BishopAccountability.org
 
 

Diocese of Wheeling-charleston Responds to West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s Criticism on Priest Abuse List

By Jess Mancini
The Intelligencer
May 29, 2019

http://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2019/05/diocese-of-wheeling-charleston-responds-to-west-virginia-attorney-general-patrick-morriseys-criticism-on-priest-abuse-list/

Photo by Joselyn King West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey speaks in Wheeling on Tuesday, describing the amended filing he has entered in Wood County Circuit Court against the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese.

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston responded Tuesday to claims that it should be announcing the names of priests that are added to its lists of priests who are credibly accused of abuse, saying the names are readily available online.

The diocese added nine priests to the list, first reported on Saturday by the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, which said the diocese added the priests without an announcement. The story broke in the Sunday News-Register.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who earlier this year sued the diocese asserting it violated the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act in advertising failing to disclose it employed accused priests and did inadequate background investigations, cited the News-Register report.

“The diocese does not rely upon the news media and its parishioners to stumble upon its responses to our lawsuit — they shout it from the roof tops, and in the same manner, the diocese has an obligation to make robust announcements to potential victims anytime they update their list of credibly accused priests,” Morrisey said in a statement. “Instead, the diocese appears fixated upon its goal of minimizing this scandal with limited publicity about wrong doing and maximum publicity of its public relations campaign to protect the church.”

The Catholic Committee, which calls itself a social justice network, said the diocese added to the list of priests who served in the diocese but were accused of abuse outside of the diocese, and to the list of priests accused of abuse while in the diocese.

“We are seriously disappointed that the (diocese) updated these lists quietly without issuing a press release to go with them,” said Jeannie Kirkhope, a Catholic Committee co-coordinator.

“It is quite possible that there are additional victims … from West Virginia, and if so, it is important that they see that these names have been added.”

The lists were updated on May 21. Tim Bishop, director of marketing and communications for the diocese, issued a statement on Tuesday on the releases from the attorney general and the Catholic Committee. Forty priests are now on the two lists.

“At the time of the initial publication of the names of credibly accused priests, the Diocese pledged to provide future updates to the list as new information becomes available and as reported by authorities in other locations. These updates show the diocese’s commitment to transparency and accountability. The individuals added to the list are not currently in active ministry and have not been for many years,” Bishop said. “Moreover, the allegations found to be credible relate to situations that occurred decades ago and in several instances in dioceses in other parts of the country, though the allegations were only brought to our attention recently. In many cases, the accused are deceased. The entire list, including any updates is readily available on its web site dwc.org.”

In the update, two priests were accused of abuse while serving in the diocese, Raymond Waldruff and Andrew Lukas.

Waldruff originally was on the list of priests who were accused of incidents occurring outside the diocese and was moved to the list of those credibly accused while serving in the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese. Lukas’ listing was new with the accusation reported to the diocese in January. Allegations against both priests date from the 1960-’70s.

Lukas served at St. John’s in Benwood from 1958-1958 and at the St. Joseph Preparatory Seminary in Vienna from June 12, 1964, to Aug. 1. 1966, among other assignments. He died in 2012.

The incidents allegedly occurred 1964-1965. The allegation was abuse of a minor.

Waldruff was assigned at St. Boniface’s, St. Clare’s and the Holy Name of Mary in the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese from February 1972 to July 1976. In addition to accusations in 1964 and 1968 in Pennsylvania, accusations of abuse of a minor were reported to the West Virginia diocese on March 28. He left the diocese in July 1976 and was removed from the order in 1983. Waldruff died in 1985.

“It is no doubt difficult for (diocese) officials to draw attention to their knowledge of new allegations while the diocese is in the process of responding to multiple lawsuits related to alleged sexual abuse,” Michael Iafrate, Catholic Committee co-coordinator, said. “Nevertheless, we believe that if the (diocese) wants to show that it cares about victim-survivors, they cannot add names to these lists quietly. Transparency is the only way toward truth and healing.”

The diocese did not release the first list of credibly accused priests until after the state issued a subpoena last fall, Morrisey said. Morrisey also said it’s time for the diocese to disclose what it knows about those working in schools and camps, and to release the report on Michael Bransfield, the former bishop of the diocese, and his part “in the cover up and concealment of pedophiles.

“If the diocese truly sought closure and healing for victims, it would make good on its obligation to announce updates to its findings so those victimized would feel empowered to seek counseling and know they are not alone,” Morrisey said.

 

 

 

 

 




.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.