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I first met Fr. Harris the summer before I started at the Prep. I admit it was a little intimidating. I was introduced to him by my parish priest at a summer camp that hosted kids for the month of July. He told me I would enjoy my time at the Prep but not to bother looking him up because he didn't speak to Freshman. I took this as a challenge. I didn't care that he towered over me or outweighed me. I think that took him by surprise. I admired the way he treated people no matter the stage in life. Yes, he has a sharp wit at times with a biting sense of humor but the only thing he ever wanted was that we all give the best effort in everything we tried.
I know more than most the "tough love" approach. In my Junior year, my Dad died. To this day, that was the hardest thing I've dealt with. Wally was there for me . He stood by me as I mourned my Dad's passing. He got me to refocus my mind as I was destroying all I had achieved at the Prep. My overall interest in everything I was doing was gone. I didn't care about school, sports or life. Those who knew me back then can attest to the fact that my world revolved around the Prep. Wally Harris was not only my teacher, he was and still is a friend in the truest sense of the word. From that time to this day, Wally has been my closest friend, confidant and advisor. My relationship with Wally has grown as I have grown. He had stood by me as I contemplated priesthood and ultimately decided that this vocation was not what God had planned for me to do. He never lost faith in me even when I lost mine. He brought me back to my faith and re-introduced me to God with love and simple honesty.
This is why I know these charges against him are FALSE. THE MAN I KNOW, LOVE AND RESPECT WOULD NEVER HARM A CHILD. IT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING HE HAS TAUGHT ME AND WHAT HE BELIEVES IN. I pray everyday that this nightmare for him ends soon. I don't understand the motives of these men making these allegations, but know this, I will do whatever is necessary to clear his good name. Pray that they find the courage to right this wrong. Pray that the Church acts quickly and doesn't drag her feet. A man's life and reputation is at stake. I've known Wally 28 great years. He is my brother in every sense of the word. He has told me that trust in GOD helps him deal with this situation. I believe and trust what he tells me to be the Truth Church politics should play no part in this. Let's hope all parties concerned remember we need the truth.
Brendan Haugh
I know more than most the "tough love" approach. In my Junior year, my Dad died. To this day, that was the hardest thing I've dealt with. Wally was there for me . He stood by me as I mourned my Dad's passing. He got me to refocus my mind as I was destroying all I had achieved at the Prep. My overall interest in everything I was doing was gone. I didn't care about school, sports or life. Those who knew me back then can attest to the fact that my world revolved around the Prep. Wally Harris was not only my teacher, he was and still is a friend in the truest sense of the word. From that time to this day, Wally has been my closest friend, confidant and advisor. My relationship with Wally has grown as I have grown. He had stood by me as I contemplated priesthood and ultimately decided that this vocation was not what God had planned for me to do. He never lost faith in me even when I lost mine. He brought me back to my faith and re-introduced me to God with love and simple honesty.
This is why I know these charges against him are FALSE. THE MAN I KNOW, LOVE AND RESPECT WOULD NEVER HARM A CHILD. IT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING HE HAS TAUGHT ME AND WHAT HE BELIEVES IN. I pray everyday that this nightmare for him ends soon. I don't understand the motives of these men making these allegations, but know this, I will do whatever is necessary to clear his good name. Pray that they find the courage to right this wrong. Pray that the Church acts quickly and doesn't drag her feet. A man's life and reputation is at stake. I've known Wally 28 great years. He is my brother in every sense of the word. He has told me that trust in GOD helps him deal with this situation. I believe and trust what he tells me to be the Truth Church politics should play no part in this. Let's hope all parties concerned remember we need the truth.
Brendan Haugh
Cathedral Prep Seminary - Class of 1986
1 comment:
As stunned as I was when this story broke, I realized it just had no, and I mean NO validity to it.
For those of you who haven't known Msgr. Harris, let's look at it from a logical standpoint: Over his decades at Cathedral Prep, with access to so many hundreds of young men like myself in our formative years, there was not, to the best of my knowledge from ANY student ANY doubt as to his character. Even back in the early 80s when I was there, as stories of abuse began to make their way into the news, I feel I can speak for a multitude of students that we would have in NO WAY EVER felt uncomfortable around Msgr. Harris.
For those us us fortunate to have experienced Msgr. Harris as a teacher or priest, I can tell you scores of anecdotes, moments of inspiration and experiences even 25years after I graduated. At a recent Alumni Association gathering, he remembered all of our names and greeted us warmly...even though God knows how many students passed through his classes. I recall his Comparative Religion course, soaking it in, not only from the text, but from Msgr. Harris' lectures from memory. I remember attending his masses, and even though in his sermons he was addressing an auditorium or chapel full of students and faculty, I ALWAYS felt as if every word was spoken directly at me alone. I sat in his prayer group for two years, and can recall the students sitting in his office, and hearing him share what he had in his heart, not as a priest or faculty member, but as one of us...just one of the guys who shared out time at 555 West End Avenue.
My heart truly goes out to the true victims of such horrific tragedies, but I would bet my life on Msgr. Harris' absolute and complete innocence.
As I said, myself and the other members of the Class of 1983 just had our 25th anniversary. I'm sure as more years pass and we celebrate further anniversaries, and we turn into older gray haired men, we'll get together at these functions. Someone will no doubt recall some memory of Msgr. Harris and we will look back and smile, happy to recall the memory, and happier to have been there as students when it happened.
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