Diocese revamps review board; follows pledge in March to make changes

By David Hurst
Tribune-Democrat
August 22, 2017

http://www.tribdem.com/news/diocese-revamps-review-board-follows-pledge-in-march-to-make/article_3abb1536-86e0-11e7-9e2b-4f9a6aa6a77e.html

The offices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in Hollidaysburg are shown in this file photograph. Photo by Todd Berkey

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is overhauling the Diocesan Review Board initially established 15 years ago to help internally investigate abuse allegations.

In line with a multistep reform plan outlined in March by the diocese and the United States Attorney’s Office, Bishop Mark Bartchak announced the appointment of an all-new, seven-member review board that will now be comprised of area professionals, one Catholic priest and at least two people representing other Christian faiths – a first for the board.

“In the interest of providing objectivity and transparency, two of the review board members are from other Christian churches,” diocese spokesman Tony DeGol wrote in a release to media.

“All of the newly-appointed members were recommended to the bishop because of their personal integrity, expertise and experience,” he added.

The list includes the Rev. Miles Zdinak, a pastor with SS.Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church in Windber, and St. Aloysius Church in Cresson’s Leo Arnone, the lone Catholic priest who was named to the board.

Other review board members were listed as Joyce Cunningham, Joseph Grappone, Todd Mahalko, Robert Skelly and Brent Stoltzfus. No other information was given on the members individually – and DeGol said he did not have that information to provide Monday.

Collectively, the diocese described the board as a group with experience in pastoral care, youth education and psychological care, as well as law enforcement, the protection of young people and treating minors who have been sexually abused.

“When the grand jury report was presented in March, the bishop recommitted himself to doing everything in his power to make sure all children in the diocese are protected and that all accusations of sexual misconduct are addressed appropriately,” DeGol said. 

“This is one of the many things he’s working on to obtain that goal.”

The diocese originally appointed its first review board following a 2002 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that mandated the move for every diocese.

The board is tasked with assessing allegations of sexual abuse of minors and a cleric’s suitability for ministry within the eight-county, 87-parish diocese that is home to an estimated 84,000 Catholics.

A member’s term runs for five years, DeGol said.

He said the review board changes won’t be the last move Bartchak takes to continue a pledge to increase oversight and openness in the diocese.

A separate “independent review board” – one that also will supervise the diocese’s comprehensive reform plan – also will be appointed later this year as part of a separate move announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Bartchak in March.

At the time, officials said that five-member board would include a sex-abuse survivor, a retired law enforcement officer and a social worker, among others, who would evaluate steps that are and aren’t working by the diocese as it continues implementing new changes.