The first graders and their teacher, Ms. Palazzo just published their very own book. Ms. Palazzo had asked them to think of what they would do if they were “snowed in” at school. They then wrote and illustrated their stories. All stories were put together and sent in to be professionally bound and published. The students were very excited to receive their own copies to share with their family. The first graders are very proud to be “published” authors!
St. Matthias Catholic Academy continued their celebration of Catholic Schools Week 2018 by singing and welcoming parents into the academy. Bishop Neil E. Teidemann spoke to the students and parents about the importance of Catholic Education at the academy and how to spread the word.
Representatives from Scholarship Fund were also on site to tour and meet students who benefit from the financial aid they are able to provide.
St. Matthias Catholic Academy
St. Matthias Catholic Academy continued their celebration of Catholic Schools Week 2018 by singing and welcoming parents into the academy. Bishop Neil E. Teidemann spoke to the students and parents about the importance of Catholic Education at the academy and how to spread the word.
Representatives from Scholarship Fund were also on site to tour and meet students who benefit from the financial aid they are able to provide.
Holy Cross Cemetery Damage
Carolyn Erstad
Press Secretary
718-517-3112
cerstad@desalesmedia.org
Twitter: @dobpress
The Christmas Tree and Nativity Creche are world-wide symbols of the holidays in New York City. This year, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s 2018 Christmas Tree will be lit for the first time on Tuesday, December 11th at 5:00 PM at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
Join Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and parishioners from all over Brooklyn and Queens for this special occasion. The Tree will remain lit and can be viewed until January 2019.
The Diocese of Brooklyn is announcing a significant step in its ongoing response to the sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy. The Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP) will allow survivors of sexual abuse by priests or deacons of the Diocese to seek financial compensation. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio is implementing the voluntary program in Brooklyn and Queens to promote healing and to bring some element of closure.
“I am well aware that no amount of money will ever heal the scars of abuse, but this compensation program is a concrete expression of our contrition and our desire to make amends,” Bishop DiMarzio said in a video statement announcing the IRCP. (Read Bishop DiMarzio’s written statement here)
How the Program Works
The Diocese of Brooklyn’s IRCP will be administered by renowned settlement administrators and compensation experts Kenneth R. Feinberg and Camille S. Biros. Modeled after a program launched last October by the Archdiocese of New York, Feinberg and Biros will have total independence in determining compensation for survivors, and the Diocese will abide by their decisions. To further ensure public confidence in the IRCP, the Independent Oversight Committee has been established. Retired NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Joseph P. Dunne, retired New York State Supreme Court Justice Joseph G. Golia, and former president of the Queens Chapter of the American Psychiatric Association Dr. Barbara L. Ponieman have agreed to serve on this committee. Commissioner Dunne and Justice Golia have reviewed and approved the program’s protocol and will oversee its implementation and administration. The decisions made by Feinberg and Biros will not, however, be subject to appeal and cannot be overturned by the committee or the Diocese.
“We commend Bishop DiMarzio and the Brooklyn Diocese for their decision to implement the Brooklyn IRCP,” Feinberg said. “The Brooklyn Program continues the successful implementation of our work with the New York Archdiocese for which we have made payments to over 120 eligible individuals. We look forward to working with the Diocese and the Independent Oversight Committee.”
Policy on Reporting Abuse and Issues of Confidentiality
The Diocese of Brooklyn reports all claims of sexual abuse against a minor, irrespective of when the alleged abuse occurred, to the appropriate law enforcement agencies including the local district attorney.
Along with law enforcement authorities, the Diocese understands the importance of protecting the identity of victims of sexual abuse. To that end, the Diocese and the IRCP will respect the privacy of participants. However, participants themselves will not be bound by any type of confidentiality agreement and are free to discuss any and all aspects of their case and the compensation they may receive with anyone they wish.
Continued Victim Outreach
The Diocese of Brooklyn’s Office of Victim Assistance will continue all of its past efforts to support victims, such as paying the cost of therapy provided by independent professionals who are unaffiliated with the Church, offering various support groups, providing monthly prayer groups, and holding our annual Mass of Hope and Healing. Bishop DiMarzio will continue to listen to and be guided by the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Survivors Advisory Committee, whose members were victims of clergy abuse, in developing new ways to respond to the needs of victims.
Victim Response to the IRCP
Anthony Hughes, 41, came forward in 2006 to report being abused by a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn in the 1980s. Hughes says at first the Church was unsupportive and he felt that he was not believed, but in recent years there has been a significant shift. “This Bishop [DiMarzio] is listening to survivors. People need to know that the Church is moving in the right direction.” Today, Hughes is a member of the Survivors Advisory Committee and speaks publicly about his story.
Funding the IRCP
The Diocese will take out a loan to pay for the cost of compensating survivors. Donations given by the faithful in support of parishes, schools, charitable works, ministries, apostolates, and the Generations of Faith fundraising campaign will not be used to fund the IRCP.
How to File a Claim
The Diocese has already begun reaching out to survivors who have previously reported abuse by a diocesan clergy member. These known survivors are invited to participate in Phase I of the IRCP. In the next few days, these individuals will be receiving further information by mail from Mr. Feinberg and Ms. Biros with details about the IRCP process and instructions for submitting a claim. (The deadline for filing a claim in Phase I of the IRCP is September 30, 2017.)
Those who may come forward with a previously unreported allegation of abuse will be eligible to participate in Phase II by first registering through the program’s website to receive information for Phase II when it becomes available.
To learn more about the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program and for information on how to file a claim, go to www.BrooklynDiocese-IRCP.com or call toll free 855-796-3463.
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DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN ANNOUNCES INDEPENDENT RECONCILIATION AND COMPENSATION PROGRAM FOR SURVIVORS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE
The Diocese of Brooklyn is announcing a significant step in its ongoing response to the sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy. The Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP) will allow survivors of sexual abuse by priests or deacons of the Diocese to seek financial compensation. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio is implementing the voluntary program in Brooklyn and Queens to promote healing and to bring some element of closure.
Dear Parents and Students,
I am writing to clear up some misinformation that was disseminated by the administrations of Christ The King Catholic High School and Middle Village Preparatory Charter School. Letters sent home to students and parents indicated that the Diocese of Brooklyn is ordering the closure of Middle Village Prep. This is a misrepresentation of the truth and we at the diocese feel it is our obligation to clarify the facts.
The Diocese of Brooklyn believes in education, both parochial and public. Multiple charter schools currently utilize or share space in Catholic high school and parish buildings throughout the Diocese with the full support of the Church. We wish to see all of these schools, including Middle Village Prep, continue to thrive. But the power to keep Middle Village Prep open lies with Christ the King High School.
In recent years Christ the King has refused to re-affirm and honor its long-standing covenant with the Diocese of Brooklyn—a covenant that is honored by all other Catholic regional high schools in the Diocese. This covenant requires that these high schools operate in consultation with the Diocese when conducting enterprises unrelated to their function as Catholic schools.
After years of unsuccessful efforts to work in cooperation with Christ the King High School, the Diocese of Brooklyn was left with no other recourse but to file a lawsuit. In March of 2017, and after several years of litigation, the Supreme Court ruled that use of the premises for the operation of a charter school is a breach of Christ the King’s agreement with the Diocese. The court ordered Christ the King to discontinue the use of the premises for a charter school without the permission of the Diocese, effective at the end of the current academic year.
The diocese has made it clear to Christ the King that it will permit use of the property for a charter school, hence allowing Middle Village Prep to remain open. The diocese’s sole requirement is that Christ the King adhere to the same conditions accepted by all other Catholic regional high schools and parishes in the diocese.
It is the Diocese of Brooklyn’s fervent hope and prayer that Christ the King will forever continue to serve the young men and women of the Diocese and that the property will continue to serve the most worthy cause of education.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Bishop James Massa
Diocese of Brooklyn
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