Great SOL reform in IL to go into effect in Jan 2014.

President’s Corner

Greetings! This is the inaugural issue of a Newsletter from the newly combined group formed by the merger of Chicagoland – Voice of the Faithful and Coalition of Concerned Catholics. These two groups merged almost a year ago because of the great similarity in their membership and their activities. The co-presidents are:

C-VOTF and CCC accomplishment is unprecedented in any state

The statute of limitations for child sexual abuse prosecutions was eliminated for both civil and criminal cases in Illinois.

It is time now to spread the word of this accomplishment far and wide. First, to give credit where credit is due so as to give thanks to those who made this possible. And second, to inform any and all survivors of sexual abuse of this accomplishment so that they can begin their healing process.

The power of regular citizens to coordinate their actions, to mobilize their meager resources, and to get great things done was on display in Illinois in early 2013. A few citizens were able to contact their legislators and to keep the pressure on them in order to achieve their goal.

The Accomplishment’s Goal

The National Voice of the Faithful organization has three goals which are fully embraced by the local Chicagoland affiliate. They are:

• To support survivors of clergy sexual abuse
• To support priests of integrity
• To shape structural change within the Catholic Church

So the effort toward elimination of the statute of limitations fit perfectly under the first goal.

In addition, the goal of the combined groups: Chicagoland Voice of the Faithful and the Coalition of Concerned Catholics, was the elimination of the civil and criminal statutes of limitation for the prosecution of child sexual abuse offenses.

The Story Behind the Story

A core group of our members banded together in the beginning of 2013. At first they relied upon National VOTF’s “SOL Advocacy Guide”. Then they fine-tuned their internet skills and extensively used the Illinois General Assembly website.

The following is a list of some of the resources and offices that they have contacted and consulted with:

• Marci Hamilton – SOL Reform website in NY
• Justice Anne Burke – Illinois Supreme Court Justice, and member of USCCB’s original National Review Board to investigate accusations of clerical sexual abuse
• Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Assistant Attorney General, and Director of Legislative Affairs
• SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
• Local and State Offices of Illinois Representatives, Senators and Staff Assistants
• Catholic Conference of Illinois website, plus Director and Staff
• Archdiocese of Chicago: Director of Office of Protection of Children and Youth
• ICASA (Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault) website and especially the presiding General Counsel at the time, Lyn Schollett
• ICASA Witness Testimony – Tiffany Denmark
• VOTF / CCC – Fact Sheet with Talking Points
• Core Group of Volunteers that made phone calls, sent e-mails, tracked bill progress through legislature, and documented steps

Action Steps Taken by Core Group

The core group could have written their own How To … book while advancing their agenda for the 2013 Spring Legislative Session. This article describes the diligent efforts that were taken to achieve their great success. Remember that this group numbered between 3 and 10 individuals.

The core group visited the Attorney General’s Office and met with the Assistant AG and the Director of Legislative Affairs for a strategy development session.

Local state Representatives and Senators (along with their local and state staff members) were contacted to build relationships and to seek sponsors for the bills that had been introduced in each chamber.

They contacted the Illinois Supreme Court Justice for her guidance and advice on how to proceed, who to contact, and insights into how the legislative process works.

They repeatedly contacted elected House of Representatives members, Senators, and their Staff Assistants in an effort to lobby for the bills and to distribute Fact Sheets with well researched talking points.

In addition, they contacted the Chairperson(s) of Sub-Committees, for example, the House Judiciary Committee and the Criminal Justice Committee.

They core group travelled to Springfield, IL so that they could attend State Committee Hearings, and to introduce themselves to the Representatives, Senators, and their Staff Members.

This small group of individuals met with the Director, the Staff, and Witnesses of the State Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

The Catholic Conference of Illinois was contacted and the Director and his Staff were briefed on the efforts of this core group. In response the Catholic Conference stated that they would not challenge or oppose them in this legislative session.

The real nitty-gritty work began. The core group made numerous phone calls, sent many emails and letters to all of the above groups and individuals stating their view points and repeating their talking points.

On an almost daily basis throughout the legislative session they monitored and tracked the progress of the bills via the internet.

Whenever something changed, they responded. For example, when additional sponsors for the bills were signed up, they made contact with them to state their support and approval. When “naysayers” were discovered they contacted them to provide them with the core group’s talking points.

During this whole legislative session, the core group maintained contact with the supporters of the bills and challenged the opposition using the power of personal phone calls, e-mails, and personal visits to their offices.

The core group also held themselves together and supported each other via the now standard methods of contact; for example, online contact via e-mails, personal telephone calls, and face-to-face meetings.

Accomplishment Timeline

So what did the timeline of this accomplishment look like, what came first, what came next, etc?

In the Fall of 2012, the combined groups of the Chicagoland Voice of the Faithful and the Coalition of Concerned Catholics decided to focus their efforts on reforming the Illinois Statute of Limitations.

A strategy session was held to plan the SOL Core Group’s direction on January 9, 2013.

On January 29^th the core group met with the Illinois Attorney General’s staff to discuss next steps. They also met with State Rep. David Harris who had agreed to sponsor the House Bill #HB-1063.

On February 7^th they met again with Rep. Harris who had been successful in attaining some additional sponsors for the House Bill.

On February 19^th they met with Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke for advice and guidance in how to proceed, and more knowledge of how the legislative process actually works.

Then on March 12^th, they travelled to Springfield. They distributed Fact Sheets with Talking Points, attended the House Judiciary Committee meeting, and heard witness testimony of sexual assault (this session was hosted by ICASA – Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault).

Then on March 26^th they met with Elaine Nekritz (who Chairs the House Judiciary Committee) to encourage her support on House Bill #HB-1063 and the Senate Bill #SB-1399.

During the month of April 2013 the core group monitored the progress of both bills as they wound through both legislative chambers.

In May as they began to sense the possibility of success, they went back to the phones to offer support and encouragement; they sent e-mails and letters to legislators and to their assistants.

Throughout this lengthy process the core group kept their organizational membership abreast of developments. This effort included the two parent organizations along with ICASA and SNAP.

Then in late May both bills (HB-1063 and SB-1399) were passed by the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate.

The Illinois Legislative Votes

The House Bill (#HB-1063) eliminated the Statute of Limitations for criminal prosecutions. It passed the House on March 22^nd on votes of: 109 yeas, 0 nays, and 0 presents. It passed the Senate with one Amendment on May 28^th on votes of: 59 yeas, 0 nays, and 0 presents. The House of Representatives concurred with the Senate Amendment on May 30^th on votes of: 117 yeas, 0 nays, and 0 presents. The final vote tally across all three votes in the House was: 285 yeas, 0 nays, and 0 presents.

The Senate Bill (#SB-1399) eliminated the Statute of Limitations for civil prosecutions. It passed the Senate on April 25^th on votes of: 49 yeas, 4 nays, and 0 presents. The House passed this bill on votes of: 115 yeas, 0 nays, and 0 presents. The final vote tally across both chambers of the legislature for the Senate Bill was: 164 yeas, 4 nays, and 0 presents.

Who Sponsored These Bills

The sponsors of these two bills are listed below. First, the House of Representatives Bill #HB1063 which had this short description: CRIM CD-LIMITATIONS-VICTIMS AGE. In the House the sponsors were:

Rep. Charles E. Jefferson         67^th District                 Chief Sponsor

Rep. David Harris                     53^rd District                 Chief Co-Sponsor

Rep. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.              34th District

Rep. Patricia R. Bellock                       47^th District

Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit        84^th District

Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch       7^th District

Rep. Jerry F. Costello, II          116^th District

Rep. Sue Scherer                       96^th District

Rep. Katherine Cloonen                       79^th District

Rep. Sam Yingling                    62^nd District

Rep. Kathleen Willis                77^th District

Rep. Natalie A. Manley                        98^th District

Rep. Martin J. Moylan             55^th District

Rep. Mike Smiddy                    71^st District

Rep. Deborah Conroy              46^th District

Rep. Silvana Tabares                21^st District

Rep. Patrick J. Verschoore       72^nd District

Rep. La Shawn K. Ford             8^th District

Rep. Arthur Turner                  9^th District

Rep. Derrick Smith                  10^th District

Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr.         33^rd District

Rep. Esther Golar                     6^th District

Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr.      114^th District

Rep. Monique D. Davis                        27^th District

Rep. Thaddeus Jones                29^th District

Rep. Daniel V. Beiser               111^th District

Rep. Jack D. Franks                 63^rd District

Rep. Keith Farnham                 43^rd District

Rep. Carol A. Sente                  59^th District

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia           83^rd District

Rep. Michelle Mussman                       56^th District

Rep. Dennis M. Reboletti         45^th District

Rep. Jim Sacia                          89^th District

 

In the Senate there were two sponsors for #HB1063.

 

Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins         16^th District                 Chief Senate Sponsor

Sen. Mattie Hunter                   3^rd District

 

Second, the Senate Bill #SB1399 which had this short description: CIV PRO-CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE. In the Senate the sponsors were:

 

Sen. Terry Link                                   30^th District                 Chief Sponsor

Sen. Ira I. Silverstein                8^th District

Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins         16^th District

Sen. John G. Mulroe                 10^th District

Sen. Heather A. Steans             7^th District

 

In the House the following were sponsors for #SB1399:

 

Rep. Jack D. Franks                 63^rd District                 Chief House Sponsor

Rep. Ann Williams                   11^th District

Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy              14^th District

Rep. David McSweeney                        52^nd District

Rep. JoAnn D. Osmond                        61^st District

Rep. Deborah Mell                   40^th District

Rep. Silvana Tabares                21^st District

Rep. Kathleen Willis                77^th District

Rep. Cynthia Soto                    4^th District

Rep. Maria Antonia Berrios     39^th District

Rep. Jay Hoffman                    113^th District

Rep. Martin J. Moylan             55^th District

Rep. David Harris                     53^rd District

Rep. Barbara Wheeler              64^th District

Rep. Michelle Mussman                       56^th District

Rep. Robyn Gabel                     18^th District

Letters of Appreciation are due

News on Daniel McCormack – pedophile

The Chicagoland-VOTF affiliate has been attending the criminal court hearings on the Daniel McCormack case for years. Each court proceeding requires travel to the Leighton Criminal Court complex at 26^th and California Ave. The first goal of VOTF (see page 1) is to support the victims of sexual abuse. The following case facts have been extracted from the website for www.BishopAccountability.org.

While in the seminary from 1988-91, he was accused of abusing a male minor in Mexico. Then he was accused in October 1999 of abusing an altar boy. The Chicago Archdiocese ignored a September 5, 2003 warning about boys in his rectory. He was arrested on August 30, 2005 on credible allegations of child abuse; he was released after the archdiocese advised him to remain silent. The Chicago Archdiocese hierarchy appointed him dean on September 1, 2005, and he was kept in ministry. He was arrested again on January 20, 2006; at this time he was removed from ministry. On July 2, 2007 he pled guilty to abuse of 5 boys, some of them had been abused since his first arrest; McCormack was sentenced to 5 years. At this time the Archdiocese knew of 23 accusers.

Father McCormack was ordained in 1994. His first assignment was at St. Ailbe’s Parish (1994-1997) which had a school with 340 registered children. In 1997 he was assigned to St. Joseph College Seminary (1997-2000) at Loyola University where he held positions of Dean of Liturgy and then Dean of Students. His next assignment was at Holy Family in Chicago (1998-2000) where he was sacramental minister and then Pastor. His next assignment was at St. Agatha’s in Chicago (2000-2006) where he was Pastor. This parish had a sister location, Our Lady of the West Side Catholic School. He was a teacher and coach at the school which had 234 children. Cardinal George named McCormack the dean of Deanery III-D (which was comprised of the parishes in and around North Lawndale) in September 2005.

The Bishop Accountability website contains some 23 citations about Fr. McCormack; 16 newspaper articles, 5 TV coverages, a letter from SNAP to Cardinal George, and a letter from Cardinal George.

The next court proceedings will be after the holidays. On January 23, 2014, all pre-trial motions will be heard by Judge Dennis Porter. Then on February 24, 2014 jury selection will begin to determine whether McCormack is a sexually violent predator. If the jury finds him to be a sexually violent criminal, he could spend the remainder of his days incarcerated. At this point, when he does come to court hearings, he enters in handcuffs and his prison jumpsuit.

The Sexually Violent Persons Division in the Illinois Attorney General’s office is prosecuting this case. The attorneys working on this case are Joelle Marasco, Margaret Menzenberger, and Dawn Welke.

Other News from the Combined Organization

Supported Priest in MN Archdiocese

The pastor of a large Twin Cities parish took the unusual step of publicly questioning whether Archbishop John Nienstedt should continue in his post amid the widening priest sex abuse scandal. Fr. Bill Deziel used his church’s Sunday bulletin to call for a “do-over” of diocesan leadership. He also called for the archdiocese to release the names of 33 priests accused of sexually abusing children, and for the so-called vault in the archdiocese’s chancery offices to be opened and its files on priests inspected by law enforcement.

Donate to Chicagoland-Voice of the Faithful

You may donate to Chicagoland-VOTF to support their activities by sending your check to their address below.

If you make your check out to: Voice of the Faithful, it can be treated as a tax exempt charitable donation.

Chicagoland VOTF

P.O.Box 1476

Contact Us

The combined organizations now have an email account where they may be contacted. It is: