Cardinal Blase Cupich Response to Illinois Attorney General's Report on Clergy Child Sex Abuse

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Dear Friends in Christ,

From my earliest days as a bishop, I have dealt with allegations of child sexual abuse by putting the child at the center of my actions. In my experience, whether the abuse happened in the recent or distant past, the survivor speaks from the pain they suffered as that wounded and betrayed child. The Archdiocese of Chicago has long sought to heal them and prevent this crime from occurring again. I am personally committed to applying the highest level of vigilance to these efforts and to further strengthening our safeguards against abuse.

Today, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul published a report (the Report) on his office’s investigation of allegations of child sexual abuse against clergy in the six Illinois Catholic dioceses over a period of nearly 90 years. The Report addresses both how dioceses responded to such allegations in decades past and current policies that help ensure the safety of children and support the healing of survivors. We have not studied the report in detail but have serious concerns about data that might be misunderstood or are presented in ways that could be misleading. It is therefore important that we state what we know to be true. For example:

The Attorney General referenced 600 calls to his clergy hotline. To date not one has been referred to us for action – whether victim assistance, investigation or compensation. If any of the 600 calls contained an allegation it is important that it be made public.

The Attorney General claims to “disclose” 451 names of individuals with substantiated allegations. As to these names:

  • 451 is all 6 dioceses and includes religious order priests and brothers.

  • 451 includes the priests already on the 6 websites of these dioceses.

  • All who pertain to and were known by the Archdiocese, were reported to civil authorities and “none were undisclosed, none were ‘hiding in plain sight’ since at least 2002.” In addition, in 2002, the Archdiocese did a look back, disclosing to the States Attorney all previous allegations found in its files.

  • We do list religious found by their orders to be substantiated.

  • 149 still “undisclosed” men are mostly religious order members who are not on our site; they are not undisclosed, and they are under the supervision and report to their respective order. Attorney General Raoul distinguished between dioceses and religious orders, saying “this was an investigation of the dioceses, not the orders,” recognizing they are different. However their totals include both.

  • Attorney General Raoul said the Church is more worthy of investigation because it is a trusted religious organization. We think all children deserve to be protected regardless of whether they are cared for by a religious or secular institution; it isn’t fair or wise to focus only on the Catholic Church, which has made the greatest strides in this area.

  • Statute of limitations: we offer care, compassion (pastoral outreach) and even compensation to all who come forward, regardless of the statute of limitations.

  • Attorney General Raoul recommends outsiders being involved in overseeing our internal church investigations. We have had an independent review board with lay people overseeing these investigations since 1992, which is why the number of abuse incidents has dropped so dramatically.

We must think first of the survivors of sexual abuse who carry the burden of these crimes through their lives. On behalf of the archdiocese, I apologize to all who have been harmed by the failure to prevent and properly respond to child sexual abuse by clerics. Survivors will forever be in our prayers, and we have devoted ourselves to rooting out this problem and providing healing to victims.

For more than 30 years, the Archdiocese of Chicago has been at the forefront of developing and improving policies and programs to address the scourge of child sexual abuse and to support survivors. Our policies and procedures, first adopted in 1992, have served as a model for organizations and professionals dealing with this difficult issue. I hope the attention drawn to the issue by the Report will encourage those who work with minors to learn from our experience and take steps to protect all children from sexual abuse.

Here are some key facts about our efforts in the Archdiocese of Chicago:

  • Since 1992, we have maintained one of the first and largest victim-survivor assistance programs in the nation. We provide assistance to anyone making an allegation, regardless of whether the accused is living or whether the allegation is substantiated.

  • No cleric with even one substantiated allegation against him is in ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago. When we learn of an allegation of abuse, we act promptly, report it to civil authorities, remove the accused from ministry and investigate the allegation. Allegations are submitted to our lay-majority Independent Review Board for investigation. In accordance with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth, clerics found to have committed even one act of child sexual abuse are permanently removed from ministry.

  • The archdiocese has, to our knowledge, reported all allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy to civil authorities, including the oldest allegations. We report these allegations regardless of whether the accused is alive or dead, a diocesan priest, an extern priest from another diocese or a religious order priest. We consider an allegation to have been made even if the report is made anonymously, has incomplete facts (such as the name of the priest or parish) or is made by a third party, and we report all such allegations to civil authorities. It is important to emphasize that, to our knowledge, there are no “hidden,” “undisclosed” or “unreported” allegations of child sexual abuse by the clergy of this archdiocese.

  • Under our recently amended policies, allegations against deceased priests who have not yet been placed on our website list are processed by our Independent Review Board. If an allegation against a deceased priest is substantiated, the priest’s name is added to the list.

  • When an allegation of child sexual abuse involves a religious order priest working in a ministry of the archdiocese, such as a parish assignment, we remove the accused’s faculties to minister in the archdiocese, contact the religious order and help facilitate the survivor’s report. Every religious order with members living in the archdiocese is mandated to have a process for investigating such allegations.

  • Since 2006, we have published the names of diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of abuse on our website. In 2014, we published more than 20,000 documents from these priests’ files. These documents remain on our website.

  • We update our website list as needed and have expanded it to include the names of religious order priests whose order has substantiated an accusation against them and who have been assigned to a ministry of the Archdiocese of Chicago such as a parish.

  • We conduct background screenings for archdiocesan clergy, employees and volunteers and implement a comprehensive safe-environment training program for adults and children. Over the last two years, we trained more than 112,000 children in an age-appropriate manner on how to recognize, resist and report abusive behavior. To date, we have trained more than 263,000 adults in 3,700 training sessions. As is required by the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth, (the Charter) we audit our parish and school safe environment programs every year and, in turn, the archdiocese’s compliance with the Charter is audited by the USCCB.

  • Additionally, we have worked in collaboration with survivors to respond to their need for healing. This partnership has led to the development of the Healing Garden, an annual Mass for Hope and Healing and Pinwheel Service for Child Abuse Prevention, survivor-led peace circles, and the Healing Voices magazine.

  • We always seek to improve our child protection and victim support efforts. We have repeatedly had our processes, policies and files reviewed by independent experts to help ensure we remain current with best practices.

In addition to these steps, the Archdiocese of Chicago fully cooperates with law enforcement, including with the Attorney General’s investigation. We have made our employees available for interviews and provided access to hundreds of thousands of documents. We are committed to continuously reviewing our policies and will carefully consider any changes recommended by the Attorney General. Indeed, the archdiocese has already implemented a number of recommendations the Attorney General made during the course of the investigation such as expansion of the parameters of our website list. More resources are available on our website at agresponse.archchicago.org.

I invite other institutions that care for children and civil authorities to join us in this work and consider adopting the procedures we have developed over the past three decades, so that all children are kept safe. Let us continue to pray for all those harmed by abuse.

Let us reflect the light of Christ for them and be messengers of His Good News to all we encounter.

I will continue to pray for you and your families as I remain sincerely yours in Christ,

SHARE YOUR VOICE - SUPPORT OUR PARISH

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This survey is a great way to reflect on your own spiritual growth while helping our parish plan for the future.

Please help us by completing this short, 10-15 minute survey. Visit https://portal.catholicleaders.org/dmi/survey/gbd3kg or scan the code below.

We will also have paper copies in the gathering space and parish office.

This survey is available starting Ash Wednesday until March 31st, 2023

Thank you!

Host Families for Totus Tuus Missionaries Needed

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Our parish is hosting our annual Totus Tuus Summer camp from June 17th-23rd. This camp is facilitated by four college-aged missionaries who are giving of their summer in the service of Jesus Christ. While they are here at the parish, we are in need of two families willing to host them in their homes (one for the men and one for the women).

If you are willing to host or would like more information please contact the Religious Education office at religiouseducation@stfrancislz.org or at 847.726.4850.

Annual Catholic Appeal 2023: Walking on the Road with Jesus

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Please Make Your Gift to the 2023 Annual Catholic Appeal - Father Merold will be preaching on this year's Annual Catholic Appeal at all the Masses the next two weekends. Let us join together on Walking this road with Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Thank you.

Many families in our parish will be receiving the Annual Catholic Appeal mailing from Cardinal Cupich. On behalf of those served by the ministries, parishes, and schools that receive funding from the Appeal, we thank you for your gifts. Please return your response as soon as possible. The Annual Catholic Appeal offers a wonderful opportunity to answer the call "Walking on the road with Jesus." In addition to providing for ministries and services throughout the archdiocese, the Appeal also funds services that are of great help here in our parish.

As we contemplate God's many gifts to us, we should also reflect on our gratitude. Your financial support for the work of our parish, our archdiocese, and the Church throughout the world is one way to express this gratitude. Please give what you can to the 2023 Annual Catholic Appeal. Thank you!

Reflect Weekend

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Mid-life Singles (mid-30s to 50s): Are you looking for a renewed sense of purpose & belonging? Register today for a life-changing REFLECT weekend retreat at the Joseph and Mary Retreat House (formerly Cardinal Stritch Retreat House) in Mundelein, IL (in the northern suburbs), on March 3-5, 2023. Take a chance and get involved... you won't regret it! Cost is $285 for meals and a single room. Visit www.ReflectRetreat.com, e-mail reflect.chicagoland@gmail.com, or call (630) 222-8303 for details.

Additional Allegations Against Fr David Ryan

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Dear Parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Parish,

I am writing with upsetting news. Yesterday the Archdiocese received two allegations of sexual abuse of a minor against Fr. David Ryan. As is the case with all such matters, the archdiocese will report these allegations to civil authorities and offer assistance to the persons who made them. In keeping with our policies, I have asked Father Ryan to step aside until our Independent Review Board can investigate the allegations and present its recommendations to me. He has agreed to cooperate fully with our process, which will move forward as expeditiously as possible. We will provide Fr. Ryan with pastoral assistance, and I know he is grateful for your support.

We have appreciated your patience with this process in the past and your understanding that only with an impartial and thorough effort can we fulfill our duty to protect the young people in our care and, if the investigation warrants, restore the good name of the one so accused.

Please know I am keeping all of you in my prayers as we complete this process. I hope you will join me in praying for everyone involved in the work of protecting children.

Sincerely yours in Christ,



Archbishop of Chicago

Eucharistic Revival Invitation

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Revival’s in the Air

AN EXCITING JOURNEY AHEAD

You are invited to join Catholics in our diocese by participating in a nationwide movement to grow

into a deeper understanding and devotion of the holy Eucharist. This movement of Catholics, called Eucharistic Revival, is about healing, conversion, formation, and becoming a unified Body of Christ

by focusing on encountering the real Body of Christ, present to us in the Eucharist. To learn more about the movement visit www.eucharisticrevival.org.

Adult Confirmation Program for Vicariate 1 Parishioners

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Are you an adult who missed receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation? Preparation for Confirmation for Vicariate I parishioners will be offered weekly on Mondays beginning Monday, September 12, 2022 from 7-9pm, at St. Edna Parish, 2525 N. Arlington Heights Rd. in Arlington Heights. Bishop Jeffrey Grob will preside at the Confirmation Mass to be held at St. Edna Parish, Arlington Heights, on Wednesday, November 9th, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

Information and a registration form can be found at www.vic1chicago.org/adult-confirmation or by contacting Lorie Crepeau at lcrepeau@stedna.org, (847) 398-3362, ext. 325.

Statement of Cardinal Blase J Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, on the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

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Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling end Dobbs versus Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturns the Court’s tragic 1973 decision that removed legal protection for unborn children. We welcome this important ruling and the opportunity it creates for a national conversation on protecting human life in the womb and promoting human dignity at all stages of life. This moment should serve as a turning point in our dialogue about the place an unborn child holds in our nation, about our responsibility to listen to women and support them through pregnancies and after the birth of their children, and about the need to refocus our national priorities to support families, particularly those in need.

The Catholic Church brings to such a conversation the conviction that every human life is sacred, that every single person is made in the image and likeness of God and therefore deserving of reverence and protection. That belief is the reason the Catholic Church is the country's largest provider of social services, many aimed at eliminating the systemic poverty and health care insecurity that traps families in a cycle of hopelessness and limit authentic choice.

We also come to this dialogue as Americans, knowing that the principle that all human beings are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, and that first among these is the right to life.

Make no mistake, because this ruling regrettably will have little impact on abortion in Illinois, as there are virtually no restrictions here, we will continue to advocate strongly for legal protections for unborn children. And we will redouble our efforts to work with all to build a culture that values the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.

This ruling is not the end of the journey, but rather a fresh start. It underscores the need to understand those who disagree with us, and to inculcate an ethic of dialogue and cooperation. Let us begin by examining our national conscience, taking stock of these dark places in our society and in our hearts that turn to violence and deny the humanity of our brothers and sisters, and get to work building up the common good by choosing life. 

July 4, 2022 // Statement of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, on the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park

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I have been watching the news in horror as at least 6 are dead and many more were wounded after a gunman opened fire as families attended an Independence Day parade in Highland Park. What should have been a peaceful celebration of our nation’s founding ended in unspeakable tragedy.

Please join me in praying for the victims and their loved ones, who never imagined a July 4 celebration could become a killing ground. Pray too for the safety of first responders as they pursue the person responsible for this tragedy. They bravely rushed into the danger to treat victims and to protect others from harm. 

The parade reportedly had a heavy presence of police and fire vehicles, yet this shooter was able to wound at least two dozen people before he stopped, or was stopped, and fled. Victims ranged in age from 8 to 85. Weapons designed to rapidly destroy human bodies have no place in civil society.

It is barely July, and this year the United States is already experiencing more than one mass shooting a day. Chicago Police reported at least 55 shot and 7 killed since Friday, and the holiday weekend is not yet over. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for U.S. children.

Whatever one makes of the right to bear arms, there is plenty of room for prudential judgment in interpreting the Second Amendment so as to enact serious, broadly popular gun-safety measures. The Senate finally passed a significant, yet modest, gun-safety bill last month. But clearly more must be done. 

The right to bear arms does not eclipse the right to life, or the right of all Americans to go about their lives free of the fear that they might be shredded by bullets at any moment. Gun violence is a life issue. We must continue to pray that all our officials, elected and unelected alike, will redouble their commitment to keeping safe the people they have sworn to serve.

Pope Francis wrote to the people of Chicagoland in 2016: “As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, humanity ‘must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.’ I urge all people, especially young men and women, to respond to Dr. King's prophetic words and know that a culture of nonviolence is not an unattainable dream, but a path that has produced decisive results.”

May the Lord of mercy embrace in love those who have died, bring healing to the wounded, comfort to their loved ones, and courage to all of us, so that we may respond to this tragedy united as God’s children to build a path to safety and peace.

Father Ryan Reinstated as Pastor Effective Immediately!

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Hallelujah!!! It is with GREAT pleasure that we share the attached letter from Cardinal Cupich with you. This letter was made public today at 1:00pm.

Fr Ryan is planning to return to our parish on Monday, September 13, celebrating  the 8:30am Mass- and will be with us going forward!

God bless Fr Ryan and our parish community!!!

September 9, 2021

Dear Parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Parish,

Last November, I informed you of an accusation against your pastor, Father David F. Ryan, and that, in keeping with our procedures, he was asked to step aside from his pastoral duties until a thorough investigation and process could be completed. He has fully cooperated with civil authorities and the Archdiocese of Chicago during these months.

Following the determination by state officials, who are charged with the protection of minors, that the allegation of child abuse was unfounded, the Independent Review Board of the Archdiocese of Chicago investigated the allegations in accordance with our usual procedures.

At their meeting on Saturday, August 21, 2021, they found there was insufficient reason to suspect Father Ryan had committed sexual abuse of a minor. Therefore, I am pleased to inform you that I am reinstating Father Ryan as your pastor effective immediately.

These have been difficult days and months for you as a parish. You have shown great patience as each jurisdiction completed its process. I thank you for doing so. Father Ryan has also suffered, as you well know, but he has offered that suffering freely, convinced of the need for us as a Church to keep our word that the protection and safety of our children remains the priority.

After the Independent Review Board meeting, I immediately contacted Father Ryan and shared the recommendations of the Review Board. He took the occasion to reaffirm his longstanding conviction that the Church must remain vigilant in protecting our children, and that we should spare no effort to bring healing to victim survivors who have been harmed. In keeping with the spirit he has demonstrated during these difficult months, he let me know that he fully embraces our longstanding policies and practices regarding the conduct of all church personnel, and asked that I take the occasion of this letter to remind our parishioners and the public that: 1) since 1992, we have enforced safe environment protocols and a code of conduct for all who work with minors and we have reached out to victims with pastoral and personal attention; 2) since 2002 we have reported all allegations to the civil authorities and in that year we reported all historical allegations to these authorities; 3) beginning in 2006, we have publicly listed the names of priests who have substantiated allegations of abuse of minors against them and in 2014 we published more than 20,000 pages of information on these cases; 4) in accord with our zero tolerance policy, no priest with even one substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor remains in ministry.

At the same time, I reminded Father Ryan that our policies also call us to do everything possible to restore the good name of priests when the process has determined the allegations to be unfounded. This, too, is a matter of justice. Therefore, both out of regard for Father Ryan and all our priests, I am resolved to see that Father Ryan's good name is restored. As a result, I will share this letter with all the parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago, asking them to provide it to their parishioners. This letter will also be sent to the media and posted on our archdiocesan website.

Healing now must be the pathway forward for all of us. Father Ryan shares this very same sentiment and you can honor him by doing everything to make sure that a spirit of reconciliation and unity prevails as you move ahead with the efforts of Renew My Church to make your parish vibrant, vital and sustainable. In this way, the mission of Jesus can flourish.

That is my prayer for you.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

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