I am inaugurating this Archbishop’s Leadership Briefing to keep archdiocesan leaders informed of important developments in the Church, especially in light of the Church’s response to sexual abuse. This briefing is being sent to priests, deacons, agency directors, board members, and other key leaders. Please feel free to forward this information to others.
I have been trying to talk about this issue at every opportunity, but I have been told by many of you who serve in leadership capacities in the Archdiocese that you want to continue to hear from me, especially with information offered in a manageable format that is easily communicated to others.
I will share brief summaries, links to resources, and other information that may be helpful, and I will communicate as frequently as necessary. I look forward to hearing from you with thoughts, questions, and suggestions.
Let us continue to pray for God’s grace for healing in our Church. Please pray for me, and I will pray for you.
1) Report to the Catholic People: I hope all of you have taken the time to read this report. It contains the information you will need to answer questions. If you haven’t seen the report, please visit https://therecordnewspaper.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/report.pdf
2) The November episode of my monthly television show, Conversations with Archbishop Kurtz, devoted all three segments to the topic of sexual abuse. In the first segment, Dr. Brian Reynolds and I present an overview of the issue. The next two segments feature our Victim Assistance Coordinator, Martine Siegel and the chair of our Sexual Abuse Review Board, John Laun.
Here is segment 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUjoVnfdP8A. I will share the other two segments in upcoming briefings.
3) The Archdiocese has initiated a third-party review of our records and policies regarding sexual abuse by an individual who has experience in the legal and criminal justice systems. We will announce the results of this process, and we hope to have it completed in December.
4) I look forward to participating in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) 2018 Fall General Assembly next week, during which we will discuss accountability measures that have been proposed for bishops. I will send you a report after I return.
