PENNSYLVANIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, Dec 12, 2016
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790cell, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)
Altoona’s Catholic bishop must take strong steps now to “un-do” the harm caused when his predecessor deceitfully and quietly sent a serial predator priest across state lines. We suggest that he use newspaper and radio ads to aggressively seek out and help other victims of the child molesting cleric.
Long secret, just-released church records show that then-Bishop James Hogan gave a “glowing recommendation” as he sent a Msgr. Francis McCaa – who authorities call a “monster” who may have “molested hundreds” – to West Virginia where he worked for years among especially vulnerable families.
No rational person thinks a three hour road trip cures pedophilia. Msgr. McCaa no doubt assaulted West Virginia kids too. So current Altoona Bishop Mark Bartchak must do all he can to try to find and console and compensate Msgr. McCaa’s victims in West Virginia. That’s the bare minimum moral obligation he faces.
If Bartchak’s predecessor burned down a church, Bartchak would rebuild it. If Bartchack’s predecessor made terrible investments, Bartchak would re-invest. So since Bartchak’s predecessor enabled a predator to hurt kids, Bartchak must try to find and help them.
Why wouldn’t Bartchack do this? Because he values his personal comfort more than the pain of abuse victims? Because he values his diocese’s wealth more than the still-deep suffering of boys and girls who were assaulted by an Altoona priest?
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.