A priest who worked in Niles IL is accused of sexual abuse, according to Minnesota Catholic officials. Unfortunately, Chicago area Catholics had to learn this information from a bishop elsewhere instead of from church officials at their own archdiocese.

Duluth Bishop Paul Sirba disclosed the allegation against the Fr. David Tushar on Sunday. Sirba claims the allegations stem from Fr. Tushar’s time as a Holy Cross Father and Catholic school teacher in Niles in the late 1970s. The priest has reportedly been in the Duluth diocese since 1985, works today in Carlton and Sawyer and has worked in eight other Minnesota towns: Bigfork, Buhl, Chisholm, Cloquet, Cohasset, Effie, Grand Rapids and Warba.

Now that this information has been disclosed, Cardinal Blase Cupich should do outreach to potential victims of Fr. Tushar in the Chicagoland region. He can start by publicizing the allegations against Fr. Tushar in parish bulletins and on diocesan websites. He should follow that step by personally visiting the parishes where Fr. Tushar worked and encouraging anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered abuse to come forward and make a report to police.

CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, zhiner@snapnetwork.org)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)