Slowik: a Joliet Bishop Engaged in Sexual Misconduct. the Diocese Still Displays His Picture in the Cathedral

By Ted Slowik
Chicago Tribune
June 14, 2019

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-joliet-diocese-bishop-ryan-st-0614-story.html

Walking into the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet and seeing a display featuring the late Most Rev. Daniel Ryan triggers a flood of painful memories and unleashes a range of emotions.

I feel angry that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet would prominently display a picture of a cleric who engaged in sexual misconduct. I feel frustrated by how little seems to have changed, despite platitudes by church leaders about how much they have done to protect children.

I feel sadness about the apparent lack of understanding by church leaders and empathy for the many people I met and listened to over the years who shared with me their experiences of Joliet clergy who had sexually abused children.

I feel that if church leaders understood the depth of pain felt by survivors of childhood sexual abuse and truly cared about creating a culture where children are safe from sexual predators, they would remove the photo of Ryan from the display in the entryway to the cathedral.

I began hearing the stories, researching court files and investigating clergy abuse in the Joliet Diocese in 2002 while working for a Joliet newspaper. The work was emotionally draining. I felt obligated to share the stories of survivors at a time when few people in positions of authority in the church or state would advocate on their behalf.

Seventeen years later, I feel diocesan leaders still fail to grasp how the display of Ryan’s picture might offend people who were sexually abused by priests.

“It is one thing to acknowledge that an abuser worked at the parish, but quite another for his image to be displayed prominently,” said Zach Hiner, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

“While it may seem minor to church officials, to survivors and supporters, small actions like this illustrate that church officials still do not fully understand the lifelong toll that abuse can have. If they did, they wouldn’t display these photos, prominently or otherwise,” Hiner said.

I likely never would have listened to any of the stories of childhood sexual abuse or learned about efforts by bishops to cover up crimes by shuffling predator priests around the country had it not been for Ryan.

Ryan served as an auxiliary bishop in Joliet from 1981 to 1984, as the display in the cathedral sacristy informs visitors. His smiling face peers at viewers from behind a glass case where other past leaders of the Joliet Diocese also are displayed. Ryan died in 2015.

Column: A Joliet bishop engaged in sexual misconduct. The diocese still displays his picture in the cathedral.

A glass case displays a picture of the late Most Rev. Daniel L. Ryan in June, 2019 at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet. Ryan was an auxiliary bishop in Joliet and later bishop of the Springfield Diocese, which said in 2006 that Ryan engaged in sexual misconduct. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown)

Back in 2002, a website documenting the conduct of Ryan and others was a source of information about predator priests in the Joliet Diocese. As I wrote about local implications of groundbreaking Boston Globe reporting about the cover-up of sexual abuse by clergy, I independently verified and corroborated information I first learned from the website in some cases.

The website was published by Stephen Brady, president of the Springfield-based group Roman Catholic Faithful.

Ryan left Joliet in 1984 to serve as bishop of the Springfield Diocese until his abrupt retirement in 1999 at age 69.

In 2006, the Springfield Diocese released a report following an 18-month investigation into sexual misconduct by priests. The probe was led by a former U.S. attorney and was launched in the wake of a scandal involving the chancellor for the diocese who was beaten in a public park by two young men he allegedly propositioned for sex, the report said.

The report acknowledged that Bishop Ryan, who was responsible for holding accountable sexual abusers of children, had himself committed sexual misconduct.

“Bishop Ryan engaged in sexual misconduct with adults and used his authority to conceal this misconduct,” the report said. “Although denied by Bishop Ryan, this behavior did occur and caused scandal in the Church by leading others to do evil.

“It resulted in feelings of hurt and anger, as well as thoughts of doubt and mistrust both in the Church as an institution and in its leaders,” the report said. “There is anecdotal evidence of local Catholics abandoning the faith as a result of that behavior.”

Brady has spent considerable time investigating Ryan’s misconduct in the Joliet and Springfield dioceses. He said the display of Ryan’s picture in the sacristy of the Joliet cathedral is “a disgrace.”

“It’s disgusting,” Brady said. “It shows the current state of the hierarchy, that they see nothing wrong with it.”

“The hierarchy is about defending their own and keeping themselves empowered,” Brady said. “Their attitude shows a complete lack of understanding of the faith.”

A spokesman for Joliet Bishop R. Daniel Conlon said the display of diocesan leaders has been in place in the cathedral sacristy since before Conlon became bishop of the diocese in 2011. The diocese is considering steps to address criticism about Ryan’s inclusion in the display, said Alex Rechenmacher, executive assistant to Conlon.

We spoke by phone, then Rechenmacher provided a statement.

“The Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus, as the Mother Church for the diocese includes many displays showing the history of the Diocese of Joliet,” the statement said. “The content of this particular display is not a result of personal discretion. It is an historical record of past auxiliary bishops in the diocese, going back to the first one in 1968.”

I had asked Rechenmacher how the diocese considered the views of people who were sexually abused by priests when deciding to continue displaying Ryan’s picture with the other diocesan leaders.

“Concern for the perspective and well-being of survivors is paramount, and is one of the pillars of our youth protection policies, along with ongoing safe environment training, background checks and mandated reporting of suspected cases of abuse,” he said.

“The Diocese of Joliet employs a victim assistance coordinator who coordinates pastoral support and outreach to assist in the healing process, which even includes providing counseling to survivors,” he said.

I had asked that since the display has been in place since before Conlon was installed as bishop eight years ago whether the diocese has already had ample time to consider the feelings of sexual abuse survivors.

“To my knowledge, no victim has expressed concern to us about the display in the past,” Rechenmacher said in the statement. “Nevertheless, we appreciate you raising the possibility that the display itself may express insensitivity towards survivors.

“At the same time, we do not want to appear to hide these events from our past by simply removing them from public view,” he said. “Bishop Conlon has asked that these concerns be examined and is seeking a recommendation from the Diocesan Review Board as well.”

Column: A Joliet bishop engaged in sexual misconduct. The diocese still displays his picture in the cathedral.

A picture of Joliet Bishop R. Daniel Conlon hangs above a glass case displaying pictures of the late Joliet Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Ryan and others in June, 2019, at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet. Ryan engaged in sexual misconduct, the Springfield Diocese said in 2006. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown)

Conlon was in Washington, D.C., this week for a national meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. From 2011 to 2014, Conlon served as chairperson for the conference’s Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People.

On Thursday, bishops approved a 10-point statement, “Affirming Our Episcopal Commitments,” in which bishops hope to regain “the trust of the people of God,” according to the independent news source National Catholic Reporter.

The statement said bishops haven’t done enough to prove to people in the pews that they’ve held sexual predators accountable for their actions.

“Others have failed by not responding morally, pastorally and effectively to allegations of abuse or misconduct perpetrated by other bishops, priests and deacons. Because of these failures, the faithful are outraged, horrified and discouraged,” according to the statement.

“The anger is justified; it has humbled us, prompting us into self-examination, repentance and a desire to do better, much better. We will continue to listen,” the statement said.

Conlon, if you’re listening: Remove the picture of Ryan from the display in the sacristy of the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet. Doing so would show compassion for those who were sexually abused by priests and the pain that many continue to endure.

Contact: tslowik@tribpub.com