the idea through prayer.  Then she wrote to Archbishop Vlazny and received his blessing for her efforts.

  “Whenever I read about the people who were abused by our priests, I get the feeling that they think that we don’t care.  I think we need to somehow give them a sign that we are sorry for what they have lost, and that we are asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness.”

  “In reading the story of Jonah at Nineva, it struck me that the king ordered his whole kingdom to wear sack cloth and ashes as a sign to God that they were sorry for their sins.”

  “Just so we, as a church, need to atone for the sins of these priests and to let the victims know that we care about their pain.”

  --Ann Czuba in her letter to Archbishop Vlazny on March 23, 2007

To see Ann’s complete letter ckick here.

Contact:

Ann Czuba:  e-mail qaczubas@msn.com

Fr. Armando Lopez: St. Bonifaces Friary

                                 133 Golden Gate Avenue

                                 San Francisco, California

                                 ph: 415-863-0111

                                 fax:  415-863-7602

Virginia Jones: compassion500@aol.com

Why Do We Do This?

Many survivors of clergy abuse do not feel cared for, supported, or believed by other Catholics.  Few survivors have reconciled with the Church.  Those who remain in the Church are often silent out of fear of what other Catholics will think about them.

Many survivors may feel that the Sack Cloth Penance Patch is too symbolic.  The Penance Patch is not the answer to all problems suffered by survivors.  It is merely one step in the process of healing and reconciliation.  Compassionate Gathering hopes that the patch will start a conversation within the Catholic Church and between survivors and other Catholics

“When I see a person wearing the patch, I see someone who is willing to share the pain survivors carry and to participate in the healing work of the Church family.  I see someone who is “safe”, a person who will not re-traumatize or re-abuse the survivor.”

  --Elizabeth Goeke, survivor of clergy abuse and Compassionate Gathering           cofounder

“The Penance Patch represents a call to do penance for myself and for my Franciscan community for the abuse committed by some of the Friars.  It is also a wake up call to the larger community of the Catholic Church to become aware of the need to pray for survivors and do penance for the abuse.  We ask the Lord to change our hearts to bring healing and reconciliation between those who feel pain and those who inflicted pain.”

  --Fr. Armando Lopez, OFM and former pastor of Ascension Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon

“This penance by the Catholic Church for clergy abuse has been a long time coming.”

  --family member of a survivor

“I think it's a wonderful idea, especially for priests to wear such a symbol -- all year. Survivors have not heard many words of compassion from priests. Priests still tend to be defensive and worried more about what the scandal has done to their morale.  Very sad. It would be a small sign that priests haven't forgotten the hurts that their brothers have inflicted on survivors.”

  --Msgr. Kenneth Lasch, former pastor St. Joseph’s Catholic Church,              Mendham, New Jersey, Voice of the Faithful Priest of Integrity, 2007.

When:  We wear this Sack Cloth Penance Patch during Lent because Lent is a spiritual season for making apology and amends to those from whom we are estranged. Some Catholics choose to wear this patch year round.

Where:

Madeleine Parish:  Ann Czuba gave out more than out 500 Sack Cloth Penance Patches during the 2008 Lenten season.  More than 800 Patches were handed out this year.

Ascension Parish:  Virginia Jones handed out more than 200 Sack Cloth Penance Patches during the 2008 Lenten season.  More than 300 Patches were handed out this year.

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