Dear Friends:

A little over a year ago (March 28, 2002) I wrote a letter which began: "These recent weeks have indeed been dark, difficult and painful days for us all. The dreadful scandals of clerical sexual misconduct about which we've recently read and heard so much weigh heavily on our hearts and on our minds."

I continued: "Our hearts truly go out to the victims of these terrible acts and to their families and friends. Our hearts also go out to the guilty and to all who love them. I'm sure we've prayed hard this Lent for all who have suffered and are suffering from awful things that never, ever should have happened. Our resolve is that they never happen again."

Since the Catholic bishops met in Dallas last summer, many new initiatives have been undertaken across the country—or soon will be—so that, indeed, the future will not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Some of the steps to which we committed ourselves in Dallas were things we were already doing in our diocese. An example would be our Standing Committee on clerical sexual misconduct. We've had this committee, as well as our Diocesan Policy on Sexual Abuse of Minors, in place for a number of years—and have now revised our policy and the attendant protocols extensively to make them clearer and more effective. I have asked that the latter be published in full in this issue of the West Nebraska Register.

A program of professional background checks on all who serve in church related activities that involve children will soon be undertaken as part of a comprehensive program aimed at making our parishes, schools and youth activities of whatever kind under our auspices the safest possible environment for children—and for adults as well.

Every diocese in the United States is attempting to implement fully our promise to protect and our pledge to heal...whether it be one of the dioceses we've so often read or heard about in the news or a diocese like ours where (praise God!) no sexual misconduct suits have been experienced at all.

But, having said all of the above, my heart still goes out to anyone, anywhere who suffered the torments of sexual abuse as a child. My heart goes out too, to our priests, active or retired, here in the Diocese of Grand Island and to the over 46,000 priests faithfully serving our people in the United States who undoubtedly, as have all of us who are Catholic, experienced great personal embarrassment because of what a few priests—and bishops—have done. As I said last year, I'm so sorry. But no words of mine can change the past. Hopefully, together, we can make the future a better one for children everywhere. I really do hope so.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Lawrence J. McNamara, Bishop of Grand Island

For more information, please read the Diocese of Grand Island Sexual Misconduct Protocol.