Jesuit Priests and Brothers Named in Sexual Assault Accusations, by Isabella Murillo, The Loyolan, January 23, 2019

Jesuit Priests and Brothers Named in Sexual Assault Accusations

By Isabella Murillo
The Loyolan
January 23, 2019

http://www.laloyolan.com/news/jesuit-priests-and-brothers-named-in-sexual-assault-accusations/article_455a53a5-6602-5c1c-94cd-f7997191406b.html

From left to right, accused Jesuit priests and brothers, Reverend Thomas O’Rourke, Reverend Edward Stretch and Brother Bill Farrington. The three Jesuits were all substantially accused of sexual abuse.

From left to right, accused Jesuit priests and brothers, Reverend Thomas O’Rourke, Reverend Edward Stretch and Brother Bill Farrington. The three Jesuits were all substantially accused of sexual abuse.

Over winter break, Jesuits West Province revealed in a press release the names of priests and brothers who had been accused of sexual assault, 11 of whom had worked at LMU in the past 50 years.

The priests were found to have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of "minors and vulnerable adults," according to a letter sent to students' emails from the Office of the President, naming all 11 priests.

The names of the priests and the years they were active at LMU are as follows:

Arthur Falvey, 1937-1939, 1940-1947 (deceased 1966)

Gabriel Menager, 1946-1954 (deceased 2009)

Thomas Sullivan, 1947-1948, 1978-1992 (deceased 1992)

Thomas O’Rourke, 1949-1956 (deceased 1993)

John Ralph Moholy, 1949-1964 (deceased 1997)

Joseph Dondero, 1950-1951, (deceased 1997)

Edward M. Stretch, 1953-1954, (deceased 1970)

Eugene Maio, 1962-1967

Patrick McNamara, 1964-1968 (deceased 2001)

John Moniz, 1984-1991, (deceased 2008)

William Farrington, 1987-2003

Of the 11 priests, nine are deceased and two are still alive. Most recently working at the University was William Farrington, who served his tenure for 16 years, from 1987 to 2003.

The Loyolan published an article on Farrington when the accusations were first made public in September 2012, via a letter sent out to graduates of Bellarmine College Preparatory — a high school where Farrington worked in San Jose, CA.

Following the letter, the University held an investigation to see if any of the abuse took place while the priest was working at LMU, which the Loyolan also reported on. Two lawyers were hired to conduct an investigation and interviewed 17 people at the University; the investigation concluded that no abuse occurred while Farrington was at LMU.

In the weeks following, the Loyolan published two board editorials calling the University to stop evading the issue and to support victims.

At Gonzaga University, following the reports on sexual abuse scandals in Jesuit institutions, two Jesuits resigned when it was revealed the school had set up at least 20 "safety plans" for Jesuits with substantial sexual abuse allegations and housed them near campus, according to the Gonzaga Bulletin.

The letter that LMU sent to students on Dec. 7 outlined support systems for people affected by the news, including LMU CARES services.

President Snyder emphasized LMU’s zero tolerance policy on sexual misconduct and urged victims and those affected to seek help, as well as report any abuse they experience. Snyder signed off with:

“As the Church continues to seek forgiveness from all those who have been hurt by this betrayal of pastoral care, LMU strives to be an emblem of what the Church can be a community where clergy and laity collaborate in service of faith through the promotion of justice, and where all persons are always safe.”