BishopAccountability.org
	Local Parish Fine Despite Church Scandal By LaToya Dennis WUMW February 25, 2008 http://www.wuwm.com/programs/news/view_news.php?articleid=1590 [with audio] Listen the audio: The Catholic Church in Milwaukee is facing a long and tough road. That's because of settlements stemming from sexual abuse cover-ups and new legislation that could open the church up to more litigation. WUWM's LaToya Dennis visited a local parish to find out what churchgoers think about the state of Catholicism in Milwaukee given the controversy. The sentiment was the same from most members of Saint Martin de Porres on Milwaukee's north side. The fallout from years of sexual abuse on the part of some priests, covered up by the Milwaukee Archdiocese, hasn't waivered their faith, at least not for long. JC McClendon is a longtime church member. "I was an alter boy. I went to a Catholic school my entire life and the priest had a big part of my life. It was kind of devastating at first, but when you think about it, it's a personal thing. It doesn't have anything to do with my Catholicism or my belief in the lord. Man is not perfect," McClendon says. The Wisconsin Supreme Court last year ruled churches can be sued for fraud. That's if it's found they moved abusive clergy from parish to parish without notifying church members. In the case of the Milwaukee Archdiocese, seven people have pending lawsuits. And there's the possibility of more, if the state eliminates the limits for alleged victims to file suit. John Celichowski is the priest at Saint Martin de Porres. He says thankfully, the sexual abuse fallout hasn't caused anyone from his parish to leave the religion behind, like he's seen in other places. But he warns there could be long term effects on Catholicism in general, such as the recruitment of future clergy. "To try to invite other young men as the case is now to devote themselves and to sacrifice a family and the other things that you do sacrifice in order to make a commitment to be a priest or a member of a religious community, it's a much harder sell if you will. I'm 45 years old. The average age of my religious community is 67 and there aren't a lot of young men behind me," Celichowski says. Celichowski says the scandal also affected the way he operates. "You have to be mindful of how people perceive things now. If a child runs up and wants to hug you, you have to be thinking in the back of your mind, ok; I'm not going to push this child away but I also want to receive them appropriately. And make sure that everyone who is standing around is going to be able to see that yes, I'm being loving and kind to this child but I'm doing it in a way that everyone is going to have no question that it's appropriate," Celichowski says. Church member Jaime Bowles says she's saddened by what happened, but there's a lesson to be learned in all of this. "My son who is eight years old, he's an alter server. I have a wonderful priest, but at the same time there's no need for my son to be alone with any other adult besides family and teachers. There are times when he's alone with our parish priest who I trust and love but you know, there are no overnights," Bowls says. Bowles says she thinks the problem was that too much trust was placed in certain priests. She wants the church to take action to right the wrongs that have occurred. That could mean prison time for crimes committed decades ago and financial compensation for the victims.
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