Bishop offers Service of Lament to begin healing for victims

MISSOURI
Kansas City Star

BY MARY SANCHEZ
msanchez@kcstar.com

There was a time when the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph hid from responsibility for the child sex abuse done by some of its priests.

On Sunday, that attitude of contempt was put to rest.

Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. laid out his vision for the diocese during a Service of Lament at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

A “visible, permanent reminder” will be dedicated to the victims, a marker that will be decided upon by a remembrance committee, comprised partly of survivors of the abuse.

A new team will assess best practices for reporting and dealing with suspected abuse. The diocese already has a set of strict protocols, but they will be measured for effectiveness and reassessed for any changes necessary to improve.

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