MASSACHUSETTS
Wicked Local Salem
By Lisa Guerriero
It’s hard to believe that it has been a decade since the clergy abuse scandal first hit Greater Boston. Yet 10 years have passed since the public became aware of the accusations made against numerous priests, forever changing a part of America that had long been a stronghold of the Catholic church.
From 2002 to 2012, the issue has devastated the north of Boston area, as allegations were made from Malden on up to Salem. While the accusations have dwindled in the past few years, they’ve never completely stopped. The tragedy is that new claims continue to come to light. On Thursday, Aug. 30, Ipswich police arrested a retired priest who faces charges of child rape. Rev. Richard McCormick, now 71, once ran a summer camp in Ipswich and is accused of raping a male victim during the summers of 1981 and 1982.
The allegations will, for many, reopen wounds that never had a chance to heal. Whether or not McCormick is found guilty, his arrest brings back all the cases where a priest was convicted or defrocked, not to mention the belief, held by many, that church leaders failed to protect the faithful and prevent further abuse.
The legacy of the scandal has left its mark in other ways, too. In the intervening years since the scandal first broke, countless parishes in Massachusetts closed as archdioceses struggled to pay for legal bills and settlements. In Salem, former worshippers still battle to preserve a parish that closed in the aftermath of the abuse allegations.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.