Deferring donation

Mylaw firm has donated funds to Catholic Charities. Its annual golf event is upcoming, and it is a favorite event. A relative of mine has given much more than money; she has given her time. The achievements of Catholic Charities, with the assistance of its volunteers, are legion.

This year, I am deferring making a donation. This decision was arrived at with great difficulty. Ironically, for a moment, I felt guilt. Am I penalizing the hardworking volunteers whose hearts are pure? But then I realized that I am not. And I realized that for truth and justice to prevail, I cannot join the herd one more time and look the other way.

The evidence is overwhelming. I read the grand jury report. I learned that the church used donations made to Catholic Charities to purchase a victim’s silence. The church took more than $10,000 of donated money and accounted for it as “tuition assistance.”

I mentioned above that I am deferring my donation. I am able to forgive. I’ll donate again when two events take place: (1) the accountant for the church comes to my office and shows me a journal entry that this theft from the Catholic Charities fund has been changed from “tuition assistance” to “hush money for pedophilia” and (2) Pope Francis stands on Grant Street in front of the courthouse and hand-delivers the reimbursement check to the Catholic Charities fund for the precise amount taken from it.

PATRICK J. LOUGHREN

South Side