Dallas Diocese Names 31 Catholic Clergy Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse

By Bill Hanna
Dallas Morning News
January 31, 2019

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/dallas/article225337680.html

The Catholic Diocese of Dallas on Thursday named 31 clergymen credibly accused of sexual abuse against minors.

Twenty-four were diocesan priests and seven others were in other dioceses or religious orders. It does not mean there is an admission of guilt by the priests.

The list was compiled by former state and federal law enforcement officers who reviewed the files of 2,424 priests, said Dallas Diocese Bishop Edward Burns.

“I accepted 100 percent of their allegations,” said Burns, who conceded the list could grow as more complaints come forward.

All have been forwarded to law enforcement, Burns said.

“There is a need to be accountable for what has taken place,” Burns said. “I’m pleased with what we’re doing here today.”

The allegations on the list go back to 1950. The list includes familiar names such as Rudy Kos, a former priest who is serving a life sentence for molesting boys. It also includes Edmundo Paredes, who was suspended in 2017 and is believed to have fled to the Philippines, and Timothy Heines, who had been a priest at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Richardson.

Patrick Koch, a deceased former principal and president of Dallas Jesuit High School, also was included.

“These have been very difficult days within the Church and Diocese of Dallas,” Burns said in a letter to parishioners.

Three priests had ties to the Fort Worth Diocese, which was part of the Dallas Diocese until 1969. They are James Fitzpatrick, who was based at Sacred Heart in Wichita Falls from 1969-73; William Hoover, who was at St. Patrick Cathedral from 1987-95, and James Reilly, who was at St. Maria Goretti in Arlington from 1969-87.

Pat Svacina, a Fort Worth diocese spokesman, said eight other priests on the Dallas diocese list appear to have served in the Fort Worth area when it was part of the Dallas diocese before 1969. But Svacina would not name those men because the Fort Worth diocese has to see if it has any files on hand.

“We need to verify that,” Svacina said.

Fort Worth published its list of credibly accused clergy in 2007 and updated it in October.

In a video posted online, Bishop Michael Olson of the Fort Worth Diocese expressed sympathy for the victims of abuse.

“I am deeply sorry for any sexual abuse anyone has endured and suffered,” Olson said. “I am deeply ashamed and sorry for any past failures of those entrusted with leadership in the church to protect our children. I pray that healing and just reconciliation can be achieved for every victim of sexual abuse and their perpetrators be brought to justice. As your bishop, I make a firm purpose of amendment to make every effort to prevent anyone from such indignity ever again.”

The most recent added to the list was retired deacon Russell William Detwiler, who pleaded guilty to indecency with a child and aggravated sexual assault of a minor. He had been based at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wichita Falls and was a prison chaplain at the Allred Unit in Iowa Park.

The 14 other Texas Catholic dioceses agreed to release the names of priests by Jan. 31.

The archdiocese of Galveston-Houston released the names of 40 clergy members, according to the Houston Chronicle. The San Antonio diocese listed 53 priests as far back as 1941 but none after 2010, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Clergy with credible allegations of abuse released by the Dallas Diocese: Matthew Bagert. Richard Brown, Alejandro Buitrago, Robert Crisp, Paul Detzel, John Duesman, James Fitzpatrick, Michael Flanagan, Timothy Heines, William Hoover, William Hughes, Richard Johnson, Rudy Kos, William Lane, Justin Lucio, Patrick Lynch, Henry McGill, Jeremy Myers, Edmundo Paredes, Robert Peebles, James Reilly, Kenneth Roberts, Jose Saldana, Raymond (John) Scott.

Other dioceses or religious orders: Michael Barone, Diocese of Tyler; Thomas Behnke, Order of Discalced Carmelites; Gabriel Hentrich, Order of Discalced Carmelites; Patrick Koch, Society of Jesus (the Jesuits); Vincent Malatesta, Society of Jesus (the Jesuits); Anthony Nwaogu, Diocese of Umuahia (Nigeria); Benjamin Smylie, Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).