Catholic author Ellen Gable Hrkach’s 2022 release Where Angels Pass offers a sobering exploration of the long-lasting effects of priestly abuse. Written in just three intense weeks, the novel blends fiction with deeply personal experience, drawing from Hrkach’s father’s own journals and her memories of his suffering.
The novel tells its story through two perspectives: Hank Gallagher, a high school student who falls victim to a charismatic but corrupted priest in the 1950s, and Evie, his adult daughter, who uncovers the profound impact of the abuse on her father and family. This painful narrative sheds light on the emotional and spiritual scars left by the clergy scandal—a crisis that has profoundly shaken the Catholic Church for decades.
Hrkach, whose father was a victim of clerical abuse, infuses Where Angels Pass with a deeply personal touch. “It’s been 45 years since my father passed away, but it still feels like yesterday,” she said. “This was an incredibly difficult book to write because I used his articles, essays, and journals, along with my own. It’s a story I lived, and I wanted to give it an honest voice.”
The novel’s haunting portrayal of trauma earned it the 2023 Catholic Media Association award in the educational novel category, placing it at the forefront of conversations surrounding the Church’s ongoing reckoning with clerical abuse. Where Angels Pass arrives at a time when the church is still grappling with the revelations of abuse that emerged globally in the early 1990s and continue to surface today.
A Nuanced Approach to a Sensitive Topic
While Hrkach shares the outrage many Catholics feel toward the abuse scandal, her book approaches the topic with a nuanced perspective. As someone deeply rooted in traditional Catholicism, she emphasizes the importance of distinguishing the institution from the actions of a few individuals. Hrkach believes it is crucial to remind readers that the Church, despite its flaws, remains a source of spiritual guidance for millions, and its sacred teachings should not be dismissed because of the sins of some of its members.
In Where Angels Pass, she portrays the anger and betrayal experienced by the victims, while also addressing the theme of forgiveness. The novel grapples with the tension between rage and healing, as Evie reflects on her struggle to trust again in the wake of her father’s abuse. “It’s my hope that readers will learn that a person’s life, even one marked by suffering, is no less valuable,” Hrkach said.
In an emotional afterword, Hrkach emphasizes the importance of faith and forgiveness, pointing to her father’s unwavering commitment to the Church despite the harm he endured. “Did my father ever leave the Church of his youth? No,” she writes. “I will do the same. My faith is not dependent on the pope, a priest, or any human being. I am Catholic because of the Eucharist, because of Jesus Christ, and because I believe in God’s Word.”
Forgiveness as a Path to Healing
The central theme of Where Angels Pass is not just the pain caused by abuse but the redemptive power of forgiveness. As Evie acknowledges in the novel, forgiveness is essential, even in the face of such profound betrayal. “Jesus wouldn’t have given us a prayer that called us to forgive if it wasn’t essential to do so,” she says.
Through Where Angels Pass, Gable Hrkach offers a profound meditation on the complexities of healing, the power of faith, and the importance of forgiveness. The novel is a timely and poignant reminder of the emotional consequences of the clergy abuse crisis and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
Where Angels Pass is available from Full Quiver Publishing for $14.99.
