The Catholic Diocese of Peoria is being sued by a man who claims that a defrocked priest sexually abused him when he was a student and parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Michael Eckert, whose family attended St. Vincent de Paul between 1997-2003, said in a lawsuit filed in Peoria County on Monday that Father Thomas Miller had sexually abused him once a month in that period. The abuse lasted from when Eckert was 8 years old until he was 14.
According to the initial complaint, filed by Eckert’s attorneys at St. Paul-based Jeff Anderson & Associates, the diocese was negligent in allowing Miller to be alone with him and other children during this period, saying that there wasn’t an adequate system in place to monitor or supervise abusive priests like Miller.
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The complaint says that Miller’s alleged abuse injured Eckert “physically, psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally.” In addition, it also accuses the diocese of engaging in a decades-long cover-up of sexual abuse allegations, with officials having knowledge of child sexual abuse in the clergy as early as 1946.
In total, Anderson & Associates named 53 different priests as being accused of child sexual abuse at some point while working with the diocese, including Miller. Many of those were named in Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s 2023 report on child sexual abuse in the Catholic church in the state, which accuses the diocese of many of the same things alleged in the lawsuit, such as protecting those accused of sexual abuse and poor record keeping.
‘He is no longer afraid’
Jeff Anderson, lead attorney for Anderson & Associates, said during a Monday press conference that Eckert coming forward was a “courageous” act, saying that he had suffered in “secrecy” and “silence” for many years before filing the suit.
“He is no longer afraid,” Anderson said. “He is freed by the truth. We are honored by his courage in coming forward and using his name in this lawsuit.”
Anderson said that Eckert wanted other children to be protected from abusive priests along with exposing the diocese’s practices toward those accused of abusing children. He said that prior leaders at the diocese, such as former Bishops John Meyers and Daniel Jenky, chose to protect the reputation of the church over the lives of young people.
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“Bishop Meyers and Bishop Jenky, time and time again, ignored reports (and) complaints, chose to protect the reputation of the Diocese of Peoria and the priests like Father Miller at the peril of Michael and so many kids,” Anderson said.
He said that the diocese made choices to ignore the hazard brought forth by protecting Miller and other abusive priests and hiding behind statutes of limitations that prevented legal action from being brought forth against them.
“They can’t hide it any longer, because this case is brought within the statute of limitations,” Anderson said. “They can’t use it to hide the truth.”
Priest suspended and removed after ‘credible allegations’
Miller was suspended from the ministry in 2004 after the diocese received “credible allegations” of sexual abuse against a boy when he was working in Bloomington 25 years prior. He had been set to transfer back there shortly before the now-36-year-old man made the accusation against him.
Eventually, more people came forward with allegations against Miller, with an investigation conducted by the diocese before the Vatican made the decision to remove him from the priesthood in November 2006. He was the first priest in the diocese known to have been removed over accusations of sexual misconduct.
However, the diocese didn’t fully admit Miller’s status as a substantiated child abuser until 2018 and the lawsuit says that they haven’t released details about when and where he was sexually abusing children during his tenure with the diocese, which began in 1979.
He was listed among the 51 priests in the Peoria diocese named as part of Raoul’s report as being sexual abusers.
In a statement provided to the Journal Star on Tuesday, Bishop Louis Tylka, the current head of the diocese, said that he was committed to promoting their programs to promote a safe environment for children at their parishes and schools, while also asking for prayer for those who have suffered from abuse.
“We take seriously any accusation that is made of misconduct by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee,” Tylka said. “I am sorry to all those who were/are affected by the sin of abuse. As Bishop of the Diocese of Peoria, I remain committed to promoting the safe environment programs we have in place to provide a safe haven for children and young people. I ask for your ongoing prayers as we continue to work together to safeguard all of God’s people, and especially those who have suffered.”
A hearing in the case is set for Aug. 22 at 9:30 a.m., with Peoria County Circuit Judge Timothy Cusack presiding over the proceedings.
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Lawsuit claims priest sexually abused boy at Peoria Catholic church