RIVER FALLS (WI)
Hudson Star Observer
September 30, 2018
By Father John Gerritts
I am a Roman Catholic Priest and pastor at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Hudson. The Catholic Church has been in the national news lately because priests and bishops in our church have been accused of rampant sexual abuse of children — which supposed leaders within the church have covered up for decades. The cover-ups continued even after church leaders made strong public commitments 16 years ago to protect children.
In the late 1970’s and early 80’s, as I was finishing junior high and moving on to high school, a priest was assigned as a chaplain at the local hospital in our community. While his primary assignment was serving at the hospital, he frequently assisted at our parish. People enjoyed it when he offered Mass since he was a good homilist, had a fun sense of humor, and was quite charismatic. He frequently attended various events with kids, such as high school athletic contests and concerts. He was close to several families in the community, including my own.
Families were thrilled that he gave attention to the kids in the church. My parents were excited because they knew I was thinking about becoming a priest, so surely his would be a good influence.
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.