Always Forward
with
Fr. John Bambrick, V.F.
In the Gospel of Matthew (13:45-46) Jesus uses the image of a pearl, one of great price. The Pearl of Great price is valuable but it did not start out that way. The Mollusk encountered a trauma it could not remove and thus began to coat the irritant over many years. This trauma was outwardly changed into a beautiful pearl of great price, yet at its core the trauma remains, forever encapsulated; the core is ugly but the result is beautiful. This can be an image of the trauma of Clergy Sexual Abuse for the Survivor. The Book of Revelation describes Heaven’s Twelve gates being made of pearl (Rev. 21:21), the very entry to paradise is through the trauma at the heart of the pearl. This talk will reflect on the pain, price, purpose, advocacy, human and spiritual aspects of Clergy Sexual Abuse from the experiences of a Priest Survivor.
The Very Rev. John P. Bambrick, V.F. was ordained for the Diocese of Trenton in 1991. His Undergraduate Degree in Christian Tradition/Theology is from the University of Scranton and he holds graduate Degrees from Seton Hall University and the Bartley School of Business at Villanova University. He has Certificates in Leadership from the Catholic Leadership Institute. He has done continuing education studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He has served in Parish and School settings for 35 years. He is a Survivor of Clergy Child Sexual Abuse and has done advocacy on behalf of those sexually abused by Priests for four decades. He was the first NJ State Director for the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), the first Legislative Director for SNAP in New Jersey, Link-up, Survivor Connections, Jordon’s Crossing and Catholic Whistleblowers . He testified at the 2001 USCCB Meeting on Sexual Abuse of Minors by the Clergy in Dallas, Texas. He worked with Kathleen McChesney of the USCCB Office of Child Protection on a number of Initiatives post Dallas. He has served on the Boards of the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, The New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA) and The New Jersey Coalition Against Child Assault (NJCAP). He has done commentary on the Sexual Abuse of Minors by the Clergy for all the major Broadcast and Print Media Outlets across the Country including NBC Universal, CBS, CNN, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Milwaukee Sentinel Journal, Boston Globe and many more. He has spoken on the issue of Clergy Sexual Abuse to Dioceses, Universities, Parishes and Various Organizations over the last 40 years. He currently is Pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Jackson, New Jersey and Dean of Northern Ocean County Deanery.
WHEN
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Doors open at 11:00–connect with other attendees!
Buffet Opens at 11:30 a.m.
Program Concludes at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE
Center for Pastoral Leadership
28700 Euclid Avenue (map)
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092
Register here
