What:
After a news conference, two families of men who were murdered by a Catholic priest will try to hand deliver a letter to Chicago Catholic officials urging them to intervene and help:
- prod US bishops, including Cardinal Francis George, to adopt a five point plan of “real” reforms to address the crisis and continued cover-up of sex crimes, and
- prod anyone who was hurt by the alleged pedophile priest to come forward and get help.
When:
TODAY, Thursday, Jan. 19, 11:30 a.m.
Where:
Starting at the Radisson Hotel, 160 East Huron Street (Operetta room, 13th floor) in downtown Chicago
Ending at the Chicago Archdiocese chancery headquarters, 155 E. Superior.
Who:
The parents and siblings of men who were killed by Fr. Ryan Erickson, along with their attorney
Families of Murder Victims Push For REAL Church Sex Abuse Reform
Priest Accused of Molesting Kids Killed Two Men, Then Hanged Himself
Relatives of the Deceased Want "Action, Not Words" From Catholic Officials
They Seek Meeting With the Pope and Other Concrete Steps Toward Prevention
Cardinal George, As Vice President of US Bishops Group, Is Asked To Intervene
WHY:
In an unusual “John Doe” hearing last October, a Wisconsin judge ruled that Fr. Ryan Erickson shot and killed Dan O'Connell and James Ellison in February 2002 because O'Connell had confronted Erickson with suspicions that the priest was molesting kids. Just over year ago, Erickson hung himself from a fire escape at his Hurley, Wisconsin church after being questioned by police about the murders. This past Sunday, for the first time, Superior Bishop Raphael Fliss (Erickson’s boss) finally spoke to parishioners in Hudson Wisconsin, where the murders took place.
Last November, relatives of the slain men presented a five point reform and prevention plan to a nationwide meeting of Catholic bishops in Washington. But virtually no change has resulted. So they are trying again, this time with US bishops’ conference vice president Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. In the church hierarchy, George is also the "metropolitan" or supervisory bishop over the Superior diocese, which ordained and hired Erickson.
In recent months, evidence has emerged showing that church officials knew Erickson had been accused at least twice of molesting boys, once a full six years before he was ordained in 2000. And more allegations about Erickson’s sexual abuse and bizarre behavior, including his fixation with guns and child porn, have surfaced in the past few weeks. No civil lawsuits against the priest or the diocese have been filed.
To protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded, the families want Catholic officials to set up a national registry of abusive clerics and help reform archaic state child sex abuse laws. They also seek a method to discipline bishops who ordain troubled seminarians and protect offending priests and full disclosure of the identity of all offending priests by bishops involving priests and other church personnel who have molested kids. At the November US bishops meeting in Washington DC, the families also asked the prelates to help them get a face-to-face meeting with the Pope.
CONTACT:
Attorney Jeff Anderson of St. Paul 651-227-9990, 612-817-8665 cell,
Paralegal Jessica Arbour 651-227-9990 or 612-281-4945,
Attorney Mike Finnegan 612-205-5531 cell |
