Act of Faith: America’s Longest Running Criminal Conspiracy Perpetrated Against Children

by Stephen Rubino

In his debut novel, trial attorney Stephen Rubino takes the reader on an electrifying journey of deceit, intrigue, tragedy, passion and ultimate redemption. At the intersection of the sacred and the profane, Act of Faith dissects the Vatican’s complicity in America’s longest criminal conspiracy perpetrated against children. This multi-generational family saga is richly portrayed through an ensemble cast of unforgettable characters, revealing the secret world of the Vatican’s sheltering of sexual predators to avoid bringing scandal to the faithful. Act of Faith offers an unflinching account of the still emerging sexual abuse scandal plaguing the Catholic Church and its impact on the survivors and their families across America. The story chronicles the lives of siblings Francis and Elizabeth Natale, who suffer unspeakable psychological damage after being sexually abused by their trusted parish priest. As adults, Francis and Elizabeth become estranged, each hiding their secrets in dangerous double lives. He as a gifted pianist and sexually conflicted Catholic priest, she as a reckless but highly successful trial attorney. After resigning her partnership in a major New York City law firm, Elizabeth sets out to uncover the roots of the abuse scandal and to exact her personal revenge. On a serendipitous road trip across the country, Elizabeth confronts her lifelong demons and forms an unlikely alliance with Father Thomas Atkinson, her long lost high school love who has become a Vatican whistleblower. After a tense reunion with Francis, the trio enters the super-charged environment of high stakes litigation, exposing the Church’s centuries old practice of hiding sexual predators in plain sight from the religious faithful and law enforcement. Together, the trio brings to the courthouse steps the first Federal Civil Racketeering lawsuit against the Catholic Church.

606 pages, ebook

Published November 1, 2021

Reviews

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written as fiction but with over 35 years of experience defending people abused by Catholic priests, Stephen Rubino presents Act of Faith: America's longest-running criminal conspiracy perpetrated against children. This story grips you from the start as you meet a good, hard-working Italian family, the Natales. Francis and Elizabeth come from a strong, Catholic family that practices; rituals, religious holidays and attends their school. Things turn ugly as one of the priests takes a special interest in Francis and Elizabeth and grooms them into his playthings while using threats and God's salvation as a weapon.

Act of Faith by Stephen Rubio is mesmerizing yet terrifying. The author's novel is so close to home that you feel immobilized to help. Superbly written, with vibrant characters and a message that speaks boldly across the pages, I could not put this book down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good legal thriller.

Not enough stars to rate this book properly.