Guam Archbishop Accusers Attend Prayer Vigil

Pacific Daily News
June 9, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/06/08/guam-archbishop-accusers-attend-prayer-vigil/85632620/

Walter Denton, left, and Doris Concepcion, mother of Joseph Quinata, attend a prayer vigil Thursday in Agat.

Two people who've recently accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron of sexual abuse visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Agat today for a scheduled prayer vigil.

One of the accusers, Walter Denton, publicly alleged earlier this week that Apuron raped him in April 1977. The other accuser, Doris Concepcion, recently said her son, who passed away 11 years ago, told her Apuron molested him as a child. Both Denton and Concepcion are Arizona residents.

Apuron has not been charged with any crime. The Vatican, however, recently appointed another archbishop, Savio Tai Fai Hon, to temporarily govern the Archdiocese of Agana while the allegations against Apuron are investigated.

Three people have come forward in recent weeks with accusations of sexual abuse against Apuron.

In addition to Denton and Concepcion, another man, Roy Quintanilla, of Hawaii, recently said he was sexually abused by the archbishop as a child.

Both Denton and Quintanilla said the abuse happened when Apuron was a priest at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Agat — the site of Thursday's vigil.

Archbishop Savio Tai Fai Hon was appointed by the Vatican to temporarily oversee the Catholic church in Guam while accusations of sexual abuse against Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron are being investigated, according to the church.

Hon is scheduled to lead a prayer meeting 4 p.m. Thursday at Saint Anthony and Saint Victor Church in Tamuning, church pastor Monsignor Brigido Arroyo said Wednesday.

The Pacific Daily News will live stream from the prayer meeting on its Facebook page. Go to www.facebook.com/guampdn around 4 p.m., to view live, or to watch a recording of the live stream.