Group asks Rockford Catholic Diocese to seek victims after child sex abuse suit filed - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

ROCKFORD — A man who grew up in Aurora claims in a lawsuit filed in Winnebago County Court today that the Rev. John C. Holdren sexually assaulted him in 1972 and 1973.

The 49-year-old man, who lives in Maryland, is identified in court documents as John Doe JP, said his attorney Tim Frieberg of Rockford. The suit alleges that Holdren made unwanted sexual advances and fondled the victim when Holdren was at St. Rita's of Cascia parish in Aurora.

The suit against Holdren, St. Rita and the Diocese of Rockford, seeks damages of more than $50,000.

The suit says the church "knew or should have known of the dangers presented by Fr. Holdren but (failed) to adopt precautionary procedures" and "facilitated and enabled" the priest's crimes.

A news release from Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, also known as SNAP, said Holdren had not been publicly accused previously of abuse.

Penny Wiegert, director of communications for the Diocese of Rockford, said the Diocese had no comment and that it had not received any information on such a lawsuit. She confirmed that Holdren is not active in the church now and that he resigned in the mid-1990s.

An Aug. 17, 1994, Chicago Tribune story said Holdren resigned from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Johnsburg three weeks after he was injured during a home invasion in Aurora. He told police then that a man demanded money and beat him unconscious when he said he had none. He was found by a friend the next morning and treated for head and facial injuries at Copley Memorial Hospital. His 1991 Olds Cutlass was taken and later recovered.

The SNAP group held a news conference this morning outside the Diocese's headquarters on Colman Center Drive urging anyone who "saw, suspected or suffered" the accused priest's crimes to call police. It also is calling on local Catholic officials to use parish bulletins, the church website and pulpit announcements to seek "victims, witnesses and whistle-blowers." Wiegert would not comment on whether the Diocese might consider the request.

In May 2014, the Vatican said it had defrocked 848 priests who raped or molested children and sanctioned an additional 2,572 with lesser penalties.

Georgette Braun: 815-987-1331; gbraun@rrstar.com; @GeorgetteBraun

Group asks Rockford Catholic Diocese to seek victims after child sex abuse suit filed - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

 

 

 

Priest Attacked In Home Resigns Duties

August 17, 1994

A McHenry County pastor has resigned from his duties, almost three weeks after he was injured during a home invasion in Aurora.

Father John Holdren resigned last week from the position of pastor at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Johnsburg "for reasons of his health," said Diocese of Rockford spokesman Owen Phelps.

Holdren, 49, told Aurora police on July 27 that he had been the victim of a home invasion in the 600 block of Lafayette Street in Aurora.

Holdren said he answered the front door on the night of July 26 and a man demanded money, then beat Holdren unconscious when he said he had no money. Holdren was found by a friend the next morning and taken to Copley Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for head and facial injuries.

Holdren's 1991 Olds Cutlass was taken that night and later recovered in the 100 block of South Lincoln Avenue, police said.

The incident was still under investigation Tuesday evening, Aurora police said.

Rev. Robert Balog was appointed parochial administrator for St. John's and has assumed pastoral duties, Phelps said. Holdren became pastor of the 1,500-family parish in 1983.