The sexual abuse of minors by priests and religious has caused tremendous harm to victims and is gravely contrary to the mission of the Catholic Church. As members of the Church, we are filled with shame and sorrow over how some representatives of the Church, who held positions of trust, have harmed the most vulnerable by perpetrating or enabling abuse.

 

St. Procopius Abbey is committed to following policies to end and prevent the sexual abuse of minors. For this purpose, we implement and follow policies that are accredited by a third-party agency, Praesidium, and that are in keeping with the norms established by the United States Bishops.

 

How an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is processed

When an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is received, the following things are typically done.

• The person making the report is encouraged to report also to civil authorities.

• The help of a Survivor Assistance Coordinator is offered to the person said to have been abused. The Survivor Assistance Coordinator, who has training for working with victims of abuse, coordinates the immediate pastoral care of the person.

• The abbey investigates the allegation to the extent possible. The results are shared with an independent Review Board, an advisory body, before reaching a decision about the case. The Review Board consists mainly of lay people who have expertise in the dynamics of abuse, law enforcement, and/or parenting.

• When an allegation is substantiated, the monk who committed the abuse is permanently removed from ministry. Also, his name is published on the Abbey’s website.

 

Standards for Interacting with Minors

Please see the link for the abbey’s standards for interacting with minors. This document provides guidelines for how monks, workers, and volunteers are to interact with minors.

 

Contact Information

If you know or have reasonable cause to believe that a monk from St. Procopius Abbey has sexually abused a minor, please contact the abbey and civil authorities.

• To contact the abbey, call 630-969-6410.

• To contact the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), call 1-800-252-2873 or 1-800-ABUSE.

 

Prayer for Healing Victims of Abuse

God of endless love,
ever caring, ever strong,
always present, always just:
You gave your only Son
to save us by the blood of his cross.

 

Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace,
join to your own suffering
the pain of all who have been hurt
in body, mind, and spirit
by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.

 

Hear the cries of our brothers and sisters
who have been gravely harmed,
and the cries of those who love them.
Soothe their restless hearts with hope,
steady their shaken spirits with faith.
Grant them justice for their cause,
enlightened by your truth.

 

Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,
heal your people’s wounds
and transform brokenness into wholeness.
Grant us the courage and wisdom,
humility and grace, to act with justice.
Breathe wisdom into our prayers and labors.
Grant that all harmed by abuse may find peace in justice.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

(From the USCCB website, accessed Sept. 15, 2022, the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows)