Priest cleared of child abuse claim

OAK LAWN, IL—A former priest who spent time serving at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church has been cleared of an allegation of sexual abuse against a minor following an investigation by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Rev. Kenneth Fleck served at the Oak Lawn parish as an administrator in 2022, in addition to four other Catholic parishes on Chicago’s South Side and south suburbs. Cardinal Blase Cupich asked Fleck to step down from ministry in July after the archdiocese had received a more than 30-year-old allegation of sex abuse against a minor. The abuse was said to have reportedly taken place at the former Our Lady of Peace, where Fleck was a deacon from June to December 1975.

Letters to parishes where Fleck served in various capacities were sent Sunday morning, stating that his name had been cleared following an extensive investigation by civil authorities and the archdiocese’s Independent Review Board. Cupich stated the IRB determined “that there was not a reasonable cause to believe Father Fleck sexually abused the person making the allegation.”

“They recommended that he be returned to ministry and that this file be closed,” Cupich said. “I have accepted their determination and recommendations.”

In addition to St. Catherine, letters were also sent to St. Josephine Bakhita Parish (formerly Our Lady of Peace) and St. Bride Parish in South Shore and St. Katherine Drexel Parish, formerly St. Felicitas, where Fleck was associate pastor from May 1984 to May 1987. He later returned to St. Felicitas as an administrator from December 1979 to April 1979. Christ Our Savior Church (formerly St. Jude) in South Island was notified, where Fleck had been the associate pastor from July 2002 to April 2003.

“It is important to stress that the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is of paramount importance,” Cupich stated. “For this reason, we take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously. At the same time, we must restore the good name of anyone so accused when the allegations.”

Fleck was retired and not currently serving in a parish when the allegation was made. The cardinal publicly affirmed that Fleck is a priest in good standing and expressed “sincere appreciation for his many years of service to the Archdiocese of Chicago.”

“He deserves our respect and gratitude,” Cupich said, “and I hope you will join me in thanking him for his long-standing dedication.”

Pfleger and his parishioners called for reform in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s process of reviewing sex abuse allegations levied against clergy, which Pfleger says deems priests guilty until proven innocent.

The Archdiocese of Chicago’s review process for investigating child sex abuse claims against priests drew criticism from Fr. Michael Pflegar, after being cleared of a fourth child sex abuse allegation this summer, which the St. Sabina priest said deems priests guilty until proven innocent.