Diocese Clams up As Questions Remain on Status of Gerald Riva Investigation, Priest Polici
By David Heitz
Woodridge, IL — In the days following the early departure of one of its pastors after a 20-year-old public indecency charge came to light, the Diocese of Joliet has refused to answer remaining questions. Nearly two weeks ago, the Rev. Gerald Riva left St. Scholastica Roman Catholic Church in Woodridge after a 13-year tenure there as a priest and pastor. His retirement came three months earlier than scheduled and just days after his 1992 arrest and subsequent guilty plea on misdemeanor public indecency charge came to light. The diocese initially said it had launched an investigation into the incident in 1992, in which a plain-clothed DuPage County Forest Preserve Police officer arrested Riva for masturbating and grabbing the male officer's genitals. The diocese has since refused to answer many lingering questions including the status of the investigation, if any disciplinary action has been taken against Riva, and if he has any role in the Catholic church as a retired pastor. In initial interviews, Doug Delaney, spokesman for the Diocese of Joliet, said he was unsure of the diocese's policies of 20 years ago regarding priests who are charged or convicted of crimes. In a followup interview, Delaney said if a priest commits a misdemeanor offense the diocese's attorneys do not notify diocese officials. Only when charges are felonies are officials notified, Delaney said. Since Riva was contacted for this story on March 14 — two days before the original article was published online — he and his attorneys have sought to have the charges expunged from his record. After waiving a jury trial and pleading guilty to the public indecency charge in 1992, Riva was fined $100 and sentenced to a year of court supervision. He was also ordered to attend counseling. In late 1993, the psychiatrist counseling Riva told the court that Riva had made "excellent" progress and was in control of his "former problem." The psychiatrist also said he did not anticipate a repeat offense. Another unknown is if Riva will receive a 2012 Distinguished Pastor award from the National Catholic Education Association, an award the association announced in the fall. Riva was set to receive the award this spring at a conference in Boston. Robert Bimonte, executive director for the NCEA's Department of Elementary Schools, declined to comment on Wednesday and refused to answer whether or not the NCEA will give Riva the award. In a Chicago Tribune article published online Tuesday night, Delaney tells the Tribune that there have been no other complaints about Riva. Delaney also tells the Tribune that had Riva's misdemeanor crime occurred today, it would have been less likely to have gone undetected by the diocese. "(Riva's) arrest was 20 years ago. If that happened today, the diocese would probably be aware of it," Delaney said. Contact: dheitz@mysuburbanlife.com
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.