Framed

What would you do if your faith was put to the test; everything you believed in was turned upside down; and you suddenly found yourself under arrest and on trial for the crime of being a Catholic? Would there be enough evidence to convict you? The Prosecutor of Michigan’s remote Keweenaw County thought so. In 2010, following the process set forth by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, a father trustingly made a report of attempted sexual abuse by a monk of a Ukrainian monastery on behalf of his young daughter, with the Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of St. Nicholas in Chicago. What happened after that has been said to be one of the most documented cases of religious persecution of a Catholic in America in recent history. With the suspense of a detective novel, FRAMED shares victim-author Tim Schoonard’s incredible true story; chronicling the events surrounding his arrest and criminal prosecution in Keweenaw County, after he was framed for extortion by Ukrainian Catholic Church officials in what was revealed to be an elaborate attempt to cover up misconduct complaints against one of their clergy. Being betrayed or injured by trusted Church leaders can often lead to blaming the entire Catholic Church for the evil actions of a few. Standing together against overwhelming odds, in a remarkable testimony to faith and family, Tim Schoonard shares his family’s struggles with faith, the long and difficult road to healing, and the decisions they made to stay firmly Catholic. Against the backdrop of the real-life courtroom drama, FRAMED gives witness to how times like these can reveal for those who seek it, God’s manifest mercy, grace, and blessings in ways we would never expect.