Forgive Me, Father: A True Story of a Priest, a Nun, and Brutal Murder

by John Glatt

Father Gerald Robinson was a pillar of his Toledo, Ohio church-going community. A popular priest, he was especially admired in the city’s Polish neighborhoods for delivering powerful sermons in Polish. In later years, Father Robinson ministered to the sick, and eventually ended up serving as chaplain at Mercy Hospital—where met Sister Margaret Ann Pahl. Sister Margaret, age 72, was well-loved at Mercy. When, in the hospital’s sacristy, she was found dead with numerous stab wounds to her neck, chest, and head—in the pattern of a cross—no one could believe Who at Mercy could have committed such evil? For years, there was no answer…even though questions about the chaplain’s dark past continued to arise. Finally, in 2004, cold-case detectives announced that Father Gerald Robinson, who presided at Sister Margaret’s own funeral, was convicted with her murder.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

302 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 5, 2008

About the author

English-born John Glatt is the author of Golden Boy Lost and Found, Secrets in the Cellar, Playing with Fire, and many other bestselling books of true crime. He has more than 30 years of experience as an investigative journalist in England and America. Glatt left school at 16 and worked a variety of jobs—including tea boy and messenger—before joining a small weekly newspaper. He freelanced at several English newspapers, then in 1981 moved to New York, where he joined the staff for News Limited and freelanced for publications including Newsweek and the New York Post. His first book, a biography of Bill Graham, was published in 1981, and he published For I Have Sinned, his first book of true crime, in 1998. He has appeared on television and radio programs all over the world, including ABC- 20/20Dateline NBC, Fox News, Current Affair, BBC World, and A&E Biography. He and his wife Gail divide their time between New York City, the Catskill Mountains and London.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/johnglatt

Reviews

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been reading this book over the last few days (I should say evenings). It is going slowly because I read till I am getting tired then I turn of the light and pick up my kindle voyage (they have in built lighting which is so handy)

Anyway I find it an interesting story and I find myself constantly picking my mobile to research stuff. Like I hardly knew how popes were chosen or why the last pope had quit. Right now I am at the trial part. To be honest I am not a big believer that the accusations of satanic ritual abuse are true. The accusers think it is the truth but I've read a book where I noticed that the therapist in that book helped those memories to "surface". And low and behold. All of a sudden half of his patients had repressed being abused by satanists.
Also in most cases there is no evidence. That to me is weird in itself.

WellI have not yet finished this book but I am definitely going to read a bit more about the above mentioned subject.

One thing I was shocked to discover though is that it seems to me when priests or pastors or whatever the name is commit crimes their religion leaders are able to protect them.
Meaning if a victim accuses for instance a priest of incest if they do not go to the police that priest will just be sent away to another town which reminds me of another true crime book I have read where the same happened. When there were too many complains that person was just sent to another church and was able to make other victims.
Organised Religion. ...I am not a fan and I am roman catholic. I was baptized as a child and I lived reading about God but alas religion is still being used to control women, islamist and mormons come to mind and as we see even children are fair game to be put in danger apparently by church and co.

[Bill reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Saturday of 1980 turned out badly for Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, a nun who regularly set up the altar for mass. The sacristan was unhappy that Father Gerald Robinson had cut short the Passion during the Good Friday mass, a critical service held before Easter. Her confrontation set off the holy man who proceeded to strangle and stab the seventy-one-year old to death. The predominantly Polish community of Toledo, Ohio were outraged at the horrific crime. He was well known as one of their own, the Polish speaking priest was soon accused of the murder.
It only gets stranger as the man of the cloth presided over Sister Margaret's funeral service. The cops in this case were virtually all Catholic and they were unable to prove their suspicions.
In 2004, a pair of women came forward claiming that Father Gerald had sexually abused them as children. The story goes a bit off the rails at this point, as the women describe Satan worship, with animal and baby sacrifice rituals. These accusations were never proven.
A letter opener was the main focus of the trial and I will leave it to the reader to discover the verdict. John Glatt is always a fine storyteller.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sister Margaret Ann Pahl was a nun that belonged to the Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic religious order for women. Pahl was found murdered in the sacristy of the chapel in the hospital where she worked. She had been stabbed 31 times, nine of those times created the shape of an inverted cross. She was also believed to have been sexually assaulted. At the time of her death, she was 71 years old. The priest in charge of the chapel and ministry to those in the hospital said her funeral mass. He was questioned in the murder, and later arrested for the murder. This book details the murder of Pahl and the investigation of Father Gerald Robinson.

Overall, this was a really interesting book. It was well written, and the research was on par. I am a pretty good fan of John Glatt books, so I expected to like this one. I was not disappointed in it. I am disappointed in religious people. Organized religion is not my thing by any stretch of the imagination, and it's always people like this that you are supposed to respect and listen to. No, thank you. They get up to too much nonsense and then try to defend the people who are out here abusing children and killing nuns. Hard pass for me.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I understand normalization. Another murdering, pedophiling, abusing, raping priest who got away with all of the above for years because Catholic Priests are “God’s Messenger on Earth.” Enough. You are God’s messenger on earth. I am God’s messenger on earth. The Catholic Church has a lot to answer for.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed most of John Glatt's books; this is not his best. It's not terrible, but 300 pages is a long way to go when the solution is a foregone conclusion at the outset.

[Kelsey Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaking my head after this book. It gives a great look at the case. Just crazy that so much was and likely still is covered up in Toledo.

[Cindy Poli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book about a horrific, vile murder and how the Catholic church tried to cover it up and protect a murderer. One of my favorite John Glatt books.

[Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because we no longer get Court TV with our dish provider, I was desperately in need of a Forensic File type crime to read about, and this book served that purpose beautifully! It is certainly not a book one would read for any other reason! But the guilty party is now paying his penalty, so all is right with the world!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Catholics should read this true crime about. The Priest who brutally murdered the elderly nun hopefully is rotting in Hell ...however as true as this is...it read like an intense thriller. And long after I was finished with the book, I had a lot of haunting dreams of the Priest and how he almost got away with the crime.

[Pat Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting account of a real life murder. All of the sides were fairly presented. What made it better for me was that I had a little knowledge of the places talked about in the book, but not the beforehand knowledge of the incident and its aftermath.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now this one is really unusual. A nun is murdered right there in church, and investigators are stumped until their attention turns to one of the priests...and then more comes out about him...and even more!

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book deals with an unusual topic, the murder of a nun by a priest. The beginning of this book was excellent but the investigation and trial were extremely detailed and repetitive. I would have liked it better if the characters in the book had been delved into more.

[Celia Sweet]

Shows that Priests can murder literally as well as spiritually

[Joni]

It came across the desk and I had to read it. It was a good true crime story. Not very far away in Toledo, Ohio.