Sexual Abuse: A Diocesan Response

As we recall the scandal in our Church of the sexual abuse of minors, we entrust those who are the victims/survivors of this abuse to our merciful and loving God asking for their healing. For decades, the Diocese of Portland has diligently worked to protect the dignity of victims/survivors and help them as they recover from the failure on the part of members of the Church years ago. The Church cannot change the past, but it can do everything possible to see that history does not repeat itself. True repentance is shown in serious vigilance in assuring that the Church of today continues to be a safe environment for all. On this page, you will find information regarding how the Diocese of Portland has responded, is responding, and will respond to sexual abuse. For more information on filing a sexual abuse report, reporting misconduct, or counseling assistance, click here.

Facts

Over the last 20 years, the Diocese of Portland has committed to raising awareness of the harm of sexual abuse, promoting the ways in which it can be prevented, and protecting young people as they come to learn of God and his love for them.

Since the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002, the Diocese of Portland has worked diligently to ensure a safe environment for all young people. Since 2002, over 20,000 Catholic Church employees, volunteers, priests, and educators in Maine who work with children have been trained in a safe environment program. The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was approved by the U.S. Catholic Bishops in June 2002 and revised in both June 2011 and June 2018.

In March of 2023, an independent audit of safe environment procedures found the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, which includes all 141 churches in Maine, in full compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The audit was conducted by StoneBridge Business Partners of Rochester, New York. The annual independent audit process has been in place since 2002.

In 2004, the attorney general in Maine fully investigated and released a report on its investigation of sexual abuse of minors by priests in the Diocese of Portland. The diocese voluntarily turned over its files dating back 75 years with the understanding that the information would be used to pursue any possible prosecution of individuals or diocesan administrators. The attorney general found the Diocese of Portland has not had an instance of a substantiated new allegation of sexual abuse of a minor by a cleric since 1993.

Upon his installation as bishop of the Diocese of Portland in 2014, Bishop Deeley called for another independent investigation to review the files of all active priests, which reassured the diocese that the protocols have been working.
The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People mandates permanently removes clergy who have sexually abused minors; reaching out to victims and their families with compassion; reporting allegations of sexual abuse of minors to civil authorities; investigating complaints of abuse in a thorough manner; implementing safe environment programs, which include abuse prevention training and awareness for all personnel and volunteers; and completing background checks on all personnel.
The Diocese of Portland offers financial assistance for the cost of outpatient counseling and expenses of spiritual assistance for anyone reporting to have been sexually abused by a cleric.The diocese offers this assistance as part of its pastoral mission with the simple goal to promote emotional and spiritual healing.

Process

In the case of an allegation of clergy sexual abuse, upon receipt of a complaint and in accordance with diocesan policy, an internal investigation is started, and civil authorities are notified. If the priest is active, he is placed on administrative leave. The announcement of the administrative leave and investigation is distributed to all parishes in the diocese, publicized on the diocesan website and social media platforms, and issued to media outlets throughout the state, encouraging people to come forward with relevant information.

The internal investigation is conducted by the Diocese of Portland’s Office of Professional Responsibility. Findings of an internal investigation are presented to the Diocese of Portland’s Review Board, an independent body comprised of respected business and community leaders in Maine who are selected for their demonstrated independence, fairness, and outstanding expertise in various fields, including psychiatry, law enforcement, and education. Then the decision of the Review Board is submitted to the bishop.

The Diocese of Portland takes any allegation of child sexual abuse seriously and prioritizes protecting children and providing healing for victims of abuse. As always, Bishop Deeley encourages anyone who may have information about any case of sexual abuse of a minor by a Church representative to contact civil authorities and Michael Magalski, director of the Office of Professional Responsibility for the Diocese of Portland, at (207) 321-7836 or [email protected].

Bishop Deeley Quotes About Response

"With the controls we have put in place and continuing vigilance, we can gratefully say that our diocese’s procedures have created a safer Church in Maine. The vast majority of Catholic priests are men of integrity who are dedicated to unwavering good works and spreading the good news of Jesus. But criminal and sinful acts in other places still diminish the universal Church. This is particularly true when bishops, who have been chosen to be successors of the apostles and to carry on the work of His Church, failed in their tasks of promoting justice and serving as a source of hope to the faithful."

“Diocesan and parish leaders, clergy, employees, and volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure the Church in Maine is a safe environment for our young people and all who wish to grow their faith. With the controls we have put in place and continuing vigilance, we can gratefully say that our diocese’s procedures have created a safer Church.”

“We continually remind ourselves of the gravity of the harm and the resolve we have made to be vigilant in our efforts to make the Church a safe environment for children and all those who seek in the Church a place to draw near to God.”

“I am grateful to our parish communities, our schools, and institutions, as well as those in the diocese who coordinate and direct these efforts. They work hard to ensure safe environments for our young people. The screenings, the trainings, and the reporting which we adopted are all crucial elements in creating safe environments. We continue to provide pastoral care and counseling assistance to those who have been harmed by this abuse. What has been done has, no doubt, been helpful in assuring that such crimes do not occur. The vigilance has, in fact, led to helpful results. We still, however, must be attentive and watchful.”

“We cannot acknowledge the harm that has been done without also assuring those who are served by the Church that we are doing all that we can to provide a safe environment where our children and young people can hear the word of God, can meet Jesus, and can know the meaning and the joy his message brings to life.”

“We want to do what we can to assist, if at all possible, in a process which leads to healing for victims/survivors. But we are not the only place to which you can bring your story. We also encourage any victim of sexual abuse to bring that crime to the attention of those civil authorities who are charged with the administration of justice.”

“Let us, in a spirit of penance ask the Lord, then, for his divine consolation for the victim/survivors and their families and for the grace of being able, as God wishes for us, to accompany those who have been harmed on a path of healing and reconciliation. It is the Lord Jesus alone who heals and reconciles. May we ask, for ourselves, the grace to follow him. He will show us the way to peace.”

Bishop Deeley's column "Confronting a Crisis with Vigilance and Faith" (Harvest, November 2018)

Bishop Deeley's column "A New Direction for Dealing with Crimes of Sexual Abuse" (Harvest, July 2019)

Independent Audit of Safe Environment Procedures Finds Portland Diocese in Full Compliance with Charter (Link)

Bishop Deeley Presides at Mass of Reparation (Link)

WCSH-TV: Bishop Deeley holds Day of Prayer and Penance in Response to Past Sexual Abuse in Church

WMTW-TV: Bishop Deeley holds Day of Prayer and Repentance