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CHARLOTTE — An independent investigative firm is reviewing the Diocese of Charlotte’s priest personnel files as part of the diocese’s effort to release the names of all clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse, the diocese announced Aug. 12.

U.S. Investigative Security Services Agency is conducting a comprehensive review of all priest files since the diocese was established in 1972, searching for any indication of sexual abuse of a minor. Their task involves reviewing tens of thousands of pages in more than 1,000 files.

Any suggestion of abuse turned up will be forwarded to the diocese’s Lay Review Board to determine whether the allegations are credible, the diocese said in a statement.

Bishop Peter Jugis has committed to making public the names of any clergy found to be credibly accused, with the goal of publishing a list before the end of this year.

Since 2002, the names of clergy credibly accused of abuse have been publicized – no matter when that abuse occurred – as called for by the U.S. bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People enacted that year. The names of at least 20 clergy who formerly served in the diocese have already been made public over the years, in the Catholic News Herald and other media, with most of those cases involving abuse that occurred decades ago and in locations outside the Charlotte diocese.

Since 2002, the Charlotte diocese has taken a zero-tolerance approach to child sexual abuse and is unaware of any abuse allegations against clergy currently serving in ministry, Father Patrick Winslow, the diocese’s vicar general and chancellor, told reporters Aug. 12.

This historical file review is important to providing a comprehensive “public accounting” of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse who have served in the diocese since 1972.

“Most of the allegations of child abuse that we are dealing with now involve incidents that happened decades ago, and, sadly, those victims continue to suffer,” Father Winslow said. “We know that a full public accounting of abuse that took place within our diocese is critical to promoting justice and healing for victims, and we believe that the independent investigation by third-party experts will move us closer to achieving both of these goals.”

Bishop Jugis began the process of reviewing priest personnel files and other historical records last fall, upon recommendation by the Lay Review Board and in consultation with abuse victims, clergy and the faithful.

“Through my discussions with abuse survivors, I have come to believe that a full airing of abuse from the past is crucial in the healing process for victims and for the entire Church,” Bishop Jugis said in May when he announced the comprehensive file review.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle and SueAnn Howell, Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — Father Patrick Winslow, the Diocese of Charlotte’s new vicar general and chancellor, hosted an information session Aug. 12 for Charlotte area news media to talk about the diocese’s ongoing response to sexual abuse issues from the past and how protections put in place 17 years ago are working.

The information session was the first in a series of sessions Father Winslow plans to hold with media elsewhere across the diocese this year.

“The Diocese of Charlotte has zero tolerance for child sexual abuse, and we are committed to transparency and accountability in our handling of this crime,” Father Winslow said in a statement. “The goal of these sessions is to provide important background and context to help media – and the community – understand that the strong child protections and reporting protocols we put in place nearly two decades ago are working.”

Besides the Catholic News Herald, representatives from Charlotte’s three largest television stations, The Charlotte Observer and WFAE public radio attended the presentation and question-and-answer session.

During the session, Father Winslow explained the important role the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People has played in how the Church in the United States has responded to the child sexual abuse crisis since 2002.

The Charter is a comprehensive set of protocols established by the U.S. bishops in 2002 for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy – whether past or present. The Charter also includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention.

The Diocese of Charlotte falls under the Charter, and has been found in compliance by independent auditors every year since the Charter was put in place.

Father Winslow said Monday’s briefing on how the Church has and is responding to abuse allegations is important for two reasons.

“First, we want to continue to express our sorrow and grief and our apologies to those who have been affected by sexual abuse by clergy. People who have been affected so adversely and wounded need to hear that time and time again. And secondly, it is important for people to realize that the Church has had strict, broad, sweeping, aggressive policies since the Charter of 2002. And since then, for nearly two decades now, we have followed a zero-tolerance policy, effectively dealing with issues as they surface immediately in a way that is both transparent and accountable,” he explained.

Father Winslow also detailed how the diocese investigates allegations of abuse or misconduct, and what happens when an allegation is found credible by the diocese’s independent Lay Review Board.

“All too often people look at the Church from the outside and they wonder what is going on, on the inside,” he said. “We want people to see what we do. We want them to see the measures we have in place. We want to let people know how rigorously we deal with these issues.”

“It is important for them to learn the procedures, to see how thorough they are and how we report all matters, both externally to civil authorities and to our own internal review process, specifically to the Review Board that advises the bishop,” he said.

Father Winslow noted that he is in a unique position to explain how the diocese has worked to respond to abuse allegations and prevent abuse from occurring, because he spent six years working with the Lay Review Board and serving as the diocese’s Promoter of Justice.

As Promoter of Justice, his responsibility was to advocate for victims and serve as prosecutor in Church court proceedings. The volunteer Lay Review Board investigates allegations of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct by clergy and other Church personnel and advises the bishop on how to respond, in accordance with Church protocols, if the board finds allegations to be credible.

Monday’s information session was also an opportunity for the secular media to meet Father Winslow, who was appointed to the diocese’s second-highest leadership position in April by Bishop Peter Jugis.

As vicar general, Father Winslow reports directly to Bishop Jugis on matters related to clergy and vocations, and acts in place of the bishop in his absence. As chancellor, he also oversees the diocese’s day-to-day administrative and business operations.

On Monday, he also shared some of his top priorities now that he has taken on these new roles in the diocese.

“My top priority is learning my job,” he said. “It’s a steep learning curve but I am surrounded by really amazing, capable people. That has been something for which I have been truly grateful since I have arrived.

Everyone has helped me and I cannot express my gratitude enough. I would like everyone at the diocese, the Pastoral Center, to work together harmoniously to achieve our goals. That is one goal unto itself.”

Father Winslow added that he also wants to “turn our attention to this issue (of child abuse) that we have been discussing because I think it is important to speak to the larger community about this topic.”

Lastly, he said, he wants to focus on vocations.

“Because we are a fast-growing diocese, we have a number of new parishioners. We keep growing every year. This means that we need more clergy to accommodate the pastoral needs of the faithful,” he said.

The diocese must not only keep up with its growing population, but diocesan leadership also has to plan for replacing diocesan clergy as they retire and religious order clergy as they move out of parishes in the diocese, he said.

Staffing parishes as orders leave and the parishes return to diocesan clergy is a “headwind that has become difficult to deal with,” he said.

“And, of course, we will never compromise on quality for quantity,” he added. “We are happy to say we have a good quantity of high quality men who are studying for the priesthood.”

The diocese has 40 men in various stages of formation for the priesthood, including 26 enrolled this fall at St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle and SueAnn Howell, Catholic News Herald

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