ILLINOIS
Voices

By Mitch Armentrout
@mitchtrout | marmentrout@suntimes.com

The Diocese of Joliet is facing another lawsuit claiming a now-deceased Catholic priest from a west suburban parish sexually abused three boys more than 30 years ago.

The three alleged victims were between 6 and 11 years old when they were abused by the Rev. Leonardo Mateo starting in about 1980, according to the suit filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court.

Mateo never faced criminal charges, and he died in 2004. The Joliet Diocese deemed allegations of abuse against him credible, according to diocese documents released in April.
The boys — two of whom are brothers — and their parents were parishioners at Immaculate Conception Parish, 134 Arthur St. in Elmhurst, when Mateo started inviting the children out for ice cream and fast food, the suit said. He also would take the boys to swim at the YMCA…