mysuburbanlife.com
28 March 2012
By David Heitz, dheitz@mysuburbanlife.com
Woodridge, IL —
In the days following the early departure of one of its pastors after a 20-year-old public indecency charge came to light, the Diocese of Joliet has refused to answer remaining questions.
Nearly two weeks ago, the Rev. Gerald Riva left St. Scholastica Roman Catholic Church in Woodridge after a 13-year tenure there as a priest and pastor. His retirement came three months earlier than scheduled and just days after his 1992 arrest and subsequent guilty plea on misdemeanor public indecency charge came to light.
The diocese initially said it had launched an investigation into the incident in 1992, in which a plain-clothed DuPage County Forest Preserve Police officer arrested Riva for masturbating and grabbing the male officer’s genitals.
The diocese has since refused to answer many lingering questions including the status of the investigation, if any disciplinary action has been taken against Riva, and if he has any role in the Catholic church as a retired pastor.
In initial interviews, Doug Delaney, spokesman for the Diocese of Joliet, said he was unsure of the diocese’s policies of 20 years ago regarding priests who are charged or convicted of crimes.
In a followup interview, Delaney said if a priest commits a misdemeanor offense the diocese’s attorneys do not notify diocese officials. Only when charges are felonies are officials notified, Delaney said.
Since Riva was contacted for this story on March 14 — two days before the original article was published online — he and his attorneys have sought to have the charges expunged from his record.
After waiving a jury trial and pleading guilty to the public indecency charge in 1992, Riva was fined $100 and sentenced to a year of court supervision. He was also ordered to attend counseling.
In late 1993, the psychiatrist counseling Riva told the court that Riva had made “excellent” progress and was in control of his “former problem.” The psychiatrist also said he did not anticipate a repeat offense.
Another unknown is if Riva will receive a 2012 Distinguished Pastor award from the National Catholic Education Association, an award the association announced in the fall. Riva was set to receive the award this spring at a conference in Boston.
Robert Bimonte, executive director for the NCEA’s Department of Elementary Schools, declined to comment on Wednesday and refused to answer whether or not the NCEA will give Riva the award.
In a Chicago Tribune article published online Tuesday night, Delaney tells the Tribune that there have been no other complaints about Riva.
Delaney also tells the Tribune that had Riva’s misdemeanor crime occurred today, it would have been less likely to have gone undetected by the diocese.
“(Riva’s) arrest was 20 years ago. If that happened today, the diocese would probably be aware of it,” Delaney said.
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Woodridge priest retires after word of ’92 arrest gets out
20-year-old case involved soliciting sex
The Chicago tribune online
7:57 a.m. CDT, March 28, 2012
By Brian Slodysko, Chicago Tribune reporter
A Catholic priest retired three months earlier than planned recently after news that he was arrested 20 years ago for soliciting sex in a forest preserve spread through the Woodridge parish he served, according to Diocese of Joliet officials.
The Rev. Gerald P. Riva chose to retire on his own after serving for 13 years at St. Scholastica’s Parish and was not forced out, according to Doug Delaney, spokesman for the diocese. Delaney added that the diocese was not aware of Riva’s arrest until recently.
The diocese declined to provide specifics on why or how news of the arrest came to light.
“Someone found out about this and brought it up. It was sad, it was unfortunate, it was a mistake he made,” Delaney said. “He did some wonderful things and some wonderful ministries. It’s just unfortunate it’s come forward now.”
Delaney said there had been no previous complaints about Riva. “He was a good priest,” he said.
Riva, named outstanding citizen of the year in Woodridge in 2007, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Riva was arrested in October 1992 in the West DuPage Woods forest preserve in DuPage County after he grabbed the genitals of a male undercover police officer from whom he solicited sex, according to court records and the diocese.
He pleaded guilty to public indecency in November 1992 and was fined $100, put on supervision for a year and ordered to see a therapist, according to court records.
When Riva was discharged from supervision, his therapist wrote to the court that Riva demonstrated “excellent control of his former problem. I do not foresee repetitions of his October 1992 arrests.”
Court records indicate that an attorney for Riva filed a motion earlier this month to expunge the arrest.
The sexual behavior of another priest roiled St. Scholastica’s 25 years ago. The Rev. Edward Stefanich was convicted in 1987 of criminal sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl after he went to the family’s home and asked for permission to marry her, the Tribune reported at the time.
Delaney said it would be harder to conceal an arrest today because of resources available and diocesan policies that are in place.
“(Riva’s arrest) was 20 years ago. If that happened today, the diocese would probably be aware of it,” Delaney said.
A priest running around a park masturbating and grabbing the genitals of an undercover police officer is just no big deal?
According to a spokesman for the diocese: “Someone found out about this and brought it up. It was sad, it was unfortunate, it was a mistake he made….He did some wonderful things and some wonderful ministries. It’s just unfortunate it’s come forward now.”
Yes, I suppose it is unfortunate, at least for some, that it’s come forward now. Some would prefer such things stay swept under the carpet.