Archbishop Cupich Visits West Side Church Impacted By Priest Sex Abuse Scandal

CBS Chicago
November 23, 2014

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/11/23/archbishop-cupich-visits-west-side-church-impacted-by-priest-sex-abuse-scandal/

(CBS) — Chicago’s new archbishop is making his first pastoral visit Sunday since taking office, and he walked into a West Side parish still reeling from the priest sex abuse scandal in the archdiocese.

CBS 2’s Chelsea Irving reports the brand new archbishop is diving right in to the priest sex abuse scandal visiting this church first. St. Agatha’s is one of many area churches that’s dealt with a priest accused of sexual abuse

St. Agatha’s is the church where former priest Daniel McCormack was accused of and later admitted to sexually abusing several boys. It is also one of the largest African-American Catholic churches in Chicago.

Cupich says his he is visiting St. Agatha’s to witness and support parishioners who have struggled and survived together. He spoke before a packed house.

“I welcome you to my heart and I hope that that is the place that we can meet each other,” Cupich said.

SNAP, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,stood outside the service and handed out flyers. outside this morning’s service.

“While he is glad he is doing this we are hoping that next week he’ll move beyond the symbolic and go to a place where an accused predator priest is actually working,” said Barbara Blaine, president of SNAP.

When asked by WBBM if she would like to meet with the archbishop to discuss her concerns, she repeated that she would just like to see more action and less talk.

Cupich has plans to visit St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish, the largest Hispanic parish in the Midwest and in December he be at St. Hyacinth Basilica, which is one of the largest Polish parishes in the country.