O'Connor was joined by her attorney, Mitch Garabedian, and survivor advocates Bob Hoatson and Jim Faluszczak. In addition to O'Connor's private push for change in the diocese, the three men have publicly put pressure on Diocesan leaders for several months.
"Her voice has given voice to the voiceless. So many victims now know even in much more stronger terms that they are not alone, that they are heard," Jim Faluszczak said of O'Connor's decision to leak documents to 7 Eyewitness News Chief Investigator Charlie Specht.
O'Connor revealed her identity publicly for the first time this past weekend, appearing both on '60 Minutes' and on 7 Eyewitness News. She had been a confidential source for Charlie Specht's ongoing investigation into the sexual abuse crisis and its cover-up in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo for months leading up to these appearances.
O'Connor obtained the documents she shared while working as a personal secretary for Bishop Malone.
She chose to share the documents after seeing how the Diocese responded to a wave of allegations from sexual abuse survivors.
O'Connor, who said she has provided information to the FBI, said she takes no pleasure in coming forward with details of a cover-up by the men she once respected.
Internal documents the bishop's former secretary show Malone let at least two Priests remain in ministry despite allegations of sexual misconduct.
Church documents also show there are more than 100 accused Priests and not the 42 originally stated by Bishop Malone.
In response, the Diocese released a statement that said they are planning to release information in the coming days "that will add perspective to the stories."
"For now, we simply observe that the material reported in the stories was incomplete, out of context and in some cases plainly inaccurate," it said.
Bishop Malone has stated further that he plans to remain as Bishop of the Diocese until he retires in 2021. How the Bishop thinks this it is possible that he will have any effective and relevant ministry within the Diocese after these revelations is beyond understanding.
Bishop Malone needs to do the right and honorable act of submitting his resignation to Pope Francis begging its immediate acceptance and the promise that Malone will retire into a life of penance and prayer.
And yet another Diocese in the United States is devastated in the wake of these endless revelations of serial homosexual assaults of young males by Catholic Clergy!
If. as Pope Francis laments, the Church is being persecuted these days, it's not by those who bring evidence of criminal misdeeds and malfeasance against Bishops who are the devils, but the Bishops and homosexual predatory Clergy themselves.
What shameful and sad times for our beloved Church seemingly devoid of Bishops of decency and honesty.
How long, O Lord, how long?
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