The Archdiocese of Chicago has temporarily withdrawn Reverend Samson Mukundi from ministry after receiving an allegation of inappropriate physical contact involving an adult. Mukundi had been serving as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish on Chicago's Southwest Side, and the allegation remains under investigation with no further details disclosed.
According to ABC7 Chicago, the archdiocese confirmed the withdrawal after the allegation surfaced, and the outlet reported plainly that the claim involved an adult. Cardinal Blase Cupich directed Mukundi to undergo a period of evaluation, a step the cardinal outlined in a letter sent to the parish community.
That same letter was also sent to two other parishes where Mukundi previously served — Saint Benedict the African Parish and Jesus, Bread of Life Parish — according to the same report. No further information was available about the allegation, and the matter is still under investigation, the station noted.
A Pastor's Recent Path Through Chicago Parishes
Mukundi's assignment history offers a glimpse of his recent trajectory within the archdiocese. Records from chicagocatholic.com show he was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Sylvester Parish in Chicago effective July 1. That appointment sits alongside his documented time at Saint Benedict the African Parish, Jesus, Bread of Life Parish, and most recently Blessed Sacrament Parish, where he was serving when the allegation was received.
The circumstances of the alleged contact, including when or where it is said to have occurred, have not been made public. The evaluation period's length and terms were also not disclosed in the available reporting.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Scrutiny
Mukundi's case lands amid a stretch of heightened scrutiny of clergy conduct within the archdiocese. Earlier this year, a priest at a Near West Side parish was removed following allegations of inappropriate conduct involving women and children, according to a report from WGN-TV. In a separate case this year, Father Michael Pfleger was reported to be under investigation over an alleged sexual abuse claim involving a minor, per CBS Chicago.
Not every case ends in continued restriction. On October 24, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Cardinal Cupich accepted a review board recommendation to close the case against retired priest Rev. Kenneth Fleck, clearing him to return to ministry after he had been accused of sexual abuse. That outcome shows how these investigations can resolve, though no such determination has been reported in Mukundi's case.
How the Archdiocese Handles Allegations
The Archdiocese of Chicago maintains an Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review, which receives, reviews and investigates allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving archdiocesan clerics, lay employees and volunteers, according to the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review. The office advises people to report allegations involving abuse or neglect of minors to the Illinois DCFS hotline or local police before contacting the archdiocesan office directly.
Separately, the archdiocese's Independent Review Board advises the cardinal on allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy currently in ministry, including their suitability to continue serving. It remains unclear whether that board, which handles minor-abuse cases specifically, has any role in the Mukundi matter, since the allegation against him was described as involving an adult.
