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Photo: Holy Name Cathedral in downtown Chicago by Gerald Farinas, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.5.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has agreed to pay $5.4 million to settle nine sexual abuse claims involving eight priests who served at Chicago-area churches and schools, Chicago Sun Times reported.
The allegations date from the early 1970s through the late 1990s. The survivors were between 6 and 14 years old when the alleged abuse occurred.
The settlements were reached out of court and announced Sept. 10.
Four Accused Priests Are Not on Archdiocese’s Abuse List
The nine claims involve allegations against eight priests:
- Michael Cepon, St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Chicago
- Russell Romano, Quigley Preparatory Seminary South High School in Chicago
- Clement Carroll, Our Lady of Peace School in Chicago
- William Devereux, St. Martha of Bethany Church in Morton Grove
- James Sayers, St. Joseph Parish/St. John Neumann Parish in Homewood
- Norbert Mayday, Our Lady of the Ridge in Chicago Ridge
- David Braun, St. Francis Xavier Campus of Saints JFX School in Wilmette
- William O’Connor, St. Paul Catholic Church in Chicago Heights
Two of the settlements involved allegations against Mayday.
Four of the priests — Cepon, Carroll, Sayers and O’Connor — do not appear on the archdiocese’s current list of clergy members with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse. Institutional clergy lists are often used by survivors and the public to understand the scope of acknowledged abuse within a diocese.
Archdiocese Says It Has Paid More Than $400M to Survivors
In a statement, the Archdiocese of Chicago said it has paid more than $400 million to survivors and continues to encourage people who experienced abuse to come forward.
The archdiocese did not admit liability in connection with the latest settlements.
For the survivors involved, the agreements bring an end to claims involving alleged abuse that in some cases occurred more than 50 years ago.
New Database Tracks Clergy Accused of Abuse
Attorneys involved in the settlements also announced a searchable database designed to help the public identify Catholic clergy members accused of sexual abuse or misconduct involving minors.
The tool includes clergy from around the world and is intended to make allegations easier to search by name and location.
The database could become another resource for survivors trying to determine whether others have reported allegations against the same clergy member or institution.
Chicago Settlements Add to Decades of Catholic Church Abuse Claims
The latest agreements are part of a much larger history of clergy sexual abuse litigation involving the Archdiocese of Chicago and Catholic dioceses across the country.
Many of those cases have focused not only on the conduct of individual priests, but also on whether church leaders knew about allegations, failed to remove accused clergy or did not adequately warn parishioners.
The new Chicago settlements do not resolve every outstanding clergy abuse claim against the archdiocese, but they add to the growing financial and institutional reckoning surrounding decades of allegations.
Learn More About Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
Survivors across the country have filed claims alleging sexual abuse by clergy and failures by church institutions to protect children.
Learn more about settlements, filing deadlines and ongoing litigation in our Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Guide.
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Understanding Your Right to File a Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Largest Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse Settlements in the United States
