Chicago priest accused of child sex abuse
more than 40 years ago, archdiocese says
The Rev. Ronald Kondziolka is accused of abusing a child while working at St. Brendan Parish in Englewood. He denies the allegations.
A Chicago priest is accused of sexually abusing a minor in the early 1990s, the Archdiocese of Chicago said.
The Rev. Ronald Kondziolka, who has served in parishes and as a hospital chaplain throughout the Chicago area for decades, allegedly abused a child more than 40 years ago while working at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church. The now closed church once stood at Marquette Road and Racine Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood.
Cardinal Blase Cupich alerted the parishes and health care centers where Kondziolka worked in a letter Saturday. The letter offers no details on the allegations or an exact time frame for when the alleged abuse happened.
Cupich said Kondziolka “strenuously” denies the allegations.
The letters were sent to Souls Parish, Mother of the Americas Parish, Our Lady of the Heights Parish, Our Lady of Unity Parish, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, St. Benedict the African Parish, St. John Neumann Parish, St. Veronica Parish and Franciscan Health Alliance.
Cupich said in the letter that he told Kondziolka to remain out of ministry and refrain from all parish and school activities. Kondziolka’s most recent post was as an associate pastor at St. Veronica Parish in Flossmoor until June 2023.
Kondziolka’s other posts included:
- Assistant pastor at Assumption BVM Parish from May 1976 to June 1981
- Associate pastor at St. Martin Parish from June 1981 to January 1983
- Administrator at St. Brendan Parish from January 1983 to March 1986
- Resident at St. Paul Parish in Chicago Heights from March 1986 to November 1987
- Resident at St. Agnes Parish in Chicago Heights from November 1987 to March 1990
- Chaplain at St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights from March 1990 to August 2019
- Resident at St. James Parish in Sauk Village from March 1990 to April 1993
- Resident at Holy Rosary in Chicago from March 1997 to February 2006
- Resident at St. Anthony of Padua Parish from February 2006 to August 2019
- Chaplain at St. James Hospital and Health Care Centers in Olympia Fields from July 2009 to June 2021
- Resident, administrator and associate pastor at Infant Jesus of Prague Parish from September 2019 to June 2021
- Administrator at St. Joseph Parish in Homewood from July 2021 to June 2022
Pastor at Lake Zurich church, school placed on leave following third child sex abuse investigation
A pastor at a Lake Zurich church and school has been placed on leave after the Archdiocese of Chicago announced he was accused of sexual abuse of a minor, his third such accusation.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, wrote this week in a letter to the community at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish in Lake Zurich announcing an investigation into Father David F. Ryan.
The Archdiocese received an allegation against Ryan of sexual abuse of a minor when he was on the staff at Maryville Academy approximately 30 years ago.
“While I recognize that your parish and Father Ryan have past experience with our processes for handling allegations, the archdiocese must take seriously the obligation to investigate all allegations, including this one,” Cupich said.
Cupich said Ryan has agreed to remain out of ministry and refrain from all parish and school activities until the investigation is complete.
“At the same time, you should know that he strenuously denies this allegation, and states that he has never harmed a child,” Cupich said.
Of course he did! Pedophiles think they are doing the child a favor.
Father Steven Lanza has been appointed to serve as administrator for St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish while the investigation is ongoing.
“In accordance with our policies the allegation was reported to civil authorities, the person making the allegation was offered the services of our Victim Assistance Ministry, and the archdiocese has begun its investigation, with the presumption that one is innocent until proven otherwise,” Cupich said.
“Only by conducting a thorough and impartial review can we ensure fairness to all concerned,” he said.
The results of the investigation will be forwarded to the Independent Review Board, which will make a recommendation for Cupich’s decision.
“Our responsibility for the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is of paramount importance to us. The Archdiocese of Chicago encourages anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward,” Cupich said.
The allegation is at least the third made against Ryan in the past several years.
In November 2020, Ryan was accused of sexually abusing minors in the mid-1990s while he was assigned to the Maryville Academy.
Ryan was asked to step down as pastor but was reinstated in September 2021 after the initial allegations were deemed unfounded.
The archdiocese concluded there was insufficient reason to suspect Ryan had committed child sexual abuse, Cupich said at that time.
Ryan’s return was delayed days later after more allegations were brought forward. He was once again cleared after that.
Perhaps the Chicago Archdiocese needs to reconsider what it takes to be sufficient reason to suspect child abuse.
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