A newspaper columnist reveals abuse from his past:

The sentence was buried deep within the 247 pages of the recently released deposition given by Joliet Bishop Joseph Imesch as part of a priest-abuse lawsuit pending against him and the Joliet Roman Catholic Diocese.

In the glare of the deposition’s sensational revelations about priests hot-tubbing and playing "games" in the nude with young boys, the five simple words on page 201 went unnoticed by nearly everyone.

Everyone but me.

At one point in his deposition, Imesch was asked by the victim’s counsel to list the Joliet priests he believed had been credibly accused of sexual abuse. After the bishop rattled off 17 names, the attorney inquired about a priest he hadn’t mentioned.

"Ruffalo," he said. "What about Ruffalo?"

"I’m not sure of that," Imesch answered.

"Not sure," Imesch said, despite the fact the Joliet Diocese previously had paid a settlement to a man who claimed he’d been abused by Rev. Richard Ruffalo when the priest was pastor at St. Mary’s Parish in Park Forest in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Perhaps I can clear up Imesch’s uncertainty about Father Ruffalo.

Bishop Imesch is hurt:

Joliet Diocese Bishop Joseph Imesch said he is "deeply hurt" by Southtown columnist and priest sex abuse victim Tim Placher’s assertion that the diocese cannot move beyond its history of sexual abuse with Imesch at the helm.

Imesch for years has been attacked by victims’ advocates who say he has had a slow and cold-hearted response to dozens of sexual abuse allegations in the diocese. He also transferred several priests accused of sexual abuse to new ministries where they had opportunities to molest more children.

Imesch, who took over the diocese the same summer in 1979 when Placher alleges he was abused by Rev. Richard Ruffalo at the priest’s home in Las Vegas, accused the columnist of timing his revelation to exact the most personal damage against the bishop.

"For 26 years, he never said anything," Imesch said of Placher. "And now (he comes out publicly), is it because of the publicity around me? It sounds like he wants to smear my name."