ILLINOIS
Daily Herald
Charles Keeshan
For nearly 25 years, Rev. William Lupo administered to the religious needs of Catholics in Des Plaines, Arlington Heights and Bartlett.
But according to documents released Thursday by the Archdiocese of Chicago, he spent several of those years under restrictions and monitoring by church leadership, the result of accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls and young women from his time at St. Mary Parish in Des Plaines.
Lupo admitted appearing at least partially nude in front of one girl accidentally, and kissing and hugging others, according to the documents, but repeatedly denied any ill intentions in his behavior.
“I came to understand how my casual attitude toward touch and embracing could be misconstrued,” he wrote in a 1995 letter to church leaders during his time as pastor of St. Peter Damian Parish in Bartlett.
“Believe me, it was never my intention to cause them any harm, but now I know that my behavior was detrimental to them. I deeply regret these behaviors and the hurt I have caused,” he wrote.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.