"Summer reflections"by Bishop William S. Skylstad (From the Aug. 22, 2002 edition of the Inland Register)
As I am sure you are well aware, the secular media covered the event. In general, because of the events of the past months regarding sexual abuse and the Catholic Church, a new sensitivity and developing awareness are evident. As I have stated, as hurtful and painful as these times are, I am grateful that the abuse has come to light so that we might better deal with it. Clearly, because of the events since the first of the year, victims of abuse have found encouragement and courage to come forward to share their stories. I have personally heard stories of those who have found it very difficult to share for the first time what happened years ago. They may have shared it initially and no one would believe them, or perhaps they were told to “live with it.” One can only imagine the burden and/or the guilt. In the last few months, about 12 new cases of abuse have surfaced, all of them over 12 years old, and some decades old. Most occurred in the Spokane Diocese, although a few of those reported to me have happened in other parts of the country. Priests who have abused are removed from ministry immediately. They are not transferred from parish to parish. As always, for those who have been abused in the Diocese of Spokane, we immediately offer counseling. If there is a desire for monetary settlement, we encourage the victims to contact an attorney, to make sure in the best possible way justice is served. In this way, any arrangements or agreements are reached in a forthright and legal manner, assuring integrity is part of the process and providing clarity of responsibility toward both the victim and toward the Church. If the abuse has occurred elsewhere, I contact the bishop of the diocese involved. In addition, for years we have had the policy for all of our diocesan personnel to report immediately any abuse or possible abuse to civil authorities. Through our diocesan attorney, we have made contact with civil authorities about the old cases of abuse and find out what their expectations of us are. This situation will rightfully occupy our attention and concern in the days ahead. Let us all join in prayer together for healing, for the Church as a body and for its individual members.
Summer always seems to move along too quickly. Already we are in the middle of August, with another school year beginning in a few weeks. I always look forward to summer, thinking the schedule will slow somewhat, but every year so far has proved to the contrary. (One can always hope.) This summer has been marked with significant events. The U.S. Catholic bishops’ meeting in Dallas in June was probably one of the most important and difficult ever. The matter of dealing with sexual abuse in the Church, the compassionate outreach to victims, the responsible handling of the cases of abusers, and the accountability of Church leaders will probably be with us for some time to come. At the present moment, we are reorganizing our sexual abuse committee in the Spokane Diocese in light of the charter passed by the bishops in Dallas. Also, a statewide review committee is being established by the bishops of the state to be of assistance to one another in this difficult and complex matter. World Youth Day in late July was a great event for the Church universal as young people from 175 countries came to Toronto for a week of prayer, catechesis, solidarity, and celebrations of reconciliation and Eucharist. These events demand tremendous planning and resources by the host church, but the result, without any doubt, is worth it. The solemn vespers on Saturday evening and the Eucharist with the Holy Father on Sunday morning were powerful gatherings of a Church from so many cultures and parts of the world. The tremendous crowd of young people waving the flags of their respective nations expressed an obvious heartfelt sense of a community of God’s people, gathered for celebration. Perhaps an event like this can be a great sign to the human family all over the globe that we can be together and have a sense of reverence and respect for one another. Summer for me is also a time to host barbeques in the backyard of the bishop’s house. There are approximately 12 of these gatherings — for instance, with the priests; deacons and wives; representatives of the various communities of women Religious; the Octet (denominational leaders in the Spokane area); the immediate neighborhood; the cemetery board; and a dinner or two which were offered and purchased as auction items for various organizations. These are good ways of pulling people together to enjoy and share in a setting that takes advantage of the season. As for some time off, the bishops of the region gathered at Hood River during the Fourth of July holiday. There were 13 of us. We tend to gather at a different place each year. Summer is also a time when I have a chance to visit family, especially my ailing father. Very often in driving I like to take the round trip coming back by a different route, oftentimes not adding any extra mileage. During the middle of July, I drove to Brewster to see my father in a nursing home, then up the Okanogan Valley to Tonasket, and then back home by way of Republic, Kettle Falls and the Colville Valley. Another interesting trip from Oroville back to Spokane is through Cheesaw, Toroda Creek, Curlew, Boulder Creek Road to the Kettle River, and then back to Kettle Falls. Two days after that trip I went to Walla Walla by way of Colfax and Dayton to meet with the priests of the Walla Walla area as well as to meet a distant relative from Norway who was visiting friends in nearby College Place. We just discovered each other. He is a professor of music at the University of Oslo. On return, I drove to Wallula Junction, past the approximately 500 wind generators on the ridge between Washington and Oregon; to Pasco; and then back home on 395. One can also come through Dayton, Lyons Ferry on the Snake River, along Palouse Falls State Park (a great view, by the way), to Washtucna, Ritzville and then to Spokane on I-90. I continue to marvel at the diversity and beauty of the Diocese of Eastern Washington.
Finally, a big change will occur at the end of this month as Msgr. John Steiner, the Moderator of the Curia, leaves on his sabbatical for American College in Louvain, Belgium, where Father Kevin Codd of the Spokane Diocese is rector. Msgr. Steiner has held this position, a second time around, for 18 years. This position of service to the diocese is demanding, and he has handled this work at the Catholic Pastoral Center along with being pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Spokane. I have found his wisdom and service invaluable to me as bishop. I also want to take this opportunity to express profound thanks to him for these many years of hard work and excellent service to the diocese. He very much deserves a break, and we look forward to his return. As we approach another school year, as we move from summer to fall, I encourage all of us to be mindful of the many learning opportunities we have for the entire community of faith. It’s easy to focus on children and youth because of their need for school, but all of us should constantly be in a learning mode as well. May God bless you with much peace and joy.
Bishop Skylstad’s Schedule
Aug. 21-24: Ordination and installation of new Bishop of Fairbanks, Alaska
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In my last column, I shared with you the national day of prayer and atonement on Aug. 14. I want to thank all of you who came to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes as well as those of you who joined me in prayer, wherever you were. For me personally, the day was certainly fruitful.