ROCK ISLAND (IL)
Quad Cities Online
March 10, 2020
By Linda Cook
Sometimes, John Onderko celebrates Mass alone in his home in Rock Island.
Other times, he hears confessions from people who knew him from the old days, before he was barred from priestly duties by the Roman Catholic Church over sexual abuse allegations. A priest for 58 years, Onderko served from June 1981 through June 1993 at St. Mary’s in Moline, then was reassigned to LaSalle, Ill., and served at numerous other parishes in Illinois.
Onderko, 83, no longer can publicly represent himself as a priest or engage in any priestly functions. Yet he maintains his innocence. Where other accused priests have quietly retired or admitted their guilt, Onderko is suing the Diocese of Peoria, saying he was denied due process and stripped of priestly duties by a church eager to quell public outcry over the global sex-abuse scandal.
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