SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - A newly filed lawsuit is accusing the Catholic Archdiocese of Springfield of enabling and concealing the repeated sexual abuse of a young alter boy by Father John O'Connell at St. Mary's Catholic School and Parish in Taylorville.
The lawsuit filed by Gould Grieco & Hensley PLLC in The Circuit Court of Sangamon County alleges the unnamed victim was sexually abused multiple times between 1991 and 1994 by Fr. O’Connell at St. Mary’s Catholic School and Parish where the victim served as an altar boy and attended school.
The lawsuit claims the abuse happened on church grounds, including during altar boy training and preparation for Mass.
Fr. O'Connell died in 2002.
“This was about power and access,” said GGH Founding Partner, Michael Grieco. “A priest took advantage of his authority to abuse a child while the Church looked the other way.”
The complaint said the Diocese has never publicly identified Fr. O'Connell as a priest facing allegations of child sexual abuse.
According to the complaint, the Diocese:
• Allowed clergy to be alone with children without supervision
• Failed to implement safeguards to prevent abuse
• Failed to report misconduct to authorities
“Parents place an extraordinary amount of trust in their church and religious leaders,” said GGH Attorney, Georgia Booth. “Here, that trust was violated in the most devastating way possible. Institutions that fail to protect children must be held accountable.”
In a statement sent to WAND, The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois said:
“The diocese does not comment on pending litigation. We encourage individuals to report allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by clergy, even if it’s in the past, by calling the Diocesan Child Abuse Reporting and Investigation number at 217-321-1155, calling the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Abuse Hotline at 1-800-25-ABUSE, and contacting their local police authority. Our diocese has a Victim Assistance Coordinator ready to help anyone who has been victimized.”
A 2023 Illinois Attorney General investigation found almost 700 priests in the state had been accused of sexual misconduct.
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