Bishops' Schedules: Schedule of Bishop William H. Bullock Thursday, February 20, 2003 9:00 a.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 6:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Clergy Appreciation Banquet/Memorial Mass, Knights of Columbus, St. Mary Parish, Platteville Saturday, February 22, 2003 5:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Bernard Parish, Madison Sunday, February 23, 2003 2:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Victor Parish, Monroe Thursday, February 27, 2003 9:00 a.m. -- Preside at Morning Prayer, Parish Staff Day 2003, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison 3:00 p.m. -- Preside at Midday Prayer for Vocations, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Schedule of Bishop George O. Wirz Thursday, February 20, 2003 9:00 a.m. -- Attend Presbyteral Council Meeting, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Saturday, February 22, 2003 5:30 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Pius X Parish, Cambridge Sunday, February 23, 2003 1:15 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Diocese of Madison Middle School Youth Rally, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Thursday, February 27, 2003 3:00 p.m. -- Attend Midday Prayer for Vocations, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison

'Put out into the deep'

		The Bishop: A Herald of Faith Bishop William H. Bullock

The command of Christ to his disciples to "put out into the deep water" (Luke 5:4), after having fished all night unsuccessfully, required deep, deep faith on their part.

How true to life for all of us. As we journey through life, we begin our task of resolving challenges and problems by first using the tried and the true.

There are other ways proffered that lead us to launch out, to put out in the deep uncharted waters. When doing so, we oftentimes discover it is not only different but also difficult.

"I ask for the cooperation and prayer of all our diocesan family of priests and people. Many of our sister dioceses have proceeded in the exact manner I have asked for here in our diocese. I do so humbly and yet hopefully, realizing that it will be neither easy nor short-lived. We are committed to see it through."

Such has been the Church's approach to sexual abuse by clergy and the implementation phases of the Charter and Norms, which become effective March 1, 2003.

Clergy Bulletin

In this issue of The Catholic Herald I have asked our Editor, Mary Uhler, to publish a Clergy Bulletin letter to priests and parishioners in its entirety.

I have asked our pastors and priests to share the pertinent contents with their parishioners in the prayerful hope that we can honestly and humbly address the issue of sexual abuse by clergy, bring counsel and healing to the victims, and thus pave the way to the work of the Church of preaching the Gospel in all its fullness, without the clouds of suspicion and doubt hanging over our heads.

The worst and the best of times

Some will disagree with the approach of openness; others wish the whole matter would go away.

As we embark on the beginnings of these implementation stages, I am reminded of the words from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, a season of light, a season of darkness, a season of deep faith and a season of doubt . . . "

I also recall the end words of that same work, "It is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done, and it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known."

I ask for the cooperation and prayer of all our diocesan family of priests and people. Many of our sister dioceses have proceeded in the exact manner I have asked for here in our diocese. I do so humbly and yet hopefully, realizing that it will be neither easy nor short-lived. We are committed to see it through.

Christ will carry us; such is his love

In an absolute and primary way Christ is with us in all we do to rectify, heal, counsel, and pull together. We rely on his infinite promise, "I am with you always to the end of the world." (Mt 28:20b)

Finally, I also believe that we shall be consoled by that portion of the prayer-poem, Footprints, "He (the Lord) whispered: 'My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you.'"

Christ will carry us. He is our God-made-man and such is his love for all.

Bishop's Letter

February 17, 2003

Dear Father and Parishioners of the Diocese of Madison:

I invite you to share the pertinent parts of this Pastoral Clergy Bulletin with your parishioners. I have shared this total letter with our Communications Department and The Catholic Herald. There are several pastoral matters I wish to address in this letter as we prepare to celebrate Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2003. During Lent I urge all of us to enter deeply into the ancient penitential practices of fasting and almsgiving along with an intensified prayer life.

G.I.R.M.: The first item of my clergy letter is General Instruction of the Roman Missal authorized by the Holy See. We studied this document at our annual fall assembly in October this past year. We are now ready to begin its implementation.

I have a cover letter to go along with the full document (copies of which you received last fall at our assembly). The English translation approved by the U.S.C.C.B. in November 2002, is still awaiting final confirmation from the Holy See. We expect publication of the final booklet in late February.

Charter and Norms: The second item is the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons. The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was approved at the U.S.C.C.B. fall meeting on November 14, 2002, and the Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons were given approval by the Holy See on December 8, 2002, which now have the effect of particular law. I ask that each priest read the documents thoroughly and know what is contained in each. As your Bishop, I have been working toward implementation of the Charter and Norms. Monsignor Paul Swain, Vicar General, is my representative for the Diocese. Mr. Bill Brophy, our Communications Director, is our spokesperson. We are committed to meet all provisions of the Charter and Norms. It is my wish that we do so in large measure by March 1, 2003, the date the Norms are effective. (See pages 16-18 for a complete text of the Norms and Charter [online here].)

1. Each Diocese is to have a Sexual Abuse Review Board made up of at least five members in full communion with the Church. Members of the Sexual Abuse Review Board are: Honorable Roland B. Day, former Chief Justice; Rev. Msgr. James Gunn, priest; Attorney Daniel W. Hildebrand, attorney; Doctor Peter M. Lake, psychiatrist; Ms. Colleen O'Brien, therapist; and Mr. Joseph Tisserand, former police officer. The declared purpose and function of this board is both to review our diocesan sexual abuse policy and to examine any cases of sexual abuse of children or minors by priests, deacons, and Church personnel in the Diocese of Madison.

2. Each Diocese is to provide an assistance coordinator available for victims whose task is to provide aid for any victim and their family.

3. Each Diocese is to provide a "Report Form" for a victim.

4. Each Diocese is to provide an opportunity for the individual victim to speak with the Bishop.

The impact of the sexual abuse crisis has seriously shaken the trust of many within the Church. We, as Church, seek ways to address this crisis in positive and on-going ways.

St. Paul reminds us that we, member for member, belong to Christ. So intimate is our interlocking and linking that if one member suffers, we all suffer.

Someone said recently, and I believe it to be very accurate, no Catholic can afford to be a bystander at this pivotal crisis time in the Church. We must all respond in ways that help heal the victims and their families. We must all respond in healing ways to those who hurt, to those wounded by the scandals. Many of our sister Dioceses have released the names of the priests against whom credible allegations have been made in the hope that by making them known (sometimes and often required by civil law) other victims may come forth to be healed and ministered unto.

I am of the opinion that it is in our best interest as a Diocese to release their names and in the interest of our people of the Diocese, to give an accounting of dollars spent and their financial source. This past week it was reported that the Vatican opened the archives on Pope Pius XII in an effort to remove suspicion of hiding information regarding his relationship with Germany during World War II.

As a Diocese, as Church, we are truly committed to assist victims, to heal them, ourselves, and the larger Church. There is no easy way to do this, but do it we must, and we will.

We realize clearly that the vast majority of priests throughout the Church are good holy men and we must never forget that. But we must also recognize the pain, suffering and deep hurt present in the lives of sexual abuse victims.

I describe the Church in our day, as wounded yet well: wounded because we have been seriously hurt by the scandal; well, because Christ is in his Church and by his grace we move toward total healing. We are, so to speak, in recovery, but much work remains. We must realistically examine and seek the means by which we can bind up the wounds of the victims and heal the scars caused by sexual misconduct of the clergy. I need your assistance in this important work.

I see three main needs of the Church in our day: 1) we need to restore trust; 2) we need to build confidence; and 3) we need to experience the deep joys of Christ in the Church as he heals all of us. As Church we are invited to live the Paschal Mystery of Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection in the deepest way possible.

As Pope John Paul II has said, "we must be confident that this time of trial will bring a purification of the entire Catholic community, a purification that is urgently needed if the Church is to preach more effectively the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its liberating force. Now you must ensure that where sin increased, grace will all the more abound. (Rom 5:20) So much pain, so much sorrow must lead to a holier priesthood, a holier episcopate and a holier Church." (Address of Pope John Paul II to the Cardinals of the United States, 4, April 23, 2002) Also, our Holy Father has solemnly reminded us, "There is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who would harm the young." (Pope John Paul II, April 24, 2002) The Holy Father, in saying this, is not abandoning his priests but asking them, calling them, to accept responsibility for their actions.

It appears that there are some areas of confusion on what is meant or not meant by certain terms related to the Charter and/or Norms. The first word is "anonymous." The victim, children or young adults, of sexual abuse in almost all instances wish to remain anonymous to the public. The victims tell Church authorities their name.

This remains their right, but these same victims in order for any action to proceed on their case, must be specific with regard to what happened, with what priest, the approximate date, occasion, time, etc. Anonymous does not mean that an unidentified person calls the Bishop, the Vicar General, or Assistance Coordinator, and says, "I was sexually abused by a priest," names that priest and then hangs up.

That is not what is meant by anonymous. The priest against whom an allegation is made is informed of the allegation, the details, the name and circumstance, but may not publicly identify the name of the victim. We therefore honor their request for confidentiality of their identity.

The second word not always understood is the word "credible." Credible means there is sufficient substantiated evidence that sexual abuse very probably did take place even though it may have been a long time ago. Many people know a priest in his public life and by all the good he has done. The issue is not whether the priest has previously done and is now doing good pastoral work through his priestly ministry; the question is simply: Did sexual abuse, as defined in the Charter and Norms, take place?

Please join me, along with all parishioners, in an earnest, straightforward daily prayer to God asking him to heal, to strengthen, and to bind up the wounds sexual abuse sins have caused in the lives of victims and their families and in the priests themselves.

I ask you to pray for all victims, their families, all priests, and for one another. Prayer is at the heart of our journey and prayer guides each step we take. We remember the restoration journey is long and arduous but, like every journey of a thousand miles, it begins with one step. Make that step in your heart, in prayer, and make that first step a commitment of your will to help restore trust. Prayer alone will not dissolve the crisis but praying on a regular and determined basis will remind us, as we pray in the Liturgy of the Hours: 1) that we may never become hardened by evil; 2) weakened by laziness; and 3) ignorant because of foolishness.

In recognition of the need for pastoral outreach to victims/survivors of sexual abuse and to the families, as outlined in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacon, the Diocese of Madison is committed to providing an assistance coordinator who will manage the outreach provisions agreed upon by the victim and the Diocese.

Upon reflection and consultation, I have asked Mrs. Kate Wiskus from the Office of Pastoral Services to accept responsibility for this coordination of support and pastoral outreach.

The initial contact with the Diocese regarding sexual abuse as well as the coordination of services will be handled by Mrs. Wiskus. The various services provided through outreach such as counseling, support groups, and spiritual assistance, would be provided by other professionals, but the coordination of the services with the victim and/or family would be managed by one office, the Office of Pastoral Services, and one individual, Mrs. Kate Wiskus. This personal management is pastoral in all its sensitivity to the emotions of the victims and families. We are fortunate to have someone willing to accept this role and who is highly qualified.

Mrs. Kate Wiskus understands the issues and has experience in the field of child abuse prevention spanning two states, Iowa and Wisconsin. In 1974 she founded the first child abuse prevention network in Rock County (WI) in collaboration with the Department of Human Services. She worked with area leaders to found a Parents Anonymous group and acted as its first "Buddy." She made numerous presentations to area groups on prevention and on support to victims. After moving to Iowa, she began work there to aid in the prevention of child abuse. Founder of the Cedar County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse, she provided support to victims and education to the public on child abuse in collaboration with the local Human Services professionals. Her efforts earned her the Governor's Award for Iowa, presented by Governor Terry Branstad.

I have great confidence in Mrs. Wiskus' ability to listen and in her pastoral sensitivity. She is known and respected by both the clergy and the laity of our diocese.

In the 56 years of the Diocese of Madison, according to our file review, the Diocese received knowledge of documented and substantial allegations of sexual abuse of minors against four priests of the diocese while they were in active ministry. They are L. Trainor, M. Trainor, C. Alvarez and A. Adams. None are currently in active ministry. They resigned with no faculties for active ministry and do not function as priests. All alleged incidents occurred a number of years ago.

In addition, allegations against K. Klubertanz are under review and in canonical process. We are sharing this information with the District Attorney of Dane County.

In the past, the Diocese has made financial settlements of approximately $1.6 million to 19 victims of sexual abuse for rehabilitation. All of these monies came from Diocesan Self-Insurance Program. Approximately $900,000 came from insurers and $700,000 came from the Self-Insurance Loss Fund. None came from the Diocesan Services Appeal or other restricted funds. In the future, the Diocese will not enter into any settlement agreements that contain a confidentiality provision. I trust you pastors will reassure your parishioners that this is so, namely that their donations have remained intact.

Next week, in The Catholic Herald, the Diocese will publish its annual financial statement (July 1, 2001-June 30, 2002).

Linking, Clustering and Merging of Parishes: The Diocesan Strategic Plan has called for several more parishes to be linked as the need arises. The Personnel Board has assisted me in making some initial considerations. These will be announced as they develop, and it is our plan to implement these linkages as smoothly as possible and in an informed way for both parishioners and priests. On an interim basis, until July 1, 2003, I have asked Mrs. Kate Wiskus and the Office of Pastoral Services to handle the regular services of the Office of Planning.

Nigerian Priests in Service in the Diocese: As many of you know Archbishop Anthony Obinna, Archbishop of Owerri in Nigeria, and I have been in communication with each other. I can now announce the three priests, Father Casimir Chimeziri, Father Anthony Iheanacho and Father Joseph Ononiwu are to return to Owerri, Nigeria in June of 2003 on or near the effective date of priest appointments. Father Nicholas Okere, Father Basil Osuigwe and Father Francis Xavier Ekwugha will remain.

Vocations Office: For the time being I have been assisting the Office of Vocations. Any inquiries regarding vocations will be directed to my office. Until July 1, 2003, I ask that you contact the Office of Pastoral Services, who will then communicate them to me. We will process all applicants until a more permanent arrangement can be made in early July 2003.

Our role as pastors is to pray, share the teachings of the Church regarding a just war and conduct sessions that raise the consciousness of our people.

The Prince of Peace Prayer, which follows, is offered here for your prayerful reflection

Prayer for Peace

Christ, O Prince of Peace,
you were lifted up for our sake,
that all might look upon you and be saved.

We offer you our lives and hearts
in the new millennium.
May it be a time of reconciliation
between people, and of peace
restored among nations,
a time when swords are beaten into
ploughshares and the clash of arms gives way
to songs of peace.

Father, may we live always docile
to the voice of the Spirit,
faithful to the way of Christ,
diligent in listening to your Word.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen!

(Adapted from Pope John Paul II's
prayer for the Jubilee Year 2000)

Grace, Mercy, and Peace,

Most Reverend William H. Bullock
Bishop of Madison

Official Appointment:

Most Reverend William H. Bullock, Bishop of Madison, wishes to announce the following appointment:

Mr. Jay M. Conzemius, to Chancellor, effective March 1, 2003.

Msgr. Paul J. Swain
Vicar General