Media Release – September 7, 2015

Road to Recovery
September 7, 2015

http://www.road-to-recovery.org/

Clergy sexual abuse claim made in approximately 1963 by minor teenage girl and her family has been wrongfully denied and covered up by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio to this day

Minor teenage girl from Wellsville, Ohio, was sexually abused by Immaculate Conception Parish priest, Fr. Gerald X. Curran, in approximately early Thanksgiving morning in approximately 1963 on a field trip to Chicago, IL

Classmate of abused minor teenage girl from Immaculate Conception School in Wellsville, Ohio, who was present on the class trip run by Fr. Gerald X. Curran to Chicago in approximately 1963, has come forward to confirm the reporting to her of the sexual abuse by her classmate in approximately 1963 and speak about the cover-up of her classmate’s sexual abuse allegation by the Youngstown Diocese

What

A press conference alerting the media and public that many members of the Youngstown, Ohio Roman Catholic Diocese, including several priests, received a report of sexual abuse of a minor child by a priest over the course of approximately 50 years and still have not acknowledged the victim or her claim. A classmate of the minor child victim/survivor, who was on the class trip in approximately 1963 with Fr. Gerald X. Curran and other classmates from Immaculate Conception School in Wellsville, Ohio, will speak about her knowledge of the situation and affirm the allegation of the victim/survivor.

When

Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at 11:00 am

Where

On the public sidewalk across from the headquarters of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, 144 West Wood Street, Youngstown, Ohio – 330-744-8451

Who

Mary Ann (Rivelle) Kennedy, currently a resident of East Liverpool, Ohio, and an alleged clergy sexual abuse victim/survivor of Fr. Gerald X. Curran; Kim Kennedy, the husband of Mary Ann Kennedy; Jessica (Hawk) Mc Menamin, currently a resident of Slippery Rock, PA, and a classmate of Mary Ann Rivelle at Immaculate Conception School, Wellsville, Ohio in approximately 1963

Why

Jessica (Hawk) Mc Menamin, a classmate of Mary Ann (Rivelle) Kennedy at Immaculate Conception School in Wellsville, Ohio, in approximately 1963, will speak about and confirm the reporting of the sexual abuse allegation of Mary Ann (Rivelle) Kennedy while both women were students and classmates as minor teenagers at Immaculate Conception School. Jessica will confirm the reporting of the sexual abuse of Mary Ann (Rivelle) Kennedy to the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, shortly after it happened in approximately 1963, the outrage of members of the Wellsville, Ohio, community, including Jessica’s father, who pulled his children out of Catholic schools after the Diocese of Youngstown, upon learning of the sexual abuse, did nothing. Attendees will call on the Youngstown, Ohio, Diocese to find the allegations of sexual abuse of Mary Ann (Rivelle) Kennedy credible, acknowledge her claim, and help her heal.

Contacts

Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Road to Recovery, Inc. – 862-368-2800

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, Boston, MA – 617-523-6250