For those of you who may not have seen the first briefing I sent out, 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. I am sending this briefing to priests, deacons, agency directors, board members, parish council chairs, and other key leaders.
Please feel free to forward this information to others. Parishes can use various parish communication vehicles (websites, email, social media, Flocknote) to spread the word.
I have been trying to talk about this issue at every opportunity, but many of you who serve in leadership capacities in the Archdiocese have told me that you want to continue to hear from me, especially with information offered in a manageable format that you can easily communicate 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.
1) As I mentioned in the first leadership briefing, the November episode of my monthly television show, Conversations with Archbishop Kurtz, devotes all three segments to the topic of sexual abuse. The second segment below features our Victim Assistance Coordinator, Martine Siegel. Please take a look at this 9-minute segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcPK1E0MGOg&t=5s
2) I want to call your attention to the “Frequently Asked Questions” that were part of the October 18 “Report to the Catholic People” that appeared in The Record. You can read this at www.archlou.org/restoringtrust. If you have suggestions for additional questions and answers, please let me know. Send questions to comm@archlou.org.
3) This week, I am at the U.S. Bishops Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, and we bishops will be discussing the issue of sexual abuse extensively. I will send you a report about this dialogue when I return.
4) Another archdiocesan resource on sexual abuse prevention is the safe environment newsletter from the Counseling Department of our Family Ministries Office. Sent out monthly to parishes and schools, this publication contains excellent resources about sexual abuse, preventing abuse, and responding to victims. Go to www.archlou.org/restoringtrust and scroll down to the section entitled “Safe Environment Newsletter.”
