Diocese of Santa Rosa releases names of priests accused of sexual misconduct

By Maureen Kelly
KRON Channel 4
January 14, 2019

https://bit.ly/2VTusy4

The Diocese of Santa Rosa has released the names of priests accused of abusing children.

Bishop Robert F. Vasa on Saturday said the goal in releasing the names of accused priests and deacons who served in Santa Rosa is "to give to all the victims of clerical sexual abuse the assurance that they have been heard and the Church is very much concerned for their well-being and healing."

The bishop said Monday he hopes this weekend's release of names of nearly 40 priests accused of sexual abuse brings healing to their victims.

Monday's news conference started with a prayer.

"Lead us not into temptation.”

It comes two days after the Santa Rosa Diocese released this list of 39 names of priests considered credibly accused of sexual abuse.

Most are either retired or dead. Criminal charges have only been brought against four of them.

“Because the statute of limitations had not run, part of that is the church's fault, part of that is the nature of our society and the shame that follows young people after abuse,” said Bishop Robert Vasa.

The bishop he hopes that the revelation of these the names will show the church's seriousness in regards to the sexual abuse of children.

“I feel tremendous sadness and grief and shame and honestly a raging anger that these men did what they did,” said Vasa.

Outside a church in Downtown Santa Rosa one parishioner said she wished that the names of good and faithful priests were published as well.

“And then people would see hey not all of them are like these lowlifes,” she said.

Other diocese have released similar lists. A representative of the survivors network of those abused by priests, more commonly referred to as SNAP, says he expects the release of this list will bring other names to light.

“Each time they release a list of priests, we have SNAP find many more priests who are not on the list,” said Joey Pischitelli, with SNAP.

All of the priests named on this list worked within the Santa Rosa Diocese, but in some cases the alleged abuse happened before of after they came to work here.