If NBC’s TODAY Show can ask the question, “Where in the world is Matt Lauer,” why can’t the National Survivor Advocates Coalition ask a similar question? Where in the world is Bob Hoatson? Right now, he is in New Jersey.

I was beginning to think that my trip to Ireland, cancelled twice already, was not meant to be. Two nights ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with intense pain in my left foot. I had just finished cleaning the outside windows on the house and turning over the dirt in the gardens. I was feeling fine. I went to bed thinking I would sleep like a baby. Not to be, however. Yesterday, I led a media event in Allentown, PA, and the foot still hurt but wasn’t too bad. When I returned to New Jersey yesterday afternoon, I was in agony with pain. All I could think of was, “Oh, no, not another cancellation of the Ireland trip. It can’t be!”

While I was driving myself to the emergency room of the local hospital, I passed the office of my podiatrist, so I phoned him. It was about 5:30 PM. He happened to be there. He told me to come right in. Within minutes, he diagnosed “gout.” I said, “Gout?” What the heck am I doing with gout? I don’t drink and I certainly don’t eat “rich” foods. He said it could be from my kidney disease. He gave me a cortisone shot since I can’t take anti-inflammatory drugs because of my kidney disease. The needle was about six inches long and it went directly into my foot. I got relief immediately. So, here I am, my trip to Ireland (and Scotland) rescued, and I fly out of Newark Liberty Airport tomorrow (Friday) evening.

I will be in Dublin from Saturday, May 29th to Wednesday, June 2nd. Early in the morning of June 3rd, I fly to Edinburgh, Scotland where I will meet a priest who is in a similar situation as I. He was abused by a priest as a minor and went public with his abuse. The bishop of his Archdiocese is treating him poorly, and a good priest friend of his who was abused as a child by a priest, hanged himself in the rectory of his parish. Steve Gilhooley phoned me a few weeks ago looking for some help and guidance. He wrote a book that was published, “The Pyjama Parade,” which I am reading currently, and it concerns the dysfunction and abuse he found as a young high school seminarian in a religious order. I will spend a day and half in Scotland with Steve and other “victims,” and return to Dublin for a Saturday morning flight back to Newark on June 5. I think I will present a certificate to Steve too! He sure has been in the forefront of reform in Scotland’s Roman Catholic Church, having written several columns in local newspapers about the mistreatment of women in the Church, clergy sexual abuse, and other topics.

As you can tell, this trip will be a whirlwind of activity. Being of Scottish descent, it will be great to visit the homeland of the “Hoatson” and “Campbell” clans from Dalbeattie and Paisley. But, there will be much work to do. I have already scheduled a number of events in Dublin and am awaiting word from a number of individuals and organizations about meeting so I can present them with certificates of honor. Yesterday, I heard from Patsy Mc Garry of the Irish Times, and he and I will be breaking bread together in Dublin sometime during the weekend. I will also be meeting with Naomi Mc Elroy of Dublin’s Sunday Tribune. She may finish a story she was writing about the work of “Road to Recovery.” In addition, I am thrilled to be meeting and presenting certificates to:

1) Andrew Madden – regarded as the “very first” Irish male survivor to go public and file charges because of his abuse. I recently read Andrew’s book, “Altar Boy,” and I encourage you to read it as well.
2) Marie Collins – regarded as the “very first” Irish female survivor to go public, Marie and I have been in constant communication. Unfortunately, Marie will be on “holiday” when I am in Dublin, but I will make sure she receives her certificate of honor.
3) John Barrett – leader of the organization “South East Survivors Association,” John will meet me in Dublin on Saturday, shortly after I arrive at Dublin Airport. John’s organization is based in Wexford near the Diocese of Ferns, where the notorious Fr. Sean Fortune abused many children.
4) Maeve Lewis – director of “One in Four,” an agency that provides counseling and support to survivors. Maeve and I will meet at her office early in the week.
5) Christine Buckley – the Aislinn Centre, an agency that provides counseling and support to survivors. Christine has yet to finalize details regarding our meeting.
6) Bryan Mc Guire – one of the leaders of Voice of the Faithful, Ireland. Bryan and his wife are taking me to lunch at the Alexander Hotel where we will talk about supporting survivors and thanking VOTF Ireland for its courageous stance to “support survivors” as its number one goal. Thanks to the founder of VOTF-Ireland, Sean O’Connell, for facilitating my visit with the Mc Guires, and I wish Sean a speedy recovery at his home in Northern Ireland.
7) Colm O’Gorman – founding director of “One in Four,” Colm now leads “Amnesty International” in Dublin. I will stop by Amnesty International on the banks of the River Liffey and present Colm with his certificate.
8) Judge Yvonne Murphy and Judge Sean Ryan – I have the addresses of these brave jurists and will go to their offices to present their certificates.
9) John Kelly – leader of SOCA (Survivors of Child Abuse – Ireland), the largest group of survivors in the country. John and I will meet at his Dublin home to “celebrate” and discuss supporting survivors.
10) FAOISEAMH – an organization that supports survivors. I am working on stopping by their offices to present them with a certificate.
11) Right of Peace – an organization founded by Michael O’Brien, former mayor of the town of Clonmel and survivor of abuse. I am awaiting word as to how I can get to see Michael.

There is only one disconcerting matter that has arisen concerning my trip. I have written at least three times to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and asked to see him to present a certificate to him. No response! I even asked Marie Collins to help me with facilitating a meeting with the Archbishop and she gave me an email address for his secretary. She was pretty sure I would get a response. I emailed Martin’s secretary and guess what? No response. Why should we be surprised by this reaction from the Church? It is much of the same. What it tells me is that not even Archbishop Martin can shed completely the vestiges of clericalism. One would think that he would want to meet me even for a minute so I could present a certificate of honor and appreciation for his courageous stands regarding clergy sexual abuse. I am thinking that because I am a priest not in good standing in my archdiocese, Martin has refused even to respond to my letters. That tells me that the evil of clericalism abounds even in the Archbishop of Dublin who uses strong verbiage and platitudes but really doesn’t believe what he says about reform of the Church. Consequently, I am going to find him after Mass at the Cathedral or in his offices at Drumcondra, and deliver the certificate, peacefully and respectfully, hoping that we can educate the Archbishop about “what Jesus would do.” One would think he would make himself available simply from a public relations (photo-op) standpoint and then, when it was over, he could throw the certificate in the garbage and forget about me and NSAC. But not even a positive overture by victims and their advocates could penetrate that “clerical vault” that causes hierarchs to be elusive and untrustworthy. He couldn’t even think of the image of the Church and how much good this could do, which proves to me that the clerical culture is much more evil than originally thought.

(look for daily reports from Ireland and Scotland as Bob helps NSAC connect internationally with other clergy abuse survivor organizations)