Apuron accuser's family meets with new archbishop

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
May 28, 2017

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/05/28/apuron-accusers-family-meets-new-archbishop/338467001/

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes, center, meets with the family of the now deceased former altar boy Joseph "Sonny" Quinata, who was allegedly sexually abused or raped by Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron in 1977. The family led by Doris Concepcion, left, and John Michael "Champ" Quinata, second from right, discussed with Byrnes how the sexual abuse affected their family. Also in photo are Sonny's son, Christopher Valencia, second from left, and Champ Quinata's girlfriend, Victoria Blas-Toves, right.

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes met in private for the first time with a family who says their life has been broken by Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron. Forty years ago, he allegedly raped the now deceased, former altar boy Joseph "Sonny" Quinata.

But the family said it is now putting the broken pieces together so they can all heal.

"The actions of one man have affected a whole generation of my family...I lost a brother and my children lost a father. This man affected my brother and myself," John Michael "Champ" Quinata, 47, told Pacific Daily News.

Champ Quinata publicly accused Apuron of repeatedly raping his older brother Sonny when Sonny was 9 years old, in 1977.

"I spent my whole life wondering why, but now I just want to fix the problem and prevent it from happening again. I know now that we must no longer be victims but fight for peace and what is right. Time is short, so our actions should be based on love and thankfulness," Champ Quinata said, days after Byrnes had a private meeting with him, his mother Doris Concepcion, his girlfriend Victoria Blas-Toves, and Sonny's son, Christopher Valencia.

Champ Quinata said the family talked to Byrnes about how the sexual abuse affected their whole family. He said Byrnes prayed with the family during that May 14 meeting.

His mother has been in the hospital for days now, Champ added.

He said he's glad the Archdiocese of Agana is now acknowledging the issue of clergy sex abuse of Guam's children.

"I thank him (Byrnes) for trying to change things and admitting this problem in the church. It's the hardest thing for the church to admit it. They're now doing something about it," Champ Quinata said.

On Wednesday, the archdiocese confirmed this is the first time Byrnes has had a private meeting with any of the public accusers of clergy abuse. Byrnes wants to meet with anyone willing, and he most certainly welcomes them, the archdiocese added.

Concepcion, now living in Arizona, was the first in the family to come forward about Apuron in May 2016.  Shortly after she learned from the media that another former Agat altar boy, Roy Quintanilla, had publicly accused Apuron of sexually abusing him in the 1970s.

Within days, Concepcion came forward to accuse Apuron of molesting her son, Sonny, who she said revealed the secret shortly before he died in surgery 12 years ago.

For several years, Concepcion had been estranged from her other son, Champ. The mother said she had been trying to reach out to him for years.

Champ Quinata, for his part, said he kept his brother's secret for nearly 40 years and it affected him in a lot of ways. He stayed away from his mother and his whole family.

When Champ found out in 2016 that his brother, almost on his deathbed, also told their mother about Apuron, that's when Champ and his mother got reconnected.

Concepcion came back to Guam and brought Sonny's ashes home in 2016. Concepcion recently came back to the island again for Sonny's 12th death anniversary this month, and she brought along Sonny's son, Christopher.

Champ Quinata was 8 years old when he said his brother would come home "very upset, angry, in pain and couldn't use the bathroom" after spending time at Apuron's place in Agat.

At the time, Champ said he and his brother plotted ways to exact revenge on Apuron. On the day they tried to burn down Apuron's housing, Champ was able to run and hide when they saw Apuron coming, but the priest caught his brother Sonny.

Champ Quinata, in his testimony before senators, said when his brother came back home, he told him that Apuron "did it again."

Apuron is undergoing a groundbreaking canonical penal trial, which could be completed by summer.

Pope Francis suspended Apuron on June 6, weeks after former altar boys of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Agat came forward to accuse Apuron of raping or sexually abusing them in the 1970s.

Rome sent Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai to temporarily oversee the Catholic Church on Guam. The pope later appointed Byrnes, who would succeed Apuron, should he resign, retire or is removed.

Champ Quinata said for the first time in his life, he got to see a psychiatrist on Monday, courtesy of Hope and Healing Guam. He said he will continue with the counseling.

"So much built up feelings for 30-plus years and they have affected my whole life," Champ Quinata said. "I buried it so much but talking about it now, and seeing a psychiatrist, it's making a difference."

Although funded by the Archdiocese of Agana, Hope and Healing said it acts independently from the church and offers professional counseling, treatment, spiritual healing, compensation and justice to clergy abuse victims. 

Besides his family and the professional counseling he has started taking, Champ Quinata's journey to healing started when he established Cetti Bay Eco Sessions, an ecotourism business. He said he also realized that "the solution to every problem is love and 'thank you'."

"There were three things I wanted," he said. "Reconnect with my own family, reconnect with my mom, and make my life right again."