A MESSAGE FOR ALL WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, FROM CATHOLICS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE AND OTHER SUPPORTERS

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are writing as members of the Catholic Church, to offer you an apology. We are deeply sorry for the abuse you experienced in our Church and for the lifelong aftermath of that abuse.

The abuse you endured was horrific and inexcusable. The Church should have been a sanctuary for you; we are so sorry that it was a place of trauma instead. What you suffered wasn’t your fault, and we want to apologize for every time you were blamed for someone else’s sins. We are sorry for any time someone suggested that sharing your story would bring shame or scandal to the Church. We are sorry for the many ways your abuse was ignored, minimized, and covered up by church leaders who should have protected you. 

We recognize that many of you have been speaking out for decades, and we apologize for all the times that we in the Church didn’t listen, doubted you, or lacked the courage to act. We trusted the wrong people, and we didn’t trust you. We rarely gave you the support you needed and deserved as you sought justice and healing. We offer no justifications or excuses, only our sincere regret for the ways that our actions may have separated you from your spiritual home and deepened your pain.

We know that we can’t take away the past, but from this moment forward, we pledge to welcome you, listen to you, pray with you, and work together to create a community that makes space for everyone, especially survivors of abuse. We want to be your partners and fellow advocates in working for justice and healing.

We, the undersigned, are profoundly sorry that we have failed you. We commit to standing with you now.

Sincerely,
Catholics of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and Other Supporters
(Click here to add your name.)

SIGNED BY:

CATHOLICS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE

Bob Agnew – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Elizabeth Allbright – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
Brenda Andrews – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Barbara Angermeier – St. Patrick, Elkhorn
Hans Angermeier – Immaculate Conception, Milwaukee
Jeanette Angermeier – Immaculate Conception, Milwaukee
Ann Archibald – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
Michael Archibald – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
Sr. Marie Balistrieri – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Mary Bammer – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Deacon James Banach – St. Gregory the Great, Milwaukee
Jennifer Bartowitz – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
Christine Basta – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Fr. John Baumgardner – Eastside Family of Four Parishes, Milwaukee
Kimberley Bayer – Sacred Heart Croatian, Milwaukee
Fr. Kent Beausoleil, SJ – Midwest Jesuits
Anne Bender – Old St. Mary, Milwaukee
Hannah Bergland – Holy Angels, West Bend
Joanna Boey – New Berlin
Ajoy Bose – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Terry Brecklin – St. James, Menomonee Falls
Elizabeth Brick – Church of the Gesu, Milwaukee
John Brick – Church of the Gesu, Milwaukee
Fr. John Brophy – Church of the Gesu, Milwaukee
Doris Brosnan – St. Robert, Shorewood
Ellen Brostrom – Our Lady of Divine Providence, Milwaukee
Jessica Brundage – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Sylvia Llanas Buckman – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Paul Burgoyne – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Deacon Dan Burmeister – Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Kenosha
Carole Burzynski – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Leon Burzynski – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Carol Caffrey – St. Benedict the Moore, Milwaukee
Stephen Calme – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Mary Jo Canar – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Kimberly Carrigan – Christ King, Wauwatosa
Lindsay Caruso – Immaculate Conception, Milwaukee
Jim Cauley – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Eileen Cauley – St. Mary’s Visitation, Elm Grove
Lynn Charnitz – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Deacon Michael Chmielewski – Holy Apostles, New Berlin
Anh Clausen – Family of Four Parishes, Eastside Milwaukee
Janet Cleary – Sts. Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Sophie Collins – St. Robert, Shorewood
Amanda Conlin – Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, Milwaukee
Patrick Conlin – Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee
Fr. Jim Connell – Senior Priest, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Deacon Jeff Copson – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, New Berlin
Lisa Corona – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Mary Crane – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Dean Daniels – Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee
Jerome Danks – St. Benedict the Moor, Milwaukee
Anne Dauska O’Connor – Holy Family, Whitefish Bay
Katherine Delemont – St. Martin of Tours, Franklin
Holly Delgado – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Marianne Dropp – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Fr. Thomas DeVries – Senior Priest, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Pam Dowling – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Samantha El-Azem – Christ King, Wauwatosa
Jenny Erato – St. Mary, Waukesha
John Fox – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Mary Beth Gahn – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Shannon Garcia Martinez – Old St. Mary, Milwaukee
John Gentile – St. Gregory the Great, Milwaukee
Mary Gentile – St. Gregory the Great, Milwaukee
Justice Janine Geske – Church of the Gesu, Milwaukee
Deacon Bill Goulding – St. Mary, Hales Corners
Fr. Gregory Greiten – St. Bernadette, Milwaukee
Chad Griesel – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Jack Griffith – St. Charles, Hartland
Sue Gronemus – St. Sebastian, Milwaukee
Jenny Gryniewicz – Wauwatosa
Fr. Howard Haase – Holy Angels, West Bend
Barbara Haase – St. Katharine Drexel, Beaver Dam
Mary Karen Halmstad – St Dominic, Brookfield
Sarah Hambrook – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Laura Hancock – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Elizabeth Handle – St. Joseph, Grafton
Fr. Charles Hanel – Queen of Apostles, Pewaukee
Deacon Keith Hansen – St. Paul the Apostle, Racine
Michelle Hansen – St. Sebastian, Milwaukee
Sylvia Hecht – Milwaukee
Megan Heeder – Milwaukee
Ellen Heitman – St. Joan of Arc, Nashotah
Julie Helmrich – Milwaukee
Nancy Heltemes – Christ King, Wauwatosa
Jess Herrick – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Ann Hilbert – St. Dominic, Brookfield
Megan Hoefler – St. Monica, Whitefish Bay
Cathy Hoelter – St. Robert, Shorewood
Amanda Hoff – St. John Vianney, Brookfield
Janel Holmes – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
Maggie Hucko – Cedarburg, Wisconsin
Brigid Hughes – St. Dominic, Brookfield
Leslie Hultgren – St. Francis Borgia, Cedarburg
Deacon Tom Hunt – Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee
Alice Iaquinta – Mary of Magdala, Milwaukee
Patricia Ingrilli – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
Sheila Jacque – St. Eugene, Fox Point
Sooz Elizabeth Jesen – Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee
Shanedra Johnson – Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee
Donna Johnson Polencheck – St. John the Evangelist, Twin Lakes
Fr. Joe Juknialis – Senior Priest, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Pollyanna Kabara – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
David Kang – Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee
Jim Karolewicz – Lumen Christi, Mequon
Cece Kim – Church of the Gesu, Milwaukee
Fr. Peter Patrick Kimani – St. Sebastian and St. Catherine, Milwaukee
Anna Kinskey – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Fr. Tim Kitzke – Eastside Family of Four Parishes, Milwaukee
Griffin Knipp – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Jerry Knipple – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Sara Knutson – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Tom Koester – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Bill Kolanko – Holy Family, Whitefish Bay
Chris Kolanko – Holy Family, Whitefish Bay
Mary Krawczyk – Our Lady of Divine Providence, Milwaukee
Joan Kress – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Liz Kuhn – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Andrew Kuzma – St. Casimir, Milwaukee
Marian Lamoureux – St. Luke, Brookfield
Ellen Lang Roder – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Sara Larson – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Michael Larson – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Michelle Laufer – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, New Berlin
Laura Lemna – Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Erynn Lewis – Blessed Sacrament, Milwaukee
Wendy Liedtke – Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Sr. Barbara Linke, SSND – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
James Linn – St. Robert, Shorewood
Ty Linn – St. Robert, Shorewood
Sheila Long – Holy Family, Whitefish Bay
Jennifer Mackinnon – Lumen Christi, Mequon
Sister Margaret Maher – St. Anthony the Hermit, Menomonee Falls
Rachel McGrew – Our Lady of Divine Providence, Milwaukee
Patricia McKay – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Sandra Melcher – All Saints, Milwaukee
Jon Metz – St. Sebastian, Milwaukee
Lisa Metz – St. Sebastian, Milwaukee
Fr. Michael F. Michalski – Senior Priest, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Julee Mitchell – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Claudia Morris – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Suzanne Moscicke – Good Shepherd, Menomonee Falls
Mitch Mueller – St. Mary Immaculate Conception, West Bend
Katherine Murray – St. Robert, Shorewood
Nadia N – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Dennis Neuenfeldt – St. Benedict the Moor, Milwaukee
Pat Neuenfeldt – St. Benedict the Moor, Milwaukee
Sandy Nickel – St. Luke, Brookfield
Bruce Nogalski – Queen of Apostles, Pewaukee
Deacon Larry Normann – St. Joan of Arc, Nashotah
Vincent Noth – Our Lady of Divine Providence
Erin O’Donnell – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Megan O’Halloran – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Anne O’Meara-Stillwell – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Jane Ore – St. Mary’s Visitation, Elm Grove
Catherine Orr – Lumen Christi, Mequon
Rosa Ortiz – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Mary Osep – New Berlin
Margaret Payant – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Mark Peters – Wauwatosa
Gina Peterson – St. Matthew, Oak Creek
Deacon Greg Petro – St. Rita, Racine
Elly Pick – St Robert, Shorewood
Tom Pipines – Queen of Apostles, Pewaukee
Joan Plumley – Good Shepherd, Menomonee Falls
David Poniewaz – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Patty Porter – St. Joan of Arc, Nashotah
Betsy Potter – Brookfield
Carol Poth – St. Catherine, Milwaukee
Deacon Steve Przedpelski – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Kerry Quimi – Lumen Christi, Mequon
Caitlin Raether – St. Robert, Shorewood
Mairead Rauch – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Sharon Richardson – Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee
Mamie Riyeff – Three Holy Women, Milwaukee
Corey Robak-Klein – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Mary Robertson – Three Holy Women/Our Lady of Divine Providence – Milwaukee
Dean Roder – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Shelly Roder – St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee
Jan Ruidl – Sacred Heart, Racine
Deb Rydlewicz – St. Joan of Arc, Nashotah
Susan Sajdak – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Paul Salsini – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Allen Samson – Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee
Fr. Daniel Sanders – Lumen Christi, Mequon
Don Sass – St. Benedict the Moor, Milwaukee
Kelly Savasta – Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Anne Schmidt – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Joseph Schmidt – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Joanne Schoenke – Holy Apostles, New Berlin
Br. Jerome Schroeder – St. Benedict the Moor, Milwaukee
Jackie Schwabe – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
Sr. Debra Sciano, SSND – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Leah Sealey – St. Sebastian, Milwaukee
Mary Jo Sebern – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Amy Siesennop – St. Catherine of Alexandria, Oconomowoc
Deacon Sandy Sites – Good Shepherd and St. James, Menomonee Falls
Elizabeth Sigmund – St. Jerome, Oconomowoc
Jean Smith – Divine Mercy, South Milwaukee
Kathy Smith – St. Mary’s Visitation, Elm Grove
Barbara Spalda – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Joan Squire – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Stacey Stark – St. Pius X, Wauwatosa
Elaine Steele – Holy Family, Whitefish Bay
Holly Steffes – Old St. Mary, Milwaukee
Lizzy Stempien – St. Dominic, Brookfield
Fr. Bob Stiefvater – Senior Priest, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Sara Stone – St. Matthias, Milwaukee
Oliver Sweet – Immaculate Conception, Milwaukee
Steve Szymanski – Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee
Barbara Teske-Young – St. Pius X, Wauwatosa
Catherine Treutelaar – St. James, Mukwonago
Kathleen Utschig – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Mary Kate Uy – Saints Peter and Paul, Milwaukee
Samantha Vosters – Our Lady of Divine Providence, Milwaukee
Jerri von den Bosch – Church of the Gesu, Milwaukee
Steph Weiler – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
June Wessa – St. Catherine, Milwaukee
Fr. Dennis Wieland – St. Joseph, Wauwatosa
Irene Witt – Old St. Mary, Milwaukee
Gerry Wolf – St. Agnes, Butler
Yvonne Yaz – Church of the Gesu, Milwaukee
Michelle Zakula – St. Gregory the Great, Milwaukee
Jane Zeman – St. Agnes, Butler
Theodore Zimmer – All Saints, Milwaukee
Jolie Zimmer – All Saints, Milwaukee
Elizabeth Zimmer – St. Robert, Shorewood
Eric Zimmer – St. Robert, Shorewood
Claire Ziolkowski – Old St. Mary, Milwaukee

OTHER SUPPORTERS

Rachel Amiri – St. Louis, MO
Beth Ann Andrews – The Woodlands, TX
Tim Aquino – Aurora, CO
Alexander Arguelles – West Chester, PA
Jocelyn Arnott – Ottawa, Canada
Linda Atwood – Minneapolis, MN
Charlene Bader – Conroe, TX
Gina Barthel – Elk River, MN
Kevin Bae – Vienna, VA
Pat Ball – Catonsville, MD
Steven Bartley – Colorado Springs, CO
Fr. Thomas Berg – Yonkers, NY
Brooke Bilderback – Atchison, KS
Claude Bilodeau – Sudbury
Angie Boggs – Reston, VA
Barbara Bollinger – Albany, NY
Tom Bontempo – Glenshaw, PA
Aubrey Booser – Mission Hills, KS
Valentino Borrelli – Windsor, Canada
Peter Bowler – Dallas, TX
Patty Breen – Farmington Hills, MI
Kathryn Brine – Merrifield, MN
Jeff Burden – Detroit, MI
Katie Burke – Cypress, TX
Mary Caldwell – Federal Way, WA
Catherine Ann Cappello – Gilbert, AZ
Larry Case – Fridley, MN
Bill Casey – Arlington, VA
Berenice Cangas – El Paso, TX
Patrick Cauley – Lewisville, TX
Mary Charnitz – Madison, WI
Nathan Conroy – Albany, OR
Theresa Conroy – Albany, OR
Brenda Coleman – St. Catharines, Canada
Kathy Ann Coll – Pittsburgh, PA
Rebekah Colson – Bridgeville, PA
John Costantino – Pittsburgh, PA
Mary Ann Crowder – Morgantown, WV
Fr. Thomas Cwik, SJ – Saint Louis, MO
Jenni Dellaert – IA
Phil DeLong – Land O’Lakes, WI
Nicholas Denari – Portland, ME
Dominic de Souza – Greenville, SC
Kathleen Deuel – Buffalo, NY
Michelle Dawson – Kansas City, MO
Cathy Drake – Roselle Park, NJ
Maralyn Dubik – Buffalo, NY
Barb DuBois – St. Charles, MO
Emily DuBois – St. Louis, MO
Bill Durako – Rockford, IL
Cathy Durako – Rockford, IL
Jean Eakins – Seattle, WA
Candace Edwards – Papillion, NE
Margie Ehart – Sevem, MD
Christine Ellerbrock – Marysville, OH
David Elliott – South Charleston, WV
Thomas Esch
Linda Esparza – Newbury Park, CA
Amanda Ethier – IL
Peggy Fargo – Nokesville, VA
Patti Farry – Dunmore, PA
Angela Fernandes – Seattle, WA
Simcha Fisher – Marlborough, NH
Katherine FitzGerald – Watertown, NY
Kathryn Foegen – Buffalo, NY
Ann Fox – Colwich, KS
Mary Fox – Aurora, WI
Paula Fox – Manitowoc, WI
Krysten Fulcher – North Saint Paul, MN
Jeannie Gaffigan – New York, NY
Crystal Gallentine – Clarksville, TN
Mary Frances Gerber – Independence, MO
Steven Gimmarro – Blue Springs, MO
Emily Goehner – Norwich, NY
Patricia Gomez – Concord, MA
Judy Grayhack – Pittsburgh, PA
Jan Greenleaf – Peoria, IL
Hannah Grubbs – South Bend, IN
Kirsten Guidero – Marion, IN
Ed Gunn – Mt. Carmel, PA
Anne Haddad – Baltimore, MD
Faith Hakesley – Boston, MA
Rachel Haskin – Lake Odessa, MI
Kevin Hayes – Pittsburgh, PA
Mike Hoffman – Chicago, IL
Kathleen Howland – Minneapolis, MN
Haley Huser – Arvada, CO
Charles Huber – Fort Worth, TX
Christine Hyland – Oakton, VA
Jim Janco – Deptford, NJ
Joseph Jeson – Milwaukee, WI
Paula Kaempffer – Ramsey, MN
T. Paul Kariuki – Bloomington, MN
Kathleen Keane – White Bear Lake, MN
Clare Kelley – Boston, MA
Nancy Kenny – Pittsburgh, PA
William Kessenich – Appleton, WI
Kathy Klamka – Gilbert, AZ
Carol Knoeber – Wylie, TX
Michael Koplinka-Loehr – Lansing, NY
Karen Kornosky – Montgomery, AL
Christian Krokus – Scranton, PA
Michael Krueger – Madison, WI
Gina Larucci – New York, NY
Ronald Lemmert – Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Michael Lewis – Beltsville, MD
Tammy Lewis – Rockford, IL
Kyle Lloyd – Wahiawa, HI
Mary Lujan – Spring, TX
Lucie Martinot-Lagarde – Washington, D.C.
Eileen Mathy – Champaign, IL
Lynne McAllister – Pittsburg, PA
Fiona McCarthy – Pensacola, FL
Liz McCloskey – Washington, DC
Angie McIntyre – Tempe, AZ
Alicia Menard – Fairbanks, AK
Kirsten Metz – St. Louis, MO
Mary Jo Meyer – Kiel, WI
Joan Moulder – Pine Hill, NJ
Larry Mulligan – Grand Rapids, MI
Spencer Mullins – Nashville, TN
Andrew Musgrave – Cincinnati, OH
Tom Navin – Lakeside Park, KY
Gordon Nary – Chicago, IL
Renee Normand – Chippewa Falls, WI
Siobhan O’Connor – Buffalo, NY
Charlotte Odum – Rutherfordton, NC
Deacon Joe Pasquella – Wellsville, NY
Janet Patterson – Wolcottville, IN
Manuel Perez – El Paso, TX
Letitia Peyton – Washington, LA
Valerie Pierce – Gwinn, MI
Laura Pontikes – Houston, TX
Miguel Prats – Katy, TX
Allison Proffitt – Easton, MD
Cindy Puskar – Dayton, OH
Fr. Ronald Raab, CSC – Colorado Springs, CO
Fr. Jim Radde, SJ – St. Paul, MN
Hery Narindra Jeannot Rakotoarimanana – Antananarivo, Madagascar
Marcia Reardon – Minneapolis, MN
Albert Reichelt – Baltimore, MD
Meg Reinhardt – St. Louis, MO
Jen Renquin – Green Bay, WI
Jeanne Reynolds – Dover, DE
Kiera Reynolds – Saint Cloud, MN
Jim Richter – Minneapolis, MN
Emily Ring – San Diego, CA
Bradley Roder – Lenexa, KS
Sharon Rodney – Saskatoon, Canada
Lydia Ross – Kansas City, MO
Tera Sabatino – Denver, CO
Cheryl Sarkisian – Fresno, CA
Fran Rossi Szpylczyn – Clifton Park, NY
Chris Scanlan – Minneapolis, MN
Mary Schaefer – Vienna, VA
Donna Scheppe – Naperville, IL
Heather Schieder – Buffalo, NY
Deborah Schiessl – Brooklyn Park, MN
Paul Schultz – Edgerton, WI
Molly Sheahan – Sacramento, CA
Beverly Sherman – Fairfax, VA
Kathleen Shriner – Delphi, IN
Robert Sledz – Belvidere, IL
Lori Slevin – Livonia, MI
Johanna Smith – Downingtown, PA
Tracy Smith – Puyallup, WA
Joseph Stanek – Scranton, PA
Rose Stewart – Glen Burnie, MD
Lucy Strausbaugh – Baltimore, MD
Birgitta Sujdak Mackiewicz – Peoria, IL
Rebecca Surendorff – Cincinnati, OH
Amy Taylor – Milwaukee, WI
Bruce Teague
Kiah Tessman – Kalamazoo, MI
Michael Thelen – Edgewood, KY
Eduardo Torres – Mesquite, NV
Molly Turro – Jericho, VT
Eve Tushnet – Washington, DC
Glenn Vanek – Plainfield, IL
Gerald Vigna – Camden, NJ
Gary Vogt – Albuquerque, NM
Louis vondenBosch – Reading, PA
Kate Williams – Chicago, IL
Fr. Stuart Wilson-Smith, CSP – Chicago, IL
Richard Windmann – Burleson, TX
Maria Wood – Bear Creek, WI
Benjamin Worley – Newtown, Powys, Wales
Laurie Wright Garry – Newbury Park, CA
Sara Wykes – Rockford, IL
Christa Wynk – Brownsburg, IN
Barbara Yanchek – Jermyn, PA
Maria Yiu – Vancouver, British Columbia
Jasmine Young – Phoenix, AZ
Ann Zelenka – Baltimore, MD
Nancy Zehms
Zac Zepeda – Helotes, TX
Kelsey Zimmerman – Arlington, VA
Diane Zindell – Jermyn, PA