Torture and Healing: The Witnessing of a Political Prisoner".

Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes is collaborating with Hobart and William Smith Colleges to bring a challenging program to Geneva.  On Tuesday, September 30, as part of the Human Rights and Genocide Lecture series, author Dr. Sheila Cassidy will speak on "Torture and Healing:  The Witnessing of a Political Prisoner".  The lecture, to be followed by a reception, will be held at 5:00 p.m. in the Vanderwort Room in the Scandling Center.  All are welcome to attend.

In 1971 Dr. Cassidy left England to practice medicine in the South American country of Chile.  In 1975, while ministering to the poor in Santiago, she gave medical care to a political opponent of the oppressive regime of General Augusto Pinochet.  As a result she was arrested by the Chilean secret police and severely tortured in order to force her to disclose information about the patient.

On her release from prison and return to England she published Audacity To Believe a book describing her  imprisonment and her own inner spiritual journey during this devastating experience.   Her book did much to bring to the public the widespread human rights abuses that were occurring at that time in Chile.

In the years since, Dr. Cassidy has become well-known for her work in the hospice movement and has authored several other books including Made for Laughter.