 |
| June, 2003 A note to parents, teens, and our wonderful adults working with God’s young people… In the history of the Catholic faith in America, few crisis have made a bigger impact than the slew of revelations of sexual abuse that were revealed in past 18 months. It has been a period of struggle for many, and if there has been any consolation through all of the pain it is that our Church leaders are taking a much closer look at the problem of child sexual abuse and making concerted efforts to prevent future clergy abuse. In June of 2002, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) made a giant leap forward, pledging their support for a Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (“Charter”), as well as the subsequent Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons (“Norms”). On June 23rd, I attended a seminar in Mundelein, IL on the compliance of these documents, along with Bishop Melczek, Kim Pryzbylski, Superintendent of Gary Catholic Schools, Frank Zolvinski, Diocesan Coordinator for Religious Education, and Dr. Ken Flanagan, the Director of Catholic Charities and the Diocesan liaison for sexual abuse prevention compliance. Also in attendance were Bishops from throughout Region 7 (IN, IL, WI). Over the next few months, you may hear news reports about the auditing of dioceses nationwide. The USCCB contracted with an independent auditing firm to ensure that each diocese was in compliance with the Charter and Norms. The audit process was discussed at length at the June 23rd meeting, as were mandatory safe environment programs for children. I am pleased to announce that the Diocese of Gary is moving forward in our efforts to protect God’s young people, and in fact our diocese has had strict guidelines that were in place years before the crisis came to light. Under the leadership of Bishop Melczek, parents can be assured that this diocese is making concerted efforts to ensure their children’s safety. That said, we can never be too careful, and in the months ahead, you will be hearing more about increased initiatives aimed at creating further safeguards. These efforts include education programs, thorough background screening, codes of conduct for youth and adults working with youth, and much more. While each diocese is now required by the USCCB to implement a safe environment program, we can be proud that Bishop Melczek has adopted the VIRTUS model, one of the finest programs for educating Catholic leaders on the issues of sexual abuse. You will hear more about VIRTUS in the months ahead. Indeed, clergy sex abuse is a violation of trust, an abuse of power, and a grievous sin that does irreparable harm. But as leaders, we must not forget that the problem of child sex abuse is much greater than the crisis facing the church. Depending on which statistics you read, anywhere from one in four to one in ten persons have been a victim of sexual abuse. The Diocese of Gary is not only committed to eliminating clergy sexual abuse, but is further committed to educating the public on the warning signs of abuse and the dangers of anyone-- clergy or lay—who preys on innocent victims. Together we can all do our part to ensure the safety and well being of God’s young people. I look forward to working with other diocesan and parish leaders in these efforts to protect those young people we cherish so much. The Nat. Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry has compiled resources, reflections, youth sessions, and links to support a pastoral response to issues of sexual abuse. I encourage parish leaders who work with youth-- both coordinators and volunteers-- to take a few moments to read Restoring Trust. You can find it by clicking here. Feel free to contact me should you ever have any questions regarding these matters. Kevin Driscoll
|