Diocese of Winona Press Conference

By Joel Hennessy
Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona
June 23, 2014

http://www.dow.org/News/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/149/Abuse-Summary-Disclosure

 Abuse Summary Release

Monday, June 23 at 11:00 a.m.

Cathedral of Sacred Heart, St. Thomas Room

360 Main St, Winona, MN (SE parking lot entrance)

WINONA, MN – June 23, 2014 – In an unprecedented effort for transparency and healing, today the Diocese of Winona voluntarily released an abuse summary of details and facts surrounding 13 priests who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse while serving in the Diocese of Winona decades ago. Nine of the thirteen priests on the list are deceased, two have been laicized, and two are pending laicization. No priests of the Diocese of Winona who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse are still in active ministry. The Diocese concern is for the rights of everyone involved and the abuse summary complies with legal restrictions about privacy of medical and mental health information and protects the victims and the innocent. There is full disclosure of the identity of abusers.

“We are committed first and foremost for the compassionate healing for the victims and their families.  We remain steadfast to finding and telling the truth and are vigilantly committed to ensuring these unspeakable crimes against children never happen again,” said Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona.

Nearly all of the sexual abuse committed in the information made public today happened in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Many of the priests who had sexually abused children were sent for treatment and diagnosis when the accusations of abuse were made known to the Diocese. In many of the cases, priests were assessed, diagnosed and treated by medical professionals and were recommended they could return to active ministry.

“Today, we know much more about the diagnosis and treatment of pedophilia than we did twenty years ago. The compulsion to abuse is present in 4 percent of the general male population, about the same percentage you see in the priest population,” said Nelle Moriarty, Chair of the Diocesan Review Board and member to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) National Review Board.  “The USCCB’s Charter for the Protection of Youth and Young Persons recognizes that second chances cannot be given when the safety of our children and young persons are at risk,” said Moriarty.

This knowledge and awareness has empowered the Church to take extensive measures to ensure that our children are safer than ever before. The Diocese of Winona is in full compliance with the Charter, adopted by the U.S. Bishops in 2002 and requires that no priest with even one substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor can serve in public ministry. The Diocese of Winona has a zero tolerance policy for child sexual abuse and has adopted a policy that goes above and beyond the legislature’s mandatory reporting requirement, by reporting all accusations of child sexual abuse to law enforcement, not just those within three years of the report, as required by statute.

The Diocese has taken extraordinary measures to ensure that all of the schools, parishes and programs administered in the Diocese adhere to the policies so that those entrusted to our care are safe. Since 2002, over 30,000 thorough criminal background checks and screenings have been run on clergy, employees and volunteers that work with children in the Diocese. Each year, every priest and deacon, and thousands of lay employees and volunteers are trained through VIRTUS Safe Environment, a nationally recognized program aimed to educate adults how to recognize and prevent abuse. This ongoing program strengthens the stringent policies and procedures that the Diocese has had in place for more than a decade.

Children in grades K-12 have Child Abuse Prevention programming in our Catholic schools and in our Parish Religion Education programs through the Circle of Grace program. The national program helps children to identify what their physical Circle of Grace is, and are taught to identify and maintain appropriate physical, emotional, spiritual and sexual boundaries; recognize when boundary violations are about to occur; and demonstrate how to take action when boundaries are threatened or violated. Last year more than 12,000 children participated in ‘Circle of Grace’ Diocesan educational programs. Additional information on the Diocese Safe Environment programs and other resources can be found on our website www.dow.org  

“There are no words to offer which can minimize the harm that has been perpetrated upon the youth in our Diocese by some of our former priests. It is difficult to be reminded about the crime of sexual abuse yet it presents an opportunity to heal and move forward,” said Bishop Quinn.  “Today, our parishes are vibrant and safer than ever before as we are more informed, more aware and better‐equipped to prevent child abuse. Our priests, deacons, religious, volunteers, lay leaders and parishioners are of one heart. A heart fully committed to reflecting the love of Jesus Christ through everything we do in worship, faith formation, education and service,” said Bishop Quinn.