Joliet Diocese List of Credibly Accused Abusers Includes Former Downers Grove Pastors

Total of priests believed to have abused children now stands at 34.

Joliet Diocese List of Credibly Accused Abusers Includes Former Downers Grove Pastors

Total of priests believed to have abused children now stands at 34.

In addition to the thousands of pages to be released detailing decades of abuse at the hands of Catholic priests in the Joliet Diocese, the organization Tuesday also released an updated list of credibly accused abusers. The list includes two priests from the Divine Savior Parish in Downers Grove, including its founding pastor, the Rev. Donald Pock. The accusations against Pock were brought to light in 2002—two years before his death, according to the diocese. He served as pastor of Divine Savior from 1968 until 1975.  Divine Savior's website states that Pock left due to ill health, but a 2006 report by Sun-Times Media claimed he was removed from the parish and sent for counseling after allegations of sexual abuse. Pock was then appointed …

•  16 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

Ann Kerbs

8:16 am on Friday, March 22, 2013

While the actions of the abusers is truly horrifying, that's not the reason for the vilification of the Church. It's about the way church officials and the Vatican covered up the abuse and essentially provided new victims to the abusers when they were moved to different parishes. That vilification is well deserved, and the Church needs to completely come clean on this. That hasn't happened yet. …   more ›

Downers Grove Mass to Celebrate New Pope on Thursday

Bishop R. Daniel Conlon, leader of the Catholic Diocese of Joliet, is celebrating a Mass in honor of the newly-elected Pope Francis I.

In honor of the newly-elected Pope Francis I, the Catholic Diocese of Joliet is conducting Mass at two area churches Thursday. Bishop R. Daniel Conlon, leader of the Catholic Diocese of Joliet, will conduct Mass at 8:15 a.m. for the school children of St. Joseph Parish, 4824 Highland Ave., Downers Grove.  Mass is scheduled to begin at noon Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Raymond, 604 N. Raynor Ave., in Joliet. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph M. Siegel will conduct Mass in honor of the new Pontiff.  For more information, visit the website for the Diocese of Joliet. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  There are plenty of ways to keep up on Downers Grove news:

• Photos (1)

Benedict First Pope in 600 Years to Resign; Joliet Diocese Reacts

The last pope to step down was Gregory XII in 1415, who did so to end a civil war within the church.

Some Catholics reacted with shock Monday as Pope Benedict XVI announced his plans to resign on Feb. 28, 2013. The resignation comes during Lent, a time of penance and the liturgical season leading up to Christianity’s most important holiday, Easter. Read: Pope Benedict to Resign With his announcement, Benedict becomes the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years. On Monday, Diocese of Joliet Bishop Daniel Conlon expressed surprise at the pope’s decision. “Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign comes as a surprise to all of us. Yet, it is consistent with the humble disposition that I have come to recognize in him, both in my brief personal encounters with him and in his deportment generally as earthly shepherd of the Church,” Conlon said in…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)