MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, Oct. 9

Statement by David Clohessy of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )

A Rochester Catholic priest who hid clergy child sex crimes in Winona should be suspended.

Newly-released church records about pedophile priests in Winona show that Msgr. Gerald Mahon “dealt with cases of alleged abuse” but apparently did not ever contact law enforcement or issue public warnings to police, prosecutors, parents or parishioners about credibly accused child molesting clerics.

Msgr. Mahon claims he “always took claims of sexual assault very seriously.” Sadly, his words are meaningless. His actions are what matter. And his actions, according to his church’s own records, contract his claims.

For a decade in the 1990s, Msgr. Mahon

—was in the Winona diocese’s “inner circle” as vicar general, reporting directly to his bishop,
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