July 15, 2020 – Listening session scheduled for Rush Lake

NEWS RELEASE

Diocese of St. Cloud

MEDIA CONTACT

Joe Towalski
Director of Communications
(O) (320) 258-7624
jtowalski@gw.stcdio.org

July 15, 2020

LISTENING SESSION SCHEDULED FOR RUSH LAKE

Bishop Donald Kettler will hold a listening session at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 28, at St. Lawrence Church in Rush Lake following the recent placement of Father Charles Meyer on the list of clergy likely to have abused minors.

The listing follows notification by the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, that Meyer was added to its list of “extern clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.” Meyer, who was a member of the Society of the Precious Blood, was ordained in 1931, in Ohio. In the Diocese of Saint Cloud, he served as chaplain of Memorial Hospital in Perham (1966-70) and pastor of St. Lawrence in Rush Lake (1966-85). He died in 1997.

The session has three primary goals: to assure parishioners of the bishop’s support and assistance; to offer a process whereby sexual misconduct issues/concerns can be voiced and discussed; and to allow other potential victims the opportunity to come forward and receive assistance and healing.

The full list of clergy names can be viewed at: https://stcdio.org/list-clergy-likely-abused-minors.

Bishop Kettler continues to encourage all victims of abuse to come forward. Contact information for victim advocates and county officials to whom abuse can be reported is available online at: https://stcdio.org/about/safe-environment/how-to-report-abuse.

The bishop asks all Catholics in the diocese to pray for healing for all victims and survivors of sexual abuse. The listening session is not open to media.

2021-01-29T08:45:38-06:00
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