On Aug. 20, Cardinal Cupich sent the following letter to Sts. Joseph and Francis Xavier and St. Francis Borgia Parishes informing them of the reinstatement of Monsignor Dan Mayall:
In January, I wrote to share that the archdiocese had received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against Monsignor Daniel Mayall, who served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish from July 2016 to January 2019 and as senior priest of Saints Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish from July 2018 to June 2021. The abuse is alleged to have occurred while Monsignor Mayall was pastor of St. Francis Borgia Parish approximately 30 years ago.
In keeping with our child protection policies, I directed Monsignor Mayall to remain out of ministry while civil authorities and our Independent Review Board completed the process of investigating the allegation. While he strenuously denied the allegation, he fully complied with my request and cooperated with the investigation.
After receiving the results of the thorough investigation, the IRB determined that there is not a reasonable cause to believe Monsignor Mayall sexually abused the person making the accusation. In addition, the IRB recommended that Monsignor Mayall be reinstated to ministry. I have accepted their recommendation effective immediately.
It is important to stress that the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is of paramount importance. For this reason, we take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously.
At the same time, we must restore the good name of anyone so accused when the allegations are found to be unsubstantiated. To that end, I publicly affirm that Monsignor Mayall is a priest in good standing and express sincere appreciation for his many years of service to the People of God in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
He deserves our respect and gratitude and I hope you will join me in thanking him for his long-standing dedication. I hope you will warmly welcome Monsignor Mayall back to Saints Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish.
We encourage 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. Complete information about reporting sexual abuse can be found on the archdiocesan website at www.archchicago.org.
Please know that I appreciated your patience with this process. I ask that you pray for everyone involved as I continue to pray for you.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Cardinal Blase Cupich
Archbishop of Chicago