Youngstown, OH, Tribune Chronicle, Colin Harris, June 18,
2014.
Advocates for clergy sex abuse victims gathered Tuesday outside St. Columba
Cathedral in Youngstown to protest, among other things, the Youngstown
Diocese's recent decision to name Msgr. John Zuraw as its new chancellor.
Zuraw will replace the retiring Nancy Yuhasz, who has served in the capacity
since 1996, effective July 1. In addition to her duties as chancellor, Yuhasz
was also responsible for administration of the Child Protect Policy.
Zuraw is currently the director of the Permanent Diaconate program with the
diocese.
It is Zuraw's position as leader of the diocese's deacons that raised the ire
of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which organized Tuesday's
conference. SNAP officials invited Jerry Arnal, a Youngstown area victim of
abuse, to speak at the conference.
It was Arnal last year who said he was abused in 1976 by a teacher and deacon
while he was an eighth-grade student at St. Christine School in Youngstown.
The identity of the deacon has not been revealed by the diocese and no public
discipline has been revealed, two facts that SNAP officials say should be held
against Zuraw and his office.
"Next to the bishop, Msgr. Zuraw is the one person in the entire diocese
who should have taken the allegations against the deacon most seriously,"
SNAP official David Clohessy said. "And because he's cooperating in Bishop
Murry's secrecy ... he wins a promotion. That's just wrong."
The fact that the diocese is replacing Yuhasz, one of the few lay women in her
position in the United States, with a cleric also has been criticized by SNAP.
Officials stated that they believe "it's rarely good for victims when a
male cleric replaces a lay woman in a top church job."
Yuhasz answers those criticisms, however, pointing out that the
responsibilities of the chancellor's office will be different when Zuraw takes
over in July. Specifically, Zuraw will not take over Yuhasz's duties as the
diocese's child protection director.
"I understand that SNAP was concerned that Msgr. Zuraw was (in charge of
the deacons) and that he should not be the child protection director,"
Yuhasz said. "But the duties of my office have already been divvied up
among other staff members before I am retiring."
Dr. Thomas Sauline was appointed today as administrator of the Diocese of
Youngstown Child Protection Policy, which includes safe environment coordinator
and victim assistance coordinator duties. Sauline's appointment will be
effective July 1.
As for why a man was chosen to replace Yuhasz as the diocese's child protection
director, Yuhasz said that gender very much played a role in Sauline's
appointment.
"We thought that (Sauline) was the logical person to take over the role
because he had already been working with the child protection program for
years, but we also thought that it might work better if a man took over the
program," Yuhasz said.
"More (abuse) victims seem to be men, so we felt it would make them more
comfortable talking to another man. But if a victim would prefer to talk to a
woman, we will always offer them a chance to talk to a female board
member," she said.
SNAP officials additionally criticized the diocese for the recent decision to
name Joseph Kenneally as principal of John F. Kennedy High School. Kenneally
had previously been principal at John F. Kennedy Lower Campus since 2011.
SNAP claimed that Kenneally's appointment is problematic because the school did
not choose someone from outside the district. In the light of the accusation
that former JFK teacher and coach Brother Stephen Baker sexually abused 11
former students, SNAP officials claim that the appointment of a current member
of the JFK system does not show concern for former or future victims.
"If the diocese were to bring in someone new from the outside, the school
would be able to have a fresh start with someone committed to watching and
protecting the kids," SNAP official Judy Block Jones said.
Yuhasz countered that Kenneally has only been with the JFK system for four
years. Before coming to the Lower Campus, Kenneally served as principal at
Sharon Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage, Pa.
Baker taught and coached at JFK from 1986 to 1990 before leaving the JFK
system.
"There is no connection between Mr. Kenneally and anything that (Baker was
accused of)," Yuhasz said. "It seems like SNAP is trying to make a
connection when there is none there."
Diocese of Youngstown Catholic Schools Superintendent Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich
was unavailable for comment.
charris@tribtoday.com