Deliver Us from Evil

It was merely a few years ago, in 2002, when the headlines of every newspaper and the top stories of every news broadcast revolved around the countless claims of molestations at the hands of priest in the Catholic Church. At the center of the stories was Cardinal Bernard Law, Archbishop of the Diocese of Boston, where these claims first came to light, and as if the horrific nature of the allegations weren't enough it was subsequently revealed that as Law became aware of the victims accounts he would move priests from parish to parish, orchestrating a massive cover up. In Amy Berg's startling documentary Deliver us from Evil, we learn that though Cardinal Law's actions made the front page, he is not the first to have protected the perpetrators and the Church before helping the victims.

At first glance, Oliver O'Grady seems like your average nice guy. A pleasant and jolly Irishman with an outgoing disposition and a welcoming smile. Perhaps it was those very characteristics that endeared him to members of the parishes he worked at in Northern California through the 1970s and 80s where his cycle of molestation, pedophilia and rape unfolded.

Bob and Maria Jyono were a recently wed and hard working couple, he Japanese and she Irish, who settled in Lodi, California. There they started a family, purchased a home, and joined the local church. Born in Ireland, the young woman was thrilled to meet a fellow countryman at her church: Father O'Grady. He was seen as a joyful and pious man, and quickly became a friend of the Jyono family and a frequent dinner guest. Soon those weekly meals became overnight stays, and father O'Grady became more part of the daily family than occasional houseguest. Unbeknownst to Bob and Maria, when Father Ollie wasn't praying he was sexually abusing their young daughter Anne, a nightmare that lasted nearly 10 years for the young girl. Anne, now 40, is certain that the reason she hasn't married or had children, stems from the scars left behind by those years of terror.

Though the documentary features only two other victims, Nancy Sloan and Adam M, there have been more than 30 individuals who have come forward as having been abused by O'Grady. Nancy, was a young girl, the daughter of an Argentinean mother brought up to respect and revere the church and its representatives; who thought that Father Ollie was a good influence on her daughter, and who didn't think much of it when he'd pick her up for small road trips to neighboring parishes. The sad, startling truth is that the abuse would begin just shortly after the car was put into drive.

O'Grady's actions weren't limited to just girls; as male survivors have stepped forward with their accounts and charges, Among them is Adam, a young and good looking guy in his 20's, who is still haunted and angered by the memories of what happened to him as a child.

Aside from the first hand stories of the children, now adults, that O'Grady had wronged we witness video taped deposition testimony from Cardinal Roger Mahoney, now Archbishop of Los Angeles and Monsignor Cain, the vicar of Stockton. As they speak, we learn not only of their negligence but see the pattern of moving the accused priest from parish to parish, across different cities and away from the problems.

We also hear from a slew of experts including a clergy abuse psychologist, one of the victims' attorneys, police investigators as well as theologian Pat Wall and Canon Law expert Father Tom Doyle.

Undoubtedly the most riveting testimony comes from O'Grady himself, through his recorded depositions and through interviews with the filmmaker, O'Grady narrates his experiences and thoughts, and allows us to enter the mind of a predator. The clich?, a wolf in sheep's clothing, seem to come to mind.

The toughest moments came not from the abuse victims, O'Grady or the church official; the most heart wrenching scenes involved Bob Jyono, the father of Anne. Jyono is heartbroken, enraged, and ultimately blames himself. It is impossible to watch him being interviewed without being moved by his love and unjustified guilt. His candid commentary exemplifies how tragedy can affect a family and how abuse leaves behind more victims than solely those directly attacked.

At the end of the film it becomes obvious why many are leaving the Church, distraught with conflicts of faith which are only further complicated by untrustworthy clergymen and the Church's hierarchy (what some have called the religious mafia). Deliver us From Evil is a remarkable work of documentary filmmaking, completely meritorious of its nomination for the Academy Award.