In late May, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas received a new allegation of abuse of a minor by Benedictine Father John “Fidelis” Forrester.
Father Forrester is already on the Archdiocesan Substantiated Clergy Offenders list (see https://archkck.org/protection-and-care/office/substantiated- clergy-offenders) due to previous substantiated allegations of abuse, reported earlier this year.
Before his death in 2002, Father Forrester served in several parishes and schools in the archdiocese, including Camp St. Maur Hill, Maur Hill-Mount Academy and Mount St. Scholastica Academy, all in Atchison; Ursuline Academy in Paola; and Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca. After receiving the Independent Review Board’s recommendation, Archbishop Shawn McKnight and Benedictine Abbot James Albers deemed the newly reported allegation substantiated.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas takes all allegations of misconduct by church personnel very seriously and works to respond to survivors’ needs with urgency, respect and compassion.
We encourage anyone with knowledge about any misconduct by a church volunteer, employee, religious or clergy member — regardless of when the abuse may have occurred — to contact civil authorities first, and then call or text the archdiocese’s confidential report line at (913) 276-8703 or online at: www.archkck.org/reportabuse.
