Hospital Has Ousted Catholic Priest

By David Clohessy
SNAP
April 4, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/hospital_has_ousted_catholic_priest

A hospital now says that a controversial Catholic priest who had been a chaplain there is being removed. In an email yesterday, an official with Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield disclosed that Fr. Thomas Corbino has been ousted.

Corbino has been accused of inappropriate behavior with youngsters.

On Tuesday, holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, urged hospital officials to fire Corbino.

They also urged

--Joliet Catholic officials to aggressively seek out others who may have experienced inappropriate contact with the cleric, and

--urge anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered clergy sex crimes – by Corbino or any other current of former Joliet church official- report to the police immediately.

SNAP recently obtained documents that show concern about Corbino’s behavior while he was worked at St. Pius X church in Lombard, IL. (He left there last year.) The records include an email from a former altar boy addressed to Corbino that alleges sexual abuse, and a statement from an investigator relating to a Will County State’s Attorney Investigative Report into sex abuse allegations against Corbino.

In an email to SNAP president Barbara Blaine, Christopher N. King wrote “As of yesterday afternoon, Fr. Thomas Corbino is no longer a volunteer Chaplin at Central DuPage Hospital. Thank you again for bringing these concerns to our attention.” King is a public relations manager for Cadence Health (phone 630.933.5117, cell 630.776.5373, christopher.king@cadencehealth.org).

“We’re glad Corbino’s been removed but patients, parishioners and the public are still owed some straight answers about this troubling situation,” said SNAP president Barbara Blaine. “Did Joliet Catholic officials tell the hospital about Corbino’s disturbing past? What are both institutions doing to prevent such recklessness in the future and seek out anyone who may have been hurt by Corbino?”

Earlier this week, the Joliet Catholic diocese website, listed Corbino as working at both Central DuPage Hospital, and also working at St Mary Parish in West Chicago. SNAP believes that the allegations against Fr. Corbino are serious enough that he should be removed from both posts because they put him in a position of authority with opportunities to abuse children and vulnerable adults.