In First Parish Visit, Archbishop Blase Cupich Apologizes for Despicable Predator Priest

Archbishop Blase Cupich’s first visit to a Chicago Archdiocese parish Sunday was act of contrition and a public apology to parishioners subjected to one of the church’s most recent sexual predators.

Daniel McCormack, pastor at St. Agatha’s on the West Side from 2000 to 2006, abused several boys there. He’s locked up in a mental health center. The Cook County state’s attorney and Illinois attorney general have petitioned to keep him behind bars indefinitely as a “sexually violent person.” About two dozen boys fell victim to McCormack’s abuse dating back to the early 1990s, which has cost the Archdiocese $10 million so far in civil settlements.

In 2007, McCormack pleaded guilty to the abuse of five boys, some which occurred after his first arrest in 2005. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

McCormack did “horrible things,” Cupich said Sunday.

“And I apologize. I’m sorry. That’s not the way we should treat each other. That’s not the way a leader should act,” Cupich told the parish during Sunday Mass. “I came here today to witness a resurrection. And I see it happening in this community.”

At the end of his homily, the parish gave the new archbishop a standing ovation, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

After Mass, Cupich spoke with reporters.

“People always ask me about ‘Has the church done enough?’ And I always say ‘We can always do more’ so I welcome the opportunity to offer an apology.”

Not only has St. Agatha’s dealt with the devastation of an abusive pastor in its pulpit, the church faces violence in the surrounding neighborhood and a parish school that will be downsized next year.

“His emphasis on violence, anti-violence, immigration, the sex abuse stuff all hits home here in Chicago,” the Rev. Larry Dowling, current pastor of St. Agatha, told the Chicago Tribune prior to Cupich’s visit.

Cupich credits the news media’s reporting on the church abuse cases, bringing more priests and molestation cases to public light over the last 15 years, for compelling the church to act. Cupich took on a leading role in dealing with abusive priests.

Cupich chaired the bishops’ Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People. And the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops set new policies for addressing sex abuse allegations.

Three former FBI agents hired by the church to monitor these cases told the Tribune that Cupich’s actions throughout that period were impressive.

While visiting St. Agatha’s Sunday, Cupich pointed to the work the parish is doing to teach parenting skills to young moms and dads and the work it’s doing to feed the homeless in its West Side neighborhood.

“I also wanted to get across that this parish should not be identified only with the abuse of Dan McCormack, but also for the wonderful things that are happening here,” Cupich said.