Ambrose to remove former Bishop O'Keefe's name from the library

By Barb Ickes | Friday, August 03, 2007

TODAY: (Updated 1:41 p.m.) The name of the late Gerald O’Keefe, a former bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Davenport, will be removed from the library at St. Ambrose University, officials announced today.

A victim of clergy sexual abuse asked last year for the removal of O’Keefe’s name, given his role in the diocesan sex scandal. O’Keefe acknowledged before his death that he was told of some instances of abuse and chose to relocate the accused priests, rather than report the abuse to authorities or take action to have the priests defrocked.

The university established a new naming and renaming policy for campus buildings before investigating the request for removing O’Keefe’s name. The request was granted today.

A new name has not yet been selected.

Look for more on this story in Saturday’s Quad-City Times, including comments from the St. Ambrose graduate/sex abuse victim who asked for the change.