McHenry County church, diocesan officials weigh in on Catholic Church clergy abuse, by Katie Smith, Northwest Herald (April 05, 2019)

McHenry County church, diocesan officials weigh in on Catholic Church clergy abuse

Parishioners at St. Mary Catholic Church in McHenry are looking forward to celebrating the church's 125th anniversary later this year.

Hanging over their festivities, however, is a reminder that their church, and several others in McHenry County, once housed leaders who faced accusations of abuse.

In the wake of a sweeping report that revealed the names of 395 Catholic church members accused of child sexual abuse, some Catholic leaders and residents in McHenry County are wrestling with the importance of airing out the Catholic Church's past and moving beyond decades-old allegations. Included in the report were clergy members who worked at St. Mary Catholic Church in McHenry, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Woodstock, St. Thomas the Apostle in Crystal Lake, St. John the Baptist in Johnsburg and Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock. The majority of accusations occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. In two of the six cases tied to McHenry County, allegations did not surface until years after the accused clergy members died.

Only Joffe is explicitly accused of having sexually abused children at the same time he was working in McHenry County. Others worked in the area when accusations surfaced later, or were relocated to churches in McHenry County after allegedly abusing children elsewhere. Only Campobello served prison time in connection with the accusations against him.

Rosemarie Herda of Johnsburg – who previously worked with both Harte and Holdren – has taken issue with the law firm's decision to release the names of people who no longer are around to either deny or confess to accusations.

"If they have done these dire deeds and everything, then of course they should be punished," Herda said. "My thing is they’re no longer here to defend themselves. They’re not here to say, 'I did this' or 'I didn’t do this.'"

"I think people do, in general, want to respect the dead, and also, try to remember the good that was done while we also work to correct the evil that was done," he said.

The Diocese of Rockford previously did not disclose some of the names in the attorneys' report either because the accusations had not been substantiated or "were completely without merit," the diocese said in an official statement.

When the diocese receives a report of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, it is reported to law enforcement, as well as the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services if the alleged victim is a juvenile, diocese communications director Penny Wiegert said.

The accused person then is removed from ministry while the diocese reaches out to the alleged victim through a victim advocate who can offer support, therapy and counseling, Wiegert said.

"The diocese always asks those coming forward with a report to report immediately to the authorities if they have not done so before contacting the Diocese of Rockford," she said.

If law enforcement chooses to investigate the claim, the diocese will "defer and cooperate" with officers' investigation, Wiegert said. Whether the diocese independently will investigate a claim that law enforcement already has investigated is a decision made on a case-by-case basis, Wiegert said.

Should the diocese choose to investigate a claim, an independent investigator – usually a retired member of law enforcement who is not employed by the diocese – gathers details and reports from the alleged victim and any witnesses, Wiegert said. The investigator's report and report from the victim's advocate then are presented to a diocesan review board composed of 12 men and women. The board will make a recommendation on the credibility of the accusation and suggest potential action, which is forwarded to the bishop for final review, Wiegert said.

The Rev. John Evans, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in Crystal Lake, said the diocese now has several programs, screening procedures and ongoing training requirements to protect children.

"The sins and crimes of priests in the past, unfortunately, are a wound we all share, and I am sorry for that, and to all those who have been harmed," Evans said.

Attorneys Jeff Anderson and Marc Pearlman have said their decision to release the identities disclosed in their report is twofold. The attorneys believe that keeping people apprised of publicly reported accusations will protect children and help heal victims of clergy abuse, Anderson said.

The assignment histories mentioned in the attorneys' report were sourced from the Official Catholic Directory, the watchdog site bishopaccountability.org, statements attributed to religious officials, religious records and media reports, the attorneys have said.

Although lawsuits have been filed involving many of the alleged offenders, most of the allegations have been settled or never came to fruition in civil or criminal court, Anderson has said. In some situations, the statute of limitations has expired, or a lack of physical evidence and eye-witness reports has prevented law enforcement and prosecutors from pursuing charges, Pearlman said.

"More often than not, when these matters are reported to police, the statute of limitations has already run. If that’s the case, there is no charge. The person cannot be arrested. The person cannot be prosecuted. That doesn’t mean they did not commit the crime" Pearlman said. "... because there are no witnesses, and when you have one person’s word against another person’s word, oftentimes police [and] state’s attorneys determine that they cannot charge. Again – it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen."