ALASKA
Fairbanks News-Miner
By MARY BETH SMETZER, Staff Writer
In recent days, Bishop Donald Kettler has been spending hours talking with staff, employees, ministers and parish administrators about the status of multiple sexual abuse cases pending against the Fairbanks Catholic Diocese.
Kettler presided over a fifth and final meeting Thursday via a teleconference in order to reach many of the remote parishes within the diocese's far-flung borders.
And today--with the first trial against the diocese and the Society of Jesus looming just two weeks away--priests will read a letter from the bishop covering the same concerns at church services throughout the diocese.
"Given the ongoing anticipation of the Supreme Court decision (on the statute of limitations) and because of the pending trial at end of this month, I felt it was very important to update people and explain the options before us," Kettler said.