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Wichita priest addresses sexual abuse allegations in Sunday sermon
KWCH
[with video] A Wichita priest issued his congregation a message of hope following recent abuse allegations against Catholic church leaders around the country. "I ask for your forgiveness on behalf of the church to know my own sorrow and how I am sorry this has happened," said Fr. Drew Heiman Sunday morning. The priest at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church addressed a topic that many in the faith have shied away from. "It is a great sadness because there have been priests, there have been bishops who have prevented people from coming to Jesus through these very abuses," said Fr. Drew during his homily. The church taped the sermon and posted it on its Facebook page. His message comes as a grand jury report alleges a thousand minors were abused by more than 300 clergy members over 70 years in Pennsylvania. Zach Wickencamp sat in Mass Sunday morning a little surprised to hear the pastor bring up the controversial issues. "I've been born and raised in the Catholic church all my life, and so this is the first time anyone ever, on a personal level, has come and addressed the entire church. So, this was kind of a shock," said Wickencamp. The Catholic Diocese of Wichita and Fr. Heiman say no credible allegations have been submitted against them. "But if one was ever to be made, it would go through the very proper channels, to the authorities to bring to the police so your trust would never be harmed," concluded Fr. Drew. Wickencamp says the message was about restoring trust and hope. "There are good priests out there that are committed to leading the church in the right way and to holiness," he said. "I think it's something to be taken very seriously, and I think right now they are taking those steps to make sure it doesn't happen here." Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People Factfinder 12 looked into what the Catholic church is doing to prevent abuse. In 2002, the church passed a document called, "The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young people. It provides a framework on how the church should deal with abuse cases every step of the way. The charter provides directive action on how to create a safe environment for young people and how to help victims and survivors. The church made amendments to the charter just this past June. According to the National Catholic Reporter, one of the most impactful changes requires all those in contact with minors to go through a background check. The latest changes also require priests to report abuse allegations even if they're made in a confessional. Talking to your child Child advocacy groups want to make sure you know how to talk to your kids about their bodies. They say it's a conversation that can start before a child is even able to speak. "But body safety is an equally important one if not more important, and that sets the stage for a child to know that if something happens to me I have someone I can trust to tell," said Dianna Schunn, with the Child Advocacy Center. Schunn says there are signs you can watch out for including changes in behavior, sudden fear of commonplaces, nightmares or wetting the bed at night, regressive behavior, or reclusive behaviors like not wanting to be around other people. She says if you do have concerns, saying something as simple as - "I'm worried about you" can help a child to relax. She says if a child does open up to you, get enough information to make a report, but don't do your own interrogation and investigation. Where to report abuse Diocese of Wichita says if you have abuse to report or any questions the diocese says to contact the victim assistance coordinator 316-269-3945.
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