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37 Baton Rouge-area Clergy Members on Diocese's Official Sex Abuse List: See Names, More

The Advocate
January 31, 2019

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/collection_6635586a-24c4-11e9-8a7f-e7943fb7fed8.html

Bishop Michael Duca on Thursday released the names of 37 clergy who were removed from ministry after accusations that they sexually abused minors were deemed credible. This is the first time in the history of the Diocese of Baton Rouge that a Catholic bishop has attempted to provide an accounting of the identities of the alleged abusers in church ranks.

The list below, in alphabetical order, does not include employees of the church, or any other religious -- such as nuns or brothers -- who may have been accused. Clergy accused of sexually abusing a minor can try to clear their names through church tribunals, the outcomes of which are secret.

The biographies combine information provided by the bishop with information found in media reports, court documents and interviews.



Name: John Berube

Age: Died in 1998, age unknown

Position: Missionary Order of Our Lady of La Salette priest

Served where: St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales (1965), other church parishes in Canada (1970s) and Boston.

Ordained: 1953

Date of abuse: 1965

Allegation received: 1965

Number of allegations: More than one

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Theresa of Avila, Gonzales, LA

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Four men filed a lawsuit in 2003 that alleged Berube’s abuse in 1965.

Removed from ministry: Remained a priest until his death.

Action taken: Priestly service in Diocese of Baton Rouge was terminated in 1965. The La Salette Order was notified of the allegation and he was transferred to the supervision of the La Sallette Superior.

Details: Four boys told their parents in 1965 that Berube had abused them. The parents reported the abuse to their parish priest and the Diocese of Baton Rouge sent Berube back to his missionary order of La Salette. But Berube remained in ministry, was the pastor of Our Lady of Victory in Gatineau, Quebec.



Name: Clarence Joseph Biggers

Age: Died in 2009, age unknown

Position: Marist Fathers (S.M.) Year of Ordination: 1950

Served where: St. Joseph, Paulina, LA

Ordained: 1950

Estimated time of abuse: Between 1964 – 1967

Allegation received: 9/14/2000

Number of allegations: More than One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Joseph, Paulina, LA

Removed from ministry: Left Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1967 under the direction of the Marist Order. Marist Order notified of allegations in 2000.



Name: Jody P. Blanchard

Age: 65

Position: Jesuit priest

Served where: Immaculate Conception Parish, Baton Rouge; St. Charles Borromeo Church, Grand Coteau, La.; Tulane Catholic Center, New Orleans; Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, Houston

Ordained: 1983

Estimated time of abuse: 1980s

Allegation received: Unknown

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Included on list of priests with credible allegations of abuse released by Jesuits in late 2018

Removed from ministry: Left Jesuits in 1994

Current status: Public records list him as still living in Louisiana

Details: The Jesuits said he faced one credible claim of abuse.



Name: Daniel Patrick Brady

Age: Died in 1999

Position: Dominican Order (O.P.)

Served where: Holy Ghost, Hammond, LA

Ordained: 1948

Estimated time of abuse: Between 1961 – 1963

Allegation received: 2/11/1994

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: Holy Ghost, Hammond, LA

Removed from ministry: Left Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1964. Victim was referred to Dominican Superior in 1994.



Name: Pierre Celestin Cambiaire

Age: Died in 1955 at age 83 or 84

Position: Priest in Archdiocese of New Orleans

Served where: St. George in Baton Rouge, St. Joseph in Grosse-Tete, St. Leon in Leonville, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Cameron

Ordained: 1898

Estimated time of abuse: Late 1910s

Allegation received: 1917

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Name included on list that Archdiocese of New Orleans released in late 2018

Removed from ministry: 1917

Details: Cambiaire admitted to or was publicly accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1917 and was removed from ministry that same year, according to the archdiocese.



Name: Carmelo Ignatius Camenzuli

Age: Died in 1998

Position: Extern Diocesan Priest for the Archdiocese of Arequipa, Peru

Served where: St. Joseph Cathedral, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Mark, Gonzales, LA

Ordained: 1966 for Archdiocese of Arequipa, Peru

Estimated time of abuse: Early 1980s

Allegation received: 5/18/2000

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Joseph Cathedral, Baton Rouge, LA

Removed from ministry: Left Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1985.



Name: David William Chaloux

Age: Died in 1990

Position: Diocese of Baton Rouge

Served where: Chaplain at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison; St. Aloysius, Baton Rouge, LA; Chaplain at LA State Penitentiary, Angola, LA; Ascension of Our Lord, Donaldsonville, LA; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Baton Rouge, LA (In Residence); St. Pius X, Baton Rouge, LA; Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, St. Amant, LA; St. John the Evangelist, Plaquemine, LA; St. Joan of Arc, Bayou Pigeon, LA; St. John the Baptist, Brusly, LA

Ordained: 1972

Estimated time of abuse: Mid -1970s

Allegation received: 9/5/2018

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Aloysius, Baton Rouge, LA

Removed from ministry: Laicized in 1986.

Name: David Joseph Clark

Age: Died, year unknown

Position: Claretian Missionaries (C.M.F.)

Served where: Queen of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Prescott, AZ; All Saints, Ft. Worth, TX; Immaculate Conception, Yuma, AZ; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Alexandria, LA; St. Joseph, Monroe, LA; St. Anthony, Cottonport, LA; St. Joseph, Marksville, LA; St. Thomas More, Baton Rouge, LA

Ordained: 1954

Estimated time of abuse: Between 1964-1965

Allegation received: 12/15/2018

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Thomas More, Baton Rouge, LA

Removed from ministry: Reassigned by the Claretian Order and left the Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1965.

James Preston Clement .

Name: James Preston Clement

Age: Died in 2001

Position: Diocese of Baton Rouge

Served where: St. John the Baptist, Edgard, LA; St. Francis de Sales, Houma, LA; St. Joseph, Grosse Tete, LA; Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, St. Amant, LA; St. Patrick, Baton Rouge, LA

Ordained: 1945

Estimated time of abuse: 1960s

Allegations received: 10/25/2005, 8/22/2018

Number of allegations: More than One

Assignment at time of abuse: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, St. Amant, LA

Removed from ministry: Retired from priesthood in 1988.

John Coyne .

Name: John Coyne

Age: Died in 1981

Position: Josephite Fathers (S.S.J.)

Served where: St. Augustine, New Roads, LA

Ordained: 1941

Estimated time of abuse: Between 1968 – 1972

Allegation received: 12/1/2002

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Augustine, New Roads, LA

Removed from ministry: Left Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1977.

Dan Drinan .

Name: Daniel M. Drinan

Age: 70

Position: Claretian missionary priest

Served where: Christ the King, LSU (1970s)

Ordained: 1977

Estimated time of abuse: Late 1970s

Date report received: 3/5/2003

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: Christ the King, Baton Rouge, LA

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Drinan left Baton Rouge in 1979, but was accused of inappropriate contact with a minor in 2002, when he was a priest in Texas. Drinan was removed from the Diocese of Austin after the 2002 incident of inappropriate contact with a minor. He was later arrested in 2012 after witnesses saw him masturbating on a plane.

Removed from ministry: Left Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1979. Removed from ministry by Claretian Order in 2006.

Current status: Public records list Drinan as living in California

Details: Drinan left Baton Rouge in 1979. In 2002, Drinan was removed as a priest in Austin, Texas, after being accused of inappropriate behavior with a child and facing a misdemeanor assault charge. He led a drug rehab program in Nevada afterward, and then faced criminal charges in 2012 when multiple witnesses reported that he masturbated on a plane. He pleaded guilty to indecent exposure on a commercial aircraft and was required to go through two years of supervised probation and to pay a fine.

Bryan James Fontenot .

Name: Bryan James Fontenot

Age: Unknown

Position: Dominican Order (O.P.)

Served where: St. Joseph, Ponchatoula, LA; Holy Ghost, Hammond, LA

Ordained: 1981

Estimated time of abuse: 1983

Allegation received: 4/26/1984

Number of allegations: More than One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Joseph, Ponchatoula, LA

Removed from ministry: Removed from Diocese of Baton Rouge and transferred to the supervision of the Dominican Superior in 1984.

Current status: Removed from priestly ministry

John Franklin .

Name: John Franklin

Age: Deceased, but date of death unknown

Position: Priest with Diocese of Savannah, Georgia who served in Baton Rouge and New Orleans area

Served where: Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church in Donaldsonville; St. Gabriel Catholic Church in New Orleans

Ordained: 1956

Estimated time of abuse: Late 1950s

Allegation received: 1959

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Name included on list that Archdiocese of New Orleans released in late 2018

Removed from ministry: 1959

Details: Franklin admitted to or was publicly accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1959 and was removed from ministry that same year, according to the archdiocese. Further details about the allegation are unknown. The archdiocese says he is deceased.

James Funnel .

Name: James Funnel

Age: Unknown

Position: None

Served where: Student at Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans, LA

Ordained: Not Applicable (Seminarian)

Estimated time of abuse: Mid-to-Late 1970s

Allegations received: 1/10/2012, 12/31/2013 and 4/6/2016

Number of allegations: More than One

Assignment at time of abuse: Youth Minister at St. Isidore the Farmer, Baker, LA

Removed from ministry: Took leave of absence from Notre Dame Seminary in 1979 and did not return. He did not enter into priestly ministry.

Details: A legal advertisement seeking information on Funnel in 2010 indicates he was a youth minister at St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge and a wrestling coach at Archbishop Rummel High School from 1979-1984.

George David Gensler .

Name: George David Gensler

Age: Deceased (2016)

Position: Diocese of Baton Rouge

Served where: Our Lady of Mercy, Baton Rouge, LA (In Residence); Spiritual Director - St. Joseph Cathedral Preparatory Diocesan Seminary, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Anthony of Padua, Darrow, LA

Ordained: 1970 for the Diocese of Lafayette; Incardinated into the Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1978

Estimated time of abuse: Late-1970s

Allegations received: 2/6/1994 and 10/26/2018

Number of Allegations: More than One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Anthony of Padua, Darrow, LA

Removed from ministry: Placed on administrative leave and permanently removed from ministry in 1994.

Details: Gensler was sworn in as a Lafayette Police officer in 1973, according to The Advocate’s archives. Then-chief Roland Dart said at the time that Gensler would perform the normal duties of a police officer and felt he would be particularly useful in youth programs. It’s unclear how long he remained with the department or if he worked with kids there. He had previously been a New Orleans cop before he became an officer, the article said.

Antonio Gonzales .

Name: Antonio Gonzales

Age: Died in 2016

Position: Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.)

Served where: St. Margaret Queen of Scotland, Albany, LA

Ordained: 1957

Estimated time of abuse: 1970s

Allegation received: 6/2002

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Margaret Queen of Scotland, Albany, LA

Removed from ministry: Laicized in 1987.

Bryan Keith Gray .

Name: Bryan Keith Gray

Age: Unknown

Position: Diocese of Baton Rouge

Served where: St. Charles Borromeo, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Patrick, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Margaret Queen of Scotland, Albany, LA; Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. (Student); St. Aloysius, Baton Rouge, LA

Ordained: 1979

Estimated time of abuse: Late 1970s - 1980s

Allegation received: 3/10/1992

Number of Allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Charles Borromeo, Baton Rouge, LA

Removed from ministry: Placed on permanent leave and priestly faculties removed in 1992.

Lawrence Hecker ..

Name: Lawrence Hecker

Age: 86 or 87

Position: Diocesan priest in Archdiocese of New Orleans

Served where: St. Mary in New Roads; Christ the King in Terrytown; Holy Family in Luling; Holy Rosary in New Orleans ; Our Lady of Lourdes in New Orleans; St. Anthony in Luling; St. Bernadette in Houma; St. Charles Borromeo (in residence); St. Frances Cabrini; St. Francis Xavier in Metairie; St. Joseph in Gretna; St. Louise de Marillac in Arabi; St. Theresa of Child Jesus

Ordained: 1958

Estimated time of abuse: Late 1960s, 1970s

Allegation received: 1996

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Name included on list that Archdiocese of New Orleans released in late 2018

Removed from ministry: 2002

Current status: Public records say he still lives in Louisiana

Details: The archdiocese of New Orleans said a credible accusation of abuse led to Hecker's removal from ministry in 2002. Further details are unknown.

Rodrigue Alphonse Hemond .

Name: Rodrigue Alphonse Hemond

Age: Deceased (1990)

Position: Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette (M.S.); Incardinated into the Archdiocese Galveston-Houston in 1978

Served where: West Warwick, Rhode Island; Hearst, Ontario, Canada; Cochrane, Ontario; Foleyet, Ontario; St. Joseph Cathedral, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Thomas More, Baton Rouge, LA; Our Lady of Mercy, Baton Rouge, LA; Immaculate Conception, Scotlandville, LA; St. Pius X, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Charles Borromeo, Baton Rouge, LA; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Maringouin, LA

Ordained: 1949

Estimated time of abuse: 1960s-1970s

Allegations received: 12/11/1992, 5/15/2002 and 6/2002

Number of allegations: More than One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Thomas More, Baton Rouge, LA

Removed from ministry: Left Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1968. Victims referred to La Salette Order.

Gerard Howell ..

Name: Gerard “Jerry” Howell

Age: 79

Position: Extern priest in the Archdiocese of New Orleans

Served where: St. Francis de Sales Deaf Center, Baton Rouge; St. Pius X, Baton Rouge; Holy Trinity, New Orleans; Mater Dolorosa, New Orleans; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Westwego; Prince of Peace, Chalmette; St. Gerard, New Orleans; St. Henry, New Orleans; St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kenner; St. Peter and Paul, New Orleans

Ordained: 1964

Estimated time of abuse: 1960s and 1970s; Baton Rouge Archdiocese: Late 1970s

Allegation received: 1978; Baton Rouge Archdiocese: 3/14/2001

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Francis de Sales Deaf Center, Baton Rouge, LA

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Many of those who accused Howell of abuse over time were the children of deaf parents, as Howell had earned the trust of their parents. Attorney Richard Ducote represented multiple people who accused him of abuse. His brother, Rodney, was also a priest accused of abuse before his death. The Diocese of Baton Rouge said they do not have a file on Rodney Howell.

Removed from ministry: Archdiocese of New Orleans said he was removed from ministry in 1980, but Advocate archives show that Howell and his brother were still administering sacraments in Baton Rouge in 1981.

Action taken: Left Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1981 to return to Archdiocese of New Orleans. Removed from active ministry by Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1992

Current status: Public records show him as living in Texas.

Details: Howell was appointed director of the New Orleans deaf apostolate in 1967 and moved in 1978 to help establish the St. Francis de Sales deaf center in Baton Rouge. Howell could communicate with sign language, was known for his generosity in helping deaf people find jobs and even drew praise from high-profile politicians like former Gov. Edwin Edwards and former Rep. Lindy Boggs, according to a 1976 issue of Deaf American magazine. But behind closed doors, he manipulated children into believing nobody could love them and sexually abused them, according to two of his survivors who have spoken to The Advocate.

Michael Hurley ..

Name: Michael Hurley

Age: Died in 2005 at age 89 or 90

Position: Archdiocese of New Orleans priest

Served where: St. Agnes Baton Rouge (1950s); Immaculate Conception Church in Marrero; St. Francis de Sales in Houma; St. Maurice; Sts. Peter and Paul

Ordained: 1943

Estimated time of abuse: 1940s

Allegation received: 1945

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Name included on list that Archdiocese of New Orleans released in late 2018

Removed from ministry: Left archdiocese of New Orleans in 1955

Details: Hurley admitted to or was publicly accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1945, according to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He left the archdiocese in 1955, although the archdiocese did not provide details on whether he was removed from ministry or went to another region at the time.

Myles Joseph Kearney .

Name: Myles Joseph Kearney

Age: Unknown

Position: Diocese of Baton Rouge

Pastoral Assignments: Ascension of Our Lord, Donaldsonville, LA; St. Theresa of Avila, Gonzales, LA; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Baton Rouge, LA; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, White Castle, LA; St. Mark, Gonzales, LA; St. Francis de Sales, Baton Rouge, LA; Director of Deaf Apostolate, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Joseph, Grosse Tete, LA; St. John the Evangelist, Prairieville, LA; St. Joseph Cathedral, Baton Rouge, LA (In Residence); Chaplain at Woman's Hospital, Baton Rouge, LA; Chaplain at Columbia Medical Center, Baton Rouge, LA; Immaculate Conception, Lakeland, LA; St. Jude the Apostle the Apostle, Baton Rouge, LA; Most Blessed Sacrament, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Anne, Sorrento, LA; St. Patrick, Baton Rouge, LA

Ordained: 1971

Estimated time of abuse: Late-1980s

Allegation received: 4/15/2002

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: St. John the Evangelist, Prairieville, LA

Removed from ministry: Priestly faculties removed in 2002.

Details: Kearney studied sign language and worked as the director/pastor of St. Francis de Sales parish, preaching to deaf and hearing populations. He told The Advocate in 1983 that Bishop Joseph Sullivan appointed him there. “I was scared when Bishop Sullivan asked me if I would accept being pastor at the Deaf Center, because I knew nothing about the handicap, but I wanted to do it,” Kearney said.

Clyde Landry .

Name: Clyde Landry

Age: Died in 2003

Position: Diocesan priest

Served where: St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales (1980s), St. Joseph Cathedral, Holy Family, Port Allen, LA; St. George, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Aloysius, Baton Rouge, LA; Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, St. Amant, LA; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. Francisville, LA; Villa Louis Martin home in New Mexico for treating pedophile priests; Norbertine Community in New Mexico

Ordained: 1973

Number of allegations: More than one

Estimated time of abuse: Between 1970s and 1980s

Allegations received: 6/30/1998, 2002 and 2004

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Unknown

Assignments at time of abuse: Holy Family, Port Allen, LA; St. George, Baton Rouge, LA; St Aloysius, Baton Rouge, LA; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Francisville, LA

Removed from ministry: Resigned from Pastorate 1988 and placed on leave. Left Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1990 to work for the Servants of the Paraclete in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. Formal leave granted and priestly faculties removed in 1999.

Details: After Landry left Baton Rouge, he was the co-director of “aftercare” at the infamous Villa Louis Martin home to rehab pedophile priests in New Mexico. One 1990 document on the Bishop Accountability website about a priest’s progress at the home includes several notes from Landry about how the priest was doing. Landry later worked at the Norbertine Community in New Mexico, known for its retreats, and was the editor of the Norbertine Community news, according to an obituary for him. He was no longer listed as a priest at the time of his death.

Ralph Lawrence .

Name: Ralph Lawrence

Age: Died in 1992 at age 101 or 102

Position: Archdiocese of New Orleans priest

Served where: St. Anthony of Padua, Baton Rouge (1916-1935), Mater Dolorosa, New Orleans; Our Lady of Good Harbor, Buras; Our Lady of Lourdes, Winnfield; Sacred Heart Church, Rayville

Ordained: 1916

Estimated time of abuse: Early 1930s

Allegation received: 1935

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Name included on list that Archdiocese of New Orleans released in late 2018

Removed from ministry: Took “leave of absence” in 1935

Details: Lawrence admitted or was publicly accused of sexually abusing a minor, according to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Further details about the allegation are unknown.

Joseph LeFrois .

Name: Joseph LeFrois

Age: Died in 1992

Position: Josephite priest

Served where: Immaculate Conception, Plaquemine, LA

Ordained: 1944

Estimated time of abuse: Mid-1950s

Allegation received: September 6, 1994

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: Immaculate Conception Plaquemine

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: unknown

Removed from ministry: Diocese of Baton Rouge notified Josephite Order of allegations, which came after LeFrois’ death

Details: Unknown

Daniel Lemoine .

Name: Daniel P. Lemoine

Age: 60s

Position: Diocesan priest

Served where: Seminarian Summer Internship at St. Philomena, Labadieville; LA Deacon Internship at St. Joseph the Worker, Pierre Part, LA; St. Jean Vianney, Baton Rouge, LA; Holy Family, Port Allen, LA (In Residence); Our Lady of Prompt Succor, White Castle, LA; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Baton Rouge, LA; Immaculate Conception, Denham Springs, LA; St. Joseph the Worker, Pierre Part, LA; Our Lady of Mercy, Baton Rouge, LA (In Residence); Chaplain at Baton Rouge General Hospital, Baton Rouge in 1990s; LA Chaplain at Earl K. Long Hospital, Baton Rouge; LA Chaplain at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rouge, LA, Catholic High School

Ordained: 1979

Estimated time of abuse: Between late 1970s to early 1980s

Allegations received: October 1994, April 1999, April 2007

Number of allegations: More than one

Assignments at time of abuse: Our Lady of Mercy, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Joseph the Worker, Pierre Part, LA; St. Philomena, Labadieville, LA

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: A lawsuit was filed in 1999 that alleged abuse from him. Lemoine, nor the victim, were ever publicly named in the sealed lawsuit, but WAFB and WBRZ cited anonymous sources and named Lemoine as the subject of it. The diocese settled the lawsuit in 2002.

Removed from ministry: 2002

Action taken: Placed on administrative leave in 1994. Priestly faculties removed in 1999.

Current status: Public records list him as still living in Baton Rouge

Details: When a lawsuit was filed related to Lemoine in 1999, the plaintiff’s attorney said it was about a Baton Rouge priest’s sexual misconduct with a teenage boy during the 1990s. When the diocese settled the lawsuit, they said the priest either had been or would be removed from ministry.

Nicholas Joseph Martrain .

Name: Nicholas Joseph Martrain

Age: Unknown

Position: Diocese of Baton Rouge

Served where: St. Isidore the Farmer, Baker, LA; Ascension of Our Lord, Donaldsonville, LA; St. Pius X, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Thomas More, Baton Rouge, LA; St. Patrick, Baton Rouge, LA

Ordained: 1965

Estimated time of abuse: Prior to 1980

Allegation received: May 2, 2002

Number of Allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: Ascension of Our Lord, Donaldsonville, LA

Removed from ministry: Left active ministry in 1982. Married and priestly faculties removed in 1983. Laicized in 1990.

Salvador Nickie (Butch) Moran .

Name: Salvador Nickie (Butch) Moran

Age: Unknown

Position: Priest in Diocese of Baton Rouge

Served where: St. Theresa of Avila, St. Joseph the Worker in Pierre Part, Ascension of Our Lord in Donaldsonville, St. Philip in Vacherie, St. Joseph Cathedral Prep Diocesan Seminary faculty

Ordained: 1972

Estimated time of abuse: Late 1970s, early 1980s

Allegation received: October 1994 and January 2004

Number of allegations: Multiple

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Joseph in Pierre Part, St. Philip in Vacherie

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: unknown

Removed from ministry: Placed on administrative leave in 1994, priestly faculties removed the same year

Current status: No longer in ministry

Details: Unknown

Thomas Naughton .

Name: Thomas J. Naughton

Age: Died in 2012 at age 79

Position: Jesuit priest

Served where: Manresa House of Retreats in Convent, La. (1980s)’ Jesuit High School New Orleans; St. Johns Co-Cathedral Shreveport; Jesuit High School El Paso; Jesuit High School Tampa; Jesuit College Prep Dallas; Strake Jesuit College Prep Houston; Montserrat Retreat House Dallas; St. Killian Parish, Mission Viejo California

Ordained: 1965

Estimated time of abuse: 1970s

Allegation received: 2002

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Included on list of priests with credible allegations of abuse released by Jesuits in late 2018

Removed from ministry: Left Jesuits in 2009

Details: Naughton was removed from his post in 2002 at St. Killian Parish in Mission Viejo, California, after allegations became public that he molested a boy in 1978 at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, according to the Dallas Morning News. Naughton was the president of the school from 1973 to 1978. He was the director of the Manresa House of Retreats in Convent from 1983 to 1989, according to Bishop Accountability. The Jesuit order cautioned people not to confuse him with a religious brother of the same name.

Henry Neubig .

Name: Henry Neubig

Age: Died in 1975

Position: Diocesan priest

Served where: St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales, St. Joan of Arc in Bayou Pigeon, Immaculate Conception in Lakeland, Our Lady of Lourdes in New Orleans, St. Francis de Sales in New Orleans

Ordained: 1934 in Archdiocese of New Orleans, became Baton Rouge priest once diocese was created in 1961

Number of allegations: One

Estimated time of abuse: Mid-1950s

Assignment at time of abuse: Immaculate Conception, Lakeland

Allegation received: August 17, 2007

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: unknown

Removed from ministry: Allegation received after his death

Details: Unknown

C. Richard Nowery .

Name: C. Richard Nowery

Age: Died in 2018

Position: Congregation of Holy Cross priest

Served where: St. Jude the Apostle

Ordained: 1968

Estimated time of abuse: unknown

Allegation received: unknown

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: unknown

Removed from ministry: unknown

Details: unknown

Jesse Ray Ortego .

Name: Jesse R. Ortego

Age: Unknown

Position: Diocesan priest

Served where: St. Thomas More in Baton Rouge; St. Theresa in Gonzales; Holy Family in Port Allen; Holy Rosary in St. Amant; St. Anne in Sorrento

Ordained: 1970

Estimated time of abuse: Early 1970s

Allegation received: August 2008

Number of allegations: One

Assignment at time of abuse: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in St. Amant

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Unknown

Removed from ministry: Left diocese of Baton Rouge in 1981, no longer in priestly ministry

Current status: Unknown

Details: Ortego was born in Port Arthur, Texas but attended elementary school in Louisiana before returning to Texas to complete high school. He later attended Tulane University and graduated from twice from LSU with a bachelor’s and master’s in science in 1961 and 1963. He attended Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.

Joseph Pelletieri .

Name: Joseph Pelletieri, C.S.s.R.

Age: Died in 2018 at 79

Position: Redemptorist order priest

Served where: St. Gerard Majella; Immaculate Heart of Mary in Crowley, LA; Principal of Notre Dame Catholic High School from 1971-1972; Ave Maria Retreat House in Crown Point, LA.

Ordained: 1965

Estimated time of abuse: Mid to late 1960s

Allegation received: Early 2000s

Number of allegations received: One known

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Per a 2014 Advocate report, a lawsuit was filed in 2003 by the son of a janitor at Notre Dame Catholic High School alleging Pelletieri molested him between the ages of 11 and 14. The lawsuit claimed Pelletieri used hypnosis and post-hypnotic suggestion to coerce the boy into inappropriate sexual behavior. The lawsuit was dismissed because the court determined the statute of limitations had passed.

Removed from ministry: Conflicting reports state Pelletieri was suspended alternately by either Archbishop Alfred Hughes or the Redemptorist order following the revelation of details in the 2003 lawsuit.

Christopher Springer .

Name: Cristoff Joseph Springer, also known as Christopher Springer

Age: In his 90s

Position: Diocesan priest, Redemptorist priest beforehand

Served where: St. Pius X in Baton Rouge, St. Gerard Majella in Baton Rouge; St. Mary’s of False River, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Maringouin, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Jackson, Our Lady of the Assumption in Clinton, St. John the Evangelist in Plaquemine, chaplain at East Louisiana State Hospital in Jackson, chaplain at Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson, chaplain at Feliciana Forensic Unit in Jackson

Ordained: 1952

Estimated time of abuse: 1960s-1980s

Allegation received: Feb. 9, 1981; July 21, 1992; April 6, 1993; March 15, 1994

Number of allegations: Multiple

Assignments at time of abuse: St. Pius X, St. Mary of False River, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of the Assumption

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Springer has been accused by at least 30 people in lawsuits of molesting them as children. The lawsuits filed related to his abuse stretch back to at least 2003. The diocese has settled them.

Removed from ministry: Removed from ministry in 1985, laicized in 1990

Current status: Springer is believed to still be alive. Public records list him as living in Pearl River, La.

Details: Springer left the Redemptorists in 1973 to become a diocesan priest in Baton Rouge. It’s unclear why he made the switch. But at least 30 separate people have filed lawsuits alleging that he abused them during his time in both Louisiana and Texas. The lawyer who represented those victims estimated that Springer abused far more, as well. Springer wrote in a 2009 affidavit that in 1984, former Baton Rouge Bishop Stanley Ott recommended he go to a home for troubled priests. He was removed from ministry in 1985 and laicized in 1990.

Malcolm Strassel .

Name: Malcolm Strassel

Age: Died in 1987 at age 79

Position: Priest in Archdiocese of New Orleans

Served where: St. Agnes in Baton Rouge (1930s); Holy Rosary in St. Amant; St. Charles Borromeo in Destrehan; St. Joseph in Gretna; St. Mary Nativity in Raceland; Sacred Heart in LaCombe; Our Lady of Lourdes in New Orleans

Ordained: 1934

Estimated time of abuse: Late 1960s, early 1970s

Allegation received: 2006

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: One lawsuit filed in 2009 accused Strassel of fondling a boy while he was at Our Lady of Lourdes in uptown, New Orleans. The Archdiocese of New Orleans settled the suit.

Removed from ministry: Died before allegations of abuse

Details: A 2009 lawsuit accused Strassel of fondling a boy while working at Our Lady of Lourdes in Uptown New Orleans between 1969 and 1971. The Archdiocese settled the lawsuit, the plaintiff’s attorney said. The attorney alleged that the statute of limitations had not lapsed in the case because the traumatized victim had suppressed memory of the abuse and the church had worked to cover it up.

Joseph V. Sullivan .

Name: Joseph Vincent Sullivan

Age: Died in 1982 at age 62

Position: Bishop of Baton Rouge from 1974-1982

Served where: Previously auxiliary bishop in Diocese of Kansas City, Missouri and a priest there until his assignment in Baton Rouge

Ordained: 1946

Estimated time of abuse: 1969-1982

Allegation received: 2004

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Three lawsuits filed between 2004 and 2007, in which three men said Sullivan abused them when they were minors. The diocese settled the lawsuits and changed the name of Bishop Sullivan High School to St. Michael the ArchAngel High school.

Removed from ministry: Sullivan remained in ministry until death

Details: While Sullivan presented himself as an unyielding follower of church doctrine, at least three people accused him of privately breaking other tenets of the faith, in which priests take vows of celibacy and promise to protect and shepherd children toward God. One of his three accusers said he abused him at a now-closed Baton Rouge seminary for minors in the 1970s, called St. Joseph Cathedral Prep. Others said Sullivan abused them during his annual vacations to Hawaii.

John Weber .

Name: John A. Weber

Age: Died in 2000 at age 81

Position: Priest in Diocese of Baton Rouge, Archdiocese of New Orleans

Served where: St. Isidore the Farmer in Baker (1960s); St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales; Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Plattenville; Holy Trinity in New Orleans; St. Ann in Morganza; St. Eloi in Theriot; St. Rita in New Orleans

Ordained: 1945

Estimated time of abuse: 1940s

Assignment at time of abuse: Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, Plattenville

Number of allegations: Unclear

Date of abuse: 1956

Allegation received: Diocese of Baton Rouge reported an allegation received in 1996. Archdiocese of New Orleans also reported an allegation received in 2005.

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Name included on list that Archdiocese of New Orleans released in late 2018

Removed from ministry: Weber retired in 1995, the year before his first allegation of abuse.

Details: Weber transferred to the Diocese of Baton Rouge in 1961, when the diocese was created. Both the Diocese of Baton Rouge and Archdiocese of New Orleans have reported allegations against him.

 

 

 

 

 




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