Safe environment website 5 • Rediscover: 9 • Unrest in Ferguson 11 August 28, 2014 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
thecatholicspirit.com
Street smart New director brings extensive criminal justice experience in role to help archdiocese address clergy sexual abuse
Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit By Dave Hrbacek and Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit Tim O’Malley calls himself a man with “street smarts.” Now, he’s going to put decades of professional experience in the criminal justice system to work for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as the director of the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment. O’Malley will report directly to Archbishop John Nienstedt beginning Sept. 15.
The creation of this position was one of the key recommendations called for in a report from the independent Safe Environment and Ministerial Standards Task Force. Released in April, the report identified problems with the archdiocese’s safe environment organizational structure, communication, record keeping, compliance auditing and complaint-reporting system. The new office will combine the existing Office for the Protection of Children and Youth, the Promoter of Ministerial Standards program, and the
Advocacy and Victim Assistance program. O’Malley, 58, who grew up Catholic and attended Catholic schools for 16 years through college, said he is excited to use his background to help keep children safe and to make sure that past mistakes are not repeated. “I’ve dealt with a lot of criminals . . . and I’ve done a real lot of undercover work,” said O’Malley, who currently serves as the state’s deputy chief Please turn to O’MALLEY on page 4
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Musical genius
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Tony Deblois doesn’t let autism and blindness hold him back. — Page 6
Read about sports conflicting with Mass, a new education model and cultural training for teachers. — Pages 18-20
Local Catholic artists turn to crowd-funding sites to launch albums. — Page 21