Luis A. Torres, Jr. Fund

 

Son of immigrants from Puerto Rico, Luis A. Torres, Jr., Esq. grew up in Brooklyn, was the first in his family to achieve a college degree, became a devoted husband and father who settled into life on Staten Island and became an upstanding leader in his community. Luis was a man of profound compassion whose sunny disposition and quick wit uplifted everyone he met.

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September 11, 2001

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Luis’s successful career as an attorney and facilitator of mediated dialogue found him serving in not one but two New York City mayor’s administrations. That is why, on September 11, 2001, he found himself with Mayor Giuliani at Ground Zero. Daily he was present, having boarded the Staten Island ferry not knowing, he recounted later, if he would return to his family each night. In this role, Luis was exposed to carcinogens which led to a rare cancer and an untimely demise.

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An Abuse Survivor and Catholic Leader

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Luis also courageously served in a unique leadership role in the Roman Catholic Church.

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As a survivor of clerical abuse, Luis served faithfully for over two decades on the Independent Review Board of the Diocese of Brooklyn, ending his tenure there only when his illness precluded participation.

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Luis went beyond this emotionally draining role, however. He tirelessly engaged with other survivors, families, clergy and lay faithful, encouraging mutual healing across the Church through the Christian Restorative Justice Initiative which he co-founded with Teresa Pitt Green. The initiative is called Spirit Fire, which serves survivors and their loved ones, with ministry connected to addiction recovery, prisons, and mental illness.

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Luis was a speaker and facilitator in many events to promote healing and recovery, including as one of the organizers of an unprecedented day-of-encounter between bishops and survivors hosted by Spirit Fire and the Catholic University of America in 2019, after which other programs of encounter followed suit.

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A Momentous Speech

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Luis embodied an unflinching belief in the possibility for hope even in the darkest life experiences. When he spoke, he was trusted and heard.

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As a result, he was invited to be one of only two survivors to address the full United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2018. A survivor had not addressed the entire assembly of bishops since 2001 when the Spotlight series had broken the story of systemic abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston. In 2018, the Theodore McCarrick scandal had rattled the Catholic Church yet again. People were seeking some sense of light in darkness. They would not be disappointed in hearing of Luis’s endurance and faith.

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Luis’s story of suffering was also the story of a loving husband and father, and he moved many hearts that day to reconsider how pastoral care was offered to survivors around the country–and world.

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Legacy

 

Many survivors and their families live healthier and safer lives today because they have been helped by Luis’s pastoral counseling, encouragement, and leadership.

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Many Church clergy and leaders have also been helped to gain the insights and courage to engage with survivors and their families in a dialogue which is healing for all participants.

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Spirit Fire, whose vision and work are infused with Luis’s spirit and joyfulness and love, continues to offer care and support to individuals with confidence in the great range of healing impact that follows each individual’s courageous steps toward recovery.

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