Former Morgan Park Priest Named in Newly Released Archdiocese Sex Abuse Files

The Archdiocese of Chicago Thursday released a list of 36 priests with sex abuse allegations against them, in an effort to publicize sex abuse hidden for decades.

“We cannot change the past but we hope we can rebuild trust through honest and open dialogue,” said Francis Cardinal George, in a statement released overnight. “Child abuse is a crime and a sin.”

A former priest at Holy Name of Mary Church in Morgan Park is among the 14 priests named who served in Southland parishes at some point in their careers. Anthony Vader allegedly fondled two sisters at Holy Cross Parish in Chicago in the mid-1950s. Two other women claimed he fondled them, one alleging that she was molested in the Holy Name of Mary Church rectory at the age of 18, according to the report. Vader was placed on restricted ministry and monitoring in 2002. He was removed from ministry a year later. He is now deceased.

The records are the second wave in revelation of abuse covered up for decades. The release comes after 6,000 similar documents were published in January, listing 30 abusive priests as part of a legal settlement with victims. Combined, the documents cover all the priests who have substantiated allegations of sexual misconduct with minors, with the exception of two priests where ongoing processes do not permit release, according to the Archdiocese. The new information included more than 15,000 additional records, with allegations tracing back to the early 1950s. The files only include those priests against whom substantiated claims were brought, and not those who died before the accusers came forward.

No priest with even one substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor serves in ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago today, the Archdiocese states. Ninety-two percent of the cases included in the documents occurred prior to 1988. The Archdiocese states that all of the priests involved in this document release are out of ministry. Fourteen are deceased.

Other Southland priests listed:

William Cloutier, St. Damian in Oak Forest

Kenneth Ruge and Gary Miller, Most Holy Redeemer and St. Bernadette in Evergreen Park, respectively

John E. Heffernan: Injant Jesus of Prague in Flossmoor, St. Gerald’s in Oak Lawn, St. Alphonsus in Lemont, St. Ann in Lansing