R-176 Page 1 of 1
2022
No. R-176. House concurrent resolution honoring the Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage.
(H.C.R.112)
Offered by: Representative Austin of Colchester Whereas, surviving residents of the former St. Joseph’s Orphanage (SJO) in Burlington,
where instances of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse have been documented,
established the Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage, and have engaged in a facilitated restorative inquiry, and Whereas, the Voices of St Joseph’s Orphanage played an important role in the enactment of No. 26 of 2021, “An act relating to repealing the statute of limitations for civil actions based on childhood physical abuse,” and Whereas, the group has engaged in a number of initiatives that promote education and awareness about the abuse that occurred at SJO, including the production of an anthology of writings, a partnership with the Vermont Folklife Center to record oral histories, a collaboration with the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department to create a public space to honor and memorialize the experiences of the children who lived at SJO, the creation of
a traveling timeline exhibition documenting the history of what occurred, and training for service providers on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, as well as on the impacts of childhood trauma, and Whereas, the group continues its mission to hold the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Burlington accountable for the harm that occurred under its oversight of SJO, and Whereas, the Vermont Center for Crime Victims honored the organization with its Survivor/Activist Award, now therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
That the General Assembly honors the Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage and be it further Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
the Voices of St Joseph’s Orphanage.
VT LEG #361402 v.1