Abuse of Power and Trust

I am troubled by more worldwide reports of abuse cases involving priests. 

Does it make you wonder though if their sickness was already present and they chose this vocation or profession because of opportunities to abuse while in a position of power?  Do not forget that we have seen reports of abuse by teachers and other professions. 

Yes, the novel leans towards the suggestion that priests should be allowed to marry.  Who knows if that would have prevented the actions by some sick individuals. Would they have eventually abused their own children? 

The Year of the Rabbit is loosely based on my experiences growing up in the Catholic Church in a small town and questioning the rules at many turns (but apparently not as spicey and humorous as those by Jenny McCarthy).  It is not intended to insult or show disrespect but demonstrate a growing need for change as was seen in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  

Yes, I am a Lapsed Catholic.  

Yes, I believe in a woman's right to make choices for her body, her reproductive system.  
 

I knew some interesting priests in my early years.  One who performed the wedding ceremony for one of my family members eventually left the church and got married.  

 

I wanted people to see Father Gio as a lovable, trustworthy character - a human male.  He regrets not acting sooner to prevent abuse in the small town where he served and questions his future in the Church. 

 

Let us not judge Gio for his moment of weakness, a brief encounter with a married woman in 1962.  If he didn't have that night of passion, we would not have gotten to know Sera, to watch her grow and cope through difficult times.  Was it fate or just coincidence?

 

 

Excerpts featuring Father Giovanni Vinoletti:

1. Gio Meets Sera  (An excerpt from Chapter 1 where Father Giovanni Vinoletti meets Sera Fletcher, his newly discovered, biological daughter)
2. Parish Picnic  (A priest's joy and shame. A child's innocent view on life after death)
3. The Red Hare  (Traditions, community and home)
4. Zodiacs and the Bible (A continuation of Gio and Sera's debate at the Red Hare) 
5. Sudden Loss (Halloween night - Sera loses her friend and Gio regrets not acting sooner)   
6. A child is born  (Birth, joy, teen pregnancy)
7. Wine (The results of patience and loving care) 

 

You will grow to love Gio.  I have.   

• Enjoy comments from readers
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Thanks for dropping by and reading this far.  Comments are welcome!

 

T

 

Your Mother may approve

Last year around this time, I offered a post on feminine archetypes. 

In The Year of the Rabbit, a novel about fate, family and forgiveness readers will encounter a few motherly characters:

• Marie Fletcher was a caring mother figure despite her struggles with mental health issues and a deep, dark secret;
• Margaret MacDonald experienced deep guilt and regret that she did not prevent the abuse of her daughter;
  
• Jenny Young struggled with supporting her pregnant teen and understanding her husband's disappointment;
• Amy Young became a teenage mother who learned how to be responsible with the help of her own family and friends;
• Gio's mom was the typical doting mother and eventually an exuberant grandmother.

Mother's Day is coming Sunday, May 13th. I hope you've already thought of a gift for your Mom.  She may enjoy reading The Year of the Rabbit if she doesn't mind a few references to teen sex, infidelity and murder. 

You can feel confident that you have purchased her an environmentally responsible gift by getting the Ebook for only 99 cents.  This offer is good until midnight May 13th.  

If your mother has already left this earthly domain, please accept my condolences.  Perhaps you may relate to young Sera Fletcher as she realizes the impending death of her own mother.   That scene brought tears to my eyes while writing the novel, recalling emotions felt when I lost my own mother many years ago.

Thanks for visiting,

T

 

A Good Father

So, Father’s Day is coming up on June 19th.  This event has been low-key in our household for the past seven years.  There has been no attempt at a replacement. 

I can imagine how it must feel for some families to celebrate Mother’s Day or Father’s Day in a home divided or where one parent has passed away. 

In the novel The Year of the Rabbit, we are introduced to Matthew Fletcher, father of Sera and her older siblings.  Only a handful of people had been aware of Sera’s true paternity.   After Marie passes away, her hidden letter of confession reaches Matthew via an unlikely  messenger.

I like to think of Matthew Fletcher as an ideal husband and a good father.  He was gentle and loving with his children.  He was forgiving of his wife’s wild behaviour.  He performed honest work as a carpenter and cabinet maker.   He also reached out to others in his community.  I think I wrote about my ideal man o_O.

His son Daniel on the other hand, helped to make baby Harry but conveniently disappeared from the scene after he was born.  Sure, he sent money to help support his child financially but he chose not to return to Seguin Sound or marry Amy.  She as well was not eager to marry him.  She had found another lover.  Harry was about to be raised in a non-traditional family.

I’m posting this well in advance to Father’s Day because of a technology article I came across a couple of days ago.   For Father’s Day 2011, GeekDad is asking you to join them as a willing participant in the Disconnect to Reconnect Campaign. The event is being promoted by author Phil Cooke, who is challenging dads across the country to disconnect your digital devices for 24 hours and reconnect with your family.

Since the novel takes place in the early 1970s, I think that’s a great idea.  No Internet.  No cell phones, web sites, Twitter or Facebook.  Just make sure you have read this post before Sunday.  Share it with others.  Make a comment. 

To all the good fathers out there, have a wonderful Fathers’ Day.  Enjoy your time with your family. 

10-10-10 is a big wedding weekend

Here's wishing good luck, health, happiness and perfection to people getting married today!

Numbers mean perfection in some cultures, and that means weddings
CBC News
Last Updated: Friday, October 8, 2010 | 2:49 PM ET

"Wedding chapels, churches and banquet halls around the world are booked solid this weekend as couples look to the numbers 10-10-10 in search of wedding perfection.

10-10-10 may be a perfect wedding date, unless you're still trying to rent a limo.  Many have planned for Sunday — Oct. 10, 2010 — years in advance.  "

Full story:  http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/10/08/con-wedding-weekend.html