When 23-year-old Faith Johnston of Haverhill, Mass., looked into the eyes of Pope Benedict XVI last week, she saw sorrow and regret. She also saw tears - and when she tried to speak about being abused by her parish priest, she also cried.

"I had so many things to say but I just burst into tears," Johnston said. "I wanted to tell him, 'Thank you,' but I could not get the words out. My tears spoke louder than words.

"For him, I think it was an eye-opener, which is a good thing. He had tears in his eyes and that says a lot. It tells me that the church is going to make some changes."

Johnston was one of five victims of priestly abuse from the Boston area who met privately with the pope last Thursday during his visit to Washington, D. C. The half-hour session at the residence of the pope's ambassador to Washington was arranged by Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston. It has been described as a defining moment of the pope's trip to the United States.

Johnston said she was only 15 when she was molested by the Rev. Kelvin Iguabita of All Saints Parish in Haverhill. Iguabita, convicted of sexual abuse, is imprisoned in Massachusetts.

Johnston said that each of the victims had a private few minutes with the pope. She said he spoke to her with concern and compassion, much like a loving grandfather who cared about her as an individual.

"He spoke so lovingly about my getting married (in June) and he gave blessing on me and my family," she said. "He said there is hope ... and he'll be praying for me."

Then, Johnston added, the pope handed her an ivory rosary in a box imprinted with the Vatican seal. "For the first time in years I felt proud again to be a Catholic," she said.