MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

Article by: JOHN C. NIENSTEDT Updated: August 1, 2014

It is clear that we did not always handle abuse complaints as we should have, but I take responsibility for leading our local church to a new and better day.

To say that this has been a difficult year is quite an understatement. Here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Catholics have witnessed many troubling media reports, and many of us have had difficult conversations with friends and family about what it means to be Catholic and why we still profess the faith. I, myself, have been the subject of two investigations, which have brought with them more public scrutiny. I have received messages calling me a hypocrite, a domineering boss and a liar. Others have written that I am a courageous moral leader and a true shepherd. I am grateful to everyone who has…