Cupich apologizes to West Side church for sex abuse

By Kim Geiger
Chicago Tribune
November 23, 2014

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-cupich-apologizes-for-sex-abuse-met-1124-20141123-story.html

Archbishop Blase Cupich is saluted by a phalanx of Knights of Peter Claver on Sunday after finishing celebrating Mass at St. Agatha Catholic Church in Chicago.

Making his first of three pastoral visits to ethnic parishes across Chicago, Archbishop Blase Cupich on Sunday apologized to parishioners at a West Side church who have been grappling with a sex abuse scandal involving a former church pastor.

Cupich, 65, who became Chicago's ninth archbishop Tuesday, said he chose St. Agatha Catholic Church in the Lawndale neighborhood for his first pastoral visit because he wanted to highlight the good work within the predominantly African-American parish in spite of the scandal involving defrocked priest Daniel McCormack, who has been convicted of abusing five boys and was charged earlier this year with molesting more.

"My heartbreak of the terrible things that one of your pastors did is first of all to those who were injured," he said. "And I apologize. I'm sorry. That's not the way it should have — that's not the way we should treat each other. That's not the way a leader should act."

But, he added, "also, my heart breaks for the many good priests who seem to be suffering too. So pray for these good men who serve you. Pray that the lord heal all of us."

Cupich centered his homily on the idea of a "bigger picture," telling the story of his grandmother, a Croatian immigrant, who came to the United States after her father declared her to be of no use to him because she'd failed to bring produce from the family farm to market.

Cupich said that when his grandmother told him about how her father had sent her away to the U.S., he could hear "the sharpness of the pain in her heart that she suffered," but that she eventually came to realize the good that had come out of the situation.

"The bigger picture gives us that opportunity to see how God has been working in our lives even though there's something that seems to want to capture all of the attention," Cupich said.

"The bigger picture about St. Agatha's is not what happened in terms of what's in the newspapers or has been in the news," he said, noting that the parish serves more than 500 families each month through its food bank and offers parenting classes and after-school enrichment for students.

Cupich delivered his homily to a packed service whose attendees included a number of parents of students who attend St. Agatha Catholic Academy, which is among seven Chicago Catholic schools slated for closing. An early childhood center will remain at St. Agatha.

"I think it's a great honor" to have Cupich at the church, said Quinessa Solomon, 32, a parent of a St. Agatha first-grader. "It sends the message that we actually are important."

Parishioners said they were satisfied with Cupich's comments about the sex abuse scandal.

"I think it's a good start and a blessing," said Dorothy Hamilton, 79.

"Hopefully we can put all this behind us and move forward," said Gerald Smith, 70, a parishioner at St. Agatha for 25 years.

Cupich told reporters after the service that he thought it was important to apologize for the sex abuse, "particularly because it does take time for people to have that soak in and to make it really clear that this is behavior that was not appropriate."

Cupich will visit St. Agnes of Bohemia in the Little Village neighborhood next Sunday. St. Agnes is the largest Hispanic parish in the Midwest, according to the archdiocese. On Sunday, Dec. 14, he will visit St. Hyacinth Basilica, in the Logan Square neighborhood. St. Hyacinth is one of the largest Polish parishes in the country, the archdiocese said.