Programs & Projects

The Silence

Off the west coast of Alaska, in a remote and unforgiving place, is the tiny village of Saint Michael. Yup’ik Alaskans have thrived there for centuries. Forty years ago that all changed when the Catholic Church began quietly sending its pedophile priests to remote regions of Alaska. The church denies this, but the staggering number of cases supports the claim. In Saint Michael, nearly all the boys and girls in the village were molested by Jesuit priests and deacons. In this film, three people—Ben, Packy and Rena—come forward and share their stories.

Tom Curran
Produced by
Tom Curran
Los Angeles, CA
Total CPB Investment
$100,000
Made possible by CPB's
Television Programming: Native American Public Telecommunications Subgrant