A pastor at a church in Buffalo Grove, as well as other churches in the Chicago area, has been suspended after the Archdiocese said it received a report of him sexually abusing a child.
Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich announced the news in a letter to members of St. Mary Catholic Church, 10 North Buffalo Grove Road in Buffalo Grove, on Saturday.
The Archdiocese received allegations against Father Denis Manuel Carneiro regarding the sexual abuse of a child.
The offense reportedly occurred approximately 60 years ago in India, Cupich said.
The allegations have also been reported to civil authorities and the Archdiocese has reached out to the person bringing the report.
Cupich said Carneiro is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Bhopal, India, who has served as an associate pastor at St. Mary Parish from June 2013 to the present.
Carneiro also served prior stints at St. Mary Parish from June to August 2004 and from November 2009 to May 2013.
Cupich said he has removed Carneiro’s faculties to minister while the allegations are investigated “in keeping with our child protection policies.”
Carneiro has been directed to live away from the parish premises.
He has complied with the request while “strenuously denying the allegation” against him, Cupich said.
The Archdiocese of Chicago also sent letters to the communities of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Chicago, Holy Family Parish in Inverness and St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates regarding Carneiro.
Carneiro was a resident at Holy Family Parish in Inverness from June 1999 to July 2002.
Carneiro was a chaplain at St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates from 1999 to 2002.
He was additionally a resident at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Chicago from July 1972 to May 1974, from April 1979 to June 1979, and from July 1989 to June 1999.
“I want to stress that the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is our paramount concern,” Cupich said.
“The Archdiocese of Chicago takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and encourages anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward. They will be received with dignity and compassion,” he added.