Cambridge resident Michael Mack’s dream to become a priest fell apart quickly after a pastor molested him at age 11 in his North Carolina-based hometown.
Decades later, Mack is facing his past demons and delivering an onstage performance that maps his journey from darkness and confusion to rekindling his religious beliefs in his play titled “Conversations with My Molester: A Faith Journey.”
The play opens next week.
“Storytelling is something deeply human and an important way for people to come to healing and connect with the community,” said Mack, a seasoned poet and MIT alumnus.
Before Mack completed the play, he tracked down the clergy member who molested him following the massive unveiling of the sex-abuse scandal within the Archdiocese of Boston.
“I had been imagining all my life having this conversation with him and having Boston be the epicenter of the scandal certainly brought it to my consciousness,” he said.
Mack discovered the priest was living in Worcester in 2005 and decided to confront him.
What happened from there eventually led to a spiritual revival for Mack.
Coinciding with the 10-year anniversary of the Globe’s publication of records documenting the church sex-abuse scandal, Mack plans on inviting clergy members to see the performance.
“In a way, this is my sermon,” he said.
A letter of sorrow
Yesterday, Cardinal Sean O’Malley issued a letter to the community, marking the 10-year anniversary of the sex-abuse scandal and apologized for the “horrendous crimes” that devastated the lives of many.
“As a church, we must continue to express the depth of our sorrow … for how badly we failed those entrusted in our care,” O’Malley said.
Survivor groups like BishopAccountability.orgwere not satisfied with O’Malley’s response and said “nice words don’t protect children and they don’t heal victims.”
Conversations with My Molester
Boston Playwrights Theatre
Jan. 11 through Jan. 22
Tickets- $27
Follow Steve Annear on Twitter @steveannear
