Young Chicago priest investigated for alleged child abuse

CHICAGO (OSV News) — The Archdiocese of Chicago announced Sept. 6 that a state investigation is underway into alleged sexual abuse by a newly ordained priest.

In letters addressed to the two churches where Father Martin Nyberg served as of June 2023, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago said the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, is investigating allegations against Father Nyberg “that they called child exploitation and child abuse during a public penance.”

Allegations of child exploitation and abuse

The cardinal said in the letter that the accused priest “strongly denies the accusations.”

Father Nyberg, who the archdiocese listed as 28 years old at his ordination in May, began his priesthood as an assistant pastor July 1 at St. Josaphat Parish in Chicago. From June 2023 to May 2024, he served as a deacon at St. Paul of the Cross Parish in the western suburbs.

Cardinal Cupich said he has “asked Father Nyberg to step down from office until the civil authorities have completed their investigation and our independent review committee has presented its recommendations to me.”

Ongoing research

A spokeswoman for the Illinois DCFS confirmed to OSV News that there is “an ongoing investigation” into the allegations against Father Nyberg, but she did not provide further details about the case, which she said is protocol when there are active cases.

A local news report confirmed that parents met with representatives from St. Josaphat School on September 5 regarding allegations some of their children had made about Father Nyberg. The parents reportedly said that their children, who attended an eighth-grade confession retreat in August, alleged that the priest asked inappropriate sexual questions during confession and that he had “inappropriately touched” several of them.

In another local TV news story, a parent at St. Josaphat, whose children are reportedly younger than those making the allegations, said the school, parish and archdiocese responded “extremely quickly” in notifying civil and church authorities. Brian Patton told WGN-TV, “There’s nobody more angry about this situation than priests. I want to make sure that’s very clear,” adding that “I have nothing but empathy for the children and the parents” involved.

An archdiocese spokeswoman told OSV News in a text message that there was “no other information to share beyond what is contained in the letter. The matter is being handled according to our policy and we will notify you of the outcome.”

Statement from organizations for survivors of abuse

Sara Larson, executive director of Awake, an organization for abuse survivors based in Milwaukee, said in an email to OSV News: “While the Catholic Church has made significant strides in preventing the sexual abuse of minors, the unfortunate reality is that gaps in our safeguards still exist and abuse can still occur today. While I cannot comment on the veracity of these specific allegations (against Father Nyberg), the power differential present in many pastoral situations, including the Sacrament of Reconciliation, creates an inherent vulnerability that can easily be exploited.”

Awake is a group of “abuse survivors, concerned Catholics, and allies” that addresses abuse in the Catholic Church. It offers virtual support programs for survivors and tips and techniques for dealing with abuse, among other resources, and has a survivor advisory panel that provides feedback on what it offers.

“It is especially troubling when we hear of allegations against priests who have recently been ordained,” Larson said. “While most dioceses have implemented more careful screening of seminarians, we must continue to ask ourselves what we can do better, both before and after ordination, to evaluate and train priests, particularly in the areas of sexuality and healthy boundaries.”

Archdiocese offers help

Cardinal Cupich wrote in the letter that the archdiocese also offers assistance to people who report abuse, in accordance with its policy for the protection of children and young people.

According to the archdiocese’s website, the Office of Assistance Ministry “provides pastoral care, support, and resources to victims/survivors of clergy abuse and their loved ones” as they seek psychological, emotional, and spiritual healing. Once formal allegations are made, the office offers spiritual guidance and counseling. The website also lists services ranging from reporting agencies to support groups and a link to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ resource page for victim assistance.

Report on Illinois Clergy Abuse

In May 2023, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office released a nearly 700-page report documenting approximately 2,000 cases of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and religious brothers in all six Illinois dioceses, spanning nearly 70 years since 1950. The report was the culmination of a state investigation that began in 2018 with only 103 substantiated cases from just two Illinois dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Chicago.

The attorney general’s office combed through thousands of child abuse claims, more than 100,000 diocesan documents, conducted countless interviews with diocesan officials and their general counsel, and documented more than 600 confidential points of contact with victims through interviews, letters, emails and telephone conversations. It found that 451 clergy and religious brothers committed the abuse.

The report includes 50 pages of recommendations for policies for handling clergy child abuse cases. According to the attorney general’s office, these recommendations should be considered in addition to the uniform policies that all six Illinois dioceses adopted (as a result of the attorney general’s investigation) to make their existing protocols more robust.