ABUSE TRACKER

GUAM
Pacific News Center

Written by Janela Carrera

Msgr. James Benavente was fired as the rector of the Cathedral Basilica and director of the Catholic Cemeteries in 2014.

Guam – Msgr. James Benavente has been vindicated. At a press conference today and in the presence of many of Benavente’s supporters, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai and Father Jeff San Nicolas cleared him of any wrongdoing.

It’s been two years since Archbishop Anthony Apuron fired Benavente from the position of rector of the Cathedral Basilica and director of the Catholic cemeteries. At the time he was removed, Archbishop Apuron accused Benavente of financial mismanagement.

Apuron never gave Benavente a chance to respond to the allegations. It wasn’t until a few months ago that Benavente finally got that due process. And now, two years later and after a very public outcry over his removal, Benavente has been vindicated. Father Jeff San Nicolas read a statement written by Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai at the press conference today.

“I hereby declare that Msgr. Benavente’s response is found both credible and satisfactory and that none of these alleged major irregularities should be held valid,” Hon stated. “I thus declare that the decision of his removal be considered invalid and any statement released from the archdiocese against him or any of his staff in this matter ought to be considered invalid.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

GUAM
Guam Daily Post

Jacqueline Perry Guzman | Post News Staff

At a press conference held yesterday morning at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña, the delegate to the apostolic administrator Rev. Jeff San Nicolas announced that Monsignor James Benavente had been cleared of the allegations against him regarding irregularities and “financial mismanagement.”

Benavente has been assigned as parochial vicar of St. Anthony Church in Tamuning.

San Nicolas read from a letter written by Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana.

The letter stated, “Having examined all the documents and reports made available to me, I hereby declare that Msgr. Benavente’s response is found both credible and satisfactory and that none of these alleged major irregularities should be held valid.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ILLINOIS
Beacon-News

A former Aurora priest has pleaded not guilty to charges he sexually abused two children over a three-year span, according to court records.

Alfred Pedraza Arias, 50, is accused in a five-count indictment from March with aggravated sexual abuse between 2012 and 2014 involving the children who were both under the age of 13. Prosecutors have alleged Arias fondled the children at Sacred Heart Church in Aurora, as well as at one youth’s home. Arias, who was arraigned Thursday, remains free on $50,000 bail with a court date set for Nov. 18.

Arias was charged in February and arrested in Rockford on a warrant. He now is listed with a home address in Rockford.

The Rockford Diocese, which covers Kane County, released a statement at the time which explained Arias had been out of the ministry since October 2014 amid an investigation by law enforcement and the diocese into two allegations against him. Aside from Sacred Heart, Arias worked at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Aurora and Hispanic Ministry in DeKalb, the diocese previously stated.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

SOUTH DAKOTA
Press and Dakotan

BY RANDY DOCKENDORF randy.dockendorf@yankton.net

Minnesota authorities are not pursuing a criminal investigation into a sex-abuse allegation against a Roman Catholic priest currently serving two Bon Homme County parishes.

The Rev. Joe Forcelle faces the Minnesota allegation based earlier in his ministry. He currently serves St. Leo Church in Tyndall and St. Vincent Church in Springfield. He denies the Minnesota allegation and has not faced any allegations during his 32-year ministry in South Dakota.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against Forcelle and immediately reported it to law enforcement, according to archdiocesan spokesman Tom Halden.

“The alleged sexual abuse is from the late 1970s and early 1980s when (Forcelle) was serving as a priest at Saint Mark Church in Saint Paul,” Halden said in a statement.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.