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X-WR-CALDESC:Jim Graham\, for five decades\, believed he was a member of th
 e Graham family\, from a lower-middle-class neighborhood\, several miles e
 ast of Buffalo\, NY. The revelation that he was not\, shocked him. To make
  his story more intriguing\, Jim was not adopted. Truth can be stranger th
 an fiction. He quickly realized that he was a pawn in a scheme to protect 
 the Catholic Church from a public scandal. Kathryn Graham\, who he believe
 d to be his aunt and was not\, unsympathetically told him\, “It had to be 
 this way.” She went on to say\, “We are all dealt a hand in life\; it come
 s down to how we play it.” The hand that he was dealt was a game of seven 
 card stud poker\, with only one card turned up. The following 25 years\, h
 e persevered\, putting together the pieces of his life that he was denied.
  \n\nAlthough Jim is not an adoptee\, his compelling and poignant memoir\,
  Buried Truth\, deals with issues often experienced by adoptees. Did my pa
 rents love me? How could they give me up? Is there value in researching my
  past? Will I be able to acquire records that document my history?  Am I b
 etter off not knowing the facts that led to being separated from my parent
 s?\n\nJim’s childhood was disturbing since the father figure in the house 
 in which he was raised was unfatherly. John Graham\, John’s spinster siste
 r Kathryn\, and their mother Stella\, were coerced by the church to raise 
 Jim\, to appear to be John’s son. The purpose was to hide the identity of 
 Jim’s biological father\, Father Thomas S. Sullivan\, a Roman Catholic pri
 est. John Graham died in 1979. For years\, Jim felt guilty that he was not
  emotional when the man he thought to be his father passed. In 1993\, just
  months after the death of the priest\, a member of the Graham family leak
 ed the secret\; John Graham was not Jim’s father\, a deceased priest was. 
 Immediately\, the church directed the Grahams to put the genie back in the
  bottle\, denying Jim any further information about his father. The hearta
 che for Jim was twofold\; he never knew his father\, plus the Grahams and 
 the church stonewalled Jim for decades about his history.\n\nJim will desc
 ribe his journey of courage and perseverance. Like a detective\, he follow
 ed the money trail\, recovered documents\, and networked with strangers an
 d friends of his parents\, some willing to provide information\, others no
 t. In the end\, Jim proved what the Grahams and the church denied him: Fat
 her Thomas Sullivan was his father. Jim is an advocate for other abused an
 d neglected children of priests worldwide. His story of relentless determi
 nation is an inspiration for anyone attempting to fulfill a quest riddled 
 with challenges. \n\nAbout Jim\nJim Graham is the author of Buried Truth\,
  a Poignant Story of a Man’s Search for His Father\, Exposing Powerful For
 ces Bent on Hiding the Truth\, which was published in August 2025.\n\nJim 
 was born in July 1945 in Buffalo\, NY\, and graduated from high school at 
 Williamsville South\, NY.  He worked for American Airlines from 1963 to 19
 76\, in numerous positions.  Jim was drafted into the Army in May of 1966\
 , served 12 months in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. In 1976\, Jim left American 
 Airlines to start his own businesses in sales and marketing\, which he ran
  for 30 years. Since 2008\, Jim has been retired and living in South Carol
 ina with his wife\, Melodie.
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DTSTAMP:20260422T054159Z
DESCRIPTION:Jim Graham\, for five decades\, believed he was a member of the
  Graham family\, from a lower-middle-class neighborhood\, several miles ea
 st of Buffalo\, NY. The revelation that he was not\, shocked him. To make 
 his story more intriguing\, Jim was not adopted. Truth can be stranger tha
 n fiction. He quickly realized that he was a pawn in a scheme to protect t
 he Catholic Church from a public scandal. Kathryn Graham\, who he believed
  to be his aunt and was not\, unsympathetically told him\, “It had to be t
 his way.” She went on to say\, “We are all dealt a hand in life\; it comes
  down to how we play it.” The hand that he was dealt was a game of seven c
 ard stud poker\, with only one card turned up. The following 25 years\, he
  persevered\, putting together the pieces of his life that he was denied. 
 \n\nAlthough Jim is not an adoptee\, his compelling and poignant memoir\, 
 Buried Truth\, deals with issues often experienced by adoptees. Did my par
 ents love me? How could they give me up? Is there value in researching my 
 past? Will I be able to acquire records that document my history?  Am I be
 tter off not knowing the facts that led to being separated from my parents
 ?\n\nJim’s childhood was disturbing since the father figure in the house i
 n which he was raised was unfatherly. John Graham\, John’s spinster sister
  Kathryn\, and their mother Stella\, were coerced by the church to raise J
 im\, to appear to be John’s son. The purpose was to hide the identity of J
 im’s biological father\, Father Thomas S. Sullivan\, a Roman Catholic prie
 st. John Graham died in 1979. For years\, Jim felt guilty that he was not 
 emotional when the man he thought to be his father passed. In 1993\, just 
 months after the death of the priest\, a member of the Graham family leake
 d the secret\; John Graham was not Jim’s father\, a deceased priest was. I
 mmediately\, the church directed the Grahams to put the genie back in the 
 bottle\, denying Jim any further information about his father. The heartac
 he for Jim was twofold\; he never knew his father\, plus the Grahams and t
 he church stonewalled Jim for decades about his history.\n\nJim will descr
 ibe his journey of courage and perseverance. Like a detective\, he followe
 d the money trail\, recovered documents\, and networked with strangers and
  friends of his parents\, some willing to provide information\, others not
 . In the end\, Jim proved what the Grahams and the church denied him: Fath
 er Thomas Sullivan was his father. Jim is an advocate for other abused and
  neglected children of priests worldwide. His story of relentless determin
 ation is an inspiration for anyone attempting to fulfill a quest riddled w
 ith challenges. \n\nAbout Jim\nJim Graham is the author of Buried Truth\, 
 a Poignant Story of a Man’s Search for His Father\, Exposing Powerful Forc
 es Bent on Hiding the Truth\, which was published in August 2025.\n\nJim w
 as born in July 1945 in Buffalo\, NY\, and graduated from high school at W
 illiamsville South\, NY.  He worked for American Airlines from 1963 to 197
 6\, in numerous positions.  Jim was drafted into the Army in May of 1966\,
  served 12 months in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. In 1976\, Jim left American A
 irlines to start his own businesses in sales and marketing\, which he ran 
 for 30 years. Since 2008\, Jim has been retired and living in South Caroli
 na with his wife\, Melodie.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T210000
LOCATION:
SUMMARY:VIRTUAL - Buried Truth\, a Poignant Story of a Man’s Search for His
  Father\, Exposing Powerful Forces Bent on Hiding the Truth with Jim Graha
 m
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