S. Side priest could face lawsuit
An attorney representing men who allege that they were sexually abused by priests announced Thursday he will file a civil child molestation lawsuit involving a former Pilsen pastor.
Attorney Philip Aaron of Seattle said he will file suit next week against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the Benedictine Order, the City of Chicago and Rev. Terence Fitzmaurice for damages regarding the alleged repeated molestation of a mentally retarded boy in the 1970s. He made the announcement at a sidewalk demonstration in front of Cardinal Francis George's Lincoln Park residence
"This young man's life has been totally devastated," Aaron said, adding that he could no longer wait for trial.
Aaron said he represents approximately 20 men who have accused Fitzmaurice, a member of the Order of Saint Benedict, of molesting them as youths while he served as associate pastor at St. Procopius Church, 1641 S. Allport St., from 1969 through 1986.
Aaron said many of them are currently homeless and the majority of them have tried to commit suicide. In addition, he said he is currently screening the cases of 80 additional men. He estimated that about 30 of the participants in today's event were members of African American Advocates for Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse, the group that organizes and provides support for these men.
No criminal charges have been filed against Fitzmaurice, and he was unavailable for comment. Father Dismas Kalcic, abbot for the St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, of which Fitzmaurice is a member, declined to comment on the allegations and Fitzmaurice's current ties to the abbey. A representative of the archdiocese said Fitzmaurice is in his 80s and is currently not in any active ministry.
Last November, the archdiocese and Order of St. Benedict agreed to a six-figure settlement with three of the men represented by Aaron before suits were filed.
Aaron said the gravity of the situation dictatet that he could not wait for a settlement in this suit. According to Aaron, Perry Collins was repeatedly abused by Fitzmaurice in the early 1970s, including an incident in which four priests allegedly gang raped him when he was 10 years old. The identities of the other three priests allegedly involved in the incident are unknown.
Aaron said Collins has needed extensive care and has tried to commit suicide twice. He has a bullet lodged near his spine from one attempt. "The archdiocese has lied and lied in promises to help get him treatment and they haven't done it," Aaron said, adding that the archdiocese agreed to commit $1,500 toward a doctor for Collins. The doctor charges $4,000, and Collins, who is homeless, has no way to pay the bills.
Archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Burritt said the archdiocese has been engaged in extensive pastoral outreach with victims of alleged molestation, including interim financial assistance, and that its lawyers "have been in continuous dialogue with Aaron about all of his clients' claims." She emphasized that Fitzmaurice was not an archdiocesan priest and added that today's events took the archdiocese by surprise. "The first contact we got was from a news media person," she said. She added that the archdiocese is trying to find out more about the allegations involving Collins.
The city has been included in the proposed suit because Fitzmaurice allegedly used federal money provided by the city to facilitate the molestation. In the past, Aaron chose not to sue the city over the abuse allegations, saying that it was better to pursue other potential defendants.
At the St. Procopius Church, Fitzmaurice supervised nearly 400 young men and women as part of Mayor Richard J. Daley's Summer Youth Employment Program, which received substantial federal funding. In 1969, the mayor set out to find summer employment for 35,000 youths and partnered with the Archdiocese of Chicago School Board to help screen job applicants.
Under Fitzmaurice's leadership, the program at St. Procopius became was one of the largest in Chicago, with participants working at a variety of jobs throughout the Pilsen neighborhood. Aaron said Fitzmaurice committed many misdeeds in his position with the program, including writing checks to participants who were not working, falsifying participants' ages so that they could participate, and using money to transport children.
Fitzmaurice was the last Benedictine priest to serve at St. Procopius, which has been run by the archdiocese since 1980.
Attorney Philip Aaron of Seattle said he will file suit next week against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the Benedictine Order, the City of Chicago and Rev. Terence Fitzmaurice for damages regarding the alleged repeated molestation of a mentally retarded boy in the 1970s. He made the announcement at a sidewalk demonstration in front of Cardinal Francis George's Lincoln Park residence
"This young man's life has been totally devastated," Aaron said, adding that he could no longer wait for trial.
Aaron said he represents approximately 20 men who have accused Fitzmaurice, a member of the Order of Saint Benedict, of molesting them as youths while he served as associate pastor at St. Procopius Church, 1641 S. Allport St., from 1969 through 1986.
Aaron said many of them are currently homeless and the majority of them have tried to commit suicide. In addition, he said he is currently screening the cases of 80 additional men. He estimated that about 30 of the participants in today's event were members of African American Advocates for Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse, the group that organizes and provides support for these men.
No criminal charges have been filed against Fitzmaurice, and he was unavailable for comment. Father Dismas Kalcic, abbot for the St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, of which Fitzmaurice is a member, declined to comment on the allegations and Fitzmaurice's current ties to the abbey. A representative of the archdiocese said Fitzmaurice is in his 80s and is currently not in any active ministry.
Last November, the archdiocese and Order of St. Benedict agreed to a six-figure settlement with three of the men represented by Aaron before suits were filed.
Aaron said the gravity of the situation dictatet that he could not wait for a settlement in this suit. According to Aaron, Perry Collins was repeatedly abused by Fitzmaurice in the early 1970s, including an incident in which four priests allegedly gang raped him when he was 10 years old. The identities of the other three priests allegedly involved in the incident are unknown.
Aaron said Collins has needed extensive care and has tried to commit suicide twice. He has a bullet lodged near his spine from one attempt. "The archdiocese has lied and lied in promises to help get him treatment and they haven't done it," Aaron said, adding that the archdiocese agreed to commit $1,500 toward a doctor for Collins. The doctor charges $4,000, and Collins, who is homeless, has no way to pay the bills.
Archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Burritt said the archdiocese has been engaged in extensive pastoral outreach with victims of alleged molestation, including interim financial assistance, and that its lawyers "have been in continuous dialogue with Aaron about all of his clients' claims." She emphasized that Fitzmaurice was not an archdiocesan priest and added that today's events took the archdiocese by surprise. "The first contact we got was from a news media person," she said. She added that the archdiocese is trying to find out more about the allegations involving Collins.
The city has been included in the proposed suit because Fitzmaurice allegedly used federal money provided by the city to facilitate the molestation. In the past, Aaron chose not to sue the city over the abuse allegations, saying that it was better to pursue other potential defendants.
At the St. Procopius Church, Fitzmaurice supervised nearly 400 young men and women as part of Mayor Richard J. Daley's Summer Youth Employment Program, which received substantial federal funding. In 1969, the mayor set out to find summer employment for 35,000 youths and partnered with the Archdiocese of Chicago School Board to help screen job applicants.
Under Fitzmaurice's leadership, the program at St. Procopius became was one of the largest in Chicago, with participants working at a variety of jobs throughout the Pilsen neighborhood. Aaron said Fitzmaurice committed many misdeeds in his position with the program, including writing checks to participants who were not working, falsifying participants' ages so that they could participate, and using money to transport children.
Fitzmaurice was the last Benedictine priest to serve at St. Procopius, which has been run by the archdiocese since 1980.
Tagged: Near North Side, Gold Coast
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