Abuse Tracker

CLEVELAND (OH)
Cleveland Scene

First Punch
Article Published Jan 31, 2007

Cleveland Bishop Richard Lennon makes a brief appearance in a new documentary about sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Critics are hailing his performance as "richly dark," "menacing," yet "stunningly predictable."

The movie, Hand of God, recently aired on PBS's Frontline. (See Lennon in action at pbs.com/frontline.) In it, filmmaker Joe Cultrera chronicles the life of his brother Paul, who was molested as an altar boy by a Massachusetts priest.

Lennon, named Cleveland's bishop last May, was serving in Boston when the film was shot in 2004, the "supposed warm and gracious replacement" for Cardinal Bernard Law, Friend to Child Molesters Everywhere™. But Lennon appears about as kindly as a roundhouse to the pancreas.

As Cultrera films outside a Boston chancery, Lennon approaches, sticking his hand in Cultrera's lens. The filmmaker calmly explains that he needs shots of the building where his brother reported his abuse. When Lennon resists, Cultrera's emotions start to bubble. "I did 12 years of Catholic school," he tells Lennon. "My family put so much money into this church."

As PR opportunities go, this is a fastball down the middle: All Lennon has to do is apologize on the church's behalf -- even if he doesn't mean it -- and be hailed as warm and gracious, indeed.

But the bishop proves to be a complete dick. "Sir, if you think you're going to make me feel bad about this . . .," he says flatly.

CANADA
CD98.9

Another workshop is being held today for those in leadership roles in the Diocese of London to help erradicate sexual abuse in the church. Bishop Ronald Fabbro is requiring all priests, deacons, and pastoral teams attend one of two workshops in an effort to educate and rebuild the church.

WEST ROXBURY (MA)
Transcript

By Alyce Nicolo
Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - Updated: 11:33 AM EST

The Voice of the Faithful is considering requesting an official review of mandatory celibacy among priests, according to Svea Fraser, one of the movement’s original founders, at Monday’s Parkway Voice meeting.

“There is this bubbling sense of need to talk about this,” said Fraser. “If we get at some of the issues that create a culture of secrecy, maybe we can protect our children better.”

The Voice of the Faithful is a controversial movement started within the Catholic Church after the 2002 clergy sex abuse scandal. The organization focuses on three main goals: supporting survivors of clergy sexual abuse; supporting priests of integrity; and shaping structural change within the church.

Fraser, a member of the National Working Group on Goal 2, spoke to a group of about 25 people at St. John Chrysostom in West Roxbury about VOTF’s “Ongoing Efforts to Encourage and Challenge Our Priests.”

GRAND RAPIDS (MI)
The Grand Rapids Press

Wednesday, January 31, 2007
By Patricia Mish
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton said he does not plan to contest his removal as pastor of an inner-city parish, which he said Tuesday came as a direct result of his advocacy for victims of priest sexual abuse.

Gumbleton, in town to speak about nonviolence at Aquinas College, has made national headlines in recent days because of his removal as pastor and an unrelated decision by a Tucson, Ariz., bishop to ask him not to address a Catholic advocacy group on church property.

Gumbleton moved out of his modest room at St. Leo Catholic Church in Detroit on Sunday, a week after telling parishioners of his removal.

MAINE
Sun Journal

By David Sharp , Associated Press Writer
Sunday, January 28, 2007
PORTLAND - The leader of Maine's 234,000 Roman Catholics on Saturday publicly identified six priests accused of sexual abuse out of concern that they could commit offenses while waiting for the Vatican to complete its investigation.

Bishop Richard Malone's original policy was to wait until a judgment from the Vatican before releasing the names of those accused of abuse before June 2002. But he became worried that there could be more victims during the drawn-out process.

"I am unsure how long it will be before all our cases are resolved," he said in a statement. "This being the case, I have become increasingly concerned about the possible risk of re-offense in the cases of those who have not been publicly identified."

PHILADELPHIA (PA)
KYW

(CBS 3) PHILADELPHIA A Roman Catholic Priest who worked in the area is the subject of five allegations of sexual misconduct with adults and minors.

Reverend H. Cornell Bradley was a member of the staff at Saint Joseph's University for 11 years, until he resigned a year ago.

At that time, he was removed from ministry by his Jesuit order.

The Jesuits say Bradley had psychiatric care in the early 1990's and was approved for return to duty.

VAN WERT (OH)
The Delphos Herald

by Staff Reports
VAN WERT — In the wake of several years of sexual misconduct allegations within the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S., an area church has been notified of the resignation of its suspended pastor.

Parishioners at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church were read letters from the Rev. Joseph Schmelzer and Bishop Blair of the Diocese of Toledo during weekend Masses.

Schmelzer resigned last week after a four-year leave. Both actions took place after a 2003 lawsuit was filed by Adrian, Mich. resident Jon Schoonmaker. The suit accused Schmelzer of abusing Schoonmaker at a church near Toledo approximately 20 years ago. Schoonmaker sought more than $25,000 in compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages before later settling with the diocese.

PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer

By Michael Matza
Inquirer Staff Writer
Calling the allegations against a former Saint Joseph's University campus minister "deeply disturbing," university president Timothy R. Lannon alerted the campus community yesterday to an investigation of the Rev. H. Cornell Bradley, a Jesuit priest who worked at the campus for more than a decade before leaving last year.

The investigation is conducted by the Maryland Province Society of Jesus, a Jesuit governing body, which found that Bradley had engaged in "sexual misconduct with an adult male during the early 1980s" and cited four other alleged incidents involving minors and adults over three decades.

Saint Joseph's hired Bradley in 1995 and he resigned in January 2006, according to Lannon's statement to students, faculty and alumni, which appended a letter from the province stating that Bradley "verified substantial details" of one of the allegations and "said he is unable to deny" another of the incidents.

VERMONT
Times Argus

January 31, 2007

By Kevin O'Connor Rutland Herald

For a third time, lawyers tied to Vermont's Catholic Church are trying to disqualify the judge presiding over a string of priest misconduct lawsuits.

Attorneys representing the statewide Diocese of Burlington sought the removal of Chittenden Superior Court Judge Ben Joseph on two occasions this past year, most recently after Joseph was about to decide whether church lawyer William M. O'Brien of Winooski should be sanctioned for failing to share three decades of personnel records with accusers.

Vermont Administrative Judge Amy Davenport denied the second request last week. But O'Brien has filed a motion asking Davenport to reconsider Joseph's disqualification, saying the basis of her latest decision was "simply wrong."

LAS VEGAS (NV)
KLAS

Dr. Richard Facciolo, Chancellor and Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Las Vegas, confirmed that Father George Chaanine of Our Lady of Las Vegas has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into an alleged assault that occurred on Friday, January 26 at the parish.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department continues their search to locate Father Chaanine and is currently in the process of preparing warrants for his arrest.

LAS VEGAS (NV)
KRIS

LAS VEGAS -- A Roman Catholic priest remained a fugitive for a fourth day Tuesday, while a judge issued a warrant seeking his arrest on attempted murder charges in an attack on a church employee in a parish office.

The Rev. George Chaanine, 52, also faces charges including battery with a deadly weapon, battery with intent to commit sex assault and kidnapping in the Friday attack, police said.

Police have refused to name the woman who was attacked, but her lawyer identified her as Michaelina Bellamy.

"It was a violent attack," Bellamy's lawyer, Al Massi, said.

MONTEREY (CA)
Monterey Herald

Staff and wire reports
A Catholic priest sought by Las Vegas police and U.S. marshals in connection with several crimes, including rape and attempted murder, allegedly came through downtown Monterey just as clergy and community members installed a new bishop for the Monterey Diocese.

The Rev. George Chaanine, 52, was reportedly seen at the Bank of America on East Franklin Street around 1 p.m. Tuesday, a Monterey County sheriff's deputy reported.

A "be on the lookout" alert was issued late Tuesday for the priest, who was previously seen in Las Vegas on Saturday. Chaanine was described as white, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing about 145 pounds. Press reports indicate Chaanine was driving a white or cream-colored 2005 Buick Le Sabre with Nevada plates 732RRM.

A Las Vegas judge issued a warrant for his arrest on attempted murder and other charges in an attack on a church employee in a parish office.

ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune

Published January 31, 2007

A Hoffman Estates man who volunteered at a Bartlett church has been accused of fondling underage boys, police said.

Alejandro Bautista, 32, of the 1400 block of Devonshire Lane was charged Sunday with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Bartlett police said Bautista fondled two males between the ages of 11 and 15 on multiple occasions at the Bethel Baptist Church in the 600 block of West Lake Street between last October and January, according to a release from the department.

Officials at Bethel Baptist Church could not be reached Tuesday.

MEMPHIS (TN)
Bellevue Baptist Church

Introduction

The incident, which was initially described as a “moral failure” by Paul Williams, Bellevue’s Minister of Prayer and Special Projects, became evident to the church Personnel Committee in December 2006. Bryan Miller, Chairman of the Personnel Committee, reported the incident to the church at the conclusion of both morning Worship Services on December 17 and announced Mr. William’s leave of absence which began December 15, 2006. Pastor Gaines commented on the incident and his concern for the Williams family.

MEMPHIS (TN)
KnoxNews

By Associated Press
January 31, 2007

MEMPHIS - A longtime minister at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis was fired last week after he admitted to sexually abusing his son 17 years ago, according to a report issued by the church.

Paul Williams was fired Jan. 22 after an internal report conducted by the church was given to its personnel committee, which cited a "moral failure" 17 years ago as the basis for Williams' departure. Williams had been on a leave of absence since December.

The report was released on the church's Web site and distributed to church members Sunday.

MINNESOTA
Winona Daily News

By Brian Voerding / Winona Daily News

At first, the pastor was her friend and confidant, someone who freely offered advice on marriage and life and once saved her from suicide.

They talked about her faith and her struggles, about spirituality and commitment and how vulnerable she felt with him.

Then the talk turned to panties, and that’s when everything began to fall apart, according to a criminal complaint filed in Winona County Court on Monday.

The 14-page complaint released Tuesday accuses the Rev. Donald Dean Budd with felony sexual conduct and outlines a 31/2-year relationship with a woman who claims she was too emotionally fragile to say no to his advances.

It’s a story about an alleged abuse of power that stopped just short of sexual intercourse, a story that began with a funeral and ended with a secret recording.

MINNESOTA
Winona Daily News

By Brian Voerding / Winona Daily News

The woman who has accused a Winona pastor of having sex with her while providing spiritual counseling turned first to the church for help.

But when she grew unsatisfied with the process, she went to the police instead.

The woman filed a complaint with the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in September 2006, just less than a year after she cut ties with the Rev. Donald Dean Budd, the 62-year-old pastor of McKinley United Methodist who was charged Monday with 10 felony counts of criminal sexual conduct.

In early November, during the conference’s investigation, the woman went to the Winona police, whose subsequent investigation during the following two months led to the charges.

The church complaint was dismissed earlier this month.

JAMAICA
Jamaica Gleaner

SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine

A 25-year-old pastor, Orane Ellis, who is charged with the carnal abuse of a 14-year-old girl, pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody when he appeared in the St. Catherine Circuit Court yesterday.

The court led evidence that between October 31, 2005 and November 1, 2005, Ellis, who ministered at the Bannister New Testament Church of God, in St. Catherine, allegedly molested five wards of the Yadel Girls' Home situated close to his church.

Several offences

According to arresting officer Inspector Deutress Foster Gardener of the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA), the clergyman fondled three of the girls, kissed one of them and had sex with the 14-year-old on at least two occasions.

ORLANDO (FL)
Daytona Beach News-Journal

By PATRICIO G. BALONA
Staff Writer

ORLANDO -- Catholic Church officials need to break their silence about a former Deltona priest accused of sexually abusing a man, said the national director of an organization supporting victims of abuse by the clergy.

In a Tuesday press conference in front of the diocesan chancery, members of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, criticized the bishop's handling of sexual abuse accusations against the Rev. Carlos Bedoya and a seminarian, David Estrada, on Oct. 4, 2006. The State Attorney's Office is investigating, and no one has been charged.

In a letter to SNAP, Bishop Thomas Wenski said based on the information provided to him when the accusations surfaced and the presumption of innocence, "I believe that my actions have been appropriate."

"I will take further action based on the outcome of law enforcement's investigation and any other factors uncovered," Wenski wrote.

Wenski also said officials of the Diocese of Orlando, which he leads, have offered counseling to the accuser and are cooperating with police.

WILMINGTON (DE)
The News Journal

By BETH MILLER, The News Journal

Posted Wednesday, January 31, 2007

WILMINGTON -- The defense table remained empty in Courtroom 6B at U.S. District Court early Tuesday morning, the court's deadline for the Rev. Edward Smith to respond to allegations that he had molested an Archmere Academy student in the 1980s.

Smith never showed up.

That meant Navy Cmdr. Kenneth J. Whitwell, 38, won his lawsuit against the Norbertine priest he says sexually abused him during skiing trips to Vermont in 1984 and 1985.

And he won something else, too.

Chief District Judge Sue L. Robinson granted his request for a jury trial to determine what, if any, damages are due him.

MAINE
Morning Sentinel

By AMY CALDER
Staff Writer

Parishioners of Catholic churches in Waterville, Winslow and Skowhegan say they were surprised and saddened to learn that priests they knew are accused of sexual abuse against children.

On Saturday, Bishop Richard Malone of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine identified several priests who were removed from the ministry because of allegations of sexual abuse. Malone said he identified the men out of concern that additional offenses could occur while the cases are being investigated by the Vatican.

Three of the priests Malone identified worked at local churches. George W. Beaudet served at Notre Dame in Waterville and Notre Dame de Lourdes in Skowhegan; Michael L. Plourde served at St. John the Baptist Church in Winslow; and Peter Gorham served at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Waterville. None of the priests could be reached for comment.

Edward Fredette, a member of the Parish of the Holy Spirit, which includes churches in Waterville, said he knew most of the priests because of his work as a funeral home owner. He said he was shocked to learn that Beaudet and Gorham had been named.

AUGUSTA (ME)
Kennebec Journal

By ELIZABETH COMEAU
Staff Writer

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

AUGUSTA -- The Rev. Lou Phillips said he hasn't gotten one concerned phone call from parishioners since the state's Roman Catholic bishop disclosed this past weekend the names of six Maine priests accused of sexual abuse.

Three of those priests -- Peter Gorham, Frederick Carrigan and Michael Plourde -- held positions in Augusta-area churches, which serve about 4,800 families.

"I checked with the other two priests in Augusta-Gardiner and they report the same," Phillips said Tuesday.

Phillips is head of the Augusta area cluster of churches, which includes St. Andrew, St. Augustine, St. Mary of the Assumption, all of Augusta; St. Joseph of Gardiner; and St. Denis of Whitefield.

This past weekend, Maine's Bishop Richard Malone publicly identified the six accused priests out of concern that some of them could commit offenses while waiting for the Vatican to complete its investigation.

WASHINGTON (DC)
Catholic Online

By Stefani Manowski
1/30/2007
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) – Jesuit Father J. Glenn Murray has seen both sides of the hurt.

In the wake of the church sex abuse scandal, Father Murray encountered a young man who had been abused by four priests.

“How do you know what to say to this young man?” he said. “I didn’t know where to begin.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Father Murray has seen the devastation caused when a fellow priest was falsely accused of abuse.

“He was just assumed guilty,” he said.

These experiences reinforced the need for reconciliation within the church in Father Murray’s mind, and that is one of the reasons he joined 15 other religious and lay people on the board of directors for the new Paulist Office for Reconciliation. The office was recently established by the Paulist Fathers at the North American Paulist Center here, where the first board meeting took place Jan. 23.

DELAWARE
Navy Times

By Beth Miller - The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
Posted : Tuesday Jan 30, 2007 15:56:07 EST

Cmdr. Kenneth J. Whitwell won a default judgment Jan. 30 in federal court against the Norbertine priest he says sexually abused him 20 years ago, while Whitwell was a student at Archmere Academy, a Roman Catholic school in Claymont, Del.

The ruling gives Whitwell the rare opportunity to tell a jury what happened to him and his family as a result of the abuse.

“Finally, a victim in Delaware gets to have their day in court, and gets to tell their story publicly,” said Whitwell, a Navy optometrist stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

The Rev. Edward Smith never answered the allegations Whitwell made against him.

AUSTRALIA
Catholic News

Two American men are calling for the prosecution of a former Victorian priest, Paul Ryan, who is already serving a prison sentence in Australia for indecent assault, over offences alleged to have occurred while he was serving at a US parish.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that the two men claim to have been abused while Ryan was at Star of the Sea parish, Virginia Beach, on the US east coast.

Fr Ryan, 60, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in September by a Warrnambool, Victoria court after pleading guilty to five counts of indecent assault of two teenage boys in that country.

The two Virginia Beach men were teenagers at Star of the Sea parish school when Ryan was in Virginia.

DELTONA (FL)
WFTV

POSTED: 5:21 pm EST January 30, 2007
UPDATED: 5:32 pm EST January 30, 2007

DELTONA, Fla. -- A Volusia County priest is under criminal investigation and the Orlando Diocese is under fire, as well, for allegedly misleading parishioners at Saint Clare Catholic Church in Deltona.

The victim told investigators that Father Carlos Bedoya's got him drunk and held him down in his residence right on church property in October.

A victim's group is accusing Bishop Thomas Wenski of lying to parishioners at Saint Clare Catholic Church about why Bedoya stepped down.

The accusations against Bedoya are just accusations, but they were enough for the Orlando Diocese to remove him from his position at Saint Clare Catholic Church in November. The problem is, parishioners were never told why.

ORLANDO (FL)
Local 6

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Allegations that a Catholic priest forcibly held down a 35-year-old man while he was sexually abused by another man has prompted cries of a coverup in Orlando, according to a Local 6 News report.

In November, the Rev. Carlos Bedoya at St. Clair Catholic Church in Deltona, Fla.,was removed as pastor and placed on administrative leave.

Parishioners said they were told that the change was made so Bedoya could deal with personal issues, Local 6 reported.

HARLINGEN (TX)
Valley Morning Star

By BRUCE LEE SMITH
bruces@valleystar.com
956-421-9871

HARLINGEN — In a special appearance, “Hand of God” will finally reach the Rio Grande Valley in February.

Director Joe Cultrera will bring his award-winning film, “Hand of God,” to McAllen for a free screening Feb. 18 at the Cine El Rey.

The documentary on the child molestation scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston caused local controversy when KMBH, the local Public Broadcasting System affiliate, refused to air it at in the usual “Frontline” prime-time slot on Jan. 16.

The film is based on the abuse Cultrera’s brother, Paul Cultrera, suffered at the hands of a Catholic priest in the 1960s and how it still affects the family to this day. “Hand of God” also chronicles how the Archdiocese of Boston tried to sweep this and similar cases under the rug.

“I think it’s important to see that these things can be survived,” Cultrera said.

WILMINGTON (DE)
Boston Herald

By Associated Press
Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - Updated: 02:15 PM EST

WILMINGTON, Del. - A federal judge on Tuesday entered a default judgment against a priest accused of molesting a former Catholic school student.

U.S. District Court Judge Sue Robinson granted the judgment against the Rev. Edward J. Smith after he failed to respond to a lawsuit filed by Navy Commander Kenneth Whitwell.

Whitwell’s attorney, Thomas Neuberger, said the judgment marks the first time that a priest has been found liable in Delaware for child sexual abuse.

Robinson scheduled a jury trial for late March to determine damages.

TUCSON (AZ)
The Detroit News

Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Catholic Diocese of Tucson won't allow a retired auxiliary bishop from Detroit to speak on church property because the group hosting his visit takes positions contrary to church doctrine.

Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas said he's written to the Rev. Thomas J. Gumbleton, an outspoken advocate for sexual abuse victims and gays and lesbians, and told him that his visit to speak to the Tucson chapter of the Call to Action group can't be sanctioned by the church.

Call to Action is a group of lay Catholics that seeks changes in church doctrine on gays, lesbians and priestly celibacy, and has urged more democratic processes in the church, including election of bishops.

Because Gumbleton has been barred from speaking at diocese churches, he instead will speak Feb. 6 at the First Christian Church in Tucson, led by the Rev. Robin Hoover. Hoover's congregation supports making all religious entities more open and affirming of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

COVINGTON (KY)
The Cincinnati Post

Post staff report

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington seems to have weathered the financial storm of a $40 million payout for sexual abuse victims pretty well.

The diocese started its fiscal 2005-2006 year in the minus column, with nearly $8 million more in liabilities than assets, but finished to the good with nearly $17.3 million in net assets, according to a report the diocesan newspaper, the Messenger, published earlier this month.

The diocese agreed in June 2005 to pay $40 million of its own money and to sue its insurance companies for up to $80 million to settle a class-action suit brought by victims of priest sexual abuse.

The diocese said that it funded its $40 million obligation by selling its Marydale retreat center property, off Donaldson Road in Erlanger, for $25 million. The diocese also used "substantially all of its uncommitted cash and investments," Bishop Roger Foys told the Messenger.

ORLANDO (FL)
Orlando Sentinel

Kristen Reed | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted January 30, 2007, 8:53 AM EST

Members of a support group for victims of clergy abuse will protest outside the Roman Catholic Bishop's office this afternoon in hopes of getting him to take action on an investigation into a Deltona priest.

The Rev. Carlos Bedoya, of St. Clare Catholic Church, is being investigated on allegations he assisted another man who performed a sex act on a 35-year-old man. Bedoya has not been arrested or charged but was removed from his post as pastor in November.

Parishioners were told Bedoya was taking a leave of absence to deal with personal issues. Leaders of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests want Bishop Thomas Wenski to actively help solve the case and apologize to parishioners for misleading them.

The event begins at 1:15 p.m. today outside the diocesan chancery office at 50 E. Robinson St. in Orlando.

CANADA
Ottawa Sun

Tue, January 30, 2007

By Canadian Press

CORNWALL — The bill for the public inquiry into the institutional response to allegations of systemic sexual abuse in the Cornwall area has hit nearly $8 million, and that’s not including most of the lawyers’ fees.

Peter Engelmann, lead counsel for the commission, said Monday the inquiry cost $2.6 million during the fiscal year 2005-2006, which began April 1, 2005, and ended March 31, 2006.

Since April 1, 2006, the commission has cost $5 million and it’s expected that number will increase by the end of March, bringing the grand total to close to $8 million.

“The total does not include the lawyers’ fees for those public institutions which received funding,” said Engelmann. “Those fees are in line with standard counsel fees.”

VIRGINIA
MSNBC

By Candace Rondeaux

Updated: 1:04 a.m. ET Jan 30, 2007
The Rev. Rodney L. Rodis never healed the sick, much less turned water into wine. But some say he performed at least one minor miracle as the head of two small Catholic churches in central Virginia.

When he arrived in Louisa County as a substitute priest 14 years ago, the congregation was divided and attendance was near an all-time low. Yet, Rodis, a charismatic native of the Philippines with a round face, laughing eyes and Cheshire cat grin, united parishioners at Immaculate Conception in Buckner and St. Jude in Mineral, building church rolls to nearly 360 families and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for capital improvements, parishioners said.

"He just absolutely wowed everybody," said parishioner Phil Scoggin, 73, who retired to the area from Great Falls with his wife. "I don't think I ever met a layman or a priest that I thought was a better Christian than him."

But now parishioners are trying to reconcile the saint they thought Rodis was with the sinner authorities say he is. Rodis, 50, has been charged with embezzling an estimated $600,000 to $700,000, possibly more, from the parish. And, unbeknownst to parishioners, for the past 14 years, Rodis has been living with a woman identified in court records as his wife and three children an hour away in Spotsylvania County, where his neighbors believed he was in the import-export business.

LAS VEGAS (NV)
El Paso Times

Article Launched: 01/30/2007 12:39:08 AM MST

LAS VEGAS -- A priest who used to lead El Paso's St. Anthony of the Desert Maronite Catholic Mission is wanted in a beating attack on a female employee at his southern Nevada church, and is expected to be charged with attempted murder, Las Vegas police said.

An arrest warrant was being prepared Monday for the Rev. George Chaanine, 52, that will also charge him with kidnapping and battery with intent to commit sex assault, Las Vegas police Lt. John Bradshaw said.

IRELAND
The Fermanagh Herald

The trial, in England, of the 62-year old Parish Priest of Roslea, Fr Jeremiah McGrath for alleged indecent assault and facilitating the rape of a 12-year old girl has been delayed for five months.

He is currently suspended from carrying out his parochial duties by his Bishop.

The delay was revealed last week by a spokesman for Liverpool Crown Court. He said the original trial date was vacated as the prosecution required more time to prepare its case. The trial would now begin on 5th February, 2007. Fr McGrath is accused of indecently assaulting the girl who cannot be named for legal reasons, and with facilitating another person to rape her, between May and November, 2005 in England.

LAS VEGAS (NV)
Review-Journal

By BRIAN HAYNES
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Authorities continued their hunt Monday for a 52-year-old fugitive priest wanted in the beating of a church singer.

Las Vegas police filed for arrest warrants charging the Rev. Georges Chaanine with attempted murder, battery with intent to commit sexual assault, and kidnapping in connection with Friday's attack at Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church.

Police began their search for Chaanine after a woman said he beat her with a blunt object inside the church at 3050 Alta Drive, between Rancho Drive and Valley View Boulevard. Officers closed roads and searched the area for several hours before determining Chaanine had escaped.

Investigators believe Chaanine fled in a cream-colored 2005 Buick sedan with Nevada license plate 732 RRM. The case has made national headlines and was featured on the front page of the America's Most Wanted Web site.

Las Vegas lawyer Bob Massi said the victim was Michaelina Bellamy, a prominent singer who has performed at many local lounges and venues, toured with the likes of Engelbert Humperdinck and opened for Enrique Iglesias. She sang the national anthem at a number of sporting events and in the 1980s was the principal singer and dancer in Folies Bergere.

BEATTYVILLE (KY)
nwi.com

From Tuesday, January 30, 2007 5:39 AM CST

BEATTYVILLE, Ky. - A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionary who was accused of sexually abusing three people during a 2005 missionary trip to Kentucky and Indiana has been sued along with the church by the mother of one of the accusers.

The eastern Kentucky woman contends that Jason Stark's conduct damaged her son psychologically, socially and mentally. The lawsuit says the boy, who is younger than 18, has suffered public scorn, ridicule and embarrassment because of Stark, who is from Idaho.

The case was filed in Lee County Circuit Court in December. The Mormon church asked last week that the case be moved to federal court.

MAINE
keepMEcurrent

PORTLAND (Jan 29, 2007): The following is the complete text of Bishop Richard Malone’s statement regarding the release of the names of four priests accused of sexual abuse.

The last time I met with the press, I indicated I was considering the need to release names of priests who in the past had been accused of sexually abusing minors, and who had been removed from ministry but without public notification. It was common practice to removing offending priests from ministry usually without public notification until the Dallas Charter took effect in 2002. Since then, all substantive complaints of sexual abuse of minors require that the accused step down from ministry while an investigation takes place, and that the parish community and the public are informed.

MAINE
keepMEcurrent

By Mike Higgins
Web Editor

REGIONAL (Jan 29, 2007): Portland’s Roman Catholic bishop has released the names of four priests accused of sexual abuse of children.

Speaking on Jan. 27, Bishop Richard Malone identified the priests, who all were removed from the ministry before June 2002 because of the allegations, though their names had not been made public previously.

The four priests are: George Beaudet, 77, who served in nine parishes, including St. Mary’s in Westbrook before being removed from the ministry in 2000; Michael Plourde, 56, who served at parishes in Sanford, Biddeford and Westbrook before being removed by the ministry in 1994; Ronald Michaud, 60, who served in parishes in Portland, Biddeford and Cape Elizabeth before he was removed in 1989; and Fredrick Carrigan, 70, who served at parishes in Bath and Bangor before he was removed in 2002.

TUCSON (AZ)
Arizona Daily Star

By Stephanie Innes
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.30.2007

A retired auxiliary bishop from Detroit who is an outspoken advocate for sexual abuse victims and gays and lesbians will be in Tucson next week, but he's not being welcomed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.

Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas said that decision is based on the identity of the group hosting the Rev. Thomas J. Gumbleton's talk, which he says takes positions that are contrary to church teachings. For that reason, the group's messages cannot be promoted on church property, the bishop said. He said he's had written contact with Gumbleton and made it clear that Gumbleton will not be in Tucson at the invitation of the local diocese.

"I'm saddened and disappointed to hear it," said Laurie Olson, vice president of the Tucson chapter of Call to Action, a group of lay Catholics that seeks changes in the church and is sponsoring Gumbleton, who will talk about homosexuality and Catholicism.
Olson said her group, which has about 150 people on its mailing list, has found a non-Catholic church to host Gumbleton as its keynote speaker.

SCRANTON (PA)
The Times-Tribune

BY ERIN L. NISSLEY
STAFF WRITER
01/30/2007

A former Catholic priest who admitted to sexually abusing children in Luzerne County and New York pleaded no contest Monday to failing to comply with Megan’s Law requirements.

In May 2005, Albert Liberatore Jr. pleaded guilty in Luzerne County to three counts each of indecent assault and corruption of minors and one count each of endangering the welfare of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

All the charges related to encounters Mr. Liberatore, now 42, had with a 13-year-old altar boy at St. Joseph’s Church in Duryea. The former priest was sentenced to 10 years of probation after pleading guilty.

A month later, Mr. Liberatore pleaded guilty in New York to attempted sexual abuse of a child and was sentenced to 10 years of probation. The New York judge ruled he had to register his address as a sex offender.

MAINE
Kennebec Journal

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

On Saturday, Maine's Roman Catholic bishop, Richard Malone, released the names of six priests accused of sexual abuse. The priests' cases have not yet been resolved by Vatican courts in Rome. Malone said he did not want to delay any longer identifying the men for fear that while waiting for their cases' resolution, they might commit another offense.

Malone did the right thing. Knowing the identity of the accused priests is a public safety issue. By revealing their names, Malone made it easier for parents to protect vulnerable children who might come into contact with the priests.

Disclosure of where the priests currently live would have been even better. And if -- as two credible groups who advocate for victims of clergy abuse contend -- there are even more priests out there who are under investigation for abuse but whose identities have not been made public by the Church, we hope that the bishop will continue in this vein and reveal their names as well.

OHIO
Toledo Blade

By CLYDE HUGHES
BLADE STAFF WRITER

The co-director of a Toledo organization that assists victims of sexual abuse by priests urged the Diocese of Toledo yesterday to take further steps to distance itself from a priest removed from public ministry in 2003.

Claudia Vercellotti of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, along with Jon Schoonmaker, who has accused the Rev. Joseph Schmelzer of sexually touching him, delivered a letter to diocesan offices at 1933 Spielbusch Ave. that made a number of demands involving the priest.

Parishioners at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Van Wert, Ohio, where Father Schmelzer was pastor, were read a letter last weekend stating that he resigned his position at the request of Toledo Bishop Leonard Blair.

Mr. Schoonmaker said he notified the diocese in 1992 that when he was 16, about nine years earlier, Father Schmelzer began touching him sexually.

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
The Times-Picayune

Tuesday, January 30, 2007
By Bruce Nolan
Bernard Knoth, the former Jesuit priest and Loyola University president whose abrupt resignation three years ago on a sexual abuse charge stunned the city, has launched a civilian career as an executive recruiter in Florida.

Global Recruiters Network of Sarasota lists Knoth as a member of its team with experience in finance and education administration. A photo of Knoth in a blazer and open-neck shirt accompanies his résumé for the benefit of prospective clients.

Contacted by e-mail, Knoth, who remains connected to the Jesuit order but is forbidden to wear the collar or minister as a priest, declined a request to be interviewed.

VIRGINIA BEACH ({VA)
Virginian Pilot

By STEVEN G. VEGH AND SUSAN E. WHITE ,
January 30, 2007 | Last updated 9:56 PM Jan. 29

VIRGINIA BEACH - Two Virginia Beach men are pushing for local prosecution of an Australian Catholic priest in prison for child sexual abuse, saying he abused them in the late 1970s while serving at Star of the Sea parish.

The Rev. Paul David Ryan, 60, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in September by an Australian court. He pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault of two teenage boys in that country.

The two Virginia Beach men were teenagers at Star of the Sea parish school when Ryan was in Virginia.

The men spoke to The Virginian-Pilot late last year after learning of the Australian prosecution. They recently declined to comment further, saying they had been asked by Virginia Beach police not to talk publicly about their allegations. A police spokeswoman confirmed the department was investigating the men's abuse complaint.

DELAWARE
The News Journal

By Avril and John Madison

Posted Saturday, January 27, 2007
DELAWARE VOICE

For the second time in 12 months a bill has been introduced into the Delaware Legislature to give victims of child sexual abuse a measure of civil justice.

During last year's legislative term, Sen. Karen Peterson co-sponsored a bill to address the archaic statute of limitations in civil cases of child sexual abuse.

That legislation failed to pass during the last hours of the 143rd meeting. In the new legislative term, Sen. Peterson and her co-sponsors have introduced Senate Bill 29, "The Child Victims Act."

By so doing, she is sending a message that children are a protected class in Delaware and that this legislation is long overdue.

PINEVILLE (MO)
Neosho Daily News

By John Ford / Daily News Associate Editor
Published: Monday, January 29, 2007 4:31 PM CST

PINEVILLE - A Newton County judge has taken under advisement a felony rape charge against a McDonald County church leader pending judicial review of state statutes.

On Monday, Newton County Division II Associate Circuit Court Judge Greg Stremel took the rape charge against Paul Epling, 53, under advisement during a preliminary hearing in Pineville. His ruling is expected Feb. 26.

Epling, a deacon in the Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church, is accused of having sex with a 6-year-old girl in the summer of 1977.

CORDOVA (TN)
Baptist Press

Jan 29, 2007
By Tim Ellsworth
Baptist Press
CORDOVA, Tenn. (BP)--A minister at the center of a church-wide controversy at Bellevue Baptist Church has been terminated for sexually abusing his adolescent son 17 years ago.

Paul Williams, Bellevue’s minister of prayer and special projects, was the subject of a month-long investigation by a special Bellevue committee after his actions became known in December.

The investigative committee presented its findings to the church Jan. 28 following Bellevue’s Sunday evening worship service. Copies of the 19-page report were provided to Bellevue members after the meeting, and the report was posted on the church’s website. David Coombs, Bellevue’s administrative pastor who led the investigation, gave a summary of the full report.

LAS VEGAS (NV)
America's Most Wanted

Parishioners at Our Lady of Las Vegas were shocked when they heard the news that a reverend who is a senior leader at their parish may have beaten a fellow church worker and gone on the lam.

Police say that it all began around 4:30 in the afternoon on January 26, 2007 when neighbors called authorities after a woman came running out of a church building saying she had been beaten. Cops immediately shut down the local streets in hopes of catching the accused man, Rev. George Chaanine. At first, police believed that Chaanine had barricaded himself in the church with a weapon, but as time passed, cops learned that Chaanine had most likely fled in his car.

LAS VEGAS (NV)
Fox News

Monday, January 29, 2007

LAS VEGAS — A Roman Catholic priest wanted in a beating attack on a female employee at his southern Nevada church faces an attempted murder charge, police said.

An arrest warrant was issued Monday for the Rev. George Chaanine, 52, also charging him with kidnapping and battery with intent to commit sex assault, police Lt. John Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw, who commands the Las Vegas police sex crimes unit, said Monday the encounter "had sexual connotations," but that the woman was not sexually assaulted in the encounter in a church office.

"The charges pretty much speak for themselves," Bradshaw said.

It was not clear whether Chaanine had a lawyer.

BATH (NY)
Elmira Star-Gazette

January 29, 2007

BATH — A former Steuben County pastor charged with sexually abusing two boys entered no plea today during an appearance in Steuben County Court.

A court spokeswoman said the case of David J. Troup, 39, of Painted Post, was adjourned to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 22.

Troup, former pastor of the Borden Baptist Church, was arrested in October and indicted in January for allegedly abusing two boys younger than 11 years old in July 2005 in the town of Woodhull.

TENNESSEE
Tennessean

Associated Press

A court has dismissed the claims of a couple who accused the Jehovah's Witnesses of improperly ousting them from their congregation after the wife told NBC's Dateline the denomination covers up child sexual abuse.

The denomination's national organization, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York Inc., asked the court to dismiss a $20 million lawsuit brought by Barbara and Joseph Anderson, who claimed defamation, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress in their ouster from their congregation, Kingdom Hall in Tullahoma, Tenn.

On Monday, an appeals court ruled in favor of the defendants, saying the Andersons' ouster involved internal denomination matters.

OHIO
ABC 13

January 29, 2007 - SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priest, says it's taken 15 years to get to this day, but there are still many questions that remain unanswered.

A victim of the sexual abuse stood outside the diocese and called for answers. He says he's waited 15 years for Father Joseph Schmelzer to be punished for his actions and to be removed from Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Van-Wert.

He and leaders of SNAP, are still looking for answers about how things were handled by the diocese and questions about letters which they blew up to show that were possibly altered. They want answers and an apology.

GREEN BAY (WI)
Press-Gazette

By Andy Nelesen
anelesen@greenbaypressgazette.com

David Schauer's civil lawsuit against the Diocese of Green Bay revs back up this week as lawyers and the court head to Taylor County to decide if church officials intimidated Schauer from suing the diocese in 1990.

Schauer, now 29, was molested in 1988 as a student at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Green Bay. Donald Buzanowski, a priest working at the school, was convicted by a Brown County jury in July of two counts of sexual assault of a child and was sentenced to 32 years in prison.

A Taylor County jury is hearing the case to combat pre-trial publicity stemming from the raft of pre-trial hearings, which included stories discussing a rejected settlement offer and a failed motion by Schauer's lawyer that demanded Brown County Circuit Court Judge Mark Warpinski recuse himself from the case. The trial, held in Medford and scheduled to begin today, is expected to last about a week.

DELAWARE
The News Journal

By BETH MILLER, The News Journal

Posted Friday, January 26, 2007

Delaware lawmakers Thursday launched another effort to eliminate the civil statute of limitations on child-sexual abuse by adults.

Sen. Karen E. Peterson, D-Stanton, filed Senate Bill 29, known as the Child Victim's Act, which would remove time constraints on civil lawsuits.

The bill is similar to efforts made early in last year's session. Time ran out, though, as debate continued over the potential cost to the state if lawsuits against schools were permitted.

Also among the controversies last year was a provision that would allow victims of child-sexual abuse a two-year grace period to file claims even if they previously had been barred by the state's statute of limitations.

IRELAND
The Donegal News

REVEREND Philip Boyce, Bishop of Raphoe, this week joined fellow Irish bishops in Rome for discussions with Pope Benedict XVI on the handling of clerical sex abuse in dioceses.

The meeting comes on the heels of further convictions for sexual offences by clerics in Donegal with the seven year sentence imposed on Carrigart born Daniel Doherty last week for the rape of a 13 years old female parishioner in 1985. His older brother Fr John Doherty was sentenced to three years imprisonment after he was convicted of sexually assaulting four altar boys in the 1970s.

Bishop Boyce and his fellow bishops face a rigorous scrutiny by the Pope and his advisers over the next fortnight as to how effectively they have handled the clerical child-abuse scandals in their respective dioceses and countrywide.

MEMPHIS (TN)
Commercial Appeal

By James Dowd

January 29, 2007

Bellevue Baptist Church leaders issued a report Sunday night detailing allegations that former minister Paul Williams was sexually abused as a child and repeated that cycle of abuse by molesting his own son two decades ago.

The report by an investigation team was released following Sunday's evening service and included sharp criticism for the cover-up of the abuse:

"On Paul's part, there appears to never have been any time in 17 years that any consideration was given to the effect that having a child molester on the ministerial staff of Bellevue Baptist Church would have on the church. His only consideration appears to have been to keep his job and, in the Team's opinion, to stay out of jail.

"If he had considered the welfare of the church family he would have resigned. The molestation of a child is bad enough, but to continue on in a ministerial capacity with responsibility for sensitive areas of our church is without excuse."

MEMPHIS (TN)
Eyewitness News

Last Update: 1/29/2007 3:45:31 AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A report issued by Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis tonight says a long-time church minister was fired last week after he admitted to sexually abusing his son 17 years ago.

Paul Williams was fired last Monday after an internal report conducted by the church was given to its personnel committee, which cited a moral failure 17 years ago as the basis for Williams' departure.

Williams had been on a leave of absence since December.

The reports says Williams engaged in sexual activity with his adolescent son over a period of 12 to 18 months.

NEW YORK
New York Magazine

As the Cardinal walked into the front parlor of his St. Patrick’s residence, girding for a tense meeting with about 40 leading New York priests, he was painfully aware of the circle that seemed ready to close around him. For nearly seven years, Edward Egan had reigned as cardinal-archbishop of New York—“the archbishop of the capital of the world,” as Pope John Paul II once called the job. Yet throughout his time here Egan had never really felt at home, had never become a “real” New Yorker in the identity morph that so many transplanted prelates and politicians manage just by donning a baseball cap. Instead, by choice and by nature, Egan had remained an outsider, a Chicagoan by birth and a Roman cleric by training, who had both an exalted view of a bishop’s authority and an anxious sense of how perilous the modern world can be for anything that smacks of monarchy. ...

According to several accounts from those who were present, Egan went on to claim that his enemies were priests accused of sexual abuse who thought that Egan hadn’t adequately defended them. “When I hear stories about what those priests do, I have to do No. 2,” he spat in disgust. Then Egan widened his target to the entire priest corps: Of the 2,000 priests and bishops in the archdiocese, he lamented, not one stood up to defend him. “I was loyal to Cardinal Cody to the end,” he insisted in the stentorian affect he uses to complement his imposing height and girth. “Let me tell you, that is manliness! That is priestliness! That is Edward M. Egan!”

TOLEDO (OH)
The Times Bulletin

Toledo Catholic Diocese Bishop Leonard Blair, has requested the Rev. Joseph Schmelzer resign his position as pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Van Wert, according to the Toledo Catholic Diocese.

Reportedly, parishioners learned of the resignation at Masses held over the weekend. A release from the Vatican to Bishop Blair affirms Father Schmelzer's removal from public ministry, according to Sally Oberski, spokesperson for the Toledo Diocese.

Jon Schoonmaker, of Adrian, filed a lawsuit in 2003 alleging that Schmelzer abused him at a West Toledo church approximately 20 years ago.

In addition to Schmelzer, the Catholic Diocese of Toledo and St. Clement's Church in Toledo were named as defendants in the lawsuit. Schoonmaker asked for more than $25,000 in compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages. Schoonmaker said he was abused during a "spiritual counseling session" when he was 17.

DETROIT (MI)
The Detroit News

Shawn D. Lewis / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The mood was somber at St. Leo Catholic Church Sunday morning.

It was the first Sunday parishioners had to worship without their beloved Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton at the helm. Gumbleton, 77, resigned from the west side church, near Grand River and West Warren, but told parishioners it was not of his own volition.

And the parishioners, although welcoming to the new pastor, the Rev. Gerard Battersby, are upset.

"If I could sum up our feelings in one word, it would be 'sad,' " said Leo Kohanski of Detroit, who has been attending the chur