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Owensboro Diocese Holding Listening Sessions on Clergy Sex Abuse

Diocese of Owensboro

The Diocese of Owensboro wants to have a conversation with the public about sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church. 

The diocese will hold a listening session in Owensboro on Wednesday and another in Hopkinsville on Oct. 29.

Bishop William Medley says he understands how a report released recently from a Pennsylvania grand jury that detailed decades of sexual abuse and cover-ups has stirred up some painful memories.  In an interview with WKU Public Radio last month, Medley said the Owensboro Diocese is offering counseling to sex abuse victims and encourages others to step forward with their claims.

"If someone associated with the church has been the one who inflicted harm, it falls to the church to be a responsible agent and try to heal that," Medley stated.

Wednesday’s listening session in Owensboro will take place at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.  A statement on the Diocese’s website says that out of respect for attendees, who may themselves be victims of abuse, and to encourage honest and open communication, audio and visual recordings will not be allowed. 

Another public meeting will take place in Hopkinsville on Oct. 29 at Saints Peter and Paul Parish.  Both events will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Owensboro Diocese, which serves 78 parishes and 18 Catholic schools in western Kentucky, recently said there have been 66 abuse allegations against employees in its parish since its founding in 1937.

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.
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