Joseph Hubert Hart

Styles of
**Joseph Hubert Hart**
Styles of; Joseph Hubert Hart
Reference style	His Excellency; The Most Reverend;
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Joseph Hubert Hart
His Excellency, The Most Reverend; Joseph Hubert Hart
Bishop Emeritus of Cheyenne
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Cheyenne
Appointed	April 25, 1978
Installed	June 12, 1978
Retired	September 26, 2001
Predecessor	Hubert Newell
Successor	David Laurin Ricken
Orders
Ordination	May 1, 1956; by John Cody
Consecration	August 31, 1976; by Hubert Newell, Charles Herman Helmsing, and Michael Francis McAuliffe
Personal details
Born	September 26, 1931; Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Died	August 23, 2023 (aged 91)
Previous post(s)	Auxiliary Bishop of Cheyenne and Titular Bishop of Thimida Regia (1976–1978)
Motto	Dominus pars; (The lord is a part (of me))

Joseph Hubert Hart (September 26, 1931 – August 23, 2023) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne in Wyoming from 1978 to 2001 and as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese from 1976 to 1978.

Hart faced several accusations of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Cheyenne, but he was ultimately exonerated by the Vatican and prosecutors in Wyoming declined to press charges. However, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph did settle a lawsuit that named Hart and 12 other individuals for sexual abuse in that diocese. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome reprimanded Hart for his lack of good judgement.

Biography

Early life

Joseph Hart was born on September 26, 1931, to Hubert and Kathryn (née Muser) Hart in Kansas City, Missouri. His brother James became a priest of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, and his sister Rosemary served as human resources director for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Hart attended St. Peter's Grade School (1936–1944) and Bishop Hogan High School (1944–1948), both in Kansas City, Missouri. He then studied at Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Meinrad Seminary in Saint Meinrad, Indiana.^[1]

Priesthood

Hart was ordained a priest by Bishop John Cody for the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph on May 1, 1956.^[2] After his ordination, Hart served as assistant pastor at Guardian Angels Parish (1956–1962) and Visitation Parish (1962–1966), both in Kansas City, Missouri.^[1]

Hart worked as vice-chancellor of the diocese from 1964 to 1969, during which time he also assisted at St. Therese Parish (1966–1968) and St. James Parish (1968–1969), both in Kansas City. From 1969 to 1976, Hart served as pastor of St. John Francis Regis Parish in Kansas City. At the same time, he also taught at Bishop Lillis High School, Loretto Academy, and St. Pius X High School, all in Kansas City.^[1]

Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of Cheyenne

On July 1, 1976, Pope Paul VI appointed Hart as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne and titular bishop of Thimida Regia. He was consecrated on August 31, 1976, by Bishop Hubert Newell, with Bishops Charles Helmsing and Michael McAuliffe serving as co-consecrators.^[2] As an auxiliary bishop, Hart served as vicar general and pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Casper, Wyoming.^[1]

On April 25, 1978, Paul VI named Hart as the sixth bishop of Cheyenne.^[2] He was installed at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Cheyenne on June 12, 1978. Hart selected as his episcopal motto: "Dominus Pars."^[3]

During his tenure as bishop, Hart established the annual Bishop's Appeal and ordained 25 priests for the diocese.^[1] He was an active member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and served as chairman of the bishops of Conference Region XIII for six years.^[1]

In 1989 and 1992, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph received accusations that Hart had sexually abused young boys in the early 1970s, when he was serving as a priest in that diocese.^[4] Hart volunteered to go to an Arizona residential facility for a psychiatric evaluation, which later concluded that Hart "does not appear to be a threat to himself or others on any level."^[5] The diocese reported the allegations to the papal nuncio and the USCCB, but did not reveal them publicly until January 2002. Hart "categorically and completely" denied the allegations, which he described as "baseless" and sources of "great pain...[and] embarrassment."^[4]

Retirement and legacy

On September 26, 2001, Hart submitted his letter of resignation as Bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne to Pope John Paul II.^[2]

In 2002, Hart was accused of repeatedly coercing a 14-year-old boy to expose himself in 1977, when Hart was auxiliary bishop in Cheyenne.^[6] Hart was cleared of those charges in July 2002. However, it was later determined that the original investigation was flawed; it was re-opened and more accusers came forward.^[7] Hart's successor, Bishop David Ricken, was also implicated for his role in defending, and possibly also protecting, Hart during this criminal investigation.^[8]

In 2004, Hart was named in a civil lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused three children while serving in Kansas City and Cheyenne.^[9] In 2005, a fifth person alleged abuse by Hart in 1973 or 1974, when the man was a 12-year-old parishioner at St. John Francis Regis Parish.^[5] In August 2008, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph approved a $10 million settlement to a group of 47 victims who cited Hart among 12 other clergymen responsible for their abuse.^[10]

In 2017, Bishop Steven Biegler, bishop of Cheyenne, announced an investigation of Hart. In April 2018, the Cheyenne Police Department started a criminal investigation into Hart.^[11] In August 2019, the police recommended that criminal charges be filed against Hart.^[12] Four more people from Wyoming and Missouri also accused Hart of sexually abusing them as well, bringing the total of sex abuse allegations against Hart to more than a dozen.^[13] It was also revealed that in June 2019 Pope Francis started a canonical penal process against Hart.^[14] On August 28, 2019, it was announced that a house owned by Monsignor Thomas O’Brien on Lake Viking in Missouri was used by Hart and O'Brien to allegedly abuse children sexually, with O'Brien's sister allegedly assisting in the cover-ups.^[15]^[16]

The diocese investigation concluded in July 2018, declaring that two victims were credible and their stories substantiated. However, in June 2020, the Natrona County District Attorney's Office declined to press charges against Hart. Believing that the case was prosecutable, the Cheyenne police submitted it to the Wyoming Attorney General.^[11] On January 21, 2021, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican cleared Hart of seven sexual abuse charges and stated that five other charges could not be proven. However, the Congregation rebuked Hart;

...for his flagrant lack of prudence as a priest and bishop for being alone with minors in his private residence and on various trips, which could have been potential occasions endangering the ‘obligation to observe continence’ and that would ‘give rise to scandal among the faithful,'^[17]

On January 29, 2021, Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill announced that her office would not pursue criminal charges against Hart.^[11]

Joseph Hubert Hart died on August 23, 2023, at the age of 91.^[18]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Most Reverend Hubert Joseph Hart". Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bishop Joseph Hubert Hart". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
^ "The Coat of Arms of His Excellency". Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne. Archived from the original on July 19, 2008.
^ ^a ^b Thomas, Judy L.; Stearns, Matt (April 25, 2002). "KC Diocese Spent Thousands after Two Allegations Recently Retired Wyoming Bishop Denies Accusations". The Kansas City Star.
^ ^a ^b Coday, Dennis (September 16, 2005). "Fifth Man Sues Retired Bishop for Sex Abuse". National Catholic Reporter.
^ Canon, Scott (May 15, 2002). "Hart Faces More Allegations". Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
^ Seth Klamann (June 18, 2019). "Police say investigation into bishop includes more suspects". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ "Charges recommended in clergy sexual abuse case with connection to Green Bay". August 26, 2019.
^ Morton, Tom (January 24, 2004). "Former Wyo Bishop Sued for Sex Abuse". Casper Star-Tribune.
^ McCarthy, Bill (August 23, 2008). "Settlement Leaves Victims of Abuse by Priests Cold". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gazette, Seth Klamann Denver (January 29, 2021). "Wyoming attorney general won't charge retired bishop accused of abuse". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
^ "Crux". Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
^ "Four more abuse allegations against former Cheyenne bishop".
^ "Wyoming police recommend sex abuse charges for two Catholic leaders". August 15, 2019.
^ White, Christopher (August 28, 2019). "Wyoming bishop's decades of abuse destroyed lives, traumatized families". Crux. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
^ "KC priest Thomas J. O'Brien, who was named in sex abuse lawsuits, dies". The Kansas City Star. October 22, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ "Vatican exonerates Bishop Joseph Hart of Wyoming of seven sex abuse charges; five other accusations 'could not be proven'". The Dialog. January 26, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
^ AP (August 24, 2023) "Obit Bishop Joseph Hart", SCNow. Retrieved August 26, 2023.

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne Official Site Archived December 31, 2018, at the Wayback Machine

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Hubert Newell	Bishop of Cheyenne 1978–2001	Succeeded by David Laurin Ricken
Preceded by —	Auxiliary Bishop of Cheyenne 1976–1978	Succeeded by —
Preceded by Lucien-Emile Bardonne	Titular Bishop of Thimida Regia 1976–1978	Succeeded by Jan Walenty Wieczorek