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How the Diocese has been part of the solution One year after Dallas, several steps have moved Albany Diocese to forefront of fulfilling charter One year after the American bishops resolved to end the clergy abuse scandal, beginning with the passage of their "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," the Albany Diocese can look back at several significant steps it has taken. The process began within hours of Bishop Howard J. Hubbard's return from Dallas, where the bishops had met in mid-June 2002. He immediately appointed diocesan staff members and others with appropriate expertise to begin going through the charter to determine how to apply it to the Diocese. The Bishop has called this quick action "steps...to pierce the darkness, bring the light of truth and healing where it is very much needed." Removing priests Bishop Hubbard was also among the first bishops in the nation to act on the charter's call for zero tolerance of priest-abusers, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred or how well the priest has dealt with his sin and served the Diocese since it occurred. A few weeks after the charter was passed, the Bishop removed six priests from ministry, including three active pastors. Applying his pastoral touch to the difficult decisions, he spoke in one of the parishes personally to tell Catholics what had happened. His words were read in other churches by his representatives and printed in The Evangelist. Advisors To make sure claims of abuse were handled fairly and objectively, the Diocese expanded its Sexual Misconduct Panel, which had been in place since 1993. The eight members include experts in the law, counseling and health care, as well as parents and a victim of abuse. Also, two new staff members were added to the diocesan Pastoral Center, in accord with the charter: * Theresa Rodrigues became the victims/survivors assistance coordinator to establish and maintain contact with victims to make sure they can access the help they need to recover; and * Thomas Martin, a retired investigator with the New York State Police who has expertise in abuse investigations, became the person who will look into allegations of abuse that fall outside the statute of limitations. (Allegations within the statutes are referred to the appropriate district attorney.) Training The Diocese also inaugurated the Virtus program to train thousands of employees and volunteers in the Diocese, so they can prevent abuse or recognize when it occurs, regardless of where it occurs. Background checks will also begin for Church workers who deal with minors. Throughout the past year, the Diocese has kept Catholics and others informed about all of these efforts through The Evangelist, the diocesan website (www.rcda.org), and advertisements in newspapers and on the radio. In those ads, Bishop Hubbard has pledged "to ensure that Catholic places in the Albany Diocese are the safest places for any child or adult." (6/19/03) |