PEORIA (IL)
The Journal Star [Peoria IL]
July 1, 2023
By Leslie Renken
A representative of Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests visited Peoria on Friday to publicize the names of 10 priests who are not on the Peoria Catholic Diocese’s list of those credibly accused of sexual abuse.
“We want church officials in Peoria to publicize these names,” St. Louis resident David Clohessy, a representative of SNAP, said while standing outside the Peoria Diocese offices Friday afternoon.
Beside Clohessy, Darin Buckman, a former Chillicothe resident and an abuse survivor, held a list of names.
“We are asking the bishop to come clean and list every single child-molesting cleric — proven, admitted and credibly accused — who was, or is, in the diocese, whether it was for two decades or two days. Because that’s what the bishop promised, that’s what will protect kids, that’s what will help heal victims, and that’s what will help restore the faith of so many disillusioned Catholics.”
A representative of Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests visited Peoria on Friday to publicize the names of 10 priests who are not on the Peoria Catholic Diocese’s list of those credibly accused of sexual abuse.
“We want church officials in Peoria to publicize these names,” St. Louis resident David Clohessy, a representative of SNAP, said while standing outside the Peoria Diocese offices Friday afternoon.
Beside Clohessy, Darin Buckman, a former Chillicothe resident and an abuse survivor, held a list of names.
“We are asking the bishop to come clean and list every single child-molesting cleric — proven, admitted and credibly accused — who was, or is, in the diocese, whether it was for two decades or two days. Because that’s what the bishop promised, that’s what will protect kids, that’s what will help heal victims, and that’s what will help restore the faith of so many disillusioned Catholics.”
In May, Attorney General Kwame Raoul released a comprehensive report, which included 51 clergy members in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.
Clohessy said that church officials in each diocese “split hairs” when it comes to adding the names of abusers to their official lists, and that there is no national master list of abusers available to the public.
More:The list of 51 Peoria Catholic Diocese clergy named in a 2023 report on child sex abuse
Peoria was Clohessy’s final stop of a whirlwind day which also included news conferences in Bloomington and Decatur. Clohessy said there were three main goals to the effort: to make the names known because at least one man on the list is still alive could still be a threat to the community; to provide healing to victims who will finally see the name of their abuser made public; and to encourage the Catholic Church to be more transparent about the issue, which would provide healing for both victims and church members.
More:The list of 51 Peoria Catholic Diocese clergy named in a 2023 report on child sex abuse
Peoria was Clohessy’s final stop of a whirlwind day which also included news conferences in Bloomington and Decatur. Clohessy said there were three main goals to the effort: to make the names known because at least one man on the list is still alive could still be a threat to the community; to provide healing to victims who will finally see the name of their abuser made public; and to encourage the Catholic Church to be more transparent about the issue, which would provide healing for both victims and church members.
Representatives of the Peoria Diocese did not reply when asked to comment on the event.