BishopAccountability.org
	New Setback for Parish Hit by Abuse Case By Russell Working rworking@tribune.com Chicago Tribune June 27, 2006 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0606270199jun27,1,5403800. story?coll=chi-newslocalchicago-hed A West Side parish stunned by sex abuse charges in January against a former priest has learned that its remaining priest will be leaving this summer to teach high school. Rev. Tom Walsh announced Sunday that he plans to finish his pastoral duties at St. Agatha Catholic Church in August and resume full-time teaching at Holy Trinity High School in Chicago. A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago said Walsh had filled a temporary position since the removal of Rev. Daniel J. McCormack, who was charged with sexually abusing boys in the parish at 3147 W. Douglas Blvd. McCormack has pleaded not guilty to all charges. "There's nothing new that we didn't anticipate," said Colleen Dolan, communications director for the archdiocese. "When his parish closed a year ago, [Walsh] went to live there in the rectory [at St. Agatha] so he could teach. ... It was only after the situation at St. Agatha arose that they put him in as an administrator," a temporary pastoral role. Parish council member Julia Bledsoe said the departure was a disruption for a church that has seen enough turmoil this year. Walsh announced the news in a notice in Sunday's parish bulletin. "Yesterday during the sermon, everybody was very sad," Bledsoe said. "And [Walsh] finally said, `Well I guess you're all mad because of the bulletin.' "There was a pall over the church. And I said, `You got that right.'" His departure will leave St. Agatha adrift, she said. In his message, Walsh wrote that he would chair Holy Trinity's religion department while teaching junior and senior religion classes. Until the new pastor is in place, Walsh will continue to celebrate mass but will otherwise limit his activities at St. Agatha, giving him time to prepare for the school year. Neither Walsh nor administrators at Holy Trinity returned a reporter's phone calls Monday. Walsh came to St. Agatha from Presentation B.V.M. Parish in the West Garfield Park neighborhood in July. Presentation merged with St. Agatha as a part of a broader archdiocese plan to consolidate parishes. McCormack has been accused of abusing five boys in the parish. In the Sunday bulletin, Walsh indirectly acknowledged the toll the allegations against McCormack had taken on the church, noting that "we have been forced to deal with some very difficult issues." "It is in the difficult times that we learn how strong our faith is," he said. "There were days when I was down, but when we gathered together for mass or other activities, you reminded me how powerful God really is."
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