Protesters target Catholic bishops' prayer retreat in Mundelein after revelation of sex abuse cover-up

By Rick Kambic
Chicago Tribune
January 6, 2019

https://trib.in/2LQV1PE

Margaret Boos, of Vernon Hills, holds a sign as she joins protesters across the street from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary on Saturday, Jan. 5, in Mundelein. Demonstrators gathered during the day to speak out against the church's handling of sexual abuse allegations. Photo by John Konstantaras

The entrance of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary is shown on Saturday, Jan. 5, in Mundelein. Demonstrators gathered during the day to speak out against the church's handling of sexual abuse allegations. Photo by John Konstantaras

Dakotah Norton, left, of Mundelein, and Sam Crabtree, of Hebron, hold signs across the street from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary on Saturday, Jan. 5, in Mundelein. Demonstrators gathered during the day to speak out against the church's handling of sexual abuse allegations. Photo by John Konstantaras

In the final day of a weeklong retreat intended for U.S.-based Roman Catholic bishops to pray and reflect at a Mundelein seminary, small groups of protestors lined up outside the front gate to protest church officials’ handling of sexual abuse allegations.

Two groups took different actions Saturday afternoon, but police said officers stationed in the neighborhood issued no warnings and made no arrests.

First was a group of about 50 who said they were from Old St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Chicago, according to Mundelein Police Chief Eric Guenther. He said the group mostly prayed on the grass for two hours before leaving in the early afternoon.

A second group arrived later and was led by Dakotah Norton, a former Mundelein trustee who resigned amid crisis in 2017. The protesters wielded colorful signs that prompted drivers to honk in support or yell criticism at the group of about 13.

“This is an entity that’s supposed to be trusted,” said Topacio Hernandez, who said she lives in Waukegan but grew up in Mundelein, of the Catholic Church. “I have a child now, and I read these articles and I’m appalled by the inactivity.”

Police said a third group traveled to Mundelein but Guenther said its leaders decided to hold a conference inside a local hotel and promised not to approach the seminary without first applying for a permit.

Pope Francis called for the Mundelein retreat in October after a grand jury report in August documented bishops and other church leaders in Pennsylvania covering up the sexual abuse of children by hundreds of priests and other clergy over roughly seven decades.

Then, in December, a report from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said accusations have been leveled against 690 Illinois priests, while Catholic officials have publicly identified only 185 clergy with credible allegations against them.

Although the report says that “clergy sexual abuse of minors in Illinois is significantly more extensive than the Illinois dioceses previously reported,” it does not estimate how many of the allegations, some of which are decades-old, should have been deemed credible.

Bishops who attended the retreat in Mundelein planned to focus on prayer and spiritual reflection, and they would not spend the week formulating policy amid the church’s sexual abuse scandal, according to organizers of the retreat.

“You’ve been praying about it for a while. We need more action,” Hernandez said.

Standing a few feet away was Adrian Mejia, Hernandez’s husband. He waved a sign that read, “Save the kids, not the priests.”

In response to questions about Saturday’s protests, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement saying, “We respect everyone’s right to a peaceful protest.”

Tom Cara, the executive director of a local chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, joined the afternoon protest with two other members. He said it’s the low-level churchgoers who must join together and demand change.

“A lot of people are aware and understand the problem, there just aren’t a lot of people taking action,” Cara said. “We have an advertising campaign encouraging people to leave the Catholic Church as one of many ways to send a message up the hierarchy.”

Norton, who organized the second group of protestors, said it was his personal experiences growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness and seeing cover-ups by religious figures he trusted that prompted him to get involved.

“I don’t think this protest will change anything or save the world, but it’s vitally important that we never give up until we find the answers we’re looking for,” Norton said. “Every little protest means something, and usually has a ripple effect that you may or may not ever realize.”

Norton resigned from the Mundelein Village Board in June 2017 just hours before his colleagues were set to vote on removing him from office under an abandonment clause in state law. Norton had missed five straight board meetings and Mayor Steve Lentz said Norton had not responded to phone calls and emails.

Norton said he was surprised when the retreat was scheduled in his hometown.

“We’re asking for them to cooperate with law enforcement and be more transparent and accountable,” Norton said. “This (retreat) happening in my hometown feels like the next step in a cover-up, in them saying they’re doing something productive but as we found out they’re just here to pray and not talk policy or seek answers.”

Melanie Dillon, a Mundelein resident and licensed clinical counselor, said the trauma from sexual abuse impacts more than just the victims. She said families are sometimes torn apart when faced with deciding who to believe.

“The pope has taken a step in the right direction by acknowledging this issue, but there is still a lot more to do to stop it and to help the victims,” Dillon said.