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  Former Omaha Priest Accused in Sexual Abuse Case

WOWT
April 20, 2010

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/91602539.html

The Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha said Tuesday that it had learned from a San Antonio Express-News report that one of its former priests, the Rev. John M. Fiala has been accused of sexually abusing a minor.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha said Tuesday that it had learned from a San Antonio Express-News report that one of its former priests, the Rev. John M. Fiala has been accused of sexually abusing a minor.

In a news release the Archdiocese said the abuse is alleged to have occurred in 2007-2008 when Fiala was serving at a parish in Rocksprings, Texas, located in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

The Express-News reported that Fiala is the subject of a civil lawsuit and criminal investigation in Texas. In an April 8 statement, the Archdiocese of San Antonio acknowledged receiving a complaint of interference in the custody of a minor against Fiala in the fall of 2008.

This resulted in the removal of Fiala from ministry there.

According to the Rev. Joseph C. Taphorn, chancellor of the archdiocese of Omaha, Fiala was ordained in 1984 by Archbishop Daniel E. Sheehan. Fiala ministered in the Archdiocese until 1996, when he left to join The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), a society of apostolic life in Texas.

Taphorn said Fiala served at the following parishes in the Archdiocese of Omaha between 1984 and 1995: St. Columbkille, Papillion; Sacred Heart, Norfolk; St. Joan of Arc, Omaha; St. Peter, Omaha; Christ the King, Omaha; St. Mary, Spencer; and St. Joseph, Wisner.

An official with SOLT confirmed with the Archdiocese of Omaha that Fiala was removed from ministry in the fall of 2008 and has not been reassigned to priestly ministry.

In the spring of 2002, the Archdiocese of Omaha received a complaint that Fiala made sexual advances against an individual sometime in the mid-1980s, when the individual was a minor.

The advances were purportedly refused by the individual. The archdiocese notified the Sarpy County Attorney and Fiala’s religious superior in Texas, as well as the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, where Fiala was serving at the time.

The Archdiocese of Omaha is unaware of any criminal or civil charges being filed in connection with that report.

 
 

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