But the ancient religious order that he’s part of and once led in Chicago and internationally — the Augustinians — is still considered one of the more backward Catholic organizations in terms of transparency and reform when it comes to the decades-old child sex abuse crisis that’s involved children being molested by clergy, and leaders often covering it up.
The Midwest Augustinians — based on the Far Southwest Side, and led by Prevost more than two decades ago — only last year created a publicly available list of its credibly accused offenders.
That came six years after the religious order the late Pope Francis had been part of, the Jesuits, released a comprehensive list of its offenders in the Chicago region and beyond — a log now considered the gold standard in church transparency.
Some other Catholic organizations’ lists — including one from the Archdiocese of Baltimore — date back to 2002, when the biggest wave of the scandal broke after a series of Boston Globe articles about abuse and cover-ups.
Victims have repeatedly advocated for public lists as a form of accountability and a means toward healing.
The Augustinians’ list from 2024 only came under pressure, after a drumbeat of negative news coverage over sex abuse and child pornography allegations against the Rev. Richard McGrath, who was the longtime leader of Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox.