CHICAGO – A Catholic priest on Chicago’s South Side has been reinstated after no evidence was found to support sexual abuse allegations made against him last week.

Archbishop Cardinal Blase J. Cupich sent letters to Our Lady from the parishes of St. Germaine, St. Gerald, St. Cajetan, St. John Fisher, St. John Neumann, St. Gianna and St. Barnaba, informing them about his decision to reinstate Fr. . Martin Marren after being temporarily removed from the ministry.

Last week, officials said the Department of Child and Family Services had opened an investigation into Marren amid allegations of alleged sexual abuse of a minor.

The archdiocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection presented its findings and results of its own investigation to the Independent Review Board (IRB) on Saturday, according to officials.

Read more: The latest news and headlines from Chicago

The IRB found no reasonable grounds to believe that Marren had sexually abused a minor and recommended that the case be closed and that he be returned to the ministry.

“It is important to emphasize that the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is paramount
importance. For this reason, we take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously. At the same time, we must restore the name of anyone so accused when the allegations are found to be unfounded,” Cupich said in a statement. “To this end, I publicly state that Father Marren is a priest in good standing and express my sincere appreciation for his many years of service to the People of God in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He deserves our respect and gratitude, and I hope you will join me in thanking him for his long-standing dedication.”

The Archdiocese of Chicago encourages anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward.

Full information on reporting sexual abuse can be found on the website archdiocese website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, go to WGN-TV.