In August, as part of a grand jury report released in Pennsylvania, a priest named John Pascal Sabas was listed as an individual accused of sexual abuse of a minor. Though not a priest of the Diocese of Portland, the grand jury report stated that he served in Maine in the early 1960s at Sacred Heart Church in Yarmouth and St. Joseph Church in Portland. The abuse was reported as having occurred in Pennsylvania after he left Maine. A subsequent review of our files shows that no allegations have been received concerning this priest. All the same, the diocese encourages any victims/survivors of this priest to come forward and contact civil authorities as well as Michael Magalski, Director of the Office of Professional Responsibility for the Diocese of Portland, at (207) 321-7836 or michael.magalski@portlanddiocese.org. As always, the diocese wants to do what it can to assist, if at all possible, in a process which leads to healing. Our prayers and sorrow extend to all victims/survivors and their families. May our Loving Father continue to send his Spirit over us to guide our vigilance in providing for the care and safety of all in our Church.
August 16, 2018
Dear Parishioners,
I wanted to speak with all of you about the terrible news we have all heard this past week. I decided to write a letter because I know that with the mixed congregations at the weekend Masses, some of the wording seems inappropriate for those who have little children, and not all parents appreciate this type of conversation with young people present. Moreover, we have four churches in the parish, and it would be hard to get the same message out to all the Masses in person. So as impersonal as a letter is for such a difficult topic, I felt I needed to address this issue out of love and concern for all of you. I know that I cannot remain silent. I have also included Bishop Deeley’s statement and the United States Catholic Bishop’s statement for you.
I am sure that all of you are as sick and disturbed as I am about the news concerning archbishop McCarrick, the Bishops in Pennsylvania and the Boston seminary. After the experiences in 2002, I thought that this mess was done and cleaned up, and we were ready to move forward with rediscovering our mission to proclaim the message of Christ and the evangelization he calls us to do. It seemed that we were well on our way, and now this past week, we realized that there is still more work to do.
With the news of sexual abuse and the betrayal of trust, it disheartens Catholic who are faithful and want to keep practicing. It makes it hard and embarrassing to be identified as being Catholic among friends and colleagues who rightfully question the actions of church leaders. Moreover, it also brings up the pain and hurt in those who were abused by priests, bishops and other people. Sexual abuse is evil, and victims never fully heal from their wounds. Those who are hurt just learn to live with it the best they can for the rest of their lives. When it all comes back in the news, and it relates to the Church, it only hurts them even more. What seems to be a grace during this time is that people continue to come forward to bring their experiences to the light knowing that they are not alone where God’s healing grace can work. Hopefully this will begin the healing process for those who have kept it in for so long. I encourage those who have been abused to come forward and report it to the civil authorities to make sure that the perpetrators are stopped.
It is my hope that the bishops work together to resolve this crisis to regain the trust of the priests and laity. I know that it is difficult, but with God, all things are possible. I pray for the Church I love; the good bishops and priests who work so hard to care for people as Christ did; and most especially for the victims who have been hurt. We as a parish and a diocese do all we can to create a safe, prayerful and loving community for all ages by faithfully following the norms of Protecting God’s Children. Please add us, the victims, faithful laity, priests and bishops to your daily prayers, Holy Hours of Adoration and rosaries. In this way Jesus can bring us together on the right course according to His will. If any of you ever want to talk to me about these events, I make myself very available to you.
Fr. Daniel Greenleaf
Pastor
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Statement from Bishop Deeley on Recent News Regarding Clergy Sexual Abuse August 16, 2018 “Like you, I am profoundly disheartened by the reports that have emerged in recent weeks regarding Archbishop McCarrick and the grand jury report in Pennsylvania. These stories of past sexual abuse by clergy were painful to hear and horrible in nature. Terrible harm has been done by individuals who were supposed to be trusted ministers and, instead, abused their power and damaged the dignity, humanity, and even the faith of victims/survivors. The vast majority of Catholic priests are men of integrity who are dedicated to unwavering good works and spreading the Good News of Jesus, but these past criminal and sinful acts diminish us all. I am encouraged that Cardinal DiNardo, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, made an announcement today concerning the way in which we, as bishops, will respond to this crisis. Three goals have been established: first, a full investigation into the McCarrick case; second, a new and confidential way for individuals to report complaints against bishops; and, finally, advocacy for better procedures to resolve complaints against bishops through fair and transparent proposals. There will be substantial involvement of the laity in this process as their presence and expertise will be invaluable. These goals aim to put stronger protections in place against predators and anyone who is complicit. Since my arrival in Maine, I have been blessed to be a part of a group of people, lay and clerics, dedicated to ensuring that the Church is a safe environment for children and all those who seek a place to draw near to God. We are in full compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and whenever a claim of sexual abuse of a minor has been made known to the diocese, civil authorities were notified, and an internal investigation was conducted by the diocese’s Office of Professional Responsibility, at present led by Michael Magalski, a retired agent-in-charge of the U.S. Secret Service. That process remains in place today. The vigilance created by the diocese’s procedures have created a safer Church, and there have been no substantiated incidents of sexual abuse of minors involving a Maine cleric since their inception. Both the sexual abuse of a minor, and the abuse of power by authority, cannot be allowed inside the walls of our places of worship. Our repentance, and our resolve to keep the Church a place that is safe for all is crucial. So, too, are our prayers for divine assistance. The Lord Jesus can heal what we are unable to do; that is the message of our faith. We ask for the Lord’s divine consolation for the victims/survivors and their families, and for the grace of being able, as the Lord Jesus wishes for us, to accompany those harmed on a path to healing.” Bishop Deeley encourages anyone who may have information about any case of sexual abuse of a minor by a Church representative to contact civil authorities and Michael Magalski, Director of the Office of Professional Responsibility for the Diocese of Portland, at (207) 321-7836 or at michael.magalski@portlanddiocese.org. |