500-plus Aurora Catholics demanding greater response from Bishop Murry

YOUNGSTOWN — More than 500 Catholic church parishioners in Aurora are asking the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown to hasten its publication of all credible abuse allegations against diocesan clergy and establish more community oversight measures.

Bill Cushwa, a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aurora, hand-delivered a petition letter to the diocese offices just after noon Wednesday. It was signed by more than 500 of the church’s 700 parishioners this past weekend, he said.

The letter voices dissatisfaction with a recent diocese letter in which Most Rev. George Murry, the diocese’s bishop, pledged to publish the names of all diocesan clergy who are facing substantiated allegations of abuse within “the coming months” and asked for parishioners to pray for the victims of recent, widespread sex-abuse reports in Pennsylvania.

“We believe your letter did not go far enough,” the parish’s letter reads. “Recent and past management failures have damaged the lives of abuse survivors and their families ... and compromised the Catholic voice of moral authority locally, nationally and internationally.

“Asking for or promising ‘thoughts and prayers’ is not enough.”

The letter calls for “a new culture” of transparent leadership in the diocese, more layperson involvement – and specifically in abuse oversight efforts – a new clergy-training model and “zero tolerance” accountability for offending clergy as well as their immediate dismissal.

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.