The Catholic Diocese of Madison is facing criticism for its response to accusations of sexual abuse against David Haas, a prominent Minneapolis-based Catholic composer, best known for songs such as “You Are Mine” and “Blest Are They.”
Nearly 40 women from across the country have accused Haas of sexual misconduct, including forced kissing, unwanted touching and online messaging during large public events in which he led youth education.
Haas is accused of repeatedly harassing young women, some as young as 13, at events such as Music Ministry Alive and Religious Education Congress. Allegations against Haas have been collected and continue to emerge through a system where victims can report abuse by Catholic leaders called IntoAccount.
In response, the University of St. Thomas rescinded the Distinguished Alumni Award given to Haas in 1995 and is no longer playing Haas’ music. The National Association of Pastoral Musicians rescinded its 2004 Pastoral Musician of the Year award.
But unlike several other dioceses in other states, the Madison diocese has not issued a formal public statement or taken action regarding Haas’ music since the composer apologized in July for his actions, which go back several decades.
Many official publishers with yearly hymnals are working to remove Haas compositions from newly distributed resources, but victim advocates have emphasized the damaging nature of trauma, which women whom Haas allegedly assaulted experience regularly when they hear his music in parishes in which it has not been banned.
“We have personally heard many stories from survivors about how hearing his music triggers anxiety, and pain,” said Susan Bruhl, an abuse victim advocate. “While we all take very seriously Jesus’ teachings regarding forgiveness, following Christ’s example, we must acknowledge that with such openness of spirit comes an enormous responsibility to advocate and care for those who are vulnerable and who have been hurt by their church leaders.”
Bruhl and victim advocate Margaret Hillman said the diocese was “more afraid of a possible scandal than the needed justice and healing of survivors.”
According to Madison diocese spokesman Brent King, Haas’ music and compositions have not been used at diocesan liturgies or diocesan events since 2003.
The Madison diocese, in consultation with dioceses in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, leaves the decision to omit Haas’ music from services up to individual parishes, but has said it is not opposed to revisiting the issue.
King said Haas was disinvited from an area parish that planned to host him for a lecture and concert, because “the bishop does not have confidence that what (Haas) would teach or present, in one of his parishes, would be consistent with his own teaching and that of the Catholic Church.”
The Madison diocese’s Office of Worship is currently working on more specific guidelines regarding other Catholic entities in the area, including the 100-plus parishes and 40-plus schools associated with the diocese.
In an email written in response to some who say Haas assaulted them and had raised awareness about the issue to the diocese earlier this summer, Nathan Simmons, executive assistant to Bishop Donald Hying, forwarded a response from the director of worship, Pat Gorman, who said some parishes in the area still use Haas’ music and “while the alleged actions are reprehensible, we live by the principle that he is innocent until proven guilty.”
Though Gorman said in his email he does not use Haas’ music in any of his services, the reason for not releasing an official statement included individuals being “worried where we draw the line” about “what type of sinners we will allow to write music, given our common sinful human nature.”
“Our musical history is regrettably filled with sinners,” Gorman said in the email.
