Archbishop welcomed to book launch on surviving abuse by predator priest

Archbishop welcomed to book launch on surviving abuse by predator priest

1 June 2022

A NEWCASTLE man preyed upon by a paedophile priest has welcomed the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland to the launch of his courageous memoir on the abuse he endured. 

Archbishop Eamon Martin accepted the invitation by Gerard Gorman to attend the launch of his book, ‘So Young – The Taking of My Life by the Catholic Church’, in Londonderry on Sunday.

A spokesman for the church said the archbishop “believes it important that the stories of survivors are heard and listened to”.

Mr Gorman’s book details the abuse he said he suffered at the hands of Father Malachy Finegan as a  12 year-old first year student at St Colman’s College in Newry.

The publication is described as an account of how he “finally found a voice to tell his story”, after being so traumatised by his experience he was unable to speak of it for decades.

Mr Gorman, who was raised in Newcastle but now lives in Poyntzpass, Co Armagh, penned the book in collaboration with his brother, Damian, an award-winning playwright and poet. 

The memoir is part of the abuse survivor’s effort to lay bare the battle he endured with the Catholic Church to hold the predatory priest to account.

Mr Gorman, who spent most of his working life as a painter and decorator, said: “What I wanted was for Malachy Finegan to be exposed. I felt that the wee boy I had been might be stepping from the darkness, and I needed him to be heard and to be believed.”

So Young is a memoir which finally unleashes the depravity he suffered, and also gives an account of his role in exposing Finegan.

It tells of Mr Gorman’s long and painful battle with the Catholic Church – in and out of the civil courts – to force it to acknowledge the harm done to him and the cover-up that perpetuated Finegan’s abuse. 

Described as brave, moving and open-hearted, So Young is a damning indictment of an institution that continues to stonewall victims, according to reviewers.

Northern Ireland actor Stephen Rea describes the story as “an inspiration for all who have suffered through the malign power of a corrupt institution”.

Chris Moore, the award-winning journalist who broke the Fr Brendan Smyth child abuse scandal, said of the book: “Gerard Gorman’s courageous testimony must be heeded. So Young is a damning indictment of Catholic Church policy which hid criminals from the law.

“So Young is heart-breaking at times, yet uplifting at other moments, as Gerard tries to live normally, but all the while dealing with everyday events that trigger flashbacks to the horrors of his childhood. A harrowing but compelling read, this heroic story will undoubtedly inspire others to come forward and find voice.”