Priest Accused of Sexual Abuse Welcomed on Return to Church

CHICAGO —  Hundreds of parishioners cheered and applauded Sunday as a priest who was accused of molesting two boys nearly 20 years ago signed a new covenant with Holy Angels Church and returned as its pastor.

“To receive that kind of support, it was overwhelming,” the Rev. John Calicott said afterward.

Calicott became the first Roman Catholic priest in Chicago and one of few in the nation to return after being suspended for allegations of sexual abuse. He asked for forgiveness and promised to continue therapy and be monitored by an adult whenever he is with children.

Calicott recounted for parishioners at the 2 1/2-hour Mass his “hellish limbo” while he was placed on leave and counseled at a Maryland institute that specializes in treating priests.

His hourlong homily was repeatedly interrupted by standing ovations from the more than 500 people in the congregation, especially when he said doctors assured him he is not a pedophile and poses no risk to children.

Calicott fought back tears as he recounted his anger and depression during his time away from Holy Angels, asking the congregation to pray that his anger be removed. He acknowledged that some parents might never trust him and said later that he began to fear children during his suspension.

Many members of the congregation said they doubted the abuse allegations against Calicott and believe that he needs no forgiveness. Parish leaders and parents had supported his return.

Two men told the Chicago Archdiocese in March, 1994, that they had been molested by Calicott in 1976, when they were teen-agers and he was an associate pastor at St. Ailbe Catholic Church in Chicago.

In April, 1994, Calicott was placed on administrative leave and sent for counseling while the alleged sexual misconduct was investigated.

The archdiocese has suspended more than 20 priests for sexual misconduct and has a policy barring them from returning to a parish ministry if they have sexually abused minors, said Maria Salemi, a spokeswoman for Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin.

But Bernardin made an exception for Calicott because of the latter’s overwhelming popularity and psychological evaluations that reported Calicott is not a “sexual predator” and poses no threat to children, Salemi said.