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Press Releases / Diocesan
News
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Bishop-designate Robert D. Gruss
Health and Human Services (HHS) Ruling
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DATE: January 26, 2012 RE: Health and Human Services (HHS) Ruling January 26, 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Most Rev. Martin Amos Bishop of Davenport
DATE: September 4, 2011 RE:
Statement regarding Buchanan Abbey, Independence, Iowa Statement
regarding Buchanan Abbey, Independence, Iowa
Several inquiries have been made to the officials of the Archdiocese of
Dubuque concerning the institution, Buchanan Abbey, which is located
near Independence, IA. The inquiries arose because of communications in
various media announcing that Mass and other religious services are
being held at that institution and are open to the public.
Rev. Msgr. Thomas E. Toale, Ph.D.
Vicar
General of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
DATE: May 26, 2011 RE: Pope Names Msgr. Robert D. Gruss as Bishop of Rapid City
Pope Benedict XVI has named Rev. Msgr. Robert
D. Gruss, 55, pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in the Diocese of
Davenport, as the Bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City.Bishop-designate Gruss will become the 8th Bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City which serves more than 30,000 Catholics and 82 congregations throughout western South Dakota. Thirteen percent of the total population is Catholic. Twenty-seven percent of the Catholics are Native American and ten percent are Hispanic. In response to the announcement from the Holy See, Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport said, “As a bishop when I install a new pastor for a parish, one of the final things I say to him is “My brother, be a loving father, a gentle shepherd and a wise teacher. I pray that Bishop-designate Gruss will be that for the people of the Diocese of Rapid City, loving father, a gentle shepherd and a wise teacher. I join my prayers to the people of the Diocese of Davenport and the people of the Diocese of Rapid City for God's blessings upon him as he begins this new ministry. Bishop-designate Gruss said, It is with deep humility and gratitude that I have accepted the Holy Father's appointment as the next bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City. While it all seems a bit overwhelming at the moment, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve God, the Church and the people of this diocese. Robert D. Gruss was born on June 25, 1955 in Texarkana, AR. He holds an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering from Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI, a BA in Theology from St. Ambrose University, a STB from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome, Italy, and an MA in Spiritual Theology from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome, Italy. Before entering the seminary, he earned his commercial pilot's license (instrument rating and multi-engine rating) from the Spartan School of Aeronautics, Tulsa, OK. He worked for various companies as a charter pilot, flight instructor and corporate pilot. Bishop-designate Gruss was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Davenport in 1994 following his seminary formation at the Pontifical North American College, Vatican City. He has also completed spiritual direction training from the Institute for Priestly Formation. After ordination to the priesthood he was named parochial vicar of St. Paul the Apostle Church, Davenport, IA. Subsequent assignments include: parochial vicar, St. Anthony Church, Knoxville; St. Mary Church, Pella; Sacred Heart Church, Melcher; pastor of St. Mary Church, Pella; Director of Vocations; Chancellor; Director of the Propagation of the Faith; Director of Victim Assistance Program; Vice Rector of the Pontifical North American College and Director of Human Formation, Vatican City; and Rector and Pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Davenport. Bishop-designate Gruss was awarded the Chaplain of His Holiness with the title "Monsignor" in August 2007. Description of the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota The Diocese of Rapid City encompasses 43,000 square miles in western South Dakota with a population of more than 227,000 people. The largest city in the diocese is Rapid City, with approximately 67,500 people. The prairies of the diocese are scattered with farms and ranches and small towns. The Black Hills mountain range runs along the western edge of the diocese. Most of the priests travel long distances to serve two or three parishes. Currently, 30 diocesan priests, 13 religious order priests, and 28 deacons serve 82 Catholic congregations in the diocese. There are also 23 religious women and two religious brothers serving in the diocese. There are five Indian reservations within the diocese. The counties within the reservations include five of the poorest eleven counties in the U.S.A. Because of the poverty, the indigenous people experience many social ills such as high dropout rates in school, substance abuse, and suicide rates far exceeding national averages. The northern Reservations of Standing Rock and Cheyenne River are served by diocesan priests, while the Jesuits serve the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations in the south. Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus serve the people on the Lower Brule Reservation which borders the Missouri River. Programs in the diocese include a diocesan newspaper, Catholic Social Services, and the Sioux Spiritual Center, a retreat center for ministry formation participants staffed by Jesuits. Catholic Schools include the Rapid City Catholic School System (K-12) with 800 students, and two schools on the Pine Ridge Reservation: Red Cloud Indian School (K-12) with 600 students and Our Lady of Lourdes (K-8) with 150 students.
DATE: May 18, 2011 RE: John Jay College Report
Today, the John Jay College
of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
released the long anticipated report regarding
The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in
the United States, 1950-2010.â€
It is the second of two studies about sexual abuse by Catholic priests.
The first study focused on the description and extent of the
problem from 1950 to 2002 and was published in February, 2004. The extensive report concluded that there was no single cause or predictor of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. According to the report, Social and cultural changes in the 1960s and 1970s manifested in increased levels of deviant behavior in the general society and also among priests of the Catholic Church in the United States. Organizational, psychological, and situational factors contributed to the vulnerability of individual priests in this period of normative change.
The study provides vital information on this devastating issue that has
affected so many lives throughout society.
With this knowledge the Church will continue to expand
educational programs, policies and procedures to extend a safe
environment to all children and vulnerable adults.
In the Diocese of Davenport, all employees and those volunteers who work
on a regular basis with children
are mandated to receive safe environment training through the Virtus Protecting
God's Children Program.
Over 7,465 people have been trained since the program began in
2003. In 2010, the Diocese
of Davenport was audited by the Gavin Group, of Boston, MA, and found to
be in compliance with the Charter.
The Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator continues to provide
outreach to survivors.
Bishop Amos supports the
complete elimination of all criminal statutes of limitation for child
sexual abuse committed by clergy or others in similar positions of
authority
While the majority
of cases occurred decades ago, the Church and society at large must
remain vigilant in keeping our children safe and to provide assistance
to survivors of abuse.
To report child sexual abuse
Contact the Iowa Department of Human Services
Child Abuse Hotline: 800-362-2178
If the abuse involves clergy or church personnel, also notify
Alicia Owens, Victim Assistance Coordinator: 563-349-5002
PO Box 232 Bettendorf, IA
52722-0004
Abuse Survivor's Support Group
The Diocese of Davenport is offering a support group for adult survivors
of sex abuse as children. If
you are interested in learning more about the support group, contact
Alicia Owens, Victim Assistance Coordinator:
563-349-5002.
Protecting God's Children
Sessions
are open to all adults in the Diocese of Davenport and are mandated for
all employees and those volunteers who work on a regular basis with
children.
To pre-register for a session, go to
www.virtus.org
and click on registration.
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Chancery Address: 780 West Central Park Ave., Davenport, Iowa 52804-1901 Phone: 563-324-1911 Email: communication@davenportdiocese.org © Diocese of Davenport 2011 |
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