Ex-Beverly, Mount Greenwood Priest Accused of Child Sex Abuse at Suburban Parish

A retired priest who spent nearly two decades leading two Southwest Side Catholic parishes is accused of sexually abusing a child more than 20 years ago at a different parish, according to a letter Cardinal Blase Cupich sent to parishioners this week.

The Rev. Thomas Conde served as pastor of Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, 9235 S. Hamilton Ave. in Beverly, from 2007 to 2014, then moved to St. Christina Roman Catholic Church, 3342 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood, where he was pastor from 2014 to 2024. The Archdiocese of Chicago says it was recently notified that a lawsuit is being prepared alleging Conde sexually abused a minor while he was pastor of St. James Parish in Sauk Village, a post he held from 1993 to 2003.

Cupich informed parishioners at Christ the King and St. Christina of the allegation in a letter sent Monday. He said Conde has "strongly denied" ever sexually abusing anyone. The archdiocese has not been given an exact date or year for the alleged abuse, and Cupich said a request to interview the person making the accusation was denied.

Conde's career in the archdiocese spans nearly four decades. He was associate pastor at St. Joseph in Libertyville from 1987 to 1992, then pastor at St. James in Sauk Village from 1993 to 2003, the period tied to the pending lawsuit. He went on to serve as vocation director and comptroller at St. Joseph College Seminary from 2003 to 2007 before taking over at Christ the King in Beverly and later St. Christina in Mount Greenwood. After leaving St. Christina in 2024, Conde became associate pastor at St. John of the Cross Parish in Western Springs, a role he held until retiring in January 2026.

Cupich said he has asked Conde to step aside from all parish ministry and to live away from any parish while the allegation is investigated, a step he described as a precaution rather than a finding of guilt. "The Archdiocese of Chicago takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously," Cupich said in a statement accompanying the letter. He said the archdiocese encourages anyone who believes they experienced abuse or inappropriate behavior by clergy, religious staff or lay employees to report it to the archdiocese's Office for the Protection of Children and Youth.

Conde spent 17 years as pastor at Christ the King and St. Christina, two parishes that each run schools and host regular parish activities in Beverly and Mount Greenwood. The allegation against him is tied to a parish and a time period long before he arrived on the Southwest Side.

The Archdiocese of Chicago has faced other clergy abuse allegations in recent years and has published lists of clergy found to have credible allegations against them. It set up its Office for the Protection of Children and Youth to field new reports and manage past cases.

Conde was not on that list before this week's letter, and the archdiocese has not said whether it has independently substantiated the claim against him. The lawsuit itself had not been filed as of Monday, according to the archdiocese, which said it learned of the pending suit before any court filing was made public. No court date has been set.

Cupich's letter did not identify the accuser or provide further detail about the alleged abuse beyond linking it to Conde's decade at St. James in Sauk Village. The archdiocese said it will continue to cooperate with any investigation and will provide updates to parishioners as warranted. Conde remains barred from ministry and from residing at any parish while the claim moves through the legal process.