Father Ferguson and the Cover Up { TIGGERS
Tom\'s Story [Tiggers}
Above is the link to my story part one for those who haven't read it
Below is my story part 2.
Writing this has been realy good for me to put some prospective on the cover up. Some people said I was brave for telling on Father Ryan. The reality is that I couldn't just walk away from being an altar boy without everyone asking why. Thanks Tom
Father Ferguson and the Cover Up
Little Did Tom know that he couldnt just walk away from being an Altar Boy with out people asking questions? "Why arent you serving mass any more?" Everyone wanted to know. Tom would just reply "I am not going to be an Altar Boy ever again." People would ask why, but Tom wouldnt answer.
After a few weeks Tom finally broke down and told his 5th grade nun what Father Ryan did to him.
"I hope you can find the courage to tell on Father?" The nun said.
"Tom, you can stop it from happening to the other boys."
Tom sat in the back of the room crying.
" How could I ever stand up against Father Ryan?" Tom asked,
"God will help you" The nun replied.
Tom knew his teacher was right, how could he not tell. Tom didnt want this happening to the other boys. Tom told his story to the principal so that she could bring it to, "Higher Powers." Tom never knew what she meant by that, but thought the police would be talking to him soon.
Instead of the police coming to talk with Tom, it was Father Ferguson. Father would come out to the playground during recess and take Tom aside to talk with him about what Father Ryan did to him. Tom felt unconformable talking about this in the corner of the playground where the other kids could see them.
"I believe you Tom, but if you go to the police then everyone will know what Father Ryan did too you." " You dont want all the girls to know what he did," Father Ferguson said. Tom always trusted Father Ferguson and got to know him from the times Tom served mass with him.
"We could bring this to the church board Tom, and then the boys and girls wouldnt know anything. I believe you, Tom and will stand up for you in front of the church board."
"I got to think about this Father," Tom said. "I should talk with my Dad." All the kids wanted to know what Tom and Father where talking about, but Tom didnt say anything.
Toms Grandpa Nick was the head cop in Lakeville so surely Tom could tell the police in Hastings and they would believe him.
" Ya, I am going to tell the police and they will deal with Father Ryan,"
Tom said to himself as he walked home from school.
That evening Tom talked with his dad about what he should do. "I dont know if the police will do anything to Father Ryan." Dad said. " Why not?" Tom asked "Tom I believe you, but you are just a kid and lots of people will think that Father would never abuse you like he did"
Tom was very confused, how could they not believe him? At least Tom had the cleaning lady on his side; she would surly tell the truth.
Father Ferguson wanted an answer from Tom the next day. "Are you going to let the church board deal with this?" he asked. "I think the police should deal with it" Tom said.
"Your better think about this Thomas" Father said as he walked away.
It was a week before Father Ferguson came back out to the playground to talk with Tom. Tom hated the way father would always talk to him at recess with all the kids looking on. No one could hear them but they could see Tom and Father arguing. This day the discussion got very heated and everyone could see Tom was mad at Father Ferguson. Tom started walking to the other side of school where the kids couldnt see them because he was starting to cry.
"Tom you can trust me! I will stand up for you but you must let the church board deal with this. If you take it to the police I cant help you." Father told Tom.
" OK, we can let the church board deal with Father Ryan," Tom replied.
Tom trusted Father Ferguson and thought he would tell the truth. School was over for the summer that week and Tom was able to forget about Father Ryan raping him for a few weeks. It was August before a meeting was set up with the church board.
Tom was very nervous when he walked down to the school with his Dad that evening.
"Just tell the truth Tom, that is all you can do" Dad told Tom as they entered the school.
Tom and his dad were told to wait outside the room as all the grownups began the meeting. It was 15 minutes before Tom was called into the room.
"Tom you must take the oath."
"What oath?" Tom asked.
" The oath of observing the secret of what is said."
Tom repeated the oath as he put his hand on the cross.
"Tell us what happened Tom" The head lady said.
Tom told the truth about how Father Ryan raped him. How Father told him that God wanted Tom to do this for Father. Tom told them about how he tried to stop Father Ryan and how the cleaning lady heard Toms crys and started yelling at Father to stop. Tom told them how Father crushed his testicles in an effort to silence him. Tom told them about how the cleaning lady came downstairs and pounded on the door.
"Stop it father. Stop it, he doesnt want to do it!" She said
Tom told them about how he was able to escape when Father went to the door to talk to the cleaning lady.
"Thank you Tom, you can wait out side now" he was told when he got done, with his story.
"Why cant I be in here when you talk to Father Ryan?" Tom asked
"We dont do things that way," Tom was told.
Tom and his dad waited out in the hallway for a long time before they were called back into the room. "Tom we find your story unbelievable." Tom couldnt understand how they could say that. "What about the cleaning lady, what did she have to say and what about the other altar boys?" "Did you talk with them?" Tom asked.
"Tom we have made our finding and are done here, now you can leave. We are not going to talk about this any more." The head lady said.
Tom became very angry at what this group of grownups did to him. Tom trusted these people to do the right thing and all they did was cover up Father Ryans evil act.
"Guess that I will have to go to the police now," Tom yelled as he started to walk out of the room. "Thomas, remember that you took the oath and we can excommunicate you if you talk to anyone about this." Tom was boiling over with anger and rage as he left the room.
A man that Tom trusted came up to him in the hallway after the meeting. They walked away from the others so no one could over hear them.
"Tom I believe you and know that you told the truth. I hope you understand, I just cant do anything."
Tom didnt understand. This felt worst then being raped by Father Ryan, Tom trusted these grownups to do the right thing and all they did was cover-up for Father. Tom didnt know what "excommunicate" meant but he felt trapped with nowhere to go.
"How could they not believe me?" Tom thought.
Tom knew he needed help to deal with all the feelings boiling over inside him, but no one would reach out to help the 11- year old boy. This was the beginning of a lifetime of anger and rage that Tom would have to deal with.
[Edited to get like working] Tom
Above is the link to my story part one for those who haven't read it
Below is my story part 2.
Writing this has been realy good for me to put some prospective on the cover up. Some people said I was brave for telling on Father Ryan. The reality is that I couldn't just walk away from being an altar boy without everyone asking why. Thanks Tom
Father Ferguson and the Cover Up
Little Did Tom know that he couldnt just walk away from being an Altar Boy with out people asking questions? "Why arent you serving mass any more?" Everyone wanted to know. Tom would just reply "I am not going to be an Altar Boy ever again." People would ask why, but Tom wouldnt answer.
After a few weeks Tom finally broke down and told his 5th grade nun what Father Ryan did to him.
"I hope you can find the courage to tell on Father?" The nun said.
"Tom, you can stop it from happening to the other boys."
Tom sat in the back of the room crying.
" How could I ever stand up against Father Ryan?" Tom asked,
"God will help you" The nun replied.
Tom knew his teacher was right, how could he not tell. Tom didnt want this happening to the other boys. Tom told his story to the principal so that she could bring it to, "Higher Powers." Tom never knew what she meant by that, but thought the police would be talking to him soon.
Instead of the police coming to talk with Tom, it was Father Ferguson. Father would come out to the playground during recess and take Tom aside to talk with him about what Father Ryan did to him. Tom felt unconformable talking about this in the corner of the playground where the other kids could see them.
"I believe you Tom, but if you go to the police then everyone will know what Father Ryan did too you." " You dont want all the girls to know what he did," Father Ferguson said. Tom always trusted Father Ferguson and got to know him from the times Tom served mass with him.
"We could bring this to the church board Tom, and then the boys and girls wouldnt know anything. I believe you, Tom and will stand up for you in front of the church board."
"I got to think about this Father," Tom said. "I should talk with my Dad." All the kids wanted to know what Tom and Father where talking about, but Tom didnt say anything.
Toms Grandpa Nick was the head cop in Lakeville so surely Tom could tell the police in Hastings and they would believe him.
" Ya, I am going to tell the police and they will deal with Father Ryan,"
Tom said to himself as he walked home from school.
That evening Tom talked with his dad about what he should do. "I dont know if the police will do anything to Father Ryan." Dad said. " Why not?" Tom asked "Tom I believe you, but you are just a kid and lots of people will think that Father would never abuse you like he did"
Tom was very confused, how could they not believe him? At least Tom had the cleaning lady on his side; she would surly tell the truth.
Father Ferguson wanted an answer from Tom the next day. "Are you going to let the church board deal with this?" he asked. "I think the police should deal with it" Tom said.
"Your better think about this Thomas" Father said as he walked away.
It was a week before Father Ferguson came back out to the playground to talk with Tom. Tom hated the way father would always talk to him at recess with all the kids looking on. No one could hear them but they could see Tom and Father arguing. This day the discussion got very heated and everyone could see Tom was mad at Father Ferguson. Tom started walking to the other side of school where the kids couldnt see them because he was starting to cry.
"Tom you can trust me! I will stand up for you but you must let the church board deal with this. If you take it to the police I cant help you." Father told Tom.
" OK, we can let the church board deal with Father Ryan," Tom replied.
Tom trusted Father Ferguson and thought he would tell the truth. School was over for the summer that week and Tom was able to forget about Father Ryan raping him for a few weeks. It was August before a meeting was set up with the church board.
Tom was very nervous when he walked down to the school with his Dad that evening.
"Just tell the truth Tom, that is all you can do" Dad told Tom as they entered the school.
Tom and his dad were told to wait outside the room as all the grownups began the meeting. It was 15 minutes before Tom was called into the room.
"Tom you must take the oath."
"What oath?" Tom asked.
" The oath of observing the secret of what is said."
Tom repeated the oath as he put his hand on the cross.
"Tell us what happened Tom" The head lady said.
Tom told the truth about how Father Ryan raped him. How Father told him that God wanted Tom to do this for Father. Tom told them about how he tried to stop Father Ryan and how the cleaning lady heard Toms crys and started yelling at Father to stop. Tom told them how Father crushed his testicles in an effort to silence him. Tom told them about how the cleaning lady came downstairs and pounded on the door.
"Stop it father. Stop it, he doesnt want to do it!" She said
Tom told them about how he was able to escape when Father went to the door to talk to the cleaning lady.
"Thank you Tom, you can wait out side now" he was told when he got done, with his story.
"Why cant I be in here when you talk to Father Ryan?" Tom asked
"We dont do things that way," Tom was told.
Tom and his dad waited out in the hallway for a long time before they were called back into the room. "Tom we find your story unbelievable." Tom couldnt understand how they could say that. "What about the cleaning lady, what did she have to say and what about the other altar boys?" "Did you talk with them?" Tom asked.
"Tom we have made our finding and are done here, now you can leave. We are not going to talk about this any more." The head lady said.
Tom became very angry at what this group of grownups did to him. Tom trusted these people to do the right thing and all they did was cover up Father Ryans evil act.
"Guess that I will have to go to the police now," Tom yelled as he started to walk out of the room. "Thomas, remember that you took the oath and we can excommunicate you if you talk to anyone about this." Tom was boiling over with anger and rage as he left the room.
A man that Tom trusted came up to him in the hallway after the meeting. They walked away from the others so no one could over hear them.
"Tom I believe you and know that you told the truth. I hope you understand, I just cant do anything."
Tom didnt understand. This felt worst then being raped by Father Ryan, Tom trusted these grownups to do the right thing and all they did was cover-up for Father. Tom didnt know what "excommunicate" meant but he felt trapped with nowhere to go.
"How could they not believe me?" Tom thought.
Tom knew he needed help to deal with all the feelings boiling over inside him, but no one would reach out to help the 11- year old boy. This was the beginning of a lifetime of anger and rage that Tom would have to deal with.
[Edited to get like working] Tom