Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

In my past as a priest and civil lawyer representing the Church, there were times I would need to be in the courtroom.  Yesterday, I was back in federal court for the confirmation hearing on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Plan of Reorganization in its Chapter 11 proceeding.
 
After nearly five years of this legal proceeding, Judge Susan V. Kelley confirmed the archdiocese’s Plan of Reorganization and paved the way for the church to emerge from bankruptcy.
 
Although we worked very hard these past five years to get to this point, I feel little satisfaction in the outcome.  In 2011, I wrote to you and said that the archdiocese wants to do as much as we can, as fairly as we can, to compensate abuse survivors.  Yet, I know that no amount of money can ever restore what was taken from abuse survivors.
 
I told you that I want to ensure we could continue to carry on the essential ministries of the Church so we can meet the needs of our parishes, parishioners and others who rely upon the Church for assistance.  At the same time, I see the cutbacks in personnel and ministries that have been made over the past 10 years and also realize we will emerge from Chapter 11 with more than $7 million of debt.
 
On one hand, we look forward to the future -- as a better Church.  And make no mistake, we are a better Church because of the courage of those who have come forward.  On the other hand, I remain sickened by the abuse suffered by survivors and by the criminal actions of those priests whose aberrant behavior perverted everything the priesthood stands for.  Never in my priestly life could I have ever imagined that such things could have happened.  I know that this era of our past will live on forever.
 
So how can we move forward?  We can’t change the past, but what’s important is that working together with abuse survivors, we reached an agreement to bring this proceeding to a close.  We remember those who have been harmed; keeping them in our prayers and supporting them and working diligently to ensure this can never happen again.  We will remain forever vigilant in our commitment to the Dallas Charter and our Safe Environment program (Safeguarding God’s Children).
 
I am confident that we are turning a corner on a terrible part of our history and embarking on a new road lined with hope, forgiveness and love.  We trust that having the bankruptcy behind us will renew confidence in the mission of the Church and strengthen our ability to provide the spiritual and charitable good works that the community relies upon from the Church.
 
This moment can be for us a new Pentecost, igniting our enthusiasm in our parishes and schools; renewing our commitment to Jesus and His Church; and energizing ourselves and others in our prayer and ministry.  We can restore our focus on Word, Worship and Service, never forgetting that outreach, care and concern for abuse survivors is now built into the DNA of Church ministry.
 
We renew our commitment to help abuse survivors as best we can and at the same time rededicate ourselves to the spiritual, charitable, pastoral and educational mission of the Church.  And, as always, we renew our commitment to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Note: This blog originally appeared as the November 11, 2015 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.