By Kirk Petersen The Diocese of Chicago's plan to sell its valuable headquarters property has exposed what appears to be a dysfunctional relationship between the leadership of the diocese and its 152-year-old cathedral, which is located adjacent to the headquarters. The drama has been playing out in public in ways that could affect the long-term financial health of both the … [Read more...] about Rift Emerges Over Sale of Chicago Diocesan HQ
Diocese of Chicago
Diocese of Chicago Settles Sex-Abuse Suit for $750,000
By Kirk Petersen Without admitting wrongdoing, the Diocese of Chicago reached a settlement in May for $750,000 with a man who was sexually abused by a priest in the diocese three decades ago. The Chicago Sun-Times reported the settlement June 3, under a headline reading that the episode "puts Bishop Chilton Knudsen’s actions under scrutiny." Knudsen, the retired … [Read more...] about Diocese of Chicago Settles Sex-Abuse Suit for $750,000
Clark to Be Consecrated a Bishop Despite 2021 Stroke
By Kirk Petersen More than a year after her consecration as Bishop of Chicago was pre-empted by a stroke, the Rev. Paula Clark has a new consecration date: September 17. Consecrations always are joyous occasions, but this one will be epic. Two weeks before she was scheduled to kneel as a priest and stand up as a bishop, Clark suffered a stroke related to an arteriovenous … [Read more...] about Clark to Be Consecrated a Bishop Despite 2021 Stroke
Assisting Bishop Planned as Clark Continues Recovery
By Kirk Petersen The Diocese of Chicago is settling in for months of anticipation, as the consecration of the bishop-elect has been postponed indefinitely and plans to hire an assisting bishop have been announced. While exercising two weeks before her scheduled April 24 consecration as the XIII Bishop of Chicago, the Rev. Paula Clark suffered a cerebral bleed. Five days later … [Read more...] about Assisting Bishop Planned as Clark Continues Recovery
Bishop Elections Move Online
By Neva Rae Fox Correspondent The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a shift to online walkabouts and voting in bishop’s elections. The Rt. Rev. Todd Ousley, Bishop of the Office of Pastoral Development, sees online tools as a natural alternative during the pandemic. “I think what we are seeing is an event that has disrupted our normal pattern,” he said, which resulted in … [Read more...] about Bishop Elections Move Online
Chicago Bishop-Elect Recovering from Brain Surgery
Update April 18: The surgery was successful, and the consecration may be in June, the diocese announced. By Kirk Petersen The bishop-elect of the Diocese of Chicago is scheduled to have surgery on April 15 to address a rare but treatable condition that led to cerebral bleeding last weekend, the diocese announced. Physicians at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk … [Read more...] about Chicago Bishop-Elect Recovering from Brain Surgery
Diocese of Chicago Elects First Black Female Bishop
By Kirk Petersen Since October, there has never been any doubt that the XIII Bishop of Chicago would be a person of color. The slate of four candidates included three Black priests and an Indian American, and was believed to be the first all-minority slate in an American diocese. At a Zoom-enabled election convention on December 12, the deputies to convention selected the … [Read more...] about Diocese of Chicago Elects First Black Female Bishop
Bishop of Central Ecuador Dies Suddenly
By Kirk Petersen The Rt. Rev. Victor Alfonso Scantlebury, interim bishop of the Diocese of Central Ecuador, passed away suddenly at his home in Mississippi on December 4, at the age of 75. The announcement was made by the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee, Bishop of Chicago, who served with Bishop Scantlebury in Chicago for three years, ending in 2011. Bishop Scantlebury's … [Read more...] about Bishop of Central Ecuador Dies Suddenly