Some parents are upset after a monsignor reportedly went on a tirade in front of elementary students about their commitment to Catholicism, and the church is now apologizing.
Monsignor R. George Sarauskas of Incarnation Catholic Church in Palos Heights delivered the controversial remarks during a mass on Thursday, according to parishioners, allegedly calling the students “lousy Catholics” in his homily.
“I was raised with nuns, and there’s a world of difference between nuns and what happened here,” parishioner Sandra Urdil said.
The remarks come at a contentious time for the church. The Archdiocese of Chicago plans to close the school at Incarnation at the end of this school year amid attendance drops.
“They depend on the parents to get them to church and to get them to events, and it’s not the kids’ fault at all,” Urdil said.
Reverend Arek Falana, the church’s pastor, delivered a message via voicemail to parents.
“Monsignor Sarauskas addressed some issues in his homily in an inappropriate way that hurt many of the children,” he said. “I want you to know that my staff and I took this incident very seriously and addressed it with the students and teachers involved.”
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In a statement, the Chicago Archdiocese says it’s committed to treating all students, parishioners, teachers, and staff “in a manner consistent with our Catholic values.”
While some are offended by the comments, others say it’s something that both kids and parents need to hear.
“They should look at the underlying message,” parishioner Kathy McDunn said. “I’m not trying to take sides here, but my heart hurts for him.”
As church officials continue to look into complaints, there is no word on whether the Monsignor will face any disciplinary action.
