This timeline intends to provide transparency regarding the Church’s response to clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph. We understand that acknowledgement, lament, and atonement are important to healing for many survivors and their families.

A timeline like this can be considered incomplete based on the perspective and experiences of the reader and the inherent challenges of generating such a list. We acknowledge that there may be specific events or incidences that are not included in this timeline. In addition to local response, we have included actions taken by the Vatican and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to provide context. In 2002, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and The Essential Norms marking a significant shift in the level of organization and accountability related to church law regarding clergy sexual abuse in the US. Today’s practices of safe-environment training, victim assistance, independent investigation of abuse allegations and more find their foundations in the requirements of the Charter and Essential Norms.

We also recommend viewing Building on Commitment to Accountability, a document that outlines the laws and commitments that the Church has instituted since the 2002 Charter; this is the baseline for accountability that bishops, clergy and all members of the Church are held to.