Manly & Stewart News

Ex-monk's long journey finds him investigating abusive priests

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- In bright sunlight, Patrick Wall walked in darkness.

Lost in the secular world.

After 11 years as a Benedictine monk -- six as a priest -- he had renounced his vows and left St. John's Abbey.

Disheartened by sexually abusive monks, restricted by rigid superiors and convinced his vow of celibacy would fail, Wall finally won his freedom from the Rule of Benedict.

It was the scariest possible outcome for a man who once considered the abbey his life. At St. John's, everything was provided: food, clothing, health care, cars. Now he had none of those.

His training was in La...