Family of priest questions including him in Grand Jury report
The Pennsylvania State’s Attorney released on Aug. 14 a “40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury Report 1 — Interim — Redacted” containing names of over 300 priests identified as potential predators. The Grand Jury Report was full of accusations and innuendos that may or may not be substantiated with factual and credible evidence. In the case against Rev. Canon Joseph L. Sredzinski, the summary report of possible child abuse in the early 1990’s made accusations about him that were never proven nor elevated to a criminal misconduct in a court of law.
The summary comments merely justified the case for “he said, she said” innuendos and other “hearsay” conversations as opposed to credible and substantiated evidence. In fact, quite the contrary, after the accusations were made public, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Public Welfare, Childline and Abuse Registry, issued a statement on July 21, 2003 stating that “no record exists in the statewide Central Registry listing him has a perpetrator of an Indicated or Founded report of child abuse or an Indicated or Founded report for school employees.” However, this clearance document was not included in the Bishop’s “secret” diocesan files which would have vindicated Father Sredzinski from further scrutiny. Accordingly, the Grand Jury Report indicating Father Joseph as a predator should not have been included in the report or must be redacted from the Grand Jury Report prior to final publication.
What was the motive for publishing accusations or innuendos about deceased priests in the Grand Jury Report. So, who gained? Was it: 1) the unveiling of a cover-up within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church; or 2) popularity for the Pennsylvania State Attorney Josh Shapiro who was to gain the most for personal publicity from the release of the document? Perhaps the publicly gained by Mr. Shapiro was his popularity for advancement to a higher office within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (e.g., Lt. Governor or Governor). Surely, family members of those accused priests (now deceased) did not gain. In fact, family members are at a loss as to why the accusations occurred at all.
Priests suffer much in other ways, yet Father Joseph was praised by community outreach, the respect he had in all the parishes he served, and the love of his American-Polish heritage that will live in the hearts of many forever.
The family of Father Joseph Sredzinski