JOLIET (IL)
The Herald News
'My dear friends, our hearts are heavy again this week," my parish priest said from the pulpit at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet last Sunday.
"A member of our own parish family has come forward to tell us of the hurtful and painful things done to him many years ago by a priest from this parish."
As he spoke, I knew many eyes were on me. There probably wasn't a soul in the congregation who hadn't read or heard about the column I wrote describing the abuse done to me as a child and teenager by a former St. Ray's priest, the late Rev. Richard Ruffalo.
"When we hear such an ugly and troubling story," he said quietly, "how do we respond?
"When we learn another Joliet priest was removed yesterday from ministry in Peoria due to abuse allegations, how do we respond? When we continue to hear so many of these stories, how do we respond?"