Silent Screams
Poetry Born of Clergy Abuse
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About the Book
The following are unsolicited comments. Only a first name was used and may be a pseudonym for the victim who wrote the comment after reading my poems. This is typical behavior when dealing with survivors.
I want you to carry the warm glow of knowing you done real good there with you all day. Now, get that book out there for all those other people who need it, already. Alexandra!
May I say again, Vinnie, thank you--for your talents and support. I´ve read several of the poems and I must say that I admire anyone who can put into print and art feelings regarding sexual abuse. Garnett
I am grateful that you are able to put into words what I have been having difficulty expressing to the point of tears. I hope that, in sharing your words, it will release others´ suffering. Thanks, Sue
I was surfing and ran across your poetry and artwork. It is so undescribable. I want to say awesome and deep and well written, but that sounds so trivial because of the pain it shelters. I can really relate to the first poem, "Paradox of the Abused." Sheila
DescriptionThe poems in "Silent Screams" have helped survivors on their road to healing. Some of these poems were written to help the author get over his own anger, frustration and pain. Others were written specifically to help survivors he has met on Internet Survivor Sites get over theirs. It was the moving survivor´s responses to these poems that led to the publication of this book. There are two reasons for the existence of Silent Screams: 1. To help survivors and their families on their long arduous road to recovery. 2. To create a permanent record of the pain and suffering of those who have had the misfortune of being sexually abused.
"Silent Screams", Poetry Born of Clergy Abuse is destined to become a permanent witness to the devastating effects of clergy abuse. It takes to task the evil of the priests who purported to dedicate their lives to God and the hypocrisy of the church that protected them. The poetry alternates between riveting satire and a uniquely honest portrayal of the pain and anguish suffered by survivors of clerical sexual abuse. These poems offer no excuses; they make no apologies and take no prisoners when dealing with the Catholic Church and the Clergy Sexual Abuse Scandal. Silent Screams rips open the curtain of silence surrounding survivors thereby exposing their deep wounds and terrible suffering. The poetry exudes gut wrenching emotion as it deals with the anger generated by pain, the devastating impact of the survivor´s suffering and its effects on victims and their families. There is compassion and tenderness for the victims and an ample dose of contempt for those who would cover-up the crimes committed by priests. Through his poetry, Nauheimer offers a unique insight into the emotional upheaval caused by clerical sexual abuse. He has put that pain into words for all to witness. One poem will shine a spotlight on a tortured soul while another will let you experience the heartbreaking lament of a parent over their child´s suffering and the next will upbraid the church in focused satirical rhyme rarely seen. Powerful emotions are stirred whether the author is firing a canon loaded with satire against the church or allowing the reader to glimpse the incredible anguish experienced by the tortured soul called a survivor. Either way, this poetry will move you.
This is must read for survivors of clergy abuse, their families, and friends. It should be mandatory for all clergy and it is certainly a worthwhile read for anyone with more than a passing interest in the effects of clerical sexual abuse.
About the Author
Vinnie Nauheimer has written extensively on the subject of Clergy Abuse. He has written numerous poems, short stories, a play “The Predator Wore a Collar” and his book of poetry, Silent Screams, Poetry Born of Clergy Abuse, has helped many survivors along their path to healing. The cover illustrations of both Silent Screams and Epistles on Clergy Abuse are original oil paintings created by the author. He and his family were successful in their efforts to have an offending priest defrocked several years after filing their lawsuit. Nauheimer believes that the true culprits of the Clergy Sexual Abuse Scandal, the current hierarchy of the Catholic Church, have not yet been held accountable for their part in the rape, sodomization and molestation of thousands of children. This book chronicles his attempts to call the hierarchy to account for their arrogance, failures, and their total disregard for the health and welfare of the innocent children placed in their trust. Through his letters, he offers both a uniquely intimate and historical perspective of the clergy abuse scandal. His writing started in 1997 after being viciously and publicly attacked by the New York Archdiocese for having the audacity to file a lawsuit when his complaints against one of their priests went unanswered. The journey is an eye-opener as he comes to grip with the realization that the Clergy Abuse Scandal is not about individual priests, but rather about the broader, deeper and more destructive evil that plagues the hierarchy of the United States and the church they run. Follow his journey in letters as he graduates from an individual effort against the NY Archdiocese to the broader more insidious church wide issues of the clergy abuse scandal. These are his letters to the hierarchy, to the editor, and to the people he holds in the highest regard, the survivors of clergy abuse. These letters will elicit sympathy, anger, frustration and tears. They document a journey no person should ever have taken, but once on the road, Nauheimer never looked back.