Dear Parishioners,
Today Archbishop Carlson released the names of the clergy from the Archdiocese of St. Louis who have had substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors made against them. The Church has done this to provide justice for victims and accountability for the perpetrators. And though it is the right thing to do, it is also another painful chapter in the saga of the priest sexual abuse scandal that has so rocked the church.
The reactions to this list will be as varied as the people who read it. Some will be heartsick; others will be furious. Some are tired of all the time spent on this; others are disheartened and discouraged. Some will be grateful that this is all out in the open for the sake of the healing and purification we need; others are just deeply sad. Personally, I feel a little of all the above, and because I have the luxury of doing so, I stop by the chapel here in the rectory for a little silence before our Eucharistic Lord in those moments. The chapel is open for you as well.
And let me say to all who were and are affected, whether you were a victim, knew a priest on the list, or simply have had to deal with the struggle and doubt about faith and the Catholic Church that this scandal has engendered, I am sorry, so sorry for the actions of my brother priests. You deserve better.
Soon you should receive a special edition of the St. Louis Review with much more information as well as a list of resources that are available for our healing and protection. For current coverage of this story, click here to go to the Archdiocesan website and the list.
As a parish, it is important for all of us to be grounded in prayer and in our commitment to Jesus. Whatever feelings you may be experiencing, bring all those to Jesus and pray for healing, grace, and strength for yourself and the Church. Our most important prayer is the Mass, so please join our community this weekend at Mass, when I will speak more about the challenges and hopes of this present moment. There will be other opportunities for prayer in the weeks to come, which we will publish in the bulletin and on the parish website.
To that end, Fr. Jay, Deacon Mark and I are committed to walking with you during these difficult days. Do not hesitate to reach out to us however we may be of assistance to you.
We can’t undo the past. But going forward we can – and must – do everything in our power to protect God’s children. Meanwhile our hearts break for all who endured abuse. Let us turn in prayer to the crucified Christ, whose suffering continues in all innocent victims. May God help this Church and each of us more and more become who Jesus has always meant us to be from the beginning.
May your love be with us, Lord, as we place our hope in you! (Psalm 33:22)
Fr. Bill Kempf
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