The Head of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, one of those named in the safeguarding reports published on Wednesday, has said that he is, “full of shame,” at the cover-up of sex abuse by his order. Fr Joseph McGee, who was only appointed to the position last year, said that he is deeply sorry for what happened to so many people at the hands of priests in his order, and he promised to take steps to ensure it does not happen again.
The NBSCCCI criticised practices with the society, which they found deeply flawed, and contributed to one man's death by suicide. Of the nine members, one has died and three have left the society.
Five others who had not admitted abuse are dead and none of the accused currently minister as priests. Another priest named a number of boys he had harmed, but the information was not given to Gardaí until August 2011.
Commenting of the report to the local media in his native Donegal Fr McGee said, “We are full of shame, and all I can do is offer our sincere and deepest apology to the people who came to us and felt they weren't heard and to people who were abused in our care. I feel ashamed and I am united in that shame by my own religious community. I want to commit myself to help all of us to change that culture and approach to anyone who comes forward to make an allegation. I want to commit as leader to change that culture and our society for anyone who wants to make an allegation against any of our members. It is difficult to change a culture that has been there for many years but there is a willingness to learn and listen.”