It was years ago, but I still remember the very first time he celebrated the weekday Mass at St. Rose of Lima church. There was a young lady sitting not too distant from me. After only a few minutes into the Mass, she gasped, “He’s gay!” Jacklin had gay “written” all over him.
Afterwards, people said his actions, his behavior, was due to a severe car accident he had had. The Kankakee Daily Journal even posted such an article in one of their issues. But, I didn’t believe it. The pastor, Fr. Charles Wheeler most certainly must have known about the secret of his new assistant.
It turns out my instincts were correct. This is from today’s Chicago Tribune:
“Bond has been set at $1 million for a Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting a resident of a developmental center south of Chicago.
“The Rev. Richard Jacklin was arrested by the Illinois State Police on Tuesday on allegations he assaulted the resident at Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee.
“Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe on Thursday told a judge that a nurse walked in on Jacklin performing a sex act on a 39-year-old man. The alleged victim has been a patient at Shapiro since 2010 and is paralyzed and has an intellectual disability.
“The 65-year-old Jacklin has been charged with criminal sexual assault by force and sexual misconduct on a person with a disability.
“The Diocese of Joliet says Jacklin was ordained June 2, 1984, and has been assigned to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Goodrich since 2005.”
Are you disgusted? I AM! But this is the Joliet diocese for you!
