On Tuesday, Central DuPage Hospital fired a part-time chaplain after learning about allegations of “inappropriate behavior” with a boy from years earlier. The alleged inappropriate behavior occurred while the chaplain served as a priest in the Joliet Diocese and resulted in him being declared unfit for parish ministry.
The allegations stem from a former parishioner accusing the priest of touching him inappropriately, taking pictures of him and forcing him to try on clothes in front of the priest as a boy.
According to the hospital, the diocese failed to mention the allegation when it recommended the priest for the chaplain position. The hospital became aware of the allegations only after the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests contacted the hospital and urged it to remove the priest. The diocese undoubtedly put children at serious risk by failing to notify the hospital of these troubling allegations.
As a personal injury lawyer who represents multiple victims of pedophile priests in the Joliet Diocese, I am appalled that the Joliet Diocese continues its practice of transferring pedophile priests elsewhere without giving notice of child sex abuse allegations. Without question, this practice led to the sexual abuse of many children who would not have been abused otherwise, if the diocese had given proper notice.
It is incomprehensible that the diocese would continue such a practice while under intense scrutiny for shielding pedophile priests for decades. This recent failure should serve as a warning to all parents that the Joliet Diocese remains unable to properly handle pedophile priests.
