Piecing It All Together:
Part 02, Ignored & Rejected

“After a month of waiting, Cherin Marie and her husband meet with Deacon Valerie McIntyre, head of pastoral care at Church of the Resurrection, and Deacon McIntyre’s assistant Meghan Robins, to receive promised pastoral care.

During this meeting, Cherin tells Meghan and Deacon McIntyre that over the course of the past month,she learned of five additional victims of Mark Rivera, all of whom attended Church of the Resurrection at the time they were victimized. Cherin also names two vulnerable young people who have been in proximity to Mark and who have been showing concerning signs that might indicate they have been sexually abused.

Read more about Cherin’s experience of Rez pastoral care here: ”

“Cherin Marie and her husband attend a status hearing for Mark Rivera’s criminal case, after being unaware of and therefore missing Mark’s first court appearance.

Rez Deacon Valerie McIntyre attends as support for Cherin and her husband and sits with them on one side of the courtroom.

On the other side of the courtroom, Rev. Rand York, COLA Sr. Warden Christopher Lapeyre, and various COLA community members (Cherin’s church community and closest friends) sit behind Mark Rivera.
”

“As the news of Mark Rivera’s arrest spreads, some members of Church of the Resurrection start avoiding Cherin and her family. Several church friends shift from hugging and chatting with Cherin to avoiding eye contact and walking the other way when she comes over to say hello. One long-time prayer partner “unfriends” Cherin on Facebook and has not spoken to her since.”

“COLA leaders Rev. Rand York and Senior Warden Christopher Lapeyre, along with various COLA community members, attend Mark Rivera’s bond reduction hearing, where they all sit together with Mark’s wife, directly behind the defense table where Mark sits.

Cherin Marie and her husband, also present at this hearing, sit on the other side of the courtroom, with no clergy or community support.

Mark’s bond is reduced from $500,000 to $250,000, despite objections from the prosecution. ”

“After 4 weeks of silence, Rev. Rand York emails Cherin Marie and asks her to resign from the COLA Vestry.

Cherin Marie and her family have been unable to attend COLA since her daughter disclosed Mark Rivera’s abuse, as it is unsafe for Cherin’s daughter to go to a church where Mark is still attending. Rev. York uses Cherin’s non-attendance as part of his reasoning for asking her to step down:

“You do not currently attend Christ Our Light, and there is no indication of when you might begin attending again. Because of this, but more importantly since these recent events can indeed be construed to be conflicts of interest, it would greatly simplify matters, and protect you as well, if you stepped down from your place on Vestry.”

Rev. York also states that Cherin Marie cannot remain on COLA vestry, because her family is receiving financial support from COLA. While COLA has paid for the first four counseling sessions for Cherin’s daughter, this financial support abruptly stops once Cherin is removed from the COLA vestry.

Read Rev. York’s email to Cherin here:

In his email, Rev. York promises to follow up about COLA paying for ongoing counseling services for Cherin’s daughter, but this email never arrives. Neither Rev. York nor Senior Warden Christopher Lapeyre ever respond to Cherin’s subsequent messages. ”

“Cherin Marie and her husband speak briefly with Bp. Stewart Ruch and learn that he personally attended Mark Rivera’s first court hearing after Mark’s June 10, 2019 arrest.

Bp. Ruch also discloses that he gave Mark’s family $500 from his personal discretionary fund after Mark’s arrest and that he wishes for Cherin’s family to have the same amount. They never receive any of this money.

Bp. Ruch assures Cherin and her husband that he is up to date on their situation, because his wife, Katherine, has been speaking to all involved and is keeping him informed. Katherine has never spoken to Cherin or her husband; any information she gave Bp. Ruch came from other COLA and Church of the Resurrection members.

”

“Cherin Marie and her husband meet with Deacon Valerie McIntyre and UMD Canon William Beasley to discuss their recent departure from COLA church. Canon Beasley has been close personal friends with Rev. Rand York for 20+ years and is directly responsible for overseeing Rev. York’s ministry. As the then-head of Greenhouse, Canon Beasley endorsed and backed COLA as a new Greenhouse church plant in 2013 and approved Mark Rivera for installation as COLA church catechist in 2014.

During this meeting, Cherin expresses her concerns about how Rev. York and COLA Senior Warden Christopher Lapeyre failed to report her daughter’s sexual abuse to the authorities. Canon Beasley immediately defends UMD Chancellor (lawyer) Charlie Philbrick for advising COLA leaders that they did not need to report alleged child sexual abuse perpetrated by a fellow church leader.

Not only does Canon Beasley dismiss concerns about numerous mandated-reporting failures by COLA and Upper Midwest Diocese leaders, but he also personally fails to report the sexual abuse of Cherin’s daughter, which Rev. York allegedly disclosed to him on May 18, 2019.

Read more about Cherin’s meeting with Dcn. McIntyre and Cn. Beasley here:”

“Cherin Marie and her family grow increasingly uncomfortable at Church of the Resurrection, as more church friends and acquaintances who were recently friendly and kind to her family stop talking to or interacting with them.

Cherin’s family is left feeling lonely and unwelcome whenever they attend church. ”

“Cherin reaches out to Deacon Valerie McIntyre for help and expresses the pain and distress her family is experiencing at Church of the Resurrection. Deacon McIntyre dismisses Cherin’s concerns and tells her that she is probably imagining all of this.

Deacon McIntyre then recommends that Cherin and her family attend a different service at Church of the Resurrection, because their presence at church is making family members of Mark Rivera uncomfortable.

Because of Deacon McIntyre’s apathetic response and their continued discomfort at Church of the Resurrection, Cherin and her family soon leave the church permanently.

Read more here:”

“Rev. Rand York’s wife (who is also Cherin Marie’s great aunt) attends Church of the Resurrection and tells an acquaintance that Cherin’s daughter has wrongfully accused Mark Rivera of sexual abuse.

This acquaintance, concerned about the situation, asks what Church of the Resurrection leaders believe about the allegations.

Rev. Rand’s wife replies firmly that “no one” at Rez believes Cherin’s daughter except a single Rez congregant, who she names with apparent disdain. ”

“Cherin Marie meets with Bp. Stewart Ruch and Deacon Valerie McIntyre to discuss Cherin and her husband’s concerns about The Greenhouse Movement.

During this meeting, Bp. Ruch tells Cherin that he has also identified issues within Greenhouse and, because of his concerns, has ordered a review of the organization and all its operations.

Bp. Ruch then invites Cherin and her husband to directly participate in this review. He says that he is eager for them to have a voice in the review process and that he hopes their story and experience might bring healing and change throughout the diocese.

Despite later being interviewed for this review, Cherin is not informed of its completion until two months after it is concluded. Cherin has not been permitted to read the final report and has been given no indication of how her family’s story was portrayed.

Read more about the outcome of the Greenhouse review here:”

“Cherin Marie reaches out to Deacon Valerie McIntyre to ask if Church of the Resurrection can help her pay for professional counseling. Deacon McIntyre says the church would be happy to pay for counseling and gives Cherin a therapist referral.

When Cherin follows up with Deacon McIntyre to get reimbursed for the $250 intake session fee paid out of pocket, Deacon McIntyre caps the financial assistance at $500 and asks Cherin to provide a receipt, so the church can reimburse her. Cherin is unable to obtain a receipt from the counseling office after multiple calls, and she never receives any compensation for the $250. .

Read more here:”

“Mark Rivera obtains new legal counsel and files for an official substitution of attorney with Kane County.

Reportedly, Mark’s original defense attorney, procured by UMD Chancellor Charlie Philbrick, has advised Mark to take a plea agreement, which he is unwilling to do.

A friend and neighbor (who is also related to several members of Mark’s supporters at COLA) helps Mark find and retain a new private defense attorney, who also happens to be former law partners with the presiding judge.
”

“The neighbor who helped Mark find a new defense attorney puts forth the needed 10% of Mark’s $250,000 bond and signs off as his bond surety, enabling Mark to return home to live with his family while he awaits trial.

Mark is released on bond from the Kane County Adult Justice Center under the following conditions:

* He appears for every court hearing.
* He obeys all previous court orders (including having no contact with minors), does not leave the state without permission, and reports changes of address within 24 hours.
* He does not commit any criminal offenses.
* He agrees not to possess any firearms.
* He has no contact with complaining witnesses or their immediate family members.

Read more here:”

“Cherin Marie attends Mark Rivera’s arraignment hearing alone.

As with previous hearings, COLA leaders and community members accompany and support Mark Rivera and his wife. ”

“Cherin Marie has her last scheduled prayer appointment with Deacon Valerie McIntyre.

Despite promises of pastoral care for Cherin and her family, Deacon McIntyre has repeatedly forgetten prayer appointments or conducted them tardily and briefly over the phone. Cherin will eventually email Bp. Ruch in May 2021 to explain how this treatment led her to finally give up on asking for care from his church.

Read more here”

“Mark Rivera pleads “not guilty” to all charges at his formal arraignment hearing. ”

“Mark Rivera allegedly rapes his next door neighbor, Joanna Rudenborg, for the second time, while he is home on bond release, a direct violation of his bond requirement not to commit any criminal offenses while released.

Read Joanna’s story through this link:”