Memorial to abuse survivors takes shape near long-closed orphanage

By Jack Thurston

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    BURLINGTON, Vermont (WPTZ) — A memorial archway is taking shape in Burlington as a tribute to people who endured abuse at a long-closed Catholic orphanage.

“The idea is really to create a portal, to walk through something and to change your frame of mind and kind of contemplate as you enter through the portal,” said artist Clay Mohrman, who is leading the creation of the arch next to the community gardens in Kieslich Park on North Avenue.

More than 13,000 children came through St. Joseph’s Orphanage from its founding in the 1850s through its closure in the mid-1970s, according to the group St. Joseph’s Orphanage Restorative Inquiry. In recent years, former residents have come forward saying they experienced horrible neglect and abuse at the hands of the religious order that used to run the facility.

While authorities said they could not file criminal charges resulting from the reports, there has been a renewed focus on recognizing the suffering and on helping individuals find healing.

Mohrman and helpers have been bending black locust trees harvested from the property and positioning them on a metal frame. The artist said the arch is meant to resemble roots that manage to grow in difficult places, symbolizing strength and resilience in the face of adversity.

“The response has been so positive,” Mohrman said in an interview Tuesday with NBC5 News. “People walk this path every day and it’s just been so incredible to see people be excited about the portal to what people call ‘the Enchanted Forest’ here. It’s been really fun to hear how excited people are for this new addition.”

NBC5 News has been closely following the progress on the memorial arch, from when the metal frame for it was delivered to a subsequent volunteer day attended by survivors who spent time at the orphanage as children.

Mohrman said a dedication is planned in early September for the memorial to people who suffered abuse at the defunct orphanage.

The artist explained there is infrastructure work underway now in another part of Kieslich Park. Mohrman said when that is complete, the current plan is to move the memorial arch to be in line with the former St. Joseph’s property.

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