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Photo: Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago by Gerald C. Farinas; via Wikipedia.
The Archdiocese of Chicago is facing three new lawsuits alleging the church protected priests accused of abusing children, allowing them to remain in ministry for decades despite warnings and complaints, CBS News reported earlier today.
The filings claim the Archdiocese reassigned Father John William Curran and Father. Daniel Mark Holihan to parishes and schools for years, even after leaders were aware of allegations involving the sexual abuse of minors.
One lawsuit alleges that Holihan groomed a high school student at Quigley Preparatory Seminary in the 1980s and persuaded him to visit Holihan’s cottage in Wonder Lake and the rectory of Our Lady of the Snows Parish in Chicago, where he sexually abused the boy. According to the complaint, the Archdiocese had already received reports from more than 20 individuals accusing Holihan of misconduct dating back to the 1960s. Despite this, the suit claims the church continued to transfer him to new assignments for decades rather than removing him from ministry.
Two additional lawsuits accuse Curran of grooming and sexually abusing two students at St. Christina Catholic School and Parish in the 1980s. The suits allege that the abuse occurred in Curran’s rectory bedroom and that the Archdiocese had known of complaints against him since the 1960s but allowed him continued access to children.
A plaintiff’s attorney representing the individuals stated, “These cases show a pattern, not a misunderstanding. Families trusted the Archdiocese to be transparent about clergy assignments. Instead, the Church moved priests like Holihan quietly and without warning, leaving parents and children unaware of the danger.”
All three lawsuits accuse the Archdiocese of negligence and civil conspiracy and seek compensatory damages. The Archdiocese has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
