Man Says 2 New Orleans Priests Abused Him; Church Gave Him Unlimited Therapy but No Abuse Listing

By David Hammer
WWL 4 CBS
October 5, 2020

https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/investigations/david-hammer/man-says-2-new-orleans-priests-abused-him-church-gave-him-unlimited-therapy-but-no-abuse-listing/289-6fbda482-54f5-401d-aa3f-99e1019bc1a2

Three former classmates question why Archbishop Aymond has not added two priests to his list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse.

Retired Catholic priest Luis Fernandez let his answering machine take the journalist’s call last month, but picked up when he heard the reporter mention molestation allegations.

Initially, Fernandez said he couldn’t talk about the claims brought against him by one of his former students because “he didn’t know anything about it.” But after hearing the ex-student’s name — Tim Trahan — Fernandez changed his tone.

“All that was taken care of by the Archdiocese (of New Orleans),” Fernandez said. “You need to talk to the Archdiocese.”

Fernandez, now in his 80s and living in Miami, stayed on the phone for nearly two minutes. He repeatedly deflected questions about Trahan, but passed on the opportunity to deny the allegations before hanging up.

Apprised of the exchange, Trahan argued it marks just one more reason to believe his allegations against Fernandez and another, now-dead priest, both of whom taught Trahan in the mid-1970s at St. John Vianney Prep.