New organisation to support children and ex-partners of priests

An organisation founded to help the partners and children of Catholic priests has had almost 3,000 hits on its website since it was launched last month.

Coping International was established in Ireland but claims it has members and connections in countries around the world, including Australia, Mexico, the US, and Nigeria.

Its website — copinginternational.com — was launched on December 16 with little fanfare, but Patricia Casey, a senior consultant psychiatrist at the Mater Hospital who has been acting as an adviser on the project, said it had already received just under 3,000 visits.