Clergy Abuse Lawsuit Settled By Diocese and Religious Order

The Kansas City Star reported Sunday on the settlement this month of a clergy sex abuse lawsuit filed against Catholic priest James Urbanic by a man who alleges that, as a high schooler, he was sexually abused by Urbanic in the 1970's.  Also named as defendants in the lawsuit are the Kansas City-St. Joseph (MO) Diocese and Urbanic's religious order, Missionaries of the Precious Blood, each of whom contributed half of the $130,000 settlement.  Urbanic taught religion at a Catholic high school in St. Joseph. The suit alleges that the Diocese and the religious order failed to take action when they received reports about Urbanic in the 1970's.  It was only after a 2011 investigation that Urbanic was removed from the public ministry.