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Nearly 30 former North Shore clergy accused of sexual misconduct in new report
By Eric Degrechie
Catholic clergy members from across Illinois, including Northbrook religious institutions, were accused of sexual misconduct in a 182-page report published Wednesday, March 20, by the Minnesota-based law firm Jeff Anderson and Associates. According to The Anderson Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese and Dioceses in Illinois, the release of the report, which includes nearly 400 names of Catholic clergy in the state, is intended to “raise awareness about the important issues of sexual abuse, provide the public with vital information including assignment histories, and provide awareness and healing to survivors of sexual abuse.” The law firm claims that the dioceses in Illinois have not publicly made available the full histories and their knowledge of their sexually abusive agents and employees. The clergy named in the report worked in the Archdiocese of Chicago and the dioceses of Belleville, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford and Springfield. The former priests named with connections to Northbrook were: Rev. Robert Louis Kealy, Rev. Robert Joseph McDonald and Rev. Robert J. Lutz. Some of the allegations previously have been reported by 22nd Century Media, parent company of The Tower, and other publications in some cases predating this company. Some of the allegations also have been publicly reported by various dioceses or archdioceses. There were also priests from other North Shore communities in 22nd Century Media’s coverage area named including Highland Park, Lake Forest, Winnetka and Northfield. In the wake of the release of the Anderson Report, the Archdiocese of Chicago released a statement. It noted that the Archdiocese of Chicago does not “police itself” and reports all allegations to the civil authorities, “regardless of the date of the alleged abuse, whether the priest is a diocesan priest or religious order priest, and whether the priest is alive or dead.” In the statement, the Archdiocese of Chicago accuses Anderson & Associates of conflating people who have been accused, “but may be innocent, with those who have substantiated allegations against them, referring to all as perpetrators.” The Archdiocese of Chicago refers to its Independent Review Board, which was established in 1993 and is the primary adviser to the archbishop on issues of risk to children and fitness for ministry, according to the statement. After the civil authorities have completed their investigation, the Archdiocese conducts its own through the Independent Review Board. In 2018, the State of Illinois Office of the Attorney General released findings from its own four-month investigation into Catholic clergy sexual abuse. According to the Anderson Report, the attorney general’s review determined that the Illinois dioceses had received allegations related to sexual abuse for approximately 690 clergy, but only publicly identified 185 clergy as being “credibly” accused of sexual abuse. The Anderson Report lists those identified by the dioceses and more than 200 additional clergy members. The firm hopes to continue its “Fight for 500” statewide initiative which seeks to “uncover the identities and information about the more than 500 alleged predator priests the Illinois Attorney General reported are being hidden by Illinois Bishops.” Northbrook priests accused
Notes from Anderson Report: Ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1972. The report states "he worked as a canon and civil lawyer before he was ordained a priest."He was accused of sexually abusing two brothers from 1972 to 1977 at St. Germaine in Oak Lawn. From 1985 to 1992, he was chancellor of the Archdiocese and served on the committee that monitored priests accused of sexual abuse until he was removed due to allegations against him involving sexual abuse. He was removed from public ministry in 2002 and resigned in 2006 after he admitted to sexually abusing at least one survivor in 1977. He was laicized in 2018. The report says his whereabouts and whether he has access to children are unknown.
Notes from Anderson Report: The report states McDonald was included in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s list of clergy Archdiocesan Priests with Substantiated Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with Minors in 2006. He was believed to be living in Washington, D.C. as of 1999, according to the report. His whereabouts and whether he has access to children are unknown.
Notes from Anderson Report: A lawsuit alleging that Lutz sexually, physically and psychologically abused a 7-year-old boy from 1987-1988 while he was at Northbrook's St. Norbert's School was filed in 1989, per the report. A second lawsuit was filed in 1992 alleging that he sexually abused another minor boy on three separate occasions in 1986 while at St. Norbert's, according to the report. The report also states Lutz is said to have threatened to kill the minor boy if he told his parents about the abuse. Lutz died in 2006. Loyola Academy priests accused • Rev. Harry J. Barton, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1960, 1983-1988; died in 1988) • Rev. Ignatius M. Burrill, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1964-1987; died in 1987) • Rev. James A. Condon, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1958-1961; died in 1993) • Rev. Gerald B. Garvey, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1935; died in 1960) • Rev. Robert J. Koch, S.J. (time at Loyola Academy, unknown; believed to have died in 1996) • Rev. David F. McCarthy, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1965-1967; died in 1999) • Rev. Donald J. McGuire, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1966-1971; died in 2017) • Rev. Donald J. O’Shaughnessy, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1959-1965, 1968-1980, 1982-1990; died in 2013) • Rev. M. Lawrence Reuter, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1972-1990; current whereabouts and access to children unknown) • Rev. Wilton L. Skiffington, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1956-1957, 1958-1966; died in 1988) • Rev. Gerald A. Streeter, S.J. (at Loyola Academy, 1963-1964; died in 1996)
Wilmette priests accused • Rev. David Francis Braun (at St. Francis Xavier, 1974-1984; died in 1997) • Rev. Thomas Burg (Released From diocesan assignment at Loyola University Ministry in Wilmette, 1992-1994; died in 2002) • Rev. Edmund F. Burke (at St. Francis Xavier, 1973-1984, died in 1989) • Rev. George W. Klein (at St. Joseph Church, 1992-1996, at St. Francis Xavier Church 1997-2004; lived in Northbrook until 2017/current whereabouts and access to children unknown) • Rev. John F. Rohrich (resided at St. Francis Xavier, 1973-1975; current whereabouts and access to children unknown)
Highland Park priests accused • Deacon Patricio William Batuyong (at Ft. Sheridan Chapel, 1984-1987; laicized in 1996; believed to have died in 2009) • Rev. Robert Louis Kealy (at Immaculate Conception, 1992-2001; laicized in 2018; current whereabouts and access to children unknown) • Rev. Emmanuel Pallikunnen (Pallakunnel) (at Immaculate Conception; died 1978)
Highwood priests accused • Rev. John Edward Hefferan (at St. James, 1981-1985; died in 2018) • Rev. James Steel (at St. James, 1968-1974; laicized by church in 2001; current whereabouts and access to children unknown)
Lake Forest priests accused • Rev. Robert E. Mayer (at St. Mary, 1976-1981; current whereabouts and access to children unknown) • Rev. Michael W. O’Connell (at St. Mary Church, 1990-1993; at Lake Forest College, 1994-1995; currently assigned to St. Alphonsus in Chicago, where he has access to children)
Winnetka priests accused • Rev. Robert Joseph McDonald (at Saints Faith, Hope and Charity, 1973-1975; laicized in 2016; current whereabouts and access to children unknown) • Rev. Thomas J. Swade (In 1997, the Archdiocese arranged for Fr. Swade to live in the rectory and assist with duties at Saint Faith, Hope and Charity Catholic Church. After forceful pushback from the church’s parishioners, the Archdiocese dropped the plan; laicized in 2010; current whereabouts and access to children unknown) • Rev. Michael Weston (at Sacred Heart, 1986-1988; laicized in 2009; current whereabouts and access to children unknown)
Northfield priests accused • Rev. George W. Klein (retired at St. Philip the Apostle, 2005-2018; current whereabouts and access to children unknown)
Glenview priests accused • Rev. Eugene P. Burns (at St. Catherine Laboure, 1961-1966; died in 2005) • Rev. Walter G. DeRoeck (at St. Catherine Laboure, 1992-1996; current whereabouts and access to children unknown) • Rev. Jesus P. Garza (at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 1978; current whereabouts and access to children unknown)
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