Curt Szajnecki & Helen Wisocki

AUTHORS BIOS 

Helen J. Wisocki was born in Detroit in 1951 and raised in Dearborn, Michigan. She attended Fordson High School in Dearborn where she met Curt J. Szajnecki, both graduating in 1969. Ms. Wisocki's love of writing grew in her senior high school English class where she was given unusual subject matter by her instructor, Mr. James Osterburg. He encouraged her to submit her short stories to magazines. Graduating two years later from Henry Ford Community College with a degree in Business, Ms. Wisocki moved to Los Angeles, working as an administration assistant and technical editor for an architectural firm. The divorced single mother of two has a daughter and a son in Massachusetts. She owns and operates her own retail business in the Newburyport area since 1979.

Curt J. Szajnecki was born in Detroit in 1951 and raised in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. After graduating from Fordson High School, he graduated from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, in 1973 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Physical Education. (Alumni Spotlight) He spent many years in teaching and many more years in sales. The divorced father of four daughters advocates for children and adult victims of clergy misconduct. Reuniting with Ms. Wisocki at their 30th high school class reunion, a spark was ignited. They enjoy a long-distance relationship.

The book, Innocence Betrayed: A Dad's Story of Clergy Misconduct, was written as a labor or love with a hope for healing. We felt that it was such an important story to share with people because it can happen to anyone who's not aware of how a victim is set up. The Innocence Betrayed Workbook will aid a person in trauma or distress right now. It's an interactive companion workbook with questions to answer and thoughts to ponder. Together they tell a powerful story.

Churches need transparency and predatorial clergy need to be held accountable for their actions. Teachers are fingerprinted and have a background check conducted--why not clergy? Maybe the deviants hiding in our churches will keep their hands off more victims if they know that their fingerprints are on file.

There's a need for legislation change. The churches that don't develop and follow their own church rules, should lose their tax-free status. The world is calling for change--we think that changes must be made in our churches.

Writing the sequel to Innocence Betrayed is in the works. Helen is now working with another victim whose uplifting story of love for her husband, family and God will be told as she conquers the devastation of clergy betrayal as well as a series of unfortunate life occurences. Stay tuned for the publication of an anthology of stories and poems of friendship by several authors, of which Helen will submit an entry.

The interview with Joy Singer, Beacon of Hope Ministry, is now online at http://www.beaconofhopeministry.org/SurvivorStories.html

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