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2 Priests Connected to Kirksville Named in Diocese Report

By Jessica Karins
Kirksville Daily Express
November 9, 2018

http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/news/20181109/2-priests-connected-to-kirksville-named-in-diocese-report

Two priests who served in Kirksville are among those “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of children in a list released Thursday by the Diocese of Jefferson City.

John Whiteley was accused of sexually abusing David Clohessy, now the national leader of the Survivor’s Network of those Abuse by Priests, in the 1960s and 1970s. Whiteley later worked at Mary Immaculate Church in Kirksville. Clohessy sued the diocese in 1991, but the suit was dismissed due to the statute of limitations.

One of the other accused priests is David Clohessy’s brother, Kevin Clohessy. In 1989, Kevin Clohessy became the director of the student Catholic center, Newman Center, at what is now Truman State University. Kevin Clohessy has been accused of abusing both an 18-year-old student in Kirksville and a younger boy in Jefferson City, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Clohessy was director here until 1993.

Both Whiteley and Clohessy have retired from the active priesthood; both are listed on the diocese’s list as having been “removed from ministry,” meaning they do not participate in the duties of a priest but have not been formally defrocked.

The list of other priests and religious brothers in the diocese accused of sexual abuse includes priests from Jefferson City, Hannibal, Columbia and Boonville, among others. Several of the priests are deceased, one is in jail and two have been removed from the priesthood. The rest share the same designation of “removed from ministry.” The full list of names is below.

Bishop Shawn McKnight released the list of names following an internal investigation that began in February. Most of the names had been reported previously in the news media or on survivors’ blogs. McKnight also visited several parishes, including Mary Immaculate in Kirksville, to listen to parishioners’ thoughts on how the church should approach sexual assault.

“Although the incidents are in the past, the pain caused is still a present reality for the survivors of abuse and their loved ones,” McKnight said in a statement.

McKnight said internal investigations are still ongoing and encouraged additional victims to come forward.

David Clohessy, who has now spent 30 years advocating for the victims of abuse by religious leaders, said it isn’t enough.

He said McKnight should give more details about the parishes where each of the accused priests served, put notices about the list of accused predators in church bulletins and publicize any other credible allegations. He also said the bishop should reveal the current locations of the accused priests.

“One of them might be giving piano lessons every day and night to students at his apartment,” Clohessy said.

The diocese said the most recent case of physical sexual assault found in the investigation occurred in 1997. A few priests on the list have been removed from ministry more recently for other offenses, such as communicating inappropriately with minors online.

Clohessy said whether or not they have been reported to the diocese, he believes more recent cases of abuse have certainly occurred.

“The simple truth is that most victims will report abuse years or sometimes decades later,” Clohessy said.

He said he is always sad to see the name of his brother, the former priest at the Newman Center, among those accused of sexual abuse. But he believes it is important for all those names to be listed.

“Kids are always safest when offenders’ names are known,” Clohessy said.

The Missouri Attorney General’s office is also conducting an investigation into abuse by Catholic priests, in which the dioceses of Jefferson City, Kansas City-St. Joseph, Springfield-Cape Girardeau and St. Louis have all agreed to share their records.

Priests and religious brothers included in the list: Hugh Behan, Kevin Clohessy, Manus Daly, John B. DeAngelis, John Degnan, Brendan Doyle, Thomas Duggan, Stephen Faletti, John Fischer, Gerald Howard/Carmen Sita, John Long, Patrick McMyler, James McNally, James Mohan, Silas Musholt, Anthony O’Connell, John Pender, Gary Pool, John Schutty, Robert Scobee, Thomas Seifner, Sean Smyth, Timothy Tatro, Donald Wallace, Frank Westhoff, John Whiteley, Bro. Dominic Nixon, Bro. Eric Lucas, Bro. Jude Collins, David Buescher, Robert Duesdieker, Deusdedit Mulokozi and Eric Schlachter.

According SNAP, Schlachter, Musholt, Nixon, Lucas, Collins and Mulokozi had not been previously identified as possible perpetrators.

Past or present abuse can be reported to Missouri Child Abuse & Neglect hotline (1-800-392-3738) and the Missouri Adult Abuse & Neglect Hotline (1-800-392-0210), and to the diocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator, Nancy Hoey, at 573-694-3199 or reportabuse@diojeffcity.org

 

 

 

 

 




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