In this fourth episode of RfR Stories Australia, we hear Chrissie Foster’s story.
Chrissie was raised Catholic in Australia and was devout throughout her early life and early adulthood.

Chrissies relationship with Catholicism took an incredibly dark turn when, to her and her family’s horror they discovered that two of her daughters had become victims of one of the most famous Catholic child paedophiles in Australian history; ‘Father’ Kevin O’Donnell.
This discovery began a series of tragic events in her and her family’s life that she discusses in this video and in her book Hell On The Way to Heaven.

Due to these events, Chrissie and her late husband Anthony began a journey of lifelong advocacy and activism on behalf of survivors of child sexual assault. Their efforts were part of the reason the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse occurred.

Chrissie has written two books about her experience. In Hell On The Way To Heaven she tells the story of her family’s direct experience and how many tragic events unfolded as a direct consequence of her children’s abuse (along with the inadequate responses by the Catholic church), and in Still Standing she speaks about the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and her activism.

Chrissie is one of the most knowledgeable people in Australia about the phenomenon of child sexual assault in the Catholic church, she remains highly critical of the church’s responses to the phenomenon of sexual abuse and well connected to the survivor community. Chrissie’s story is like a flu vaccine for the immune system of society; the jab hurts for a bit, you might feel a fever for a few hours, but the real thing is far, far worse.

We’re grateful to have been joined by Chrissie for this interview, and send our love and solidarity to her. Chrissie, along with you it was our honour and privilege to “dwell compassionately on old wounds”.