Please note: We are cancelling the Holy Hour at Holy Name on June 3rd. All are invited to the Holy Hour at St. Michael’s Cathedral.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Trinity Sunday. I hope this finds you well. I write this announcement with a bit of a heavy heart. There is simply no easy way for me to break this news to you, so I am just going to go ahead and say it.
This Wednesday, June 2 the Diocese will release more names of clergy, religious and lay church staff who have been involved in the scandal of sexual abuse of minors. Ever since Bishop Byrne has arrived here, he has been committed to transparency and communication in this area.
What will be released on Wednesday are allegations against clergy, lay staff and religious. An allegation is deemed to be credible if there is reasonable cause to believe that the sexual abuse occurred. It is not a definitive finding of guilt, but the public acknowledgement of those credible allegations is a critically important action that the diocese owes to those survivors who have come forward.
There will be a considerable addition to the list which previously appeared on our diocesan website. Many of these credible allegations were previously excluded from our list because the accused was deceased when the allegation occurred.
It is important to note that these are not new allegations. Prior to this release, the Office of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance in the Diocese conducted a thorough review of all the cases, and used an outside source to conduct the review.
Bishop Byrne believes that this expanded disclosure of names is a necessary action as a part of fulfilling his commitment to transparency and healing.
You will be able to watch the proceedings on a live stream on Wednesday on the Diocesan Website.
Personally, I believe this announcement has the potential to be upsetting for people in our parish. You will continue to be in my prayers, as we navigate through these rough waters once again. Lastly, on Thursday, June 3 at 7pm, we will have a holy hour here at Holy Name Parish in solidarity with a Holy Hour held by Bishop Byrne in St. Michael’s Cathedral.
God Bless you in all you do. I hope you consider coming on Thursday to pray for a continued healing of victims and families and everyone involved. Also, please know of our love and commitment in serving our wonderful parish.
Sincerely yours,
Fr. David Aufiero