A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO
JOE MERRICK

Celebrate with us on Thursday, December 6th at our 9:30 AM Mass. Reception immediately following

It is with much gratitude and heartfelt thanks to Joe Merrick, our parishioner, who has been our daily sacristan and sexton for the past 42 years.

Over these years, the priests, deacons, daily lay liturgical ministers, our daily congregation and our Parish Staff have been the recipients of Joe’s ministry. With faith-filled love and with deep and abiding respect for the sacredness of our church, Joe opened and closed the church each day throughout the week, and he made sure that everything at the altar was well prepared. Joe was always very knowledgeable about all the required changes in the church as we moved into new liturgical seasons.

Although his general health was failing in more recent years, nothing stopped Joe from fulfilling his responsibilities to our worshiping community. Even with his hearing becoming more and more impaired and with his sight also failing with the passing of years, Joe continued long after most people would have retired and in so doing, he has been a tremendous inspiration to those who saw him each day.

Joe and his wife, Terry, will continue to be seen periodically at our 9:30 AM daily Mass and always at our 9:00 AM Sunday Mass. On behalf of the Parish Community, and in particular all those who served along with him, we offer him our best wishes and we thank God and we thank Joe for his faithful service to the Church.

All our parishioners are invited to join us for a celebration in honor of Joe’s faithful service to the Church on Thursday, December 6th, beginning with our 9:30 AM Mass and continuing with a reception immediately following in the Parish Center. All are welcome to attend to thank Joe for all he has done for our Parish.

Saint Frances Welcomed Seminarian Daniel Rice

Last weekend we welcomed Seminarian Daniel Rice, a first-year theologian from the Diocese of Arlington.  Seminarian Daniel spoke at all our Masses, sharing a word of gratitude for our past support and encouraged our continued support for the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.

Dear Friends,

Last Thursday, I shared a major announcement from Archbishop Chaput that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia would participate in an Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program (IRRP) to provide financial support for those sexually abused as minors by Archdiocesan clergy. The Archbishop also addressed this topic in his column last week.

That announcement followed a pledge made by Archbishop Chaput and his brother bishops throughout the Commonwealth In late September to create new modes of support for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy.

Today at a news conference, the Oversight Committee, Claims Administrators, and Victim Support Facilitator of the IRRP joined to share details about the program, how it will assist survivors of clergy sexual abuse, and how those survivors can file claims.

The attached protocol and FAQ documents were prepared by those monitoring and administering the IRRP. They contain important information about this initiative, which operates free from the direction and influence of Archdiocesan administration and staff.

You can also view video of the full news conference by visiting www.AOPPledgetoProtect.com. The video is housed in the “Where We’re Going” and “Video/Audio Library” sections of the site.

Sincerely,

Kenneth A. Gavin

Chief Communications Officer

Dear Friends,

In his most recent column Archbishop Chaput writes, “Every once in a while a story circulates in the press that requires a response.  That is my purpose here.

Many of you may have seen the article in the November 12Philadelphia Inquirer focusing on Stephen Szutenbach, a former Denver seminarian, and his adult sexual encounters with Kent Drotar.  Father Drotar was vice rector of Denver’s St. John Vianney Seminary for a time during my tenure as Archbishop of Denver.  If you haven’t read the Inquirer story, I encourage you to do so:
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/catholic-sex-abuse-seminarians-chaput-denver-szutenbach-bishops-vianney-20181112.html

I mention this because Denver archdiocesan conduct and safety policies were followed at all times in this painful matter, and the Inquirer article is seriously flawed in at least two of its key elements.”

You can read the complete column by opening the attached document or visiting www.CatholicPhilly.com. A Spanish translation of this column will be provided to you as soon as possible. Please consider sharing this material broadly in your parish communities in the manner you deem most appropriate. Thank you.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Sullivan

Vicar for Clergy

Reconciliation, reparations, and a means to both

Reconciliation, Reparations, and a Means to Both

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
November 8, 2018

To the people and clergy of the Church in Philadelphia:

As many of you will remember, less than two months ago each of the Catholic bishops of Pennsylvania pledged to offer substantial new sources of support for survivors of clergy sexual abuse. In the weeks since then, we’ve worked zealously to keep that promise.  Today in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, we are honoring that pledge, with a special concern for victims burdened by time-barred claims.

The damage done to innocent young people and their families by sexual abuse in the past is profound.  It can’t be erased by apologies, no matter how sincere.  And money can’t buy back a wounded person’s wholeness.  But what compensation can do is acknowledge the evil done and meaningfully assist survivors as they work to find greater peace in their lives.

To that end, I’m announcing today the creation of a new reparations program available to anyone abused in the past by clergy of the archdiocese.  This “Independent Reconciliation and Reparations” effort will be funded by the Archdiocese.  We will pay the amounts that independent claims administrators deem appropriate.

While the total number of claims and the ultimate funding required cannot be known at this time, the financial commitment from the Archdiocese will be significant.  Initial funding for the program will be provided by existing Archdiocesan assets.  Additional program funding will need to come from borrowing and the sale of archdiocesan properties. Which properties will be sold has not yet been determined.

Note that no money to fund the program will come from our Catholic Charities Appeal, Seminary Appeal, other donor-designated funds or donations made to parishes, ministries, and schools.

This new program will be separate from, and add to, our already existing survivor-assistance efforts. The good work of the Archdiocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection, led by Leslie Davila, a former victim-assistance officer with the Philadelphia District Attorney and a victim’s advocate for 19 years, will continue.  Ms. Davila’s team has provided more than $18M dollars of assistance to victims already, and again to be clear, today’s new compensation program is in addition to those efforts.

I want to turn now to the new compensation program and some of its details.

At the very start of our efforts to create a new private reparations program, we consulted Ms. Lynn Shiner.  Ms. Shiner is a survivor of violent crime herself and has spent her 22-year career as a victim’s advocate in Pennsylvania working with and on behalf of survivors of all types of abuse.  Ms. Shiner was the director of the Pennsylvania Office of Victims’ Services, and she oversaw Pennsylvania’s public victim compensation program.  Under her direction, this state fund has distributed more than $100 million to victims.  With Ms. Shiner’s guidance, we designed our program based on input from dozens of victims about what they expect and need from such an effort.  Ms. Shiner has generously agreed to be an ongoing part of this program’s work.  She will be the Victim Support Facilitator and will be available to help survivors in coming forward, presenting their claims, and finding appropriate services within and outside of the Church.

This program, however, is about more than compensation of victims.  It’s also about apologizing to victims, recognizing the harm the Church has done, and continuing the critical work to ensure abuse is prevented.  The program will include an independent review of our current policies, input on our training programs, and recommendations for steps toward increased emotional and spiritual healing in our community.

This reconciliation and reparations effort needs to be, and will be, independent of the Church.  Leaders in our community who have impeccable credentials will administer it.  To assure this autonomy, an Independent Oversight Committee, chaired by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, will supervise the effort.  Joining Senator Mitchell on the committee will be Kelley Hodge, former Interim District Attorney for the City and County of Philadelphia; and Lawrence F. Stengel (Ret.), former Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Victims’ advocates have stressed that the program must allow survivors to receive redress quickly without burdensome administrative or court-type procedures.  When we canvassed the country for the very best claims administrators, it quickly became clear that Mr. Kenneth R. Feinberg and Ms. Camille S. Biros, two nationally recognized experts, are extraordinary at this work and have now developed special experience working with multiple dioceses.  Mr. Feinberg and Ms. Biros will administer all aspects of the claims process, under the supervision of the Oversight Committee.  These administrators will have complete authority to determine eligibility of individual claims and the amount of reparations for survivors who come forward.

I need to emphasize again that this effort is entirely independent of the Archdiocese and is confidential. The program is designed to help survivors come forward in an atmosphere where they are secure and respected, without the uncertainty, conflict, and stress of litigation.  On November 13, Senator Mitchell and the team involved in this effort will hold a separate press conference providing full details and answering any questions on the program.  I invite our news media and the general public to listen carefully to what they say.

I want to thank these extraordinary public leaders for their service in this work to repair the damage of the past and ease the suffering of survivors and their families.

Finally and most importantly: I deeply regret the pain that so many victims carry from the experience of sex abuse.  I hope this program will bring them a measure of peace.

+Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Philadelphia

ARCHBISHOP CHARLES J. CHAPUT, O.F.M. Cap. ANNOUNCES ESTABLISHMENT OF INDEPENDENT RECONCILIATION AND REPARATIONS PROGRAM TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE