Dear Parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Last week, I informed you that our Independent Review Board (IRB) had found there was insufficient reason to suspect Father David Ryan had committed sexual abuse of a minor and that I was reinstating him as your pastor, effective immediately.

Dear Parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Last November, I informed you of an accusation against your pastor, Father David F. Ryan, and that, in keeping with our procedures, he was asked to step aside from his pastoral duties until a thorough investigation and process could be completed. He has fully cooperated with civil authorities and the Archdiocese of Chicago during these months.

This is not to end in death

We know, Elizabeth and your family, that anything we say to console you at the loss of Ella falls so woefully short. We are only beginning to know Ella as you have known her over a lifetime: a woman of empathy for the sufferings of others, humble enough to know she could always improve, and generous to the point of dedicating her life to making a difference in our world. So, let our presence, the tears in our eyes, the sadness on our faces, our voices cracking with emotion and the somber solemnity of these rites through which the city embraces you, be a source of some comfort in this moment of unspeakable pain.

Saturday night, members of the Chicago Police Department’s Community Safety Team stopped a vehicle for an expired license plate. Soon after, Officer Ella French, just 29 years old, was shot and killed by one of the occupants of the civilian vehicle. Another officer was badly wounded in the exchange of gunfire and remains in critical condition. We pray for him, for his family and friends, just as we pray for Officer French and her family and friends, as they cope with the terrible reality that their loved one was taken from them in another act of senseless violence. We can only imagine their pain, as we hold them in prayer and stand with them and all first responders who risk their safety every day to protect our communities and keep the peace.

In Chicago, in the metro area, and even more widely across our nation, we face a profoundly painful moment in our life together. So many families are grieving the loss of loved ones to violence, and those loved ones include babies and small children.

Dear Members of the Faith Community of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Thank you for your patience and prayers during the absence of your Pastor Emeritus, Father Dan McCarthy. As you know, late last year the Archdiocese received allegations of child sexual abuse against Father McCarthy. In accordance with our policies for the protection of children and youth, the Archdiocese Independent Review Board, assisted by our Office of Child Abuse Investigation and Review and outside investigators conducted a thorough review of the allegations.

Dear Members of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, Thank you for your patience and prayers during the absence of your senior pastor. Father Michael Pfleger. As you know, earlier this year the archdiocese received allegations of child sexual abuse against Father Pfleger. In accordance with our policies for the protection of children and youth, the archdiocese Independent Review Board assisted by our Office of Child Abuse Investigation and Review and outside investigators conducted a thorough review of the allegations.

Dear Members of the Christ the King Parish and School communities, On April 21, 2021, I informed you of an allegation of sexual assault against your Pastor, Father Lawrence Sullivan dating from 1984 when he was eighteen years old. In keeping with our procedures, Father Sullivan was asked to step aside from his pastoral duties until a thorough investigation could be completed. This has been a difficult time for your parish and school communities and all involved. Thank you for your patience with this process.

Twenty-six years ago, my predecessor Cardinal Joseph Bernardin invited members of the Jewish and Catholic communities to deepen the long relationship between our local faith communities by making a Dialogue Visit to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza to encourage the peace process. Upon their return, Cardinal Bernardin established an annual event called the Jerusalem Lecture. Tomorrow we will gather again for this lecture, so that we might advance that aim of mutual understanding and respect, both of which are prerequisites for what God wants for all peoples: peace. And yet we will do so during a moment of heart-rending conflict, violence and suffering, which comes during the month of Ramadan, the most sacred time of the year for our Muslim sisters and brothers.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We, the diocesan bishops of Illinois, write to you on an important matter of public policy and social justice. As many of you know, four years ago Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass the Invest in Kids Act on a bipartisan vote. This law allows for a 75 percent state income tax credit for any charitable donation to an approved scholarship granting organization (SGO). These SGOs use those donations to grant tuition scholarships to the children of working class families, whose income is no greater than three times the poverty level, so that they may attend the school of their choice.