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Part 4: Recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee – Transparency and Accountability of Lay-Led Advisory Boards
This week we continue to explore Awake’s recommendations for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, developed to help our local church take next steps to address the evil of sexual abuse. Today we consider the third set of recommendations, which focus on unacceptable boundary violations that may set the stage for abuse. The complete set of recommendations for our archdiocese is available here.
Last week we shared part 1 and part 2 of the recommendations and explored why Awake is advocating for these changes. The recommendations come out of our efforts to learn from abuse survivors across the country and our careful research of best practices implemented in other U.S. dioceses.
Survivors Respond as Rembert Weakland is Honored with Archdiocesan Funeral
Today the Archdiocese of Milwaukee holds a funeral Mass for former archbishop of Milwaukee Rembert Weakland, who died on August 22 at age 95.
We at Awake know this may be a difficult day for many sexual abuse survivors and their loved ones, and the celebration of Weakland’s life may bring up strong, painful feelings. In a press release Awake issued today, we explained, “Sexual abuse, especially abuse by a religious leader, is a deep and long-lasting trauma, and we urge all people to be mindful of this reality when they speak about Weakland’s legacy.”
Taking Stock of Wisconsin’s Investigation into Sexual Abuse by Faith Leaders
Last week Sara Larson, executive director of Awake Milwaukee, was interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) about the Wisconsin Department of Justice investigation into sexual abuse and cover-up by clergy and other faith leaders…
Update: Archdiocese of Milwaukee Will Not Issue Statement on Music by Catholic Composer David Haas
Readers of the Awake Blog know that we have closely followed the reports of sexual abuse by Catholic composer David Haas, known for songs such as “Blest Are They” and “You Are Mine.”
Archdiocese of Milwaukee Raises Doubts About Statewide Clergy Abuse Investigation, Awake Responds
Earlier this month, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee sent a 12-page letter to Wisconsin attorney general Josh Kaul, expressing objections to the Department of Justice investigation of sexual abuse by clergy and other faith leaders, launched in April…
Update: The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Offers More Details about New Misconduct Policies
Last week on the Awake Blog, we took a closer look at new archdiocesan policies related to allegations of misconduct by bishops, clergy, and lay leaders.
Archdiocese of Milwaukee Launches New Policies for Reporting Misconduct, Awake Responds
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee recently announced new protocols for handling allegations of misconduct by bishops, as well as allegations of misconduct against adults by clergy or lay leaders in the Church.
Update: The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Responds to Awake’s Questions (Part 2)
As we explained in our previous blog post, Awake submitted a list of questions to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in December 2019 and received responses to a shorter list of priority questions in January 2020.
Update: The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Responds to Awake’s Priority Questions
As part of our ongoing effort to understand the abuse crisis at the local level, Awake submitted a list of questions to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in December 2019. (This previous blog post includes our complete list of questions and details about how we developed them.)