Like Williams, many of the removed priests struggle to provide for themselves, said Joe Maher, who started a defense fund for accused priests called Opus Bono Sacerdotii, which means "Work for the Good of the Priesthood." "I think that we have to do a much better job of taking care of our own.".
When a priest calls, Maher said the first thing he and his staffers do is listen. They assess whether the priest needs immediate legal help. They also make sure the priest has necessities such as food and shelter. And they try to evaluate the caller's physical, spiritual and psychological health.