October 31, 2005

Dear Friends:

I am writing to you personally concerning the Archdiocese of Hartford's recent resolution by way of settlement of forty-three claims of sexual abuse of minors. The forty-three adult claimants reported acts of sexual misconduct experienced by them as minors, involving a total of 14 priests who served in the Archdiocese of Hartford. The misconduct was reported to have occurred primarily during the 1960s and 1970s with a few cases extending into or occurring in the first half of the 1980s. The settlement concludes an extended mediation process which lasted over two years and was conducted by U.S. Magistrate Judge William Garfinkel and involved attorneys representing the Archdiocese and the individual claimants. The total settlement amount was $22 million, which will be allocated by the judge to the individual claimants in varying amounts.

The settlement is being funded through a combination of outside insurance payments, monies from an Archdiocesan self-insurance fund, and long-term savings of the Archdiocese. None of the funding is coming from the Archbishop's Annual Appeal or parish revenues.

The settlement is part of a healing process for the persons whose lives have been severely harmed by the evil of sexual abuse and for the Church itself. The only way for us to move forward is by squarely and compassionately facing the past and putting this terrible chapter behind us.

As a Church, we are deeply sorry for the destructive behavior that has been committed by a small number of our priests. We apologize sincerely to those who have been harmed, seek their forgiveness and reach out to them with compassion. We must remember the painful events of the past, learn from them and repent. We must also try to move forward with a renewed commitment to do whatever we can to protect the safety of children and young people and to prevent such misconduct from happening again.

Through the adoption of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the bishops of this country have taken positive steps to address the issue of child sexual abuse. The Archdiocese of Hartford has fully implemented the terms of the Charter, which work to promote healing and reconciliation of victims, guarantee an effective response to allegations of sexual abuse of minors, ensure the accountability of its procedures and protect the faithful in the future. Three independent national audits have been conducted in the last three years by The Gavin Group, Inc., a Boston-based independent firm headed by William A. Gavin, a retired FBI official, and all have shown the Archdiocese of Hartford to be in full compliance.

While we cannot change past events, we must recognize and deal with them justly and compassionately. We must also take action to guard against the recurrence of such reprehensible misconduct. The Archdiocese of Hartford has taken effective action to meet both of those goals.

Some of the examples of the positive steps taken by the Archdiocese include the updating of the Archdiocesan Policies and Procedures for the Protection of Children and Youth and the development of an Archdiocesan Sexual Misconduct Review Board. The Archdiocese has appointed a victims’ assistance coordinator to facilitate a proper response to persons who, as minors, were harmed by clergy sexual abuse. It has initiated a mandatory safe environment program for its clergy, religious, seminarians, lay employees, and volunteers who have regular contact with children and young people and for parents, guardians, children and young people themselves, to help educate and sensitize them about a variety of important issues concerning child abuse and its prevention. It has conducted and continues to conduct background checks on all such personnel who have regular contact with children and young people.

With your prayerful understanding and assistance, I am confident that we, the Archdiocese of Hartford, can and will move forward in Christ's love and continue to provide God's people with the kind of pastoral, charitable, educational and health services that are so desperately needed. I thank you personally for your continuing support of the work of the Church.

Be assured of my grateful prayers and continued best wishes. May God bless us all, now and for all the years ahead.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Henry J. Mansell

Archbishop of Hartford