CHICAGO – Two priests who served at multiple churches throughout Chicagoland have been accused of sexually abusing a minor.
The Archdiocese of Chicago said Fr. Matthew Foley has been accused of sexually abusing a minor while he was assigned to St. Agatha Parish in Lawndale nearly 30 years ago. Meanwhile, Fr. Henry Kricek has been accused of sexually abusing a minor while he was assigned to St. John Bosco Parish in Belmont Cragin about 40 years ago.
Cardinal Blase J. Cupich said in a letter to families of multiple parishes that both Foley and Kricek have been asked to step away from ministry as authorities investigate the allegations.
The Archdiocese said both priests have “strenuously” denied the allegations.
Cupich went on to write the following in each letter to the families of multiple parishes:
“Moreover, as is required by our child protection policies, the allegation was reported to civil
authorities, the person making the allegation was offered the services of our Victim Assistance
Ministry and the archdiocese has begun its investigation. After the civil authorities have finished
their work, the archdiocese will complete its investigation and report the results to our Independent Review Board. We ask that you reserve judgement on this allegation until the process has concluded, as those accused are innocent until proven otherwise. We appreciate your patience. Only by conducting a thorough and impartial review can we ensure fairness to all concerned.
“I want to stress that the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is our paramount
concern. The Archdiocese of Chicago takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and
encourages anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward. They will be received with dignity and compassion. Complete
information about reporting sexual abuse can be found on the archdiocesan website at
www.archchicago.org.”
No other information was released.
