Dallastown pastor urges parish to report abuse

By Angie Mason
York Daily Record
August 14, 2016

http://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2016/08/14/dallastown-pastor-urges-parish-report-abuse/88606202/

Susan Blum holds her First Communion veil and her maternal grandmother's rosary for a portrait Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at Blum's New Freedom home. Blum, 63, said she was sexually assaulted by a clergy member in the Archdiocese of Boston when she was 15. A New Freedom resident since 1988, Blum had attended St. John the Baptist Catholic Church for years, but left in March after clergy in the Diocese of Harrisburg read aloud a letter that opposed a Pennsylvania legislative bill that would drop a 30-year statute of limitations on when criminal sex-abuse charges can be filed. Photo by Chris Dunn

The pastor at St. Joseph Church in Dallastown on Sunday urged parishioners to report suspected abuse after a York Daily Record story named a priest accused of abuse in Boston who later worked in Dallastown for a period.

In response to the York Daily Record, the Diocese of Harrisburg recently acknowledged by name 15 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing children and who at one time worked in the diocese, which covers York County and 14 others. One of the priests was the Rev. Raymond Prybis, who was accused of abuse during his time at a Boston-area parish before he was transferred to St. Joseph's in Dallastown, where he worked from April 1989 to June 1990.

The diocese said it had no record of any credible allegation against Prybis during his time in the Harrisburg diocese.

Rev. John McCloskey reinforced those points with parishioners during the 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday. He called abuse "evil" and "criminal" and said that it should not happen, though it does throughout society.

He described at length the current requirements for background checks for anyone who works in the church as well as the obligations for reporting abuse, both to the diocese and civil authorities. He noted that accused priests are removed from ministry.

McCloskey urged anyone who knew of any abuse to report it. He addressed the story in a note in the weekly church bulletin, too.

"The diocese takes the needs of any abuse survivor very seriously," the note states.

The bulletin included the numbers for the Pennsylvania child abuse hotline, 800-932-0313, the district attorney, 771-9600, and the diocese child abuse hotline, 800-626-1608.

McCloskey declined to comment further following the Mass.