Local
Members of newly constituted review board announced

By Pilot Staff
Posted: 6/11/2010

BRAINTREE -- The Archdiocese of Boston announced the members of its newly constituted Review Board June 9. The Review Board, a confidential advisory committee that advises the Cardinal in the assessment of complaints of child sexual abuse by a cleric and in his determination of the suitability of an accused cleric for ministry, is an interfaith body comprised of psychologists, social workers, educators, retired law enforcement agents, survivors of clergy sexual abuse, parents, judges and pastoral ministers. Only one person is a member of the clergy of the Archdiocese and none of the other Board members are employees of the Archdiocese. The Cardinal appoints each member for a term of five years, which can be renewed.

In 2009, the Archdiocese combined the work of the Implementation and Oversight Advisory Committee and the Review Board into a single newly constituted Review Board. In addition to advising the Cardinal on addressing particular complaints, the Review Board also advises on policy matters relating to the protection of children. This is the model recommended by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and memorialized in the Essential Norms.

The newly constituted Board has been in place and working for several months.

Members of the Review Board are as follows:

Mary Jane Doherty, Ph.D., Special Assistant to the President of Regis College (Chairperson) and former chairperson of the Archdiocese of Boston Implementation and Oversight Advisory Committee (IOAC)

Rabbi Laurence Bazer, Temple Beth Sholom, Framingham; certified pastoral counselor; Military Chaplain, LTC; former board member of New England ADL and the Greater MetroWest CJP Planning Grant Committee

Rev. David Callahan, Pastor, St. Mary's Parish, Quincy

Marie Donahue, Retired Deputy Superintendent of the Boston Police Department

Daniel O'Malley, Esq., Attorney and former Associate Justice of the District Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Eileen Perini, LICSW, founder of the Perini Family Survivors' Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Wilfrid L. Pilette, M.D., Board Certified Psychiatrist with over thirty years experience in the treatment of adolescents and adults while working in a variety of clinical, academic and administrative positions, as well as private practice

Donald L. Sherak, M.D., Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, with added qualifications in Forensic and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association; Member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (MATSA); Medical Director of Whitney Academy; Consultant to the May Institute for Neurorehabilitation and Education and the Springdale Education Center

Vacancy (The Archdiocese is in the process of seating the ninth member of the Review Board.)

Several Archdiocesan staff members support the work of the Review Board including:

Reverend Rodney J. Copp, J.C.L., Promoter of Justice and Canon Law Advisor

Jay Crowley, Delegate for Investigations

Mark Dunderdale, Director, Office of Professional Standards and Oversight

Barbara Thorp, Director, Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection

More information about the Review Board and the Archdiocese's child protection efforts can be found at www.bostoncatholic.org.