February 15, 2006

Archdiocese hit with lawsuit

CHICAGO (IL)
The Times

BY LINDSAY CLAIBORN
Medill News Service

This story ran on nwitimes.com on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 12:39 AM CST

A $10 million lawsuit has been filed against the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago claiming the archdiocese did not take steps to prevent sexual abuse at St. Agatha Catholic Church in Chicago. The suit alleges the Rev. Daniel McCormack abused a young boy while pastor at the church.

The suit filed last Friday in Cook County Circuit Court is the second leveled against the archdiocese in connection with McCormack, who has been criminally charged with abusing three boys. It is the first to name McCormack as a defendant.

On Monday in another court the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 20-year sentence of a former Calumet City Catholic priest convicted of possessing child pornography. The priest, Vincent McCaffrey, had been assigned to several parishes, including St. Victor in Calumet City and St. Joseph the Worker on the South Side of Chicago.

McCaffrey who was removed in 1993 amid abuse allegations admitted to more than 100 instances of sexual contact with boys. The federal appeals court found that the sentence was appropriate under federal law.

Posted by kshaw at February 15, 2006 07:20 AM