Abuse victim & ex-head of SNAP blasts new pope
Statement by David Clohessy of SNAP (former national director) 314 566 9790
Two years ago, SNAP and ECA filed a formal complaint to the Vatican about how then-Fr. Prevost – and other Catholic officials – were (and still are) acting recklessly, callously and secretively with a Chicago predator, Fr. Richard McGrath. We’ve still received no response from the Vatican.
Frankly, it shows an alarming contempt for suffering abuse victims and betrayed Catholic parishioners that the church hierarchy has promoted a cleric who is accused of acting irresponsibly in child sex cases on two continents (North & South America).
https://www.conclavewatch.org/cardinals/prevost?rq=prevo
We beg anyone who knows about or suspects abuse cover ups by the new pontiff or other Augustinian officials – in the US, Peru or elsewhere – to come forward now. It’s crucial for the safety of kids that Prevost’s full record on this most crucial matter.
DETAILS
In 2023, a $2 million settlement was announced between Chicago-area Catholic officials and a suburban Chicago man, Robert Krankvich, who was raped as a youngster by Fr. Richard J. McGrath.
(Krankvich passed away earlier this month 5/25.)
Even then, Fr. McGrath remained "on the loose, walking free, unmonitored, unsupervised and unpunished," living at an undisclosed location despite being ousted from his job at a school by church supervisors, having what a student thought was an image of a naked boy on his phone, withholding that phone from superiors or law enforcement, taking the 5th amendment, committing other inappropriate behaviors and continually disobeying his supervisors."
At least five Chicago area church authorities are responsible for "the on-going threat to children caused by Fr. McGrath and their continued secrecy about other predators."
Earlier that year (2023), Pope Francis permanently established the first-ever process through which formal complaints can be filed with the Vatican against church officials who improperly deal with child sexual abuse. Two groups - SNAP and Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) - submitted such a detailed complaint charging that the five church officials "are still hiding and protecting dozens of other predators besides Fr. McGrath endangering the vulnerable and re-victimizing the wounded and "impeding abuse investigations by deterring victims from speaking up."
(Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul made similar charges in his 700 page 2023 report on a five year investigation into Illinois' bishops, naming 149 omitted abusers' names.)
Those targeted by SNAP and ECA are Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks and Rockford Bishop David Malloy (in whose jurisdictions Fr. McGrath worked, lived or may live or work now) and are two Augustinian officials, one in Chicago and one in Rome. (The latter is Chicago native Cardinal Robert Prevost, now a top Vatican official overseeing the selection of new bishops across the world. He is the former head of the Augustinian’s Midwest province.)
Around 2018, church officials sent Fr. McGrath to live at St. John's Friary as allegations began to emerge that he had child pornography on his cell phone and had sexually abused a student. "The monastery is next to a daycare center and around the corner from a Catholic elementary school," reported one local news outlet. "Yet no one informed the people running those institutions Fr. McGrath was living there." His current whereabouts are unknown.
After leaving the friary in 2018, supposedly without permission, Fr. McGrath has been living and working without supervision by the Augustinians; yet he remains an Augustinian priest.
The regional headquarters of the Augustinians is at 10161 S. Longwood Drive in Chicago (872 265 1100).
Providence Catholic High School (815 485 2136) is at 1800 W. Lincoln Highway in New Lenox in the Joliet Diocese (815 221 6100).
Krankvich's attorneys are Marc Pearlman (773 368 0142 cell, 312 261 4550, mpearlman@frostpearlman.law), Jeff Anderson (612 817 8665 cell, 651 227 9990, jeff@andersonadvocates.com) and Daniel Kotin (312 605 8800, 312 346 3191, dan@tkklaw.com). The Augustinians' lawyer is Michael Airdo (312 647 2483) and Fr. McGrath's lawyer is Patrick Reardon (773 271 5716).
Fr. McGrath worked at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox (where the abuse happened) for 32 years, St. Rita’s High School in Chicago for 11 years and at St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin in the Rockford Diocese for four years. His full work history is here:
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/assign-McGrath-Richard-J.pdf
The lawsuit was filed in April 2018 and was set for trial in Sept. 2023.
David G. Clohessy
Former national director of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Current volunteer director of Missouri SNAP
Prevent Abuse LLC
7234 Arsenal St., St. Louis MO 63143
314-566-9790 (cell)
twitter: @davidgclohessy