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Two religious sisters in Kentucky spoke to NPR about their plans to start the first order dedicated to ministering the victims and survivors of clergy abuse.
Sister Theresa Aletheia and Sister Danielle Lussier with the Sisters of the Little Way of Beauty, Truth and Goodness in Lexington, Kentucky, are starting the order to help those who have suffered abuse in the Catholic Church, whether that “be emotional, financial, spiritual, or sexual,” they told NPR reporters. This would be the first order of its kind.
The two are beginning this journey after leaving the Daughters of St. Paul in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2022. Their reason for leaving: clergy sexual abuse. A priest who had been a spiritual director at the order was accused of sexually assaulting one of their sisters and, they suspected, he had also been allegedly grooming them for abuse.
“So how do we help the people in church be aware of these patterns without going through the experience of being hurt?” Aletheia said.
There are approximately 2,000 communities of religious sisters and nuns worldwide within the Catholic Church, NPR reported. An exact number, however, is hard to know for sure. The Sisters of the Little Way are the only ones dedicated to serving those who have suffered such abuse but Sisters Aletheia and Lussier are looking to expand those services through the creation of the new order.
For centuries, NPR reported, where there has been disaster, war, famine, or other devastations, religious sisters have been there to serve people.
“What we’re seeing here is really just a modern manifestation of that, a group of women who recognize a need in the church and want to dedicate their lives to fulfilling it,” University of Notre Dame historian Kathleen Cummings told reporters. “And to not do that part-time, to make that their entire life.”
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partner is a Florida-based personal injury law firm with decades of experience representing the victims and survivors of sexual abuse. Throughout these cases, the firm has held schools, churches, summer camps, hotels, and other corporations accountable for their negligence. Our skilled trial attorneys have been privileged to represent the victims and survivors of sexual assault and other violent crimes, working diligently to secure the best possible outcome in every case.
Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, and Tral Attorney Carlos Fabano represented four adults who were sexually abused as children by a school and church official. While years had passed since the incident took place, the toll of the abuse that our clients suffered at the hands of someone they trusted, who their parents trusted, to protect them continued to plague them. Holding the perpetrator and those who knew or should have known of what was occurring accountable, was one step toward healing for our clients.
Leesfield & Partners has maintained a longstanding commitment to supporting victims and survivors both in and out of the courtroom. Through The Leesfield Family Foundation, the firm has supported organizations dedicated to providing essential services to the victims and survivors of physical, mental, and sexual abuse.
In five decades of service, our attorneys have learned of the long-lasting impacts that sexual abuse has on victims and survivors. While not at the hands of clergy, the firm has several ongoing cases involving sexual assaults and negligent security.
Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Evan Robinson are representing a young girl and her family after the child was sexually assaulted at a Miami Beach hotel pool.
“At just 11 years old, her sense of safety, security, and trust in the world have been shattered,” Mr. Shapiro said when filing the lawsuit.
Mr. Shapiro is representing a woman who was left traumatized after a worker at a luxury Florida hotel leered at her while she was in her hotel room’s private shower.
Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Attorney at the firm, is representing a woman who was left traumatized after it was discovered that an employee with the cruise ship she was traveling on had planted hidden cameras in her room and the room of other passengers. Many of the victims who were filmed without their knowledge included children.
This employee was sentenced to 30 years in prison for creating child sex abuse material.
That case is ongoing.
Previous Cases
Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Robinson recently obtained a confidential settlement in a sexual assault case.
Mr. Shapiro secured a $16 million settlement for a couple who were brutally attacked while staying as guests at a hotel. The assailant in that case viciously beat both victims. He also raped and sexually assaulted the wife.
Despite the hotel’s known history of violent incidents, management had disregarded repeated recommendations from both law enforcement and a private security firm to employ armed security personnel.
On the day of the incident, the attacker gained unrestricted access to the hotel due to the absence of basic safety measures, such as functioning locks or keycard-secured elevators. He went up to the couple’s floor, where he launched a violent assault—first attacking the husband, then brutally beating and raping the wife. Disturbingly, hotel staff and on-site security witnessed parts of the attack but failed to intervene.
Previously, the firm secured $8.6 million for a camper at a well-known Florida summer camp. A camp counselor in that case was later found to have been sexually abusing our minor client. The camp ignored clear warning signs, to the detriment of the child they were entrusted to protect.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys previously secured a confidential settlement for a child who was flying as an unaccompanied minor on an airline and meant to be under the care of flight officials. During the flight, the child was sexually abused by another passenger.
In a case involving multiple students who were sexually abused by a teacher at a prestigious Florida high school, the victims and survivors were paid multi-million-dollar reparations thanks to the work of Leesfield & Partners.
The firm represented a Canadian cruise ship passenger who was attacked and raped in her private cabin by a crew member. This crew member used his employee keycard to enter the woman’s room. A multi-million-dollar recover was obtained for the woman in that case.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, you are not alone. Help can be found by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
Call Leesfield & Partners today at 305-854-4900 to see if you may be eligible to make a claim.
