NEBRASKA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, July 13
For more information:
David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, bblaine@snapnetwork.org), Steve Theisen (319-231-1663, ltreggiefan@cs.com)
Two predator priests “outed” for first time
They spent time in two Nebraska Catholic dioceses
Both are “credibly accused child molesters,” church admits
Long secret records about them were just released last week
More hidden documents will be disclosed in the months ahead
Two Catholic priests who spent time in Nebraska have been publicly identified for the first time as “credibly accused” child molesters and a victims group wants local church officials to “aggressively seek out and help” others who have been hurt by them.
They are Fr. Michael Charland and Fr. Emil Twardochleb.
According to the Official Catholic Directory, in 1972, Fr. Charland was a full-time student at the Oblate House of Studies at Creighton University. In 1968, Fr. Twardochleb worked at St. Patrick’s parish in McCook, NE
Fr. Charland is now a psychologist in the Twin Cities area. Fr. Twardochleb is deceased.
“We’re afraid Fr. Charland may be hurting kids right now,” said David Clohessy of St. Louis. He heads an international support group called the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “And it’s very likely others who were hurt by both priests are still suffering in shame, silence and self-blame. Omaha’s archbishop, other clerics and lay Catholics should do everything possible to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded through aggressive outreach to others victims witnesses and whistleblowers.”
SNAP is also
— prodding anyone who was hurt by the priests to speak up and get help, and
— prodding Catholic officials in Omaha, Minnesota, Belleville and elsewhere to “come clean” with more information about the priests and aggressively seek out their victims.
Creighton is in the Omaha Archdiocese which is headed by Archbishop George Lucas. McCook is in the Lincoln diocese which is headed by Bishop James D. Conley.
“Over the years, these predators had easy access to literally thousands of girls and boys in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and elsewhere,” said Barbara Dorris, outreach director for SNAP. “There could be dozens of adults mired in pain because of their crimes. Prelates in Nebraska, Canada, Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas, Wisconsin and North Dakota and South Dakota should use parish bulletins, church websites and pulpit announcements to aggressively seek out and offer help to these wounded victims.”
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