PENNSYLVANIA
Altoona Mirror
MAR 1, 2017
RUSS O’REILLY
Staff Writer
roreilly@altoonamirror.com
A year after a statewide grand jury revealed the scope of child molestation among the ranks of Roman Catholic clergy in Altoona and stressed that allegations were mishandled by former church leadership, diocese spokesman Tony DeGol said Bishop Mark Bartchak will soon announce his plans for turning the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese into a leader in youth protection.
“Over the past year, Bishop Bartchak has devoted much of his time to collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a new comprehensive approach that will help to make the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown a leader in the field of youth protection. We will be announcing the product of these efforts in the near future,” DeGol wrote in an email.
“The release of the grand jury report was heartbreaking for all Catholics, and it was especially painful for the survivors of sexual abuse and their loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with them today and always,” DeGol wrote.
The report issued on this date last year named dozens of clergy who went virtually unpunished or uninvestigated by police.
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