JOLIET (IL)
Daily Southtown
Sunday, May 21, 2006
By Ted Slowik
Special to the Daily Southtown
From day one, Bishop Joseph Imesch has preached forgiveness.
On Aug. 28, 1979, Joseph Leopold Imesch was installed as the third bishop of the Joliet Diocese by the late John Cardinal Cody, archbishop of Chicago.
During the ceremony, Imesch relayed a message from his predecessor, the ailing Bishop Romeo Blanchette.
"He asked me to tell you of his great love and admiration for all," Imesch told the audience of dignitaries gathered in St. Raymond Cathedral in Joliet. "He thanks you as a shepherd and a priest. He asked to be forgiven for any wrongs he may have inflicted on any of you. And finally, he asks that you pray for him as he prays for you."
Of late, Imesch has sought forgiveness himself, from people who were sexually abused by Joliet priests when they were children.
He's also appealed to faithful parishioners who felt betrayed by his response to reports of sordid sexual escapades.