ABUSE TRACKER

A digest of links to media coverage of clergy abuse. For recent coverage listed in this blog, read the full article in the newspaper or other media source by clicking “Read original article.” For earlier coverage, click the title to read the original article.

January 31, 2019

ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN ANTONIO

GUADALAJARA (MEXICO)
Archdiocese of San Antonio [San Antonio TX]

January 31, 2019

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iV en, Holy Spirit, Ven!

“Even if it was just one priest who abused a boy or a girl, this is atrocious, because that man was chosen by God. It is most scandalous, because the Church should bring people to God and not destroy them.” – Pope Francis

January 31, 2019
To all in the Archdiocese of San Antonio,
As I write these words I am deeply aware of, piercing my body and to the depth of my soul, the bitter wind that has been sweeping through the Church, causing turmoil, confusion, and anger. Allegations of clerical sexual misconduct and mishandling of some of these cases by bishops are tearing the Church apart, and the challenge for us as Church is to renew our commitment to holiness and justice. We are to bring reconciliation and conversion to our communities of faith as we become instruments of light for the world.


A report such as the one I release to you with this letter brings tension and pain. But as I reflect on this action, I am also filled with serenity and peace. I know the Holy Spirit is leading these efforts at renewal and reflection as we move forward in faith and love as an archdiocese. Hope never dies, it keeps us on the move. We experience darkness at night, but in the morning we enjoy the sumise and a new dawn. Light overcomes the darkness.
Last fall we began the work to research and develop this report, and releasing it does not bring an end to this work; it will continue. We know there is still work to be done. We have made meaningful progress, especially since the establishment of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in the Church, which was promulgated in 2002. I believe that this report is a sign that the commitments made in the 2002 Charter were necessary and continue to make a positive impact on ensuring the faithfulness of the leadership of the Church.

During each Mass, in the Eucharistic prayer before humble gifts of bread and wine are miraculously transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, the priest says the words, “It is truly right and just.” What we are doing here is also, “truly right and just,” most especially for the survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. I pray that this report will help survivors who have ignored or even rejected by their family or by the Church. I pray that they will find peace.
I would like to thank the members of the independent Lay Commission, led by Judge Catherine Stone, who have spent many hours reviewing our files and our procedures. I am grateful for their time and expertise, and I look forward to reading and implementing the recommendations that they will make in their own report. I also express my profound gratitude to the members of the Archdiocesan Review Board and its predecessor, the Crisis Intervention Committee, for their decades of hard work, and to the laity, who have brought to me their comments and ideas concerning the handling of clerical sexual abuse allegations.

In the spirit of the penitential liturgy which we will celebrate together this weekend, our deacons and priests are owning the sins and failures of the church, and recommitting themselves to serve the people of God in courage and fidelity.


With the transparency and reckoning that comes with this report, I desire that all in church leadership, and in particular my brother priests, will find a renewed call to service, love, and holiness.


I ask our Blessed Mother may she help us — just as she took care of Jesus — that she will help the Church to take care of all our little ones.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us; St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us.

Report on Child Sexual Abuse by Clergy
in the Archdiocese of San Antonio
With this report, the Archdiocese of San Antonio seeks to present a transparent account of clergy sexual abuse of children in our local church from 1940 to the present. The Archdiocese further seeks to express regret and apologize for the failings and sins that have hurt the Church so deeply, especially in our most vulnerable members. The Archdiocese especially asks forgiveness for the failings of those who have held positions of leadership in the Church. Many allegations described below cannot be positively confirmed, and it is difficult to fully understand and accurately judge the history summarized in this report. Nevertheless, we believe that it is critically important for us to acknowledge this history and the pain that it has caused. After much prayerful discernment, and bearing consciously the burden of anger and shame accumulated over the last 79 years, the Archdiocese makes this report praying that those who are suffering will be able to hear this as a sincere apology.


Purpose of the Report
This report is published with three goals in mind. The Archdiocese seeks to offer public support to those who have survived clergy sexual abuse as children. The Archdiocese hopes, through transparency, to more fully address the findings identified in this report. Finally, the Archdiocese strives to share with all of the faithful the painful truths found in this report in order to invite our entire Church to more authentic holiness.

As the Archdiocese presents this report to the parishes and the faithful of the Church in San Antonio, we address especially those who are survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Our shared responsibility and care must be for each survivor who was sexually abused as a child by an adult who violated a sacred religious trust. Those who choose to read this report after being sexually abused by a priest or deacon may find wounds opened and need additional counseling or therapeutic support. The Archdiocese wants to support you through the Office of Victim Assistance and Safe Environment. Even through the pain, the Archdiocese hopes that you will hear our concern for you, that your healing is important to us, and that we are sorry for the pain that you suffer.


As a Church, we have made meaningful progress, especially since 2002, dealing appropriately with clergy sexual abuse of children. This report shows this progress in the Archdiocese, but there is still significant work to be done. With the transparency and reckoning that this report offers, the Archdiocese desires that all church leadership, and in particular the clergy, will find a renewed calling to service, love, and holiness. There is no room in Christ’s Church for unfit leaders who, as the prophet Ezekiel admonished, trample the pastures and muddy the waters for the flock they are called to lead (34:19). May those who lead in the Archdiocese continually commit themselves to follow the Lord who came to serve and not to be served, and may we follow the example of the early leaders of the Church whose only benefit in service was the opportunity to spend their lives and die giving witness to our Savior Jesus Christ.

As Christ’s faithful people read and hear of this report, it will certainly be a source of pain and embarrassment. The Archdiocese apologizes for the lack of faith that we have placed in you, doubting that your own faith was strong enough to withstand the dark truth of clergy sexual abuse of children which has happened in our community. To be authentically Catholic will be to integrate this painful truth into our understanding of faith and community, and will help us all to recognize the needs of survivors of child sexual abuse in our Church. May we all be grateful to God for the graces and sacraments we have received, in spite of the failings we come to know in some of the ministers of God’s grace. Even as we and the gospel demand and support greater personal holiness from those who lead our Church, with open eyes and hearts, may we also recognize and address every injustice that we witness.


Geographic and Chronological Scope of Report
This report identifies all known allegations of clergy sexual abuse of minors in the Archdiocese since 1940, not only credible allegations. In a few cases, where the allegation was found not to be credible, the allegations were identified without naming the clerics who were accused. Between 1940 and 2019, a few more than 3,000 priests have ministered in the Archdiocese. Over this period of time, the geographic area entrusted to the pastoral care of the archbishop of San Antonio has changed as the Catholic population in South-Central Texas has grown. The Dioceses of Victoria and Laredo have been entrusted with the pastoral care of regions that were originally within the Archdiocese.

The Archdiocese currently provides pastoral leadership for parishes in the Texas counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Medina, McMullen, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Wilson.


Prior to the formation of the Diocese of Laredo on July 3, 2000, the Archdiocese additionally provided pastoral leadership for parishes in the following Texas counties: Dimmit, a portion of La Salle, Maverick, and Zavala.
Prior to the formation of the Diocese of Victoria on May 28, 1982, the Archdiocese additionally provided pastoral leadership for parishes in the following Texas counties: Calhoun, Colorado, Dewitt, Fayette, Jackson, Lavaca, a portion of Matagorda, Victoria, and a portion of Wharton.


There are also several overlapping or personal jurisdictions located within the geographic territory of the Archdiocese. St. George in San Antonio is a Maronite Catholic parish for members of the Maronite Catholic Church. It is under the pastoral leadership of the Eparchy (Diocese) of Our Lady of Lebanon which leads Maronite parishes in the western part of the United States. In March 1985, the Archdiocese for the Military Services was established and it took jurisdiction over the chapels on the military installations in the Archdiocese. On March 3, 2017, Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, which offers pastoral leadership for former Anglicans in the United States and Canada.

This report will identify assignments of clergy accused of sexual abuse of children and allegations of clergy sexual abuse of children alleged to have taken place within the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of San Antonio at the time the abuse was alleged to have occurred. This may include assignments and parishes that are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese. Assignments are reported as accurately as possible based on archdiocesan files. Additional assignment information can be found in the annual Official Catholic Directory published by P. J. Kenedy & Sons.


Religious Priests and Diocesan Priests from other Jurisdictions
It is helpful to understand that the archbishop does not have the same authority over all priests assigned within the Archdiocese. Priests can be diocesan priests of the Archdiocese, diocesan priests from another diocese, or priest members of a religious order. This will affect who has jurisdiction over them in church matters. The Archdiocese expresses gratitude for the effective pastoral partnership that San Antonio has enjoyed with many religious communities and many dioceses who have allowed their priests to serve here.

Some priests are diocesan priests who have been incardinated into (been ordained for or joined) the Archdiocese. They promise obedience to the archbishop, and he is their superior in matters of religious life and discipline. Many of these priests also are assigned to minister within the Archdiocese, and the archbishop has authority over their public ministry as well. He is responsible for investigating any allegations of child sexual abuse made against them, for removing their faculties to minister as a priest, and for referring any case against them to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican for possible laicization (removal from the clerical state).


Some priests are diocesan priests on loan from another diocese. Insofar as these priests are assigned by the archbishop to some public ministry within the Archdiocese, the archbishop has authority over their public ministry. Their own bishop continues to be their superior in matters of religious life and discipline. Their promise of obedience remains with their own bishop, not the archbishop of San Antonio. For just cause, the archbishop can withdraw a diocesan assignment or remove authority for a priest from another diocese to exercise public ministry here, but all investigations or disciplinary action within the Church must be taken by his own bishop.

Some priests ministering or living within the Archdiocese are members of religious communities and are often referred to as order priests. These priests have a religious superior within their religious community to whom they have made a promise or vow of obedience. Their superior in the religious community continues to be their superior in matters of religious life and discipline. When a religious priest is assigned to priestly ministry within the Archdiocese, the archbishop has authority over his public ministry. For just cause, the archbishop can withhold or withdraw authority for an order priest to exercise public ministry or withhold or withdraw a diocesan assignment, but this restriction does not apply to ministry exercised within houses of the religious community. For most grave causes, the archbishop can also prohibit an order priest from residing in the Archdiocese, if the religious superior neglects to take appropriate action when informed of the grave cause. Additionally, all investigations or disciplinary action within the church involving an order priest must be taken by his own religious superior.

For the purposes of this report, while other dioceses and religious communities were consulted about the cases involving their members or former members, the decision to include the identity of clerics accused of child sexual abuse in this report was the sole decision of the Archdiocese, in consultation with the Archdiocesan Review Board, and was not the decision of any other diocese or any religious community.

Methodology of the Report and Standard of Proof
Contained in this report is every allegation known to the Archdiocese since 1940 that a clergy member (any Catholic bishop, priest, or deacon) sexually abused a minor within the territory of the Archdiocese. For the purposes of this report, the type of conduct understood to be “sexual abuse of a minor” is defined in the following chapters of the Texas Penal Code:
Chapter 20A: Human trafficking offenses
Chapter 21: Abuse of a Child, Public Lewdness, Indecent Exposure, Bestiality, Indecency with a Child, Improper Relationship between Educator and Child, Invasive Visual Recording, Unlawful Disclosure or Promotion of Intimate Visual Material, and VoyeurismChapter 22: Sexual Assault, Aggravated Sexual Assault
Chapter 43: Obscene Display or Distribution, Obscenity, Sale, Distribution, or Display of Harmful Material to a Minor, Sexual Performance by a Child, Employment Harmful to Children, Possession or Promotion of Child Pornography, Electronic Transmission of Certain Visual Material Depicting Minor, and Possession or Promotion of Lewd Visual Material Depicting Child

In every case that the allegation against the cleric has been found to be credible, the cleric is identified by name in this report. A “credible allegation” is one that, after review of reasonably available, relevant information in consultation with the Archdiocesan Review Board or other professionals, there is reason to believe it is true. In some cases, clerics are identified by name in this report even though the allegation against them has not been determined to be a credible allegation. The names of clerics are included when their identities have already been made public, even when the report states that the allegations have been found not to be credible. In many cases, allegations against deceased priests have been published in this report with the identity of the priest on the strength of the uncorroborated statement of the abuse survivor. At times this report identifies a higher level of certainty that the abuse occurred, such as criminal conviction, admission of guilt, or a determination after an investigation that there is sufficient evidence to refer the allegation to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith seeking the laicization of the cleric (removal from the clerical state). As used in the Archdiocese, this standard of proof used in an ecclesiastical penal process, “sufficient evidence,” meets the same standard as for a “credible allegation” described above.

In addition to allegations of clergy sexual abuse of children, this report seeks to offer some context for the allegations of abuse. It specifically records decisions made by those in positions of leadership within the Archdiocese related to child sexual abuse.

Methodology for Investigations
This report covers many decades, and over these years the methodology for investigating allegations has changed from time to time. Currently, there is a clear process for investigating allegations of child sexual abuse made against clergy.


When an allegation of child sexual abuse is made against a member of the clergy, the chair of the Archdiocesan Review Board is notified without delay. If the person against whom the allegation is made is alive, law enforcement is also promptly notified. In most cases, the law enforcement notified is the appropriate district attorney. If the victim is still a minor, notification is also made to Child Protective Services. If the cleric is a member of the Archdiocese, the review board meets to determine if there is a semblance of truth to the allegation (if it is possible that the alleged abuse occurred). If it is found that there is, the Board advises the archbishop to open a preliminary canonical investigation. The Board also considers whether the cleric is in a ministry setting that may pose any risk to children. If it is determined that he may be, the Board advises the archbishop to remove him from ministry during the preliminary investigation.

Whenever the Archdiocesan Review Board determines that an investigation is appropriate, the Board uses the services of a licensed private investigation firm, led by a retired agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. When the investigation is concluded, the Archdiocesan Review Board determines if there is sufficient evidence that the abuse occurred to refer the allegation to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The standard for sufficient evidence that the Archdiocesan Review Board uses is that of a “credible allegation” described above. If this standard is met, the Board advises the archbishop, who then notifies the public of the allegation and removes the cleric from all ministry, prohibiting him from presenting himself as a priest. Finally, the archbishop refers the matter to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for possible laicization (removal from the clerical state).
In cases where the cleric is not under the jurisdiction of the archbishop, the matter is referred to the proper jurisdiction (other diocese or religious community) and the Review Board makes recommendations to the archbishop related to removal from ministry and notifying the affected communities. If the cleric is deceased, the Review Board makes recommendations to the archbishop related to notifying the affected communities.
Since the Archdiocesan Review Board was formed in response to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the archbishops of San Antonio have, in every case, accepted and followed the recommendations of the Archdiocesan Review Board.

Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Clergy
The Archdiocese is grateful to each survivor for bringing forward his or her allegation. We are especially grateful for the courage that has made it possible to identify and remove from ministry clerics who have abused children. The Archdiocese is grateful to have assisted many survivors with counseling or therapy and pastoral support.
It is possible that other incidences of clergy sexual abuse of children have occurred and the Archdiocese is not aware of them, either because a report has not yet been made to the Archdiocese, or because a report was made but no record of the report was kept.


If you are aware of anyone who has suffered child sexual abuse, please report it to law enforcement authorities and to the Archdiocesan Office of Victim Assistance and Safe Environment at (210) 734-7786 or (877) 700-1888.
If the Archdiocese can be of assistance to you in your healing process, please contact Steve Martinez, LCSW, LSOTP, director of the Office of Victim Assistance and Safe Environment at (210) 734-7786 or (877) 700-1888.


Allegations of Abuse by Decade When the Abuse was Alleged to have Occurred
2010-2019

No one has alleged that between 2010 and 2019 they were sexually abused by a clergy member in the Archdiocese.
2000-2009


Fiala, John (SOLT) – 1 allegation
John Fiala was a priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity seeking to join the Archdiocese. From 2005-2008, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Anthony in Harper and to Sacred Heart of Mary in Rocksprings and its mission churches in Leakey and Camp Wood. Family members of the survivor reported suspicious behavior by Fiala to the Archdiocese in 2008. This led to a criminal investigation involving allegations of interference in the custody of a minor. Child sexual abuse was established against him through a criminal trial, and Fiala died in prison in 2017. The Archdiocese determined that the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity withheld information about a prior allegation of sexual abuse of a minor made against Fiala when recommending him for ministry here, and as a direct consequence, no members of the society are allowed to exercise any priestly ministry within the Archdiocese.

Sieczynski, Jerzy – 1 allegation (possession of child pornography)
Jerzy Sieczynski was ordained a priest in 2000 for the Archdiocese. From 2000-2003, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Matthew in San Antonio. He was removed from this assignment and his faculties for priestly ministry were removed in 2003, after an allegation of indecent exposure (not involving a minor.) In 2004, child pornography was found on his computer. This was established in a criminal trial, and he served three years in prison. Sieczynski is listed in the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry, has been permanently restricted from exercising any ministry, and is not authorized to publicly present himself as a priest.

1990-1999
Aviles, Jose – 1 allegation
Jose Aviles was ordained a priest in 1990 for the Archdiocese. From 1990-2004, he was assigned in the Archdiocese as chaplain to the Catholic Community on Scouting, as vocation director, to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, and to St. Joseph South San. In 2003, it was alleged that Aviles sexually abused a minor teenage boy in 1984 or 1985 (before Aviles was ordained a priest). Aviles was removed from ministry in 2004, and the public was notified of the cause. After he was removed, also in 2004, it was alleged that he sexually abused a minor teenage boy in 1994. The San Antonio Police Department was notified of this allegation. The abuse was well enough established to keep him permanently removed from ministry until his death in 2008.


Clerx, Theo (CICM) – 7 allegations
Theo Clerx was a priest of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. From 1960-1992, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Jude in San Antonio, to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall, to St. Joseph in Devine, and to St. John Berchmans in San Antonio. He also lived in the Archdiocese in retirement without assignment from 1992-2002. In 2002, it was alleged that he sexually abused a child in the early 1960’s and the San Antonio Police Department was notified of the allegation. Clerx admitted to this abuse. In 2011, after his death, six additional allegations of child sexual abuse were made, dating to the 1990’s. Clerx died in 2003.

Davila, John – 2 allegations
John Davila was ordained a priest in 1984 for the Archdiocese. From 1984-1993, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs, to St. James in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Peace in Kenedy, to St. Cecilia in San Antonio, to Holy Family in San Antonio, and as a rural youth retreat moderator. On December 24, 1993, the Archdiocese was notified by law enforcement of allegations that Davila sexually abused two girls. He was suspended from his assignment as pastor and from priestly ministry and the archbishop informed Sacred Heart Parish in Uvalde of the allegations and suspension the following weekend. Davila pleaded guilty and was given a seven year probated sentence. He was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 1999.


Lozano, Carlos (OMI) – 7 allegations
Carlos Lozano was ordained a priest in 1993 for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. From 1993-1994, he was assigned by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to their high school seminary, St. Anthony, in San Antonio. While there, it was alleged that he sexually abused several students. The abuse was established through a criminal conviction, which ultimately led to a 20-year prison sentence. Lozano was dismissed from the clerical and religious states in 2003. He died in prison.

Orr, James – allegations of abuse that predate his ordination
James Orr was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese in 1997. From 1997-2016, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio. In 1992 or 1993, a child alleged that Orr, then a volunteer in the same parish, had sexually molested him in the neighborhood pool. In 2016, the then pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement, Fr. Christopher Phillips, acknowledged that he had received the complaint and had investigated it, finding it to be without basis. He did not inform the archbishop of the allegation, either at the time it was made or later when recommending Orr for ordination to the permanent diaconate. In 2007, a victim alleged that Orr had attempted to sexually abuse him in approximately 1995, also prior to Orr’s ordination. In December 2015, the Archdiocese was contacted by a psychologist who stated that her client had given her permission to inform the Archdiocese that he and another survivor had been sexually abused as children in the 1990’s by Orr. Shortly after this, Orr requested retirement and resigned from all active ministry. The Archdiocese accepted his resignation and forbade him from functioning or presenting himself as a deacon. In 2017, a civil demand was made by a survivor alleging sexual abuse in approximately 1993. Beginning in 2007, the Archdiocese notified the Bexar County District Attorney’s office of all known allegations of child sexual abuse made against Orr. While the reports refer to child sexual abuse alleged to have occurred before Orr’s ordination, the Archdiocese found the abuse survivors credible and forbade Orr from exercising any future ministry, notifying the community of these allegations so that the Archdiocese can assist any other survivors with counseling or pastoral care. Orr died in 2019.

Ortiz Dietz, Javier – 16 allegations
Javier Ortiz-Dietz was ordained a priest in 1978 for the Archdiocese. From 1979-1992, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Joseph in Yoakum, to St. Gregory in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart of Mary in Rocksprings and its mission churches in Leakey and Camp Wood, to Our Lady Queen of Heaven in Macdona, and to Sacred Heart in Von Ormy. The first allegations were made against Ortiz-Dietz in 1992, and he was removed from ministry and sent for psychiatric treatment. In 1993, he was indicted for abusing three boys over a two year period and in 1994 he was convicted and sentenced to three concurrently running twenty year jail sentences. He was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 2005, while still in prison. In 2014, he was released from prison and deported to Mexico. In order to better ensure that Ortiz-Dietz not fraudulently present himself as a priest in Mexico, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, MSpS proactively sent notice in 2015 of Ortiz-Dietz’ laicization to the Bishops’ Conference in Mexico and to the archbishop of Puebla, Mexico, where the Archdiocese believes Ortiz-Dietz is living. With this report, the Archdiocese acknowledges that Archbishop Patrick F. Flores had access to a prior seminary report which indicated in relation to Ortiz-Dietz: “The following are among the more serious personality traits that were found: marked sexual conflict, hypocrisy, defense mechanisms, desires of appearing different than he really is, puritanical attitudes, distortion of reality, obsessive manias, pronounced paranoid characteristics, delusions of grandeur, vanity and narcissism.”

Ozzimo, Anthony (SJ) – 1 allegation
Anthony Ozzimo was a priest of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). From 1987-1994, he was assigned within the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio. In 1995, a woman alleged that Ozzimo had sexually abused her daughter, a child, during the early 1990’s. She also notified the San Antonio Police Department, but no indictment was brought. In 2016, the survivor, now an adult, brought the same allegation herself. The Archdiocese notified the Bexar County District Attorney’s office of the 2016 allegation when it was made, including with our report the information available from 1995. Ozzimo ceased functioning as a priest in 1995 when he was granted a leave of absence from the Jesuits; Ozzimo left the Jesuits in 1998 for unrelated reasons. The Jesuit USA Central and Southern Province was unable to determine that the allegation was credible, based on available information. The Province finds an allegation credible when an investigation concludes that the alleged offense had probably occurred, even though it could not be proved with absolute certainty. Nevertheless, the Archdiocese includes it here in case there are any other survivors for whom the Archdiocese can offer pastoral support or counseling.

1980-1989
Contreras, Jose Luis (CMF) – 1 allegation
Jose Luis Contreras was ordained a priest in Mexico as a member of the Claretians in 1967. From 1983-1988, he was assigned in the Archdiocese of San Antonio to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, to St. Jude in San Antonio, and to Methodist Hospital as a Chaplain. In 1987, it was alleged that he inappropriately touched a 17-year-old male patient’s genitals. His assignment was terminated and he was sent for psychiatric evaluation and treatment. In 1988, on completion of his treatment, his faculties to exercise priestly ministry in San Antonio were removed and he stated that he was returning to Guadalajara to live with his sister. The Archdiocese has not been in contact with him since 1988 and has not been able to locate him in preparing this report.


Fernandez Baeza, Federico (OFM) – 8 allegations
Federico Fernandez Baeza is a Franciscan priest who at the time of the alleged abuse was a member of the Chicago-St. Louis Province of the Franciscans. From 1981-1987, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Leonard in San Antonio and to St. Clare in San Antonio. In 1983, it was reported that he exposed himself at a public pool to two teenage girls. Beginning in 1987, six allegations were brought forward alleging child sexual abuse between 1984 and 1987. In 1988, Fernandez was indicted on two criminal counts of indecency with a child, with contact, but the charges were later dropped. The Chicago-St. Louis Province of the Franciscans removed him from San Antonio at the request of the archbishop in 1987, but he was later found to be ministering in Bogota, Colombia. Baeza was removed from ministry there in 2015 and his case was referred to the Vatican by the Franciscan leadership in Colombia. Based on records available, the Archdiocese believes these allegations to be credible. From newspaper reports it appears that the Archdiocese took two months to report two 1987 allegations to law enforcement and were not specific in its reporting. In response, the newly formed Crisis Intervention Committee (a precursor to the Archdiocesan Review Board that helped the archbishop with allegations of child sexual abuse) met with Children’s Protective Services to discuss proper procedures for reporting allegations of child sexual abuse. In 1989, Child Protective Services led a workshop for priests working in the Archdiocese in order to assist with proper reporting in subsequent allegations.

Garcia, Richard – 1 allegation
Richard Garcia was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1974. From 1974-1985, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Sacred Heart in San Antonio, to St. Cornelius in Karnes City, to St. Timothy in San Antonio, to St. Patrick in Bloomington, and to St. Jude in San Antonio. He died in 1985. After his death, a civil demand was made related to an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. The Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.


Gomez, Ramon – 3 allegations
Ramon Gomez was a priest of the Diocese of Tapachula, Mexico. From 1984-1987, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Matthew in Jourdanton and to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs. In 1987, he was asked to leave the Archdiocese after law enforcement from California informed the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe of allegations of child sexual abuse against Gomez in California. He moved to Jalisco, Mexico, but continued to visit Carrizo Springs without faculties to exercise priestly ministry, in spite of the protests of the pastor and a letter from Archbishop Flores to the bishop of Tapachula. In 1991, a teenager reported during a retreat that he and two other minor teenagers had been abused by Gomez during one of his visits to Carrizo Springs. Law enforcement was informed, and the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible. The Archdiocese has not been able to locate Gomez in preparing this report.

Gonzalez Zumaya, Benigno David – 9 allegations
David Gonzalez-Zumaya was ordained a priest in 1977 for the Archdiocese. From 1977-1998, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Sorrows in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, to St. Patrick in Batesville, to Sacred Heart in Crystal City, to St. Gregory the Great in San Antonio, to San Fernando Cathedral, to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs, to St. Mary Magdalene in Brackettville, to St Joseph in Nixon, and to St. Philip in Smiley. In 1997, a survivor alleged that he had been sexually abused as a minor teenager by Gonzalez-Zumaya in 1982. The Archdiocese found the allegation to be credible and Gonzalez-Zumaya was removed from ministry in 1997. In 1998, he was retired without faculties to exercise priestly ministry in the Archdiocese, and he left the country to return to his native home of Guadalajara, Mexico. Since then, eight additional allegations of abuse by Gonzalez-Zumaya have been made, all dating to the 1970’s and 1980’s. He was allowed by the archbishop of Guadalajara to exercise priestly ministry without an assignment from 1999-2000. In 2008, the Archdiocese notified the public of an allegation made against Gonzalez-Zumaya, and stated that he was no longer in ministry. While the last record we have of Gonzalez-Zumaya having authorization to exercise ministry was 2000, we cannot be certain that he was not exercising any ministry in 2008. Gonzalez-Zumaya died in 2013.

Khoury, James – 1 allegation
James Khoury was ordained a priest in 1975 for the Eparchy (similar to a diocese) of St. Maron in the Maronite Catholic Church. From 1977-1985, he was assigned by the Maronite Eparch to St. George Maronite Church in San Antonio. From 1981-1983, he held the position of president of Antonian High School without compensation. In the mid 1980’s, a survivor made an allegation to the Eparchy of St. Maron that Khoury had sexually abused him as a student at Antonian High School. The survivor entered into a settlement with Khoury in 1985, and the Eparchy removed him from the San Antonio area. The survivor brought the allegation to the Archdiocese in 2004, and subsequently brought a lawsuit against the Archdiocese that was dismissed in 2006. Nevertheless, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible. Khoury died in 2016.


Martinez, Mario – 3 allegations
Mario Martinez was ordained a priest in 1977 in Mexico for the Archdiocese. In 1977, he was assigned to minister in the Archdiocese to Immaculate Conception in San Antonio and to Sacred Heart in Floresville. From there he left in 1977, without permission, saying that he was going to take care of his sick mother in Mexico. He returned in 1984 and was assigned to a convent of religious sisters. In 1985, he was sent for treatment for alcoholism. He left the treatment center without authorization and returned to San Antonio. While the Archdiocese was making arrangements for him to return to treatment, it was alleged that he sexually abused a child. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he returned to Mexico without authorization. The archbishop removed all his faculties for priestly ministry and he died in Mexico in 1994. Beginning in 2008, two additional allegations of child sexual abuse were made against Martinez, and while Martinez was deceased at the time of these allegations, the Archdiocese found the survivors to be credible.

Miller, Charles, SM – 1 allegation
Charles Miller was ordained a priest for the Marianist community in 1964. From 1980-1999, and from 2003-2007, Miller was assigned by his community to a teaching position at St. Mary’s University. In 2007, a woman alleged that Miller had sexually abused her in 1980 when she was a minor teenager. In 2007, the Marianist provincial copied the archbishop on a letter identifying that the allegation had been deemed credible by the Marianist provincial administration. In the same letter, the provincial notified Miller that he was suspending him from all ministry as a priest.

Pavlicek, Edward – 1 allegation
Edward Pavlicek was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1983. From 1983-2018, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to St. Leo in San Antonio, to St. Benedict in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Floresville, to St. Mary in Somerset, to Good Shepherd in Schertz with its mission church in Marion, and to St. Thomas the Apostle in Canyon Lake. In 2018, the Archdiocese was informed of an allegation of child sexual abuse against Pavlicek, made by the abuse survivor. The abuse was alleged to have occurred between 1986 and 1988. The Archdiocese notified the Bexar County District Attorney’s office of the allegation. The Archdiocesan Review Board found that the allegation had an appearance of truth and recommended that the Archdiocese conduct a canonical investigation into the abuse. At the conclusion of this investigation, it was determined that there was sufficient evidence that the abuse occurred for the Archdiocese to refer the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for possible laicization (removal from the clerical state). Archbishop Gustavo made this referral and additionally prohibited Pavlicek from exercising any priestly ministry or presenting himself as a priest.


Prado, Alfredo (OMI) – 5 allegations
Alfredo Prado was a priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. From 1959-1983, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Good Council in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Del Rio, to St. Timothy in San Antonio, and to the Oblate high school seminary, St. Anthony, in San Antonio. He also lived in the Archdiocese without assignment from 1990-1999. Beginning in 2002, five survivors alleged that they had been abused by Prado between 1965 and 1980. There was sufficient evidence that he sexually abused minors that he was dismissed from the Oblates in 2004 and dismissed from the clerical state in 2006.


White, Louis – 10 allegations
Louis White was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1975. From 1975-1980, from 1981-1986, and from 1987-1988, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Floresville, to St. Joseph in Yoakum, to Notre Dame in Kerrville, to San Fernando Cathedral, to St. Luke in Loire, and to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio. In 1980, White was reported to the Archdiocese for sexually abusing a child and he was sent for psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Upon completing the program of treatment, he was reassigned to ministry in 1981 and thereafter was again found to have sexually abused a child. He was then sent a second time for psychiatric evaluation and treatment in 1986. He completed this treatment in 1987 and from 1987-1988, he was again assigned to ministry with restrictions that he not be involved in activities with youth or young adults. The Archdiocese found the allegations against White to be credible, and in 1989 White was laicized (removed from the clerical state) by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Wilwerding, Albert – 1 allegation
Albert Wilwerding was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa in 1956. From 1982-1984, he resided in the Archdiocese without formal assignment. He was engaged in studies during some of this time. He also assisted with Masses and for some of the time lived at St. Alphonsus in San Antonio. In 1984, he was investigated by the San Antonio Police Department for sexually assaulting an adult male. At that time he was sent for psychiatric treatment by his bishop to New Mexico. Wilwerding died in 2004. In 2018, a concerned woman alleged that her deceased husband had witnessed Wilwerding sexually abusing a minor teenage boy in 1983 or 1984 when the husband went to do work at Wilwerding’s house. She further alleged that she had notified Archbishop Flores of this at the time and that she notified the police. While the Archdiocese does not have a record of her making a report in 1983 or 1984, in light of prior child sexual abuse allegations that the Archdiocese has since become aware of in Des Moines, the Archdiocese found the woman to be credible.


1970-1979

Behnke, Thomas (OCD) – 1 allegation
Thomas Behnke was a priest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. He lived in the Archdiocese from 1950-1978 and from 1989-1992. He was assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Térèse in San Antonio and to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall. In 2017, a survivor alleged that he had been sexually abused as a child by Behnke in the 1970’s. Behnke died in 2008. While the allegation of abuse in San Antonio was made after his death, the Archdiocese has been aware, since 2009, of allegations made against Behnke in Dallas. The Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.

Connell, David – 2 allegations
David Connell was a priest who incardinated into (joined) the Archdiocese from the New York Province of the Carmelite Fathers in 1980. From 1976-1995, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Antonian High School as instructor, vice-principal, and principal and to St. Thomas More in San Antonio. In 1976, a student from Nativity High School in Pottsville, Pennsylvania alleged that Connell made a sexual advance toward him, which the victim rejected. The same year the Diocese of Allenstown terminated their contract with the Carmelite Fathers and Connell sought an assignment in San Antonio. Aware of the allegation and Connell’s denial of the allegation, Archbishop Francis Furey assigned Connell in San Antonio. Current archdiocesan administrators became aware of this allegation when the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report identified different allegations of child sexual abuse against Connell made in 2002. After the affected communities in San Antonio (including the alumni of Antonian College Preparatory High School) were notified in 2018, two San Antonio survivors came forward to inform the Archdiocese of additional incidences of child sexual abuse perpetrated by Connell. The Archdiocese found these survivors to be credible. Connell died in 1995.


Gomez, Francisco (OFM Conv) – 1 allegation
Francisco Gomez was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1976. From 1976-1980 and from 1988-1991, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to San Juan de los Lagos in San Antonio, to Immaculate Conception in San Antonio, and to Holy Family in San Antonio. He joined the Conventual Franciscan Order in 1980 and died in 1998. In 2004, a survivor alleged that in the late 1970’s, Gomez, while still a priest of the Archdiocese, sexually abused him when he was a minor teenager. While the allegation was made after Gomez’ death, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.

Harrold, Michael – 1 allegation
Michael Harrold was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1950. From 1950-1982, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Mary’s in Victoria, to Our Lady of Grace in La Coste, to St. Anthony in Palacios, to St. Cecilia in San Antonio, to St. Patrick in Bloomington, to St. Joseph High School in Victoria, to Our Lady of Victory in Victoria, and as a campus minister for Victoria Junior College and for the University of Houston Victoria Campus. In 1982, the Diocese of Victoria was established and he became a priest of that diocese. Harrold died in 2015. In 2018, it was alleged that he sexually abused a minor teenage girl in the 1970’s. While the allegation was made after Harrold’s death, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.


Hernandez Gonzalez, Antonio (OMI) – 1 allegation
Antonio Hernandez Gonzalez was a priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. From 1974-1980, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Patrick in Sabinal, to St. Joseph in Knippa, to Our Lady of Refuge in Eagle Pass, to St. Joseph in Eagle Pass, and as a chaplain to Baptist Memorial Hospital in San Antonio. In 2003, a survivor alleged that Hernandez sexually abused her when she was a minor teenage girl in the 1970’s. Hernandez admitted to this abuse. He had been laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 1987 and died on December 2, 2016.


Hernandez, Lawrence (OSST) – 2 allegations
Lawrence Hernandez was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1978. From 1978-1984, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. James in Gonzalez and its mission churches in Gonzalez and Waelder, to San Fernando Cathedral, and to St. Paul in San Antonio. In 1985, he left the Archdiocese and joined the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. In 2008, a survivor alleged that Hernandez had sexually abused him as a child in 1978. A second allegation was made following the Archdiocese notifying the community and inviting other survivors to come forward. The Archdiocese informed the Bexar County District Attorney’s office of the allegations. The Trinitarians removed him from ministry in 2008 and after a preliminary investigation found sufficient evidence that the abuse occurred to refer the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. As a result of this process, the Trinitarians permanently reaffirmed that Hernandez was prohibited from exercising any public ministry and from presenting himself as a priest. They also placed him under supervision. He has since left the Trinitarian community and has no faculties to exercise priestly ministry and no authorization to present himself as a priest or as a Trinitarian.

Kenny, Michael – 1 allegation
Michael Kenny was ordained a priest in Ireland for the Archdiocese in 1973. From 1973-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio, to St. Luke in San Antonio, to Resurrection of the Lord in San Antonio, and to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio. In 2000, a survivor alleged that he had sexually abused her when she was a minor teenager in the 1970’s. The Archdiocese found the survivor’s allegation to be credible. Kenny was removed from priestly ministry in 2000. He has no faculties to exercise any priestly ministry and has been prohibited from presenting himself as a priest. As a result of the recent review conducted in preparing this report, the Archdiocesan Review Board determined that there was sufficient evidence that the abuse occurred to recommend that the Archdiocese refer the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for possible laicization (removal from the clerical state). Archbishop Gustavo has since made this referral.


MacArthur, Bruce – 1 allegation
Bruce MacArthur was ordained a priest in 1953 for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From 1979-1984, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. James in San Antonio and to St. Dominic in San Antonio. In 2004, a survivor reported that she had been abused as a child at St. James Parish in the late 1970’s. The Archdiocese found her to be credible in her allegation that she was sexually abused, and in the investigation identified that MacArthur was at St. James during the reported timeframe, and that he had been convicted of attempted rape of a vulnerable adult prior to 1979, and of sexual intercourse with a child and indecent behavior with a child in Wisconsin in 2008. The latter conviction referred to abuse that occurred in the late 1960’s. MacArthur died in 2012. It is clear that Archbishop Flores knew of the attempted rape of the vulnerable adult when assigning MacArthur to minister in San Antonio. It is unclear if he was aware that MacArthur had abused children, and our records do not indicate that he had any communication with the Sioux Falls Diocese about MacArthur.

Martin, Alfred Harry – 1 allegation
Alfred Harry Martin was ordained a priest in 1966 for the Diocese of Belize in Belize. He was incardinated into (joined) the Archdiocese in 1977. From 1972-2002, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Agnes in Edna, to the Bexar County Jail as a chaplain, to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, to Christ the King in San Antonio, to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio, and to Audie Murphy Veteran’s Administration Hospital as a chaplain. In 2002, a survivor alleged that Martin had abused him as a minor teenager between 1975 and 1977. Martin voluntarily left priestly ministry when the allegation was made, and since 2002 has not had faculties to exercise any priestly ministry and has been prohibited from presenting himself as a priest. As a result of the recent review conducted in preparing this report, the Archdiocesan Review Board determined that there was sufficient evidence that the abuse occurred to recommend that the Archdiocese refer the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for possible laicization (removal from the clerical state). Archbishop Gustavo has since made this referral.

McMahon, Jon (OMI) – 2 allegations
Jon McMahon was a priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He was assigned by the Oblates to their high school seminary, St. Anthony, in San Antonio, during the 1970’s. The Oblates have identified that two credible allegations were made against McMahon. He was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 2002.


McNulty, Patrick (SM) – 1 allegation
Patrick McNulty was ordained a priest in 1966 for the Society of Mary (the Marianists). From 1966-1982, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Joseph High School in Victoria, to Holy Rosary in San Antonio, and to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Helotes. In 2002, a survivor alleged that McNulty sexually abused her in the 1970’s when she was a child. While McNulty died in 1984, prior to the allegation, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.


McSwiggan, Thomas Aquinas – 1 allegation
Thomas McSwiggan was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1967. From 1967-2005, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Cecilia in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Victory in Victoria, to Sts. Peter and Paul in New Braunfels, to St. Mary Magdalene in Brackettville, and to St. Patrick in San Antonio. In 2000, a survivor alleged that McSwiggan had sexually abused him when he was a minor teenager in the 1970’s. While the archdiocesan file does not have records to show that the allegation was resolved with clarity, the Archdiocese has no reason to doubt the survivor who brought forward this allegation. McSwiggan died in 2014.

Pantoja Segura, Eusebio (CMF) – 2 allegations
Eusebio Pantoja-Segura was ordained a priest in Mexico as a member of the Claretians in 1969. He lived in the Archdiocese in the early 1970’s and assisted with the Spanish Cursillo. In 2002, two survivors alleged that Pantoja-Segura had abused them as children in the early 1970’s. Pantoja-Segura is known to have abused children in other places. According to a recent report from Chicago, he was separated from the Claretians in 1973 and was removed from public ministry by the Diocese of Celaya, Mexico, in 2004. The Archdiocese found the survivors to be credible.


Sandoval, Jose Luis – 6 allegations
Jose Luis Sandoval was ordained a priest in Mexico in 1974 for the Archdiocese. From 1974-1998, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio (for Our Lady of Sorrows), to St. James in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Uvalde (for St. Patrick in Sabinal and St. Joseph in Knippa), to St. Patrick in Sabinal (when it became a parish separate from Sacred Heart), to St. Lawrence in San Antonio, and to St. Alphonsus in San Antonio. According to a 1985 letter written by a concerned parishioner, this parishioner had met in 1983 with Archbishop Flores, together with a minor teenage survivor of attempted sexual abuse by Sandoval, and the survivor’s father. In a 1993 review of files, this letter was discovered and the Crisis Intervention Committee (a precursor to the Archdiocesan Review Board that helped the archbishop with allegations of child sexual abuse) investigated the matter, as it was not clear that an investigation had been conducted in 1983 or 1985. This investigation resulted in Sandoval being sent for psychiatric evaluation and treatment from 1993-1994. Based on this evaluation and treatment, he was assigned to ministry again in 1994. In 1998, a survivor reported that he was sexually abused by Sandoval as a child between 1975 and 1977. He identified two additional survivors from the same timeframe. Rather than keep his appointment to meet with the archbishop following the allegation, Sandoval left the country without authorization and went to Guadalajara, Mexico. Archbishop Flores removed him from his assignment and prohibited him from exercising any priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. In spite of this, Archbishop Flores wrote a general letter of support for him in 2000, not indicating the cause of his absence from San Antonio. He was granted faculties to exercise priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Guadalajara until 2004, when the archbishop of Guadalajara also removed his faculties and prohibited him from exercising priestly ministry. In 2016, a survivor who had originally come forward in 2003 approached the Archdiocese to discuss his allegation that Sandoval had abused him as a minor teenager in 1976. In response to this allegation, the Archdiocese informed the appropriate law enforcement jurisdictions based on where the incidences of abuse were alleged to have occurred. On the recommendation of the Archdiocesan Review Board, an investigation was opened that determined that Sandoval is retired in Guadalajara, not exercising any priestly ministry. Because the investigation provided sufficient evidence that the abuse occurred, his case has been referred to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for possible laicization (removal from the clerical state).


Sprigler, William – 2 allegations
William Sprigler was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1975. From 1975-1976, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Mary in Fredericksburg and to St. Luke in San Antonio. In 1976, it was alleged that he abused two boys and was sent for psychiatric care to Via Coeli in New Mexico. The Archdiocese found this to be a credible allegation. After the attending psychiatrist determined that Sprigler was ready to return to ministry in 1978, he was granted an indefinite leave of absence to join the Servants of the Paraclete, the religious community which operated Via Coeli. In 2002, the Archdiocese became aware that Sprigler had not finished the process of joining the Servants of the Paraclete, but rather had been incardinated into (joined) the Diocese of New Ulm in Minnesota. In response to a 2002 inquiry from the Diocese of New Ulm, Msgr. Lawrence Stuebben, then-Vicar General of the Archdiocese, was unaware of the reason for Sprigler’s time at Via Coeli. In preparing for this report, the Archdiocese discovered the 1976 allegation of child sexual abuse and has reported it to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. The archdiocese has also communicated it to the Diocese of New Ulm, where Sprigler was retired. The Diocese of New Ulm has reviewed the allegations, and has permanently removed Sprigler from public ministry.

1960-1969
Angeli, Joseph – 2 allegations
Joseph Angeli was a priest of the Diocese of Tacna, Peru. From 1960-1962, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in San Antonio, and to St. John the Evangelist in Hondo. He died in 1993. While the allegations of abuse were made after his death, the Archdiocese found the survivors to be credible.


Flynn, John – 1 allegation
John Flynn was ordained a priest in Ireland for the Archdiocese in 1952. From 1952-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to St. Henry in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, to St. Michael in Cuero, to Saints Peter and Paul in Meyersville, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, to St. Helena in San Antonio, and to St. Matthew in San Antonio. In 1997, a survivor brought forward an allegation that Flynn had sexually abused her as a minor teenager in the 1960’s and sexually assaulted her as a young adult in the 1970’s. The Archdiocese found this to be a credible allegation. In his initial statement to the parish, Archbishop Flores did not identify that the survivor was a minor at the time of the abuse and appears to have made statements that left many people thinking that the victim had a lawyer and was contemplating a lawsuit, which was not the case. While Archbishop Flores later clarified that the abuse was child sexual abuse and apologized to the survivor for his words, this report expresses the sorrow of the Archdiocese for the unnecessary additional pain caused by his communication, as well as for any resistance or resentment that it fostered or allowed in the community. Our shared responsibility and care must be for the survivor who was sexually abused as a child by an adult who violated a sacred religious trust. In 1997, Flynn resigned from his position as pastor of St. Matthew and retired from all ministry. Archbishop Flores removed

his faculties and forbade him from exercising any priestly ministry. Nevertheless, Bishop Edmond Carmody, former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese and then bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, soon thereafter assigned Flynn to ministry in the Diocese of Tyler. In 1999, Archbishop Flores reaffirmed his order that Flynn not exercise any priestly ministry, and Flynn formally left the Archdiocese and incardinated into (joined) the Diocese of Tyler. In the process, Bishop Carmody was reminded of this allegation. In 2005, Archbishop José Gomez, becoming aware of the matter, brought it to the attention of the new bishop of Tyler, Bishop Alvaro Corrada, SJ Bishop Corrada removed all priestly faculties from Flynn (who was retired but still ministering) and after conducting a preliminary investigation, he referred the matter to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In this case, the Congregation did not dispense from prescription (a canonical term barring the case from prosecution because of the passage of time) and returned the case to Bishop Corrada, instructing him to take the precautions he thought were appropriate. With some restrictions, Bishop Corrada restored priestly faculties to Flynn in 2008. Since that time, the current bishop of Tyler, Bishop Joseph Strickland, has removed all faculties from Flynn and forbidden him from exercising any priestly ministry. Since 1997, the archbishops of San Antonio have consistently forbidden Flynn from exercising any ministry in the Archdiocese.


Jansky, Edward John – 3 allegations
Edward Jansky was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1930. From 1930-1974, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Saints Cyril and Methodius in Cistern, to St. Andrew in Hillje, to Saints Peter and Paul in Plum, to Holy Rosary in Hostyn, to St. Joseph in Yoakum, and to St. Joseph in Inez. He retired in 1974 and died in 1979. In 2002, a survivor alleged that in 1957 Jansky sexually abused her and another child. In 2013, the Archdiocese found an allegation on file of child sexual abuse against Jansky from 1962. While the file does not indicate that a determination was made in the case in 1962, based on the information available, the Archdiocese found the person making this allegation to be credible. The Archdiocese also found that the survivor who alleged abuse in 2002 was credible.


Madrid, Jose Alfonso (SJ) – 6 allegations
Jose Alfonso Madrid was ordained as a member of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1950. From 1966-1970, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio. In 1968, it was reported that he had inappropriate contact with an unnamed 9-year-old boy. Since 2014, five additional survivors have alleged that they were abused by Madrid in the late 1960’s. While Madrid died in 1982, prior to these allegations, the Archdiocese found these survivors to be credible.

Mokarzel, Galeb (OMI) -1 allegation
Galeb Mokarzel was ordained a priest for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1959. From 1959-1965, from 1971-1972, from 1977-1982, and from 1992-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to the Oblate high school seminary, St. Anthony, in San Antonio, to St. Joseph Retreat Center (now Oblate Renewal Center) in San Antonio, to St. Joseph in Del Rio, and to San Juan de los Lagos in San Antonio. He retired without ministry in 1997. In 2019, a survivor alleged that as a minor teenager he was sexually abused by Mokarzel in the 1960’s. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate consider this to be a credible allegation. Mokarzel is living under supervision with a safety plan at an Oblate retirement facility in San Antonio.


O’Sullivan, Michael J. – 10 allegations
Michael J. O’Sullivan was ordained a priest in Ireland in 1955 for the Archdiocese. From 1955-1965, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Mary in Fredericksburg, to St. Peter in San Antonio, to St. Mary in Victoria, to Blessed Sacrament in San Antonio, and to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio. The first known allegation of child sexual abuse against O’Sullivan was made in 1962, while he was assigned at Blessed Sacrament. O’Sullivan was placed under the care of a local psychiatrist, and on his recommendation was assigned to minister at St. Vincent de Paul while his treatment continued. Because it was alleged that he re-offended at St. Vincent de Paul, he was sent for residential treatment to Conyers, Georgia, under the care of a medical doctor. After about a year of this treatment, the doctor proposed that O’Sullivan’s return to ministry would be of service to the community and profitable to his psychotherapeutic progress. In a letter responding to the doctor’s proposal, the Archdiocese refused to accept O’Sullivan in San Antonio, but allowed that another diocese, “with full knowledge of Father’s problem,” might assign him. The Diocese of Savannah, Georgia assigned him to parish work in 1965, and when they learned in 1971 that he had again sexually abused children, the Diocese of Savannah removed his authorization for priestly ministry and asked him to leave their diocese. O’Sullivan returned to his hometown in Ireland. He lived in his parent’s house, but also exercised some priestly ministry over the years and received some assignments from the Diocese of Kerry. The Archdiocese became aware that he was no longer in Savannah in 1973, when the bishop of Savannah copied the Archdiocese on a letter warning the bishop of Kerry about O’Sullivan’s history. A visitor from Savannah had encountered O’Sullivan presenting himself as a priest in Ireland, and the letter was intended to ensure that action would be taken to keep him out of ministry. While the Archdiocese removed O’Sullivan from his assignment in San Antonio in 1964 and sent him for psychiatric treatment, the Archdiocese did not formally remove his faculties to minister or forbid him to present himself as a priest until 1994. While no allegations had yet been made against O’Sullivan in Ireland in 1994, since then four allegations have come forward, alleging child sexual abuse in Ireland in the 1970’s. Because the Archdiocese recognized that there was sufficient evidence of abuse to do so, in 2006 Archbishop Gomez referred this case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, seeking O’Sullivan’s laicization (removal from the clerical state). O’Sullivan died in 2013, prior to the resolution of his case.

Park, Austin N. (SJ) – 2 allegations
Austin N. Park was a priest of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) who was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio from 1957-1958 and from 1961-1963. He died in 2013. In 2013, a family member informed the Archdiocese that Park had sexually abused two children while he was here in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. While the allegations were made after his death, the Archdiocese found the family member to be credible.


Rojas, Jesus Jeremias – 1 allegation
Jesus Jeremias Rojas was a priest of the Archdiocese of Huancayo, Peru. With permission from his bishop and on the recommendation of the apostolic nuncio to Peru, he intended to spend eight months working and learning in a diocese of the United States. For less than a month in late 1962, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in San Antonio. According to the record, a young girl accused him of sexually abusing her. Rojas admitted to the abuse, and was asked to leave the archdiocese immediately. The apostolic nuncio to Peru was informed of the admission of child sexual abuse by Rojas in 1962. The Archdiocese was unable to locate Rojas in preparing this report.


Swize, Marion T. – 1 allegation
Marion Swize was ordained a priest in 1959 for the Archdiocese. From 1959-1969, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Benedict in San Antonio, to St. Michael in San Antonio, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, to St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg, and to St. Agnes in San Antonio. In 1969, Swize left the priesthood and subsequently married. In 2005, the Archdiocese was sued by a woman who alleged that she was sexually abused as a minor teenager by Swize in the 1960’s. Swize denied the allegation, and the person bringing the lawsuit did not substantiate her claims. Nevertheless, the Archdiocese finds the survivor to be credible.

1950-1959
Gherman, Marshall (CSsR) – 5 allegations
Marshall Gherman, a Redemptorist priest, was a member of the New Orleans Vice-Province of the Redemptorists. From 1940-1946, in 1952, and from 1954-1957, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in San Antonio. He died in 1959. In 2004, two survivors came forward with allegations of child sexual abuse dating to the 1950’s. One of the survivors identified three other victims in her allegation. While the allegations of abuse were made after his death, the Archdiocese found the survivors to be credible.


Hentrich, Gabriel (OCD) – 1 allegation
Gabriel Hentrich was ordained a priest for the Order of Discalced Carmelites in 1940. From 1942-1946, in 1952, from 1954-1958, from 1976-1980, and in 1987, Hentrich was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Térèse in San Antonio and to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall. He died in 1992. 1n 2018, a survivor alleged that he had been sexually abused as a child by Hentrich in the 1950’s. While the allegations were made after his death, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.


Janak, Hubert Joseph – 1 allegation
Hubert Janak was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1941. From 1941-1985, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, to St. Joseph in Yoakum, to St. Mary in Fredericksburg, to St. Joseph in Moulton, to St. John the Evangelist in Hondo, to St. Joseph in Inez, to St. Cornelius in Karnes City, to St. Patrick in San Antonio, to St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg, and to Blessed Sacrament in Poth. He retired in 1985 and died in 1994. In 2010, a survivor alleged that Janak had sexually abused her as a minor in the 1950’s. While the allegation was made after Janak’s death, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible and was able to find corroborating evidence of her allegation.

Keane, John Francis – 1 allegation
John Keane was ordained a priest in Ireland for the Archdiocese in 1957. From 1957-1961, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, to St. Mary in Victoria, to Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ganado, to St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg, to Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, and to St. Ann in San Antonio. The Archdiocese has a police report from 1957 identifying that Keane was detained by the San Antonio Police Department after being accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl. While no charges appear to have been brought, the police report includes testimony contemporary to the alleged abuse. The Archdiocese has found the testimony of the survivor to be credible. Keane was dismissed from the Archdiocese in 1961 after being found in the parish school’s women’s restroom wearing a dress. He was sent to Ireland without assignment for psychiatric treatment. Records show that he later continued to function as a priest in Ireland and Great Britain. The last correspondence between Keane and the Archdiocese was in 1968, and in it Archbishop Robert Lucy refused to recommend him for ministry in Wheeling, West Virginia. Keane died in 2001.


Lievens, William (CICM) – 1 allegation
William Lievens was a priest of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ordained in 1954. From 1957-1972, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Immaculate Concepcion in San Antonio, to San Juan Capistrano in San Antonio, to St. Joseph in Devine (for Saint Andrew in Lytle and St John Bosco in Natalia), and to St. John Berchmans in San Antonio. In 2018, an allegation was made that Lievens had sexually abused a child in the 1950’s. Lievens died in 1972. Although the allegation was made after both Lievens and the victim had died, the Archdiocese found the victim’s daughter credible.

Malone, Emmet (OFM) – 2 allegations
Emmet Malone was ordained as a priest for the Franciscans in 1947. From 1950-1952, and in 1957, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Joseph South San. From 1990-1991, he lived in residence at the same parish. In 2001, a survivor alleged that he and his brother had been sexually abused as children by Malone in the 1950’s. While Malone died in 1994, before the allegation was made, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.


Romero, Jose Leoca dio Cayetan de los Dolores (Cayetano) – 1 allegation
Cayetano Romero was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1926. From 1926-1978, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Phillip in El Campo, to St. Helena in Pierce, to St. John Seminary in San Antonio, to St. John the Evangelist in Hondo, to St. Peter Prince of the Apostles in San Antonio (for St. Anthony de Padua), to Notre Dame in Kerrville, to St. Andrew in Pleasanton, and to the Teresian Novitiate. In 2015, a survivor alleged that he had been sexually abused as a child by Romero in 1952 or 1953. While Romero died in 1978, before the allegation was made, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.


Storme, Albert (CICM) – 2 allegations
Albert Storme was ordained a priest in 1940 for the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. From 1955-1964, and from 1976-1985, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to San Juan Capistrano in San Antonio, to Immaculate Conception in San Antonio, to St. Jude in San Antonio, to St. Martin de Porres in San Antonio, to St. Gabriel in San Antonio, to St. Joseph in Devine with its mission church in Bigfoot, to St. Joseph in Dilley, and to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall. In 2004, two survivors reported that Storme had sexually abused them as children, one in 1949 and the other in the 1950’s. While Storme died in 1990, before the allegations were made, the Archdiocese found the survivors to be credible.

Van Houtteghem, Paul (CICM) – 1 allegation
Paul Van Houtteghem was ordained a priest in 1948 for the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. From 1949-1988, he was assigned in the Archdiocese of San Antonio to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to St. Agnes in San Antonio, to St. Philip Benizi in Poteet, to St. Joseph in Devine for St. Andrew in Lytle and St. John Bosco in Natalia, to St. Andrew in Lytle (when it became a parish separate from St. Joseph in Devine), to Our Lady of Sorrows, to Baptist Hospital as a chaplain, to Santa Rosa Hospital as a chaplain, and to St. Joseph in Nixon. In 1988 a survivor reported that Van Houtteghem had sexually abused her as a child in the 1950’s. Her allegation was found to be credible and Van Houtteghem was sent for treatment and removed from the Archdiocese. Van Houtteghem died in 2001 in Belgium.
1940-1949
Strobel, Francis Sales – 1 allegation
Francis Sales Strobel was ordained a priest in 1905 for the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was incardinated into (joined) the Archdiocese in 1918. From 1914-1957, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Mathias in Columbus, to Sacred Heart in Red Rock, to St. Stanislaus in Bandera, to Blessed Sacrament in Poth, and to St. Joseph in Honey Creek (Spring Branch). He retired to Germany in 1958 and died in 1969. In 2003, a survivor reported that she had been sexually abused as a child by Strobel in 1941. The Archdiocese found her to be credible.
Priests Named in this Report because the Allegation is a Matter of Public Record


Elizondo, Virgilio – 1 allegation
Virgilio Elizondo was ordained a priest in 1963 for the Archdiocese. From 1963-2015, he was assigned to various parishes and ministries in the Archdiocese. He died in 2016. In 2015, a man filed a lawsuit in Bexar County District Court against the Archdiocese, alleging that he was sexually abused as a minor teenage boy in the early 1980’s by Jesus Dominguez, a former priest of the Diocese of San Bernardino, California. In 1982, Dominguez was a student at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio. In his legal filing the man bringing the lawsuit also alleged that he reported the abuse in 1983; that Archbishop Flores failed to address his fears and concerns; and that Elizondo kissed him and fondled him in response to his reporting. When served with the lawsuit, the Archdiocese informed the Bexar County District Attorney’s office of the allegation. While this allegation is a matter of public record and is included in this report, the Archdiocese has been unable to substantiate the allegation made against Elizondo. Because this matter involves pending litigation, the Archdiocese will not make additional comments about this allegation at this time.

Ruppert, Donald – 1 allegation
Donald Ruppert was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1978. From 1978-1982, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, St. Luke in San Antonio, Our Lady of Victory in Victoria, and to the Catholic Committee on Scouting as associate chaplain. In 1982, the Diocese of Victoria was established and he became a priest of that diocese. In 2003, the Archdiocese was named in a lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleged that Ruppert sexually abused him in 1978. The plaintiff did not actively pursue the lawsuit and it was dismissed by the court for want of prosecution. Ruppert denied all allegations of abuse. In 2003, Archbishop Flores informed Bishop Fellhauer, then-bishop of the Diocese of Victoria, of the allegation. While this allegation is a matter of public record and is included in this report, the Diocese of Victoria has thoroughly investigated the allegation and determined that the allegation cannot be substantiated and, thus, is deemed not credible. Fr. Ruppert is currently assigned to priestly ministry in the Diocese of Victoria.


Priests Not Named in this Report


Ongoing investigations into living priests


The Archdiocese is actively investigating one allegation made against a living priest. Appropriate law enforcement authorities have been notified of this allegation. The allegation has been referred to the Archdiocesan Review Board. The Board has sought the assistance of a licensed private investigator to gather additional information related to the allegation and any available corroborating evidence. With the information provided by the private investigator, the Board will make a recommendation to the archbishop related to whether or not there is sufficient evidence to forward the allegation to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for possible

laicization (removal from the clerical state). The priest is retired and the information currently available indicates that he does not pose a current danger to children. The Archdiocese offers free counseling or therapy as needed, and any pastoral support requested, to survivors without considering whether or not their allegations are substantiated. This report will be updated upon the completion of this investigation.


Ongoing investigations into deceased priests
The Archdiocese is actively looking into one allegation made recently against a deceased priest. The allegation has been referred to the Archdiocesan Review Board. When the Board has reviewed the report, they will make a recommendation to the archbishop related to notifying the affected communities of this allegation. The Archdiocese offers free counseling or therapy as needed, and any pastoral support requested, to survivors without considering whether or not their allegations are substantiated. This report will be updated when a determination is made.


Living priests with allegations found not to be credible
The Archdiocese has received allegations against five additional living priests which, after investigation, were determined not to be credible. Appropriate law enforcement authorities have been notified of each allegation. In each case this determination was made on the recommendation of the Archdiocesan Review Board, after involving a licensed private investigator. The Archdiocese offers free counseling or therapy as needed, and any pastoral support requested, to survivors without considering whether or not their allegations are substantiated.

Deceased priests with allegations found not to be credible
Since 1940, the Archdiocese has received allegations against seven deceased priests that were determined not to be credible. In each case this determination was made on the recommendation of the Archdiocesan Review Board, and was motivated by factors such as the survivor withdrawing the claim, inconsistencies in the survivor’s narrative, or inconsistencies between the survivor’s narrative and established facts. The Archdiocese offers free counseling or therapy as needed, and any pastoral support requested, to survivors without considering whether or not their allegations are found to be credible.


Allegations against unnamed priests
The Archdiocese has received three allegations against priests whom the survivor either chose not to identify or was unable to identify. In each case, the Archdiocesan Review Board was notified and an effort was made to assist the survivor in identifying the priest who allegedly abused him or her. The Archdiocese offers free counseling or therapy as needed, and any pastoral support requested, to survivors without considering whether or not their allegations are substantiated.

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EN LA CÁRCEL ENFRENTARÁ SACERDOTE EL PROCESO

MéRIDA (MEXICO)
Tribuna Campeche [San Francisco de Campeche, Campeche, Mexico]

January 31, 2019

By Tribuna

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Por violación equiparada y abuso sexual contra un estudiante de secundaria del Colegio Victoria, el cura Gustavo Alberto Z. T., que fuera guía espiritual del Seminario Menor Nuestra Señora del Carmen, permanecerá en prisión 10 meses o mientras concluye el proceso en su contra, determinó ayer en una larga audiencia la jueza de Control, Alejandra Flores Verástegui.

Tras tres horas y media, y luego de que la defensa pidiera el viernes la duplicidad del término constitucional, la juzgadora determinó sujetar a proceso al inculpado. El Ministerio Público tiene cinco meses para cerrar su investigación.

A pesar de que en días pasados la defensoría pública ganó una apelación para repetir la audiencia inicial, la jueza dijo que por lo pronto, el que fuera ordenado como sacerdote en 2015 estará en el Cereso 10 meses o el tiempo que dure el proceso en su contra.

La defensa, a cargo de Alicia Delgado Chan, pidió el viernes que la audiencia —decretada como privada—, se prolongara tres días más. Ayer no presentó otro medio de prueba para demostrar la inocencia del sacerdote.

Los fiscales adscritos a la sala de juicios orales insistieron en que el menor I.E.Z.P., fue abusado sexualmente en muchas ocasiones, al ser llamado de forma privada por su guía espiritual.

A menos que el Ministerio Público pida más tiempo para cerrar la investigación, en cinco meses habrá otra audiencia. No se sabe si la defensoría pública apelará de nuevo.

SILENCIO CLERICAL

Ningún representante de la Iglesia Católica ha emitido opinión o postura sobre este caso, aunque padres de familia de la Escuela “Victoria” que pidieron el anonimato, aseguraron que las monjas que administran el plantel sabían lo que ocurría.

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New Columbus Bishop Announced: Diocese Won’t Say When List Of Abusive Priests Will Be Released

COLUMBUS (OH)
WCBE Radio

February 1, 2019

By Jim Lettizia

The Columbus Catholic diocese will soon have a new leader.

Bishop Robert Brennan takes over on March 29. He’ll replace Bishop Fredrick Campbell. The Vatican has accepted Campbell’s resignation, as required when bishops are about to turn 75-years-old. Brennan previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York. Campbell submitted his resignation last year.questions remain about when the diocese will follow through with a September promise to release a list of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse. Columbus is the only diocese in the state not to do so. Campbell told reporters the list is under review, but gave no release date. Brennan responded this way.

The group called Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said wants Campbell to release the list before he leaves the diocese.

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Inland Empire was dumping ground for abusive priests, law firm claims as it releases exhaustive list of clergy

SAN LUIS POTOSí (MEXICO)
San Bernardino Sun [San Bernardino CA]

January 31, 2019

By Joe Nelson

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List of 84 priests accused and/or convicted dates back to 1950s

A Minnesota-based law firm specializing in sex abuse cases released a 76-page report Thursday listing all clergy accused and/or convicted of sexual abuse in San Bernardino and Riverside County parishes dating back to 1950.

Unlike the report released in October by the Diocese of San Bernardino listing 34 priests, the new list comprises 84 priests who had worked in Inland Empire parishes and predated the formation of the Diocese of San Bernardino in 1978, when San Bernardino and Riverside county parishes were overseen by the Diocese of San Diego.

“We’re doing this today because the information contained in this report about accused sexual offenders is of a vital and burning public need,” attorney J. Michael Reck of the law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said during a news conference Thursday at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario.

“We’re doing this because disclosing this information makes children safer and it lets those survivors who are still suffering in silence, thinking they may be alone, know that they are not alone. They did nothing wrong, and this is not their fault.”

Reck said the information included in his law firm’s report “could have, and should have, been shared by church officials long ago.”

Secret archives?

“We’re doing this because the Diocese of San Bernardino did not, and the bishop did not,” Reck said. He said the diocese maintains secret archived files of priests accused of sexual abuse.

In a phone interview Thursday, a spokesman for the Diocese of San Bernardino denied the diocese maintains a secret archive of files of priests accused of sexual abuse.

John Andrews said that when the diocese posted its list of accused and/or convicted priests in October, it was a complete disclosure. He said the diocese also posted on its website the list of accused and/or convicted priests released a few weeks prior by the Diocese of San Diego.

“We made sure to put the two of them together and encourage people to read them both,” Andrews said. “Those lists are still on our website.”

He declined further comment.

Priest shortage led to ‘dangerous dynamic’

The law firm’s report maintains that the Diocese of San Bernardino historically has suffered a shortage of priests, depending on an influx of clerics from religious orders such as the Jesuits and Franciscans. It has created a “dangerous dynamic,” Reck said, allowing the diocese to serve as a dumping ground for problem priests.

In 2018, he said, 78 percent of clergy serving within the Diocese of San Bernardino were not diocesan priests. The shortage has led to an “international movement of child sex offenders” into and out of the diocese, he alleged.

“We’re able to verify that at least seven accused priests left the Diocese of San Bernardino and entered Mexico,” Reck said. Those priests, he said, worked in the “most vulnerable communities” within the diocese, which also includes parishes in Riverside County.

Of the 84 priests included in the law firm’s report, 53 are believe dead, and it is unknown how many of the remaining 31 are alive or dead or still involved in ministry outside the Diocese ofSan Bernardino, said Jennifer Stein, an attorney with Jeff Anderson & Associates.

As far back as 1950, when the Diocese of San Diego oversaw Riverside and San Bernardino County parishes, problem priests were an issue in the Inland Empire, according to an April 26, 1950, letter by Charles F. Buddy, the first bishop of San Diego, in which he singled out parishes in Beaumont and Banning.

“During the 13 years since this Diocese was erected, to my own personal knowledge, the Santa Barbara Province of the Franciscan Fathers has used this Diocese as a dumping ground for their moral, mental and physical problems,” Buddy said in his letter to the Rev. James T. Booth at Pontifical North American College in Rome.

‘One misfit after another’

“It became necessary for me some time ago to demand the withdrawal of one misfit after another,” he wrote. “I asked for the removal of the sick priest the Franciscans had sent to Beaumont and now it becomes necessary to request the removal of his successor. It is the same old story.”

Buddy went on to recommend that Franciscan leaders “consider giving up the two parishes in Beaumont and Banning.”

From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, the Servants of the Paraclete, a Latin Rite Catholic ministry, operated a treatment center in Cherry Valley for sexually abusive priests, Reck said. Church documents included in the law firm’s report refer to the former facility as a “halfway house for priests requiring aftercare and ongoing spiritual, psychotherapeutic, and pastoral supervision.”

Victims speak out

Two alleged survivors of clergy sexual abuse who have filed lawsuits — Tom Emens, 50, of Camarillo, and Manuel Vega, 52, of Oxnard — spoke during Thursday’s news conference.

Both men filed their lawsuits in October — Emens in Los Angeles Superior Court and Vega in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Defendants named in Emens’ lawsuit include the California Catholic Conference and dioceses across the state, including San Bernardino. Vega has sued the Vatican. Both men are fighting to expose the alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church, which they say is worldwide.

Vega, a retired Oxnard police officer, alleges he was raped by Rev. Fidencio Simon Silva-Flores at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Oxnard, where Silva-Flores worked from 1979 to 1984. Silva-Flores also worked at St. Philip Neri Church in Barstow in 1998. Vega said he was merely one of dozens of other boys abused by Silva-Flores

“When we presented out lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, there was 29 of us who came forward, plus another 10 who never came forward for whatever reason,” Vega said. He said other priests at the church were aware of what was occurring.

“This is worldwide,” Vega said. “The level of abuse that has occurred to children throughout the world is devastating.”

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These Diocese of Corpus Christi priests were accused of sexual abuse

CORPUS CHRISTI (TX)
Corpus Christi Caller Times

January 31, 2019

By Alexandria Rodriguez

The Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi released the names of priests and other clergy Thursday that have been “credibly” accused of sexual abuse of minors.

The decision to release the information was made in October by The Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter and the 15 Texas dioceses.

More than 20 Diocese of Corpus Christi clergy members were “credibly” accused of sexual abuse of minors.

The 26 names were released after The Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter and the 15 Texas dioceses made the decision to release the names back in October 2018.

The list is split in two parts. One is a list of clergy in “religious orders clerics and extern clerics,” meaning those not from the Diocese of Corpus Christi but those who have visited at some point, the list shows. There are a total of nine names on that list.

The other part is a list of clergy “from or incardinated into the Diocese of Corpus Christi.” Seventeen names are included in that portion of the list.

“The process we went through is to hire four independents that are not part of the diocese, professionals in the legal community to come in and let them have the definitions from their experience of what is credible accusations so they used that in reviewing all of these files,” Bishop Michael Mulvey said. “So they really told us what was credible in their minds as a legal community so we took that and used that.”

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7 Texoma priests accused of child sexual abuse

DALLAS (TX)
KXII TV

January 31, 2019

Seven local clergymen have been named in a list released by the Dallas Dioceses Thursday accused of sexually abusing children.

One of the names on this list is Father Jeremy Myers, a longtime priest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sherman. Parishioners tell us his suspension came in just the last few months, and that a meeting was held Wednesday night at the church to prepare the congregation for the news. Sherman Police Chief Zachary Flores said Thursday he is aware of the situation but the department is not actively investigating any cases at this time.

In total, the Dallas Diocese released 31 names of Priests who served in the North Texas area who have been accused of crimes against children since 1950. The church says they did this in an effort to be transparent and open about this problem and in hopes of beginning the process of healing.

The Diocese’s Bishop, Edward Burns, says the names on this list are those of Priests who have allegations against them that the Church considers “credible”. That means that the allegation has been reviewed by a board at the church, and they believe it to be true.

Other names on the list with local ties include Michael Flanagan of St. Mary’s in Sherman (died 2008), William Hughes from St. Patrick’s in Denison (removed in 1989, laicized), William Lane from St. Charles in Gainesville (died 1986), Jose Saldana from St. Elizabeth/Bonham (removed in 1998, laiciziation pending), and Michael Barone from Our Lady of Victory in Paris (retired, removed 2018).

Full details are below.

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Law Firm Names 84 Priests Accused Of Clergy Sex Abuse In San Bernardino, Calls For More Church Transparency

LOS ANGELES (CA)
LAist

January 31, 2019

By Aaron Schrank

A law firm representing California survivors of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests has released a new report detailing alleged abuse by clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino.

The 70-page report by Minnesota-based Jeff Anderson and Associates provides background information and assignment history on more than 80 clergy accused of sexual misconduct in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

The firm — which is representing a Camarillo man in a public nuisance suit against California’s Catholic bishops — has released similar reports on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Orange in recent months.

At a news conference in Ontario Thursday, attorneys demanded San Bernardino Bishop Gerald Barnes release the names of predatory priests and Church officials who hid their behavior.

Attorney Mike Reck says today’s disclosure makes children safer.

“This information is information that could have and should have been shared by Church officials long ago,” Reck said. “We’re doing this because the Diocese of San Bernardino did not.”

In October, the Diocese of San Bernardino County released a list of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing children since the diocese formed in 1978. Officials added one name to that list the following month.

Anderson’s report includes those 35 names, as well as 32 names of priests accused of abuse in San Bernardino before 1978, when the region was still part of the Diocese San Diego.

Those 32 names can be found on the Diocese of San Diego’s list of credibly accused priests, which recently added 8 new names, including Rev. Raymond Etienne, who served as pastor in a San Bernardino church 20 years ago. Etienne allegedly sexually assaulted seminarians in Riverside.

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CATHOLIC LEADERS IN TEXAS NAME 286 ACCUSED OF ABUSING CHILDREN

NEW YORK (NY)
CBS News

January 31, 2019

Catholic leaders in Texas on Thursday identified 286 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children. The number represents one of the largest collections of names to be released since an explosive grand jury report last year in Pennsylvania.

Fourteen dioceses in Texas named those credibly accused of abuse. The only diocese on Thursday not to provide names, Fort Worth, had done so more than a decade ago and then provided an updated accounting in October.

The move by Texas church leaders comes months after the shocking Pennsylvania report detailed seven decades of child sexual abuse by more than 300 predator priests. In the months after that report, which came out in August, about 50 dioceses and religious provinces have released the names of nearly 1,250 priests and others accused of abuse. Approximately 60 percent of them have died.

About 30 other dioceses are investigating or have promised to release names of credibly accused priests in the coming months.

In Texas, the Diocese of Dallas and some others relied on retired police and federal investigators to review church files and other material to substantiate claims of abuse.

It’s not clear whether any of the names released Thursday could result in local prosecutors bringing criminal charges. The majority of those identified have died. Some investigations dated back to 1940 while other reviews, as in the case of the Diocese of Lubbock, only went to 1983 because that’s when that diocese was established.

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Diocese of Tyler releases names of clergy ‘credibly accused’ of child sexual abuse

TYLER (TX)
KYTX TV

January 31, 2019

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland and the Diocese of Tyler have released the names of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor, dating back to at least 1950.

The letter Bishop Strickland released reads as follows:

My Dear Clergy, Consecrated Religious, and Faithful of the Diocese of Tyler,

Today, I join with the other bishops of Texas in releasing the names of clergy (priests and deacons) in our dioceses who are subject to credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. Personally, and with my brother bishops, I express my deep sorrow to the survivors of abuse and my commitment to providing pastoral care for each survivor. I apologize for the failings and sins that have hurt the Church so deeply, especially with our most vulnerable members. I especially ask forgiveness for the failings of those who have held positions of leadership in the Church. I have only one name to release for which a credible allegation exists in the Diocese of Tyler since its creation in 1987. But even that is one too many. The abuse of minors – physical, emotional, and above all, sexual – should NEVER happen in churches, in homes, in schools, or anywhere. All of us are called to holiness and to serve as examples of virtue, but our priests and deacons are to be held to a high standard – and rightly so.

The name I am releasing to you today is that of Gustavo Cuello.

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Here are names of Houston-area priests ‘credibly accused’ of child sexual abuse

HOUSTON (TX)
Houston Chronicle

January 31, 2019

By Nicole Hensley

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston released the names of priests Thursday who have been “credibly accused” of sexually abusing children over the past decades.

Some of the names were already known, including former Galena Park priest Fernando Noe Guzman, who pleaded guilty in 1992 to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, and Donald Leroy Stavinoha, who was convicted of assaulting a 9-year-old altar boy in a church van in 1986.

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Diocese of Lafayette files protective order in request for list of accused priests

LAFAYETTE (LA)
KATC 3

January 31, 2019

By Jim Hummel

The diocese of Lafayette calls a legal request for its list of accused priests “unnecessary”, “grandstanding” and “irrelevant” to the case filed against a St. Landry Parish priest who’s accused of molesting a boy.

Abbeville attorney Tony Fontana filed suit on behalf of a St. Landry Parish man who claims he was molested by Father Michael Guidry while he was a minor. Also named as plaintiffs in the case are the man’s parents; his father is a deacon in the diocese, who served alongside Fr. Guidry at St. Peter’s Church in Morrow.

In October, Fontana filed Interrogatories and Requests for Production to Guidry and the Diocese of Lafayette in the lawsuit. Interrogatories are questions that parties in a lawsuit ask each other; Requests for Production are requests for documents. Answering them is not optional – there are deadlines and requirements that parties have to follow. If the questions aren’t answered, the court gets involved to order compliance.

In his filing, Fontana requested that the diocese name all priests who have credible complaints against them since 2002, as well as all church employees who have credible complaints against them.

In their formal response this month, the diocese objected to the requests, calling them impermissibly vague, grandstanding, unnecessary, and irrelevant. The diocese then filed a motion for a protective order against the plaintiffs’ request.

In response to the action by the diocese, Fontana says he’ll be changing the scope of his lawsuit. He argues over decades, the diocese has created a culture of protecting priests, that enabled Fr. Guidry to molest his client.

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Diocese releases names of Valley priests accused of abuse

BROWNSVILLE (TX)
The Brownsville Herald

January 31, 2019

By Miguel Roberts

Bishop Daniel E. Flores says of the seven bishops, 711 priests and 171 deacons who have served in the Diocese of Brownsville since it was established in 1965, 14 clergy were identified (13 priests and one permanent deacon).

The bishop says none of the clergy listed are in active ministry in the Diocese of Brownsville.

List of Clergy with Credible Allegation of Sexual Abuse of a Minor before the Year 2002

Humberto Acosta

Born: February 7, 1949

Ordained: May 30, 1974

Left diocese in 1994. Allegation fully disclosed to receiving Military Ordinary in Venezuela.

Assignments: St. Mary, Mother of the Church, Brownsville; St. Joseph Church, Edinburg; St. Anthony Church, Harlingen; Our Lady of Mercy Church, Mercedes; St. Margaret Mary Church, Pharr

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28 priests were accused of sex abuse in late 2018. Here’s a running list.

EL PASO (TX)
El Paso Times

January 31, 2019

In November 2018, the Diocese of Las Cruces released the names of 28 priests identified as credibly accused of sex abuse. It included at least six priests with ties to the El Paso Diocese. The Las Cruces Diocese was created from the El Paso Diocese in 1982.

Previously identified accused priests
Santiago Almaguer

Allegations of abuse were reported to the Las Cruces Diocese in 2012, and the incidents are alleged to have occurred between 1975 and 1978. Almaguer was assigned to St. Anthony Seminary in El Paso in 1975. Almaguer officiated several funeral Masses in the early 1980s, according to El Paso Times archives.

Rosario Lopez

In 2010, a man identified as “John Doe” accused the Rev. Rosario Lopez and another priest, Manuel Perez Maramba, of sexual misconduct. He sued both the Las Cruces and El Paso dioceses. The case was settled in 2011. The alleged abuse occurred in 1974, while he was assigned to St. Genevieve in Las Cruces, and Lopez officiated at several funeral Masses in El Paso in 1975, according to El Paso Times archives.

Manuel Perez Maramba

The same man, identified as “John Doe,” named Maramba in his suit against the Las Cruces and El Paso dioceses, but that was not the first allegation against Maramba. The church has settled at least three cases involving Maramba. The Las Cruces Diocese says allegations against Maramba were reported from 2004 to 2012. The sexual misconduct by Maramba is alleged to have occurred between 1976 and 1977. He was assigned to the Diocese of Las Cruces in 1976, to the St. Francis Newman Center in Silver City, New Mexico, in 1976 and 1977; and at St. Genevieve in 1977.

According to a 2007 article in the El Paso Times, a former altar boy said Maramba sexually assaulted him during sleepovers with other altar boys at Maramba’s residence on church property and during trips, including one to Disneyland in California. Maramba, a Benedictine, is believed to have returned to the Philippines in the 1970s. He is believed to still be alive.

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A Dallas diocese priest accused of abuse was saying mass in Duncanville last fall

DALLAS (TX)
WFAA

January 31, 2019

By Jason Trahan

One of the most recently accused priests on the Dallas diocese list was saying mass at a Duncanville Catholic Church through last fall, church bulletins show.

Father Alejandro “Alex” Buitrago is listed as retired in 2017 and was “removed” from his job as a priest in 2018, according to the Dallas diocese list released Thursday. But there is no exact date of that removal.

WFAA found four online church bulletins – one from June, two from July, and one from September – noting that Fr. Buitrago is a “guest priest” giving a mass, sometimes in Spanish, at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Duncanville.

Dallas Diocese Bishop Edward Burns told reporters today during a news conference that he would not address questions about specific priests.

Buitrago was ordained in 1967 and served in several parishes before he retired in 2017 and was removed “with faculties suspended” in 2018.

Buitrago could not be reached Thursday.

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Archdiocese releases list of accused clergy with credible sex abuse accusations

SAN ANTONIO (TX)
KXTS TV

January 31, 2019

By Zack Hedrick

The Archdiocese of San Antonio has released a report on allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy members in the Archdiocese.

The report goes back to 1940, outlining more than 150 credible accusations and naming 57 clergy members.

“We were not where we should have been,” said Garcia-Siller. “We did not act in a timely manner.”

From 1940 to 2019, the report states more than 3,000 priests have ministered in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

The most recent allegation was actually submitted in the last few weeks, Garcia-Siller says.

The Archdiocese states most of the priests identified in the report are either dead or have been removed from ministry.

“This report can bring more people to come forward and it’s part of what we intend,” said Garcia-Siller.

The report shows no one has alleged they were sexually abused by a clergy member in the Archdiocese between 2010 and 2019.

While the list was being compiled, Archbishop Garcia-Siller says he met with survivors of sexual abuse here in San Antonio.

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Dallas diocese names 31 Catholic clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse

DALLAS (TX)
Dallas Morning News

January 31, 2019

By Bill Hanna

The Catholic Diocese of Dallas on Thursday named 31 clergymen credibly accused of sexual abuse against minors.

Twenty-four were priests and seven others were in other dioceses or religious orders. It does not mean there is an admission of guilt by the priests.

The list was compiled by former state and federal law enforcement officers who reviewed the files of 2,424 priests, said Dallas Diocese Bishop Edward Burns.

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Suspended Oakland priest accused of sexual misconduct with a minor

SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
San Francisco Chronicle

January 31, 2019

By Gwendolyn Wu

Father Alex Castillo, a clergyman in the Diocese of Oakland, has been placed on administrative leave following an allegation of inappropriate sexual conduct with a minor, diocese officials said.

“He is not allowed to function publicly as a priest while on administrative leave,” the diocese said in a statement. “As is normative for such a process, the diocese will not provide any further information on the matter during the investigation.”

Castillo was born in Costa Rica and worked at a software development company before joining the seminary. In 2008, he moved to the U.S. and completed his theological studies at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, according to a news release. He was ordained in 2011 by Salvatore Cordileone, the former bishop of Oakland.

It’s unclear when the alleged sexual misconduct occurred and when the allegation was made. Diocese officials said the case was referred to law enforcement because the church is a mandated reporter, but they did not provide any other details.

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Church sex abuse survivors: What to do if you need to report, find support

HOUSTON (TX)
January 31, 2019

By Amanda Cochran

Sexual abuse survivors may be facing a difficult day in the wake of names released by the Catholic Church in Texas.

KPRC wants to remind survivors that there resources available for those who need to report abuse, and those looking for support.

If you are a survivor, and you’d like to report sex abuse, call police. The Houston Police Department Adult Sex Crimes Unit is 713-308-1180. Here is more information published by HPD (pdf).

If you’re feeling suicidal, call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) to be connected to a certified crisis center near where you are.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a self-help group that supports people who have been victimized by clergy, has information for survivors, which includes recommended reading, survivors “wisdom,” information about flashbacks, and how to choose a therapist with your particular experience in mind.

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‘I have no recollection’ – priest denies indecently assaulting altar boy at parochial house

DUBLIN (IRELAND)
Irish Independent

January 31 2019

A priest has denied indecently assaulting an altar boy at his parochial house, 30 years ago.

The accused has pleaded not guilty to a total of eight counts of indecent assault, on dates between September 1988 and June 1990.

The accused, who is in his 60s, is alleged to have put the boy on his lap and placed his hands inside his pants.

On the opening of the trial last Tuesday the prosecution alleged the assaults took place while the boy was carrying out jobs at the priests’s home, such as washing his car, cutting his lawn, and painting.

On Thursday the accused gave direct evidence that had “no recollection” of the boy coming to his home to carry out this work.

The accused, who stepped aside from ministry following the allegations, agreed with Lily Buckley BL, for the prosecution, that he organised and went on outings with altar boys at the time of the alleged assaults on the injured party.

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Ridgeland Man Files Lawsuit for Abuse he Suffered in 2004 as a 9 Year Old

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

January 31, 2019

A man from Ridgeland, MS has filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Jackson alleging that he was abused in 2004 as a 9 year old. We applaud this brave man for taking action to expose clergy sex crimes and cover ups in the Jackson diocese.

In the lawsuit, the man – who filed anonymously – claims that he reported his allegations to the diocese in 2014 but that his allegations were never fully investigated by the investigator hired by the diocese. According to the newly-filed lawsuit, the Diocese of Jackson said that the victim’s mother was assured the matter would be fully investigated, telling her that “a private investigator would be hired to undertake an investigation beyond what the church would do internally or what the police department would do.”

Making matters worse is the allegation that, immediately after being abused, John Doe told his teacher at his school what had happened to him. In response, the teacher told him “don’t lie like that.” It is difficult to fathom the pain and confusion that must have gone on in the mind of a 9-year-old child when, the very first time that he opened up about what happened, he was branded a liar (to say nothing of the fact that this teacher’s response flies in the face of how she would have been trained to respond in a post-Dallas Charter world).

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Revela diócesis de El Paso lista de padres acusados de abuso sexual

BUENOS AIRES (ARGENTINA)
Diario El Paso [El Paso, TX]

January 31, 2019

By Sabrina Zuniga

Read original article

Se incluye el nombre de 30 clérigos

Este jueves, la Diócesis Católica de El Paso hizo pública una lista con los nombres de 30 clérigos acusados de abuso sexual infantil y se incluyó una lista adicional con el nombre de dos padres publicada por los jesuitas de la Providencia Central y del Sur de los Estados Unidos. 

En el documento, el obispo de la Diócesis Católica de El Paso, Mark J. Seitz, expresa que este es un día doloroso para muchos, pero también de esperanza para las víctimas. 

“Hoy es un día que es doloroso para muchos, incluyéndome a mí. También es un día de esperanza, porque creo que este difícil reconocimiento público del dolor sufrido por las víctimas promoverá la curación de las víctimas de abuso, sus familias, nuestras comunidades y nuestra Iglesia”, expresó Seitz. 

La lista de los clérigos acusados de El Paso, contiene los nombres de 14 sacerdotes que fueron incardinados a la Diócesis, 5 sacerdotes que sirvieron en la diócesis pero fueron incardinados en otra, 8 sacerdotes que pertenecían a órdenes religiosas que prestan servicio en la Diócesis y 3 nombres de hermanos que pertenecen a órdenes religiosas que sirven para el obispado. 

Se incluye también los nombres de padres jesuitas acusados de abuso sexual que sirvieron en El Paso por un tiempo, pero, que cuyos casos conocidos de abuso infantil no tuvieron lugar aquí, de acuerdo con la Diócesis Católica de El Paso. 

La lista de padres jesuitas menciona a: Austin N. Park, Benjamin Wren, Edward D. De Russy, Claude L. Ory, Claude P. Boudreax y Patrick H. O’Diddy. 

Hace 20 años del último caso

“Muchos de los padres de la lista han fallecido, porque es una lista muy vieja, pero los que aun viven, no están sirviendo ya en la Iglesia”, comentó Seitz en una entrevista. 

La lista de clérigos relacionados con abusos a menores cubren los incidentes ocurridos desde 1950 al 2018. Sin embargo, el obispo dijo que el último reporte se presentó hace 20 años. 

“La ultima incidencia fue en 1999, podemos descubrir un grano de buenas noticias en medio de todo esto, porque gracias a Dios en 20 años no hemos experimentado ninguna situación de abuso por los que trabajan como clérigos en la Diócesis de El Paso y creemos que es un signo que la respuesta de la Iglesia ha tenido efecto para la Iglesia y la comunidad”, declaró Seitz. 

Desde el pasado 30 de septiembre, las quince diócesis de Texas recibieron la orden de publicar los nombres de padres, sacerdotes y representantes de la Iglesia que se les ha involucrado en actos de abuso sexual a menores. La fecha límite era hoy, jueves 31 de enero del 2019. 

Lobos disfrazados de ovejas

El número de nombres publicados se ha visto afectado significativamente por varios factores que deben considerarse para mantener la lista en su perspectiva correcta, según informó la Diócesis. 

“Si bien un caso de abuso sexual de un menor es demasiado, la lista abarca casi 70 años. Durante ese tiempo, hemos calculado que más de mil sacerdotes diocesanos y sacerdotes, o hermanos, pertenecientes a órdenes religiosas sirvieron en la Diócesis de El Paso”, detalla el documento. 

Esto significa que la cantidad de personas acusadas de manera creíble representa entre el 2 y el 3 por ciento de los sacerdotes y religiosos que prestaron servicio en El Paso. Este porcentaje es inferior al que se ha estimado en estudios nacionales. 

Hasta el 17 de agosto de 1982, la Diócesis de El Paso era mucho más grande geográficamente que en la actualidad porque, además de incluir una parte sustancial del oeste de Texas, también incluía la mayor parte del sur de Nuevo México, declara el obispado. 

“Antes de 1982, la Diócesis tenía muchos más sacerdotes de los que la conforman en la actualidad”, se señala. 

A continuación, se presentan los nombres publicados por la Diócesis Católica de El Paso con cuatro separaciones diferentes para grupo de clérigos acusados: 

Sacerdotes que fueron incardinados a la Diócesis Católica de El Paso

*Reverendo Carlos Frías 

*Reverendo Sam García 

*Reverendo Lawrence Gaynor 

*Reverendo James Hay 

*Reverendo Mario Islas 

*Reverendo Irving Klister 

*Reverendo Miguel Luna 

*Reverendo Jaime Madrid 

*Reverendo Jesse Muñoz 

*Reverendo Richard Nesom 

*Reverendo José Nieves 

*Reverendo Arthur O’Sullivan 

*Reverendo Dennis Tejada 

*Reverendo John Tickle 

Sacerdotes que sirvieron en la Diócesis de El Paso, pero fueron incardinados en otra

*Reverendo David Holley 

*Reverendo Miguel Marin 

*Reverendo Emilio Roure 

*Reverendo Marcelino Santiago 

*Reverendo Frank Sierra  

Sacerdotes que pertenecían a órdenes religiosas que prestan servicio en la Diócesis Católica de El Paso

*Reverendo Santiago Almaguer 

*Reverendo Ray Labate 

*Reverendo Alfonso Madrid 

*Reverendo Manuel Maramba 

*Reverendo Pedro Martínez 

*Reverendo Aloysius Ochoa 

*Reverendo Guido Quiroz 

*Reverendo Franco Tentori 

Nombres de hermanos que pertenecen a órdenes religiosas que sirven en la Diócesis Católica de El Paso

*Hermano Sthephen Furches 

*Hermano Kerry Guillory 

*Hermano Sam Martínez 

Hoy, misa en nombre de las víctimas

“En nombre de la Iglesia Católica en la Diócesis de El Paso, expreso mi profundo pesar por el daño causado a las víctimas y sus familias. No hay nada que pueda hacer para quitarte el dolor”, comentó Seitz. 

La Diócesis informó que se ofrecerá una Misa de Expiación y Sanación esta noche a las 7:00 p.m. en la catedral de San Patricio, ubicada en el Centro de El Paso. 

Se anima a las víctimas sobrevivientes de abuso de cualquier tipo y provenientes de cualquier fuente a asistir. Así como se extiende una invitación a los católicos y personas de buena voluntad a unirse en oración por ellos. 

El documento oficial y la lista de padres acusados de abuso sexual infantil en El Paso puede ser encontrado en el siguiente link: http://www.elpasodiocese.org

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37 Baton Rouge-area clergy members on diocese’s official sex abuse list

BATON ROUGE (LA)
The Advocate

January 31, 2019

Bishop Michael Duca on Thursday released the names of 37 clergy who were removed from ministry after accusations that they sexually abused minors were deemed credible. This is the first time in the history of the Diocese of Baton Rouge that a Catholic bishop has attempted to provide an accounting of the identities of the alleged abusers in church ranks.

The list below, in alphabetical order, does not include employees of the church, or any other religious — such as nuns or brothers — who may have been accused. Clergy accused of sexually abusing a minor can try to clear their names through church tribunals, the outcomes of which are secret.

The biographies combine information provided by the bishop with information found in media reports, court documents and interviews.
.
Name: John J. Berube

Age: Died in 2001, age unknown

Position: Missionary Order of Our Lady of La Salette priest

Served where: St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales (1965), other church parishes in Canada (1970s) and Boston.

Ordained: 1953

Date of abuse: 1965

Allegation received: 1965

Number of allegations: More than one

Assignment at time of abuse: St. Theresa of Avila, Gonzales, LA

Lawsuits filed/previous known allegations: Four men filed a lawsuit in 2003 that alleged Berube’s abuse in 1965.

Removed from ministry: Remained a priest until his death.

Action taken: Priestly service in Diocese of Baton Rouge was terminated in 1965. The La Salette Order was notified of the allegation and he was transferred to the supervision of the La Sallette Superior.

Details: Four boys told their parents in 1965 that Berube had abused them. The parents reported the abuse to their parish priest and the Diocese of Baton Rouge sent Berube back to his missionary order of La Salette. But Berube remained in ministry, was the pastor of Our Lady of Victory in Gatineau, Quebec and several other church parishes in Boston before his death.

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After Diocese of Baton Rouge shares list of priests accused of abuse, here’s what diocese says

BATON ROUGE (LA)
The Advocate

January 31, 2019

The Diocese of Baton Rouge released on Thursday a list of 37 clergy with credible allegations of sexual abuse.

The list included included 14 diocesan priests, 15 priests from religious orders, one seminarian and seven priests of the Archdiocese of New Orleans who had also served in Baton Rouge. Two dozen of the revelations had not been made public before.

Below is everything that the Diocese of Baton Rouge released with the list.

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Jane Does fight for priest abuse policy changes in Catholic Church

AUSTIN (TX)
KXAN TV

January 31, 2019

By Brittany Glas

Assaulted and held captive in the confessional. For devout members of the Catholic Church, it’s something that is difficult to imagine. Isolated, scared and terrified. These are only a few of the ways one woman says she felt when she alleges an assault took place at St. Thomas More in Northwest Austin, located at 10205 N. Farm to Market Road 620.

“The confessional is a sacred space to Catholics where we experience God’s love and His mercy,” the woman explained. “All of that was taken away from me.”

She continued, “You’re already in a vulnerable position when you are in the confessional. As a predator, he took advantage of that vulnerability.”

The woman says within the last five years, Father Isidore Ndagizimana, known as “Father Izzy,” touched her inappropriately during confession and then wouldn’t let her leave.

Terrified and uncertain of what she should do, the woman never called police to report what happened. She told herself she didn’t have to — she says leadership at the parish and the Diocese of Austin assured her they were taking care of the priest and this issue. After all, she says this wasn’t the first complaint they’d received regarding Father Izzy. She trusted the diocese and the church.

“We fully expected to have their full support of us and when that didn’t happen, it was alarming to all of us,” she said.

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NYS lawmakers pass Child Victims Act

NEW YORK (NY)
Queens Chronicle

January 31, 2019

by Ryan Brady

New York is finally set to make the Child Victims Act law.

The legislation was passed by the state Legislature on Monday and is expected to soon be signed by Gov. Cuomo, who included the bill in his fiscal year 2020 budget proposal.

The Child Victims Act would extend the statute of limitations for victims to bring civil legal actions against sexual abusers and organizations thought to have allowed the abuse to occur, giving victims until they turn 55 years old to bring a case.

The bill also seeks to extend the statute for prosecutors to bring criminal charges. Those would be brought until the victim of the abuse turns 28 years old in felony cases; for misdemeanors, it would be 23 years old.

Additionally, the legislation would create a one-year “lookback window” during which civil actions could be started over abuse cases with expired statutes of limitations.

It aims also to change the law so civil claims against public institutions over sexual abuse do not require a 90-day notice of claim.

Many Capitol observers were moved by the remarks of four female legislators, including Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz (D-Jackson Heights), who spoke on the floors of their chambers about sexual abuse they’d personally experienced.

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Cardinal Dolan criticizes Cuomo for ‘stinging criticism’ of church

NEW YORK (NY)
Catholic News Service

January 31, 2019

New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan in a Sirius XM broadcast Jan. 29 criticized Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his “stinging criticism of the Catholic Church” in singling out Catholics over the crisis surrounding the sexual abuse of minors.”

“He really caricatured the church and only the church, singling it out for the sexual abuse of minors and contesting that we were the ones that had blocked the Child Victims Act,” Cardinal Dolan told Father Dave Dwyer, co-host of “Conversation With Cardinal Dolan,” which airs every Tuesday afternoon on Sirius XM’s The Catholic Channel.

“And then misquoting, taking out of context, Pope Francis, and to flaunt his dissent from established church teaching and to use all that as an applause line,” the cardinal said of the governor.

He was referring to Cuomo’s State of the State address in which he cited his own Catholic faith and Pope Francis and at the same time emphasized his full backing of a bill — now signed in to law — to radically expand abortion access in the state. Cuomo also criticized the state’s Catholic bishops for their earlier opposition to the Child Victims Act, also now a law.

The new law makes it easier for abuse victim-survivors to sue. The bishops did support the final measure because it included both private and public institutions. Earlier versions only targeted the church.

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Austin man stands by Catholic faith after surviving priest’s alleged abuse

AUSTIN (TX)
News4SA

January 30, 2019

By Melanie Barden

Austin resident Allen Hebert says he’s a survivor of a priest’s abuse and he’s glad the Catholic church is making an effort to be transparent. (CBS Austin)

Thursday, Catholic leaders across Texas will release the names of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually assaulting children. The list could have names dating back to the 1950’s, according to the Austin Diocese.

Austin resident Allen Hebert says he’s a survivor of a priest’s abuse and he’s glad the Catholic church is making an effort to be transparent.

“The list will help some people realize ‘wow the guy was caught,'” says Hebert.

Hebert says Father Andrew Willemsen, a former priest in the Diocese of Austin, befriended his family and sexually abused him from age 12 to 14. “He just gradually convinced me that doing these things was normal, ‘don’t tell your parents because they don’t understand in fact the church doesn’t understand, but I do,'” says Hebert.

Years later, Hebert reported Father Willemsen to a bishop who knew him. The bishop said Father Willemsen was sent out of the country years earlier after other victims came forward. Willemsen has since passed away.

“It’s been 21 years of healing,” says Hebert.

Hebert tells CBS Austin part of his healing will come from seeing Father Willemsen’s name on the Austin Diocese list.

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Chicago Catholic Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing Student

CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Patch

January 31, 2019

By Amber Fisher

A Catholic school teacher on Chicago’s West Side is accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy and battering a 13-year-old boy, police said. The teacher taught junior high school at St. Procopius in Pilsen since 2014, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Yesenia Rodriguez, 27, of the 900 block of North Honore Street, has been suspended and “will remain away from the school until the matter is resolved,” the archdiocese stated.

Rodriguez is accused of sexually abusing the 14-year-old boy in the 1600 block of South Allport — the same block as the school — on May 1, police said.

She is also accused of battering the 13-year-old boy a few blocks from the school in the 1800 block of South Allport between Sept. 15 and Jan. 25, police said.

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Convicted former priest arrested for probation violation

BROWN COUNTY (WI)
WBAY TV

January 31, 2019

A former Green Bay priest convicted of exposing genitals to a child has been arrested on a probation violation, according to jail records.

Richard L Thomas, 81, was arrested Jan. 29, according to the Brown County Inmate lookup website.

VINE, a website that alerts victims of crimes to offender movement, states that Thomas is in custody at the Brown County Jail.

Action 2 News is working to get information on the nature of the probation violation. We’ve reached out to several agencies and will update this story when we get that information.

In 2016, Thomas pleaded no contest to two counts of Exposing Genitals/Pubic Area/Intimate Parts to a Child. He was found guilty and sentenced to four months in jail and three years on probation.

Conditions of probation include lifetime registry on the Wisconsin Sex Offender list and no contact with minors unless approved by the parole agent.

Thomas had exposed himself to a teenager while living at Grellinger Hall, a residence for retired priests.

Last November, Thomas was denied his request to relocate to a new home in Green Bay. A citizen board listened as Thomas cited his two-and-a-half years in therapy for the crimes he committed, hoping the board would grant him the move.

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DiNardo: Tell police if you have information about clergy sex abuse [Opinion]

HOUSTON (TX)
Houston Chronicle

January 31, 2019

By Cardinal Daniel DiNardo

We are still weeks away from Ash Wednesday and the start of the Lenten season, and yet this week like so many I am overwhelmed with thoughts and prayers of contrition as, together with the other Catholic Dioceses in Texas, we will release a list of clergy dating back to 1950 who have been credibly accused of abusing minors.

I very much appreciate this opportunity to tell you why we are releasing this list, how the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston compiled it, and where we go from here.

First, we are releasing this list because we recognize the great and lasting harm done by persons who were supposed to represent Christ to the world, but instead committed the most heinous acts against the most vulnerable people in our society — our youth. I can assure you the genuine shame, embarrassment and outrage that accompany this week’s announcements across Texas are superseded only by the determination we collectively feel to assist victims of these acts of evil to begin or continue the healing process.

To anyone who has been personally affected by this crisis, or their families, I apologize most sincerely. I furthermore understand the anger and frustration you may harbor in your hearts concerning the perpetrators of abuse; or those who in the past may have concealed or ignored such unthinkable behavior; or even those in positions of authority today — yours truly included — who are doing our best however imperfectly to rebuild the trust of the faithful. It is my most fervent prayer that whatever pain was caused would not make you sever your relationship with the Lord, for the Lord — not man — is the truest source of hope and joy in our lives. I implore you not to let any darkness overtake the light in your life.

Let me add: we are also releasing this list because we want anyone with any additional information about any abuse of a minor that may have taken place in this Archdiocese to notify the civil authorities immediately. I recognize and indeed admire the courage required to step forward and share such traumatic experiences, but it is critical that the civil authorities are made aware of any allegations of abuse so as to protect our children.

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Why this time was different: The church’s objections to the Child Victims Act finally ran out

NEW YORK (NY)
New York Daily News

January 29, 2019

By Marci Hamilton

It took more than 15 years, but when the Child Victims Act finally made it to the floor of the Senate, it passed unanimously. This is the harbinger of good things to come in other states.

For the very first time, the most powerful bishop in a state — Cardinal Timothy Dolan — publicly withdrew his opposition to the bill. That opened the door for Republicans to vote for the Child Victims Act, but it also changed the discourse about window legislation across the United States and even the world.

The Catholic bishops, the most publicly relentless opponents of victims’ access to justice, have been running out of arguments against the irrefutable logic of child sex abuse statute of limitations (SOL) reform. At first, they opposed SOL reform, period. Their battle against extending the civil and criminal SOLs did not last long, because it implied that they expected to have ongoing problems in the future. But they continued to ferociously battle the lookback, or window, legislation that revives expired civil SOLs.

They tried to blame the priests (and the victims) while not taking responsibility for their role, or they claimed it all happened decades ago. The 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report put those arguments to rest, as it prompted the world to take the side of the victims.

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Diocese Of Oakland Priest On Leave Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegation

OAKLAND (CA)
CBS SF

January 31, 2019

A priest with the Diocese of Oakland has been placed on administrative leave as the diocese investigates an allegation of sexual misconduct against a minor by the clergyman, according to diocese officials.

The Rev. Alex Castillo, who serves as the diocese’s director of Department of Faith Formation and Evangelization and episcopal master of ceremonies, is not allowed to function publicly as a priest during the investigation, said diocese spokeswoman Helen Osman.

There have been no interim appointments made to assume Castillo’s duties, Osman said.

Anyone with any information on the case or wishes to report other allegations of sexual misconduct by a clergy member or diocese employee can call their local law enforcement agency and Diocese of Oakland Chancellor Stephen Wilcox at (510) 267-8334 or swilcox@oakdiocese.org.

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Vatican adviser says ‘real reform,’ not spin, key to recovery from abuse crisis

ROME (ITALY)
Crux

January 31, 2019

By Inés San Martín

An adviser to the Vatican’s communication team said Monday that recovery from the clerical sexual abuse scandals isn’t a matter of devising a better PR strategy, but of acknowledging that real people have been hurt and delivering “real reform.”

“As Pope Francis says, this is not about ‘marketing or strategizing’ but about ‘the beating heart of the Gospel’,” said Kim Daniels, a veteran leader with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and various Catholic organizations, who was appointed an adviser to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communications in 2016.

“Over these past months many have been tempted to stay angry, and with good reason,” Daniels said. “Every week another shoe seems to drop: we hear of another person – a flesh and-blood person, someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s friend – who has suffered abuse at the hands of a priest. We hear another story of cover-up or malfeasance or failure of leadership on the part of a bishop.”

“We hear more talk from everyone, but see little action from anyone,” she said.

Daniel’s remarks came during the sixth annual lecture of the Cardinal John Foley Chair of Social Communications and Homiletics at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. It was the first time a woman was tasked with delivering the talk, with previous speakers including Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles and Crux editor-in-chief, John L. Allen, Jr.

The Church’s ongoing crisis is not the product of poor public relations or a failure of “messaging,” Daniels said, but the fact that “Church leaders have hurt real people, and real reform is necessary.”

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Priest Who Exposed Himself At Rockford Gas Station Punished By Diocese

ROCKFORD (IL)
January 30, 2019

By Jim Hagerty

The Diocese of Rockford announced Wednesday that a priest who exposed himself at a Rockford gas station in 2014 will be punished by the local bishop.

Officials say Father Aaron Brodeski will be deprived of the title “Monsignor,” and be placed in a one-year period of prayer and penance.

“As this is a decision of highest authority of the Catholic Church, there is no further appeal or recourse against it,” the Diocese said in a release. ” Any subsequent determination about the suitability for ministry of Father Brodeski rests with the local bishop in accordance with the Church’s Canon Law.”

Court records show that in March 2014, Brodeski exposed himself to an employee at Road Ranger, 4980 S. Main St. He turned himself in to police on May 23, 2014 and was charged with two counts of public indecency.

Brodeski pleaded guilty to a single count of disorderly conduct as part of a plea agreement and was sentenced two years of court supervision. He was a priest at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Batavia at the time of the incident.

The Diocese says the matter was referred to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy and after an internal investigation and that the congregation found that Brodeski was responsible for “grave and scandalous” acts.

“The Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy then submitted the matter to Pope Francis, who approved the recommendation of the Congregation and made it his own papal act,” the Diocese added. “The Diocese of Rockford expresses its profound regret to the faithful and to all who have been offended by this incident. It asks for prayers for all involved in this matter.”

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Reckoning time for Catholics

NEW YORK (NY
A. M. New York

January 31, 2019

A familiar name was eventually published along with dozens of Jesuit priests who’d taught in some of the city’s Catholic schools: my former religion teacher.

I graduated from the school in 2000. While I was never abused, the church abuse scandal hits me deep, not only as a graduate but also as a parent whose son attends the school. It has even made my mother, a devout Catholic, question why the church still holds on to archaic rules like not allowing women or married men to be priests, which she believes help foster an abusive environment.

Even though I am no longer a believer, the church has meaning for my life. As I wrote on this page last year, a Jesuit priest worked with my mom and others to support peasants and workers in Bolivia — a move that eventually cost him his life. Many priests were on the right side of history in Latin America during a period of death squads and political persecution.

That said, despite some of the efforts of the school and of Catholics in NYC to begin to take some accountability for abuse, the ways the church dragged its feet and covered up abuse scandals point to an institution that was focused more on self-preservation than justice for victims.

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Think McQuaid’s priest abuse list is complete?

ROCHESTER (NY)
Democrat and Chronicle

January 31, 2019

By Sean Lahman and Steve Orr

When Tom Chiarella read last month about sexual abuse allegations against seven priests once assigned to his alma mater, McQuaid Jesuit High School, he was sick to his stomach.

Chiarella had known that sexual abuse had occurred at the Brighton secondary school because he was a victim of it. The trauma hung over his head for years before he could find a way out.

His personal escape culminated in the bold step of telling the world what had happened to him in an article for Esquire magazine in 2003 called “My Education.” Chiarella recounted how French teacher John J. Tobin had harassed, stalked and sexually abused him between 1975 and his graduation in 1979.

What disturbed Chiarella were allegations that came to light Jan. 15, when a regional Jesuit organization named 50 priests who had been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. Seven of those priests once taught at McQuaid.

Publication of that list has prompted a new stream of allegations against staff who taught at McQuaid, with the Brighton police and the Democrat and Chronicle receiving multiple calls. At the same time, the release has raised questions about the thoroughness and transparency of efforts to acknowledge and resolve past abuses.

Asked about the Jesuits’ list, leaders at McQuaid failed to make clear when and where the misconduct by the seven priests occurred, how many McQuaid students were victimized, and why the school had previously denied knowledge of credible allegations against many of the priests named.

“I think it’s amazing, the institutional indifference to these problems,” Chiarella said. “They’re perpetuating a system where a 15-year-old boy feels he shouldn’t and can’t speak out.”

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Lawsuit: Priest molested St. Richard student. Did Catholic Church, district attorney act?

JACKSON (MS)
Mississippi Clarion Ledger

January 31, 2019

By Sarah Fowler

A Ridgeland man who says he was sexually abused by a priest in 2004 as a 9-year-old has filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Jackson and a local Catholic school.

The allegation was reported to the diocese in 2014, and the diocese launched an internal investigation in addition to notifying the Hinds County District Attorney’s office. District Attorney Robert Schuler Smith said this week that his office did not investigate because they were waiting on information from the diocese.

The lawsuit, filed Dec. 28 in Hinds County, only identifies the 24-year-old plaintiff as “John Doe” and the alleged abuser as “Defendant Father John Doe.”

The accused priest was never identified by the boy, the church or law enforcement.

The lawsuit names the diocese, St. Richard Catholic Church, St. Richard Catholic School, Father Mike O’Brien, Bishop Joseph Latino, former St. Richard principal Joules Michel, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, Monsignor Elvin Sunds, an unidentified priest (Father John Doe) and 10 other unidentified individuals (John Doe I-X).

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Vatican: Senior priest resigns over advances to nun

PoliticalLore.com blog

January 31, 2019

By Julia Simpson

The Vatican continues to improve its moral doctrine and an overall image, this week, several senior priests have had to resign over advance to the nun, The Local Italy reported on Thursday.

In the Vatican, the relationships between nuns and priests are complicated sometimes because of sexual harassment, confirmed the official source. This week, a senior Vatican priest accused of making advances towards a nun during confession has resigned.

«Geissler decided to take this step to limit the damage already done to the congregation and to his community,» a Holy See statement reads, noting that he «reserves the right for possible civil legal action».

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‘Spotlight’ lawyer accuses Newark archdiocese of defending abusive priest

SOUTH ORANGE (NJ)
The Sentonian

January 30, 2019

By Isabel Soisson

Mitchell Garabedian, the celebrated lawyer known for representing the sexual abuse victims of Roman Catholic priests in the Boston area, recently accused the Archdiocese of Newark of blaming the alleged victims of Rev. Michael “Mitch” Walters in order to protect him. Walters is accused of abusing five boys and one girl decades ago. Walters graduated from Seton Hall in 1977 with a BA in religious studies.

Garabedian’s work was depicted in the Oscar-winning movie “Spotlight,” and he has continued to represent sexual abuse victims across the United States. He criticized the archdiocese after announcing that five of the alleged victims of Walters had settled their civil lawsuits against the Catholic Church for $400,000.

Lawyers for the archdiocese cited the “doctrine of contributory negligence” to argue that “these children were at fault when they were sexually abused,” Garabedian said at a press conference, according to NBC News.

Walters served at St. Cassian Church and school in Montclair and at St. John Nepomucene Parish in Guttenberg during his time as a priest. He is accused of molesting children between 1982 and 1995 at both parishes. Walters’ last assignment was at the Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange. Walters was removed from his last assignment after the first sex abuse allegations came to light. He has since denied these claims and records indicate he may now live in Rutherford, N.J., at a retirement home for priests, also according to NBC News.

Last September, New Jersey officials announced the creation of a special task force to investigate both the alleged sex abuse by members of the clergy within the dioceses of New Jersey and alleged cover-up by the Catholic Church, as previously reported by The Setonian. Seton Hall University then hired Newark law firm Gibbons P.C. to independently investigate sex abuse allegations that “may have involved seminarians” at both the Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology and the College Seminary at Saint Andrew’s Hall on the South Orange campus. These accusations were leveled against the former Archbishop of Newark, Theodore McCarrick. McCarrick served as president of the board of trustees at Seton Hall and served as Archbishop of Newark during the mid-80s to early 2000s.

Maria Margiotta, acting director of communications and public relations for the Archdiocese of Newark, sent the following statement to The Setonian when asked for comment on Garabedian’s accusations.

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There are still bishops who don’t understand abuse crisis

WASHINGTON (DC)
Religion News Service

January 31, 2019

By Thomas Reese

Talking to reporters on his plane coming back from World Youth Day in Panama Jan. 27, Pope Francis downplayed what he called “inflated” expectations for the upcoming meeting of bishops in Rome to deal with clergy sexual abuse. “The expectations need to be deflated,” he said. He also sought to lower expectations about the possibility of married priests.

Many in the United States have been hoping that the meeting on abuse, which will bring the presidents of the episcopal conferences from over 100 countries to the Vatican Feb. 21-24, would result in procedures for dealing with bishops who do not protect children from abusive priests. While the church has made progress in dealing with abusive priests, it still needs a process for dealing with bishops who do not protect children.

The expectations for the meeting were raised in November, when the head of the Vatican Congregation for Bishops, Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, told the American bishops not to vote on such procedures at their fall meeting in Baltimore. Ouellet said the Americans should wait for a discussion of the issue at the meeting in Rome.

It now appears that the meeting will not develop new policies but, in the words of Francis, will be a “catechesis” on the problem of abuse aimed at bishops who do not understand the issue or what they should do in response to abuse.

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UN panel probes Italy’s role in Church’s child abuse scandals

ROME (ITALY)
Crux

January 31, 2019

By Claire Giangravè

A United Nations Committee for the protection of minors questioned the Italian government last week about clerical sexual abuse in the country, expressing concern over laws that protect predator priests from criminal charges.

“We are saddened by the lack of information regarding sexual abuse against minors by Catholic clergy, and we are concerned by the information we have received that points to numerous clerical abuse victims,” said Spanish Professor Jorge Cardona, a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, during a Jan. 22-23 hearing.

Representatives of the Italian government were asked to answer questions before the committee at the UN’s High Commissioner in Geneva regarding the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Recommendations drawn from the hearing will be issued by the UN on Feb. 7.

This was hardly the first time the UN panel has taken an interest in the Catholic Church’s record on child sexual abuse.

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Catholic priest sentenced for sexual, attempted abuse of 2 boys in Diocese of Erie

SHIPPENSBURG (PA)
News Chronicle

January 31, 2019

A former Catholic priest for four decades in the Diocese of Erie, David Poulson, was sentenced Jan. 11 to 2 1/2 to 14 years in prison for his repeated sexual assaults against one boy and the attempted assault of another boy. Poulson was sentenced by a Jefferson County Common Pleas Court judge for corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children – both felony crimes. Poulson was taken immediately into custody after his sentencing.

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Catholic Dioceses release more lists detailing sex abuse cases

JACKSONVILLE (FL)
First Coast News

January 30, 2019

By Shelby Danielsen

On Thursday the country will see new lists released from multiple states naming clergy who have been accused of sexually abusing a minor in the Catholic Church.

Dioceses in both Texas and Louisiana have vowed to release these names to the public by Jan. 31.

The increase in transparency follows a Pennsylvania grand jury report released last year that named hundreds of priests in sex abuse cases dating back to the 1950s, prompting churches around the country to quickly respond.

While the abuse cases being made public may not have been prosecuted, they are names the church found credible in accusations.

In Georgia, the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah were two of the first institutions to publish these types of lists naming clergy last year. You can find their lists published on their diocese website.

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Letter to the Editor: Cardinal Bea House scandal needed transparency

SPOKANE (WA)
Gonzaga Bulletin

January 31, 2019

By Lindsay Panigeo

I was born in Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska. I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, with the privilege of being able to return to my hometown regularly. My family has worked tirelessly to teach me and my siblings about our rich Inupiaq culture. Being an Inupiaq woman is central to my identity, and the values that my culture instills in me are something I carry with me everywhere I go.

On Dec. 17, my mother sent me an article from the Anchorage Daily News with a headline that read, “Jesuits quietly sent abusive Alaska priests to retire with others on a Washington college campus.” My heart immediately sank, I took a deep breath and I read the rest of the article.

The same day, President Thayne McCulloh sent a statement to Gonzaga’s community in response to the numerous accused priests, the most notable being James Poole. In President McCulloh’s statement, he mentions that the news of these horrible circumstances brought “feelings of sadness, disgust and betrayal,” indicating that he, among others from GU’s senior leadership, had no idea that the Society of Jesus was knowingly re-assigning credibly accused men to locations, such as the Cardinal Bea House.

As much as I want to believe that GU was unaware of the abusive priests allowed to reside on campus, I am not sure that I can fully believe that, and if they were completely oblivious, then they should be more diligent about who is residing on, or near campus. Simple Google searches relating to the Rev. Poole reveal a history of misconduct, including articles from 2005 stating that Poole was sued by an Alaskan woman, which is a matter of public record, for sexually assaulting her as a child. A timeline published in 2011 from “FRONTLINE” includes accounts of the years of abuse that Poole inflicted prior to residing in the Cardinal Bea House.

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Suspended Deacon Gets Probation in Sexting Case in Washington, Pa.

WHEELING (WV)
The Intelligencer

January 29, 2019

By Barbara Miller

Rosendo Francis Dacal, a suspended Catholic deacon in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, will serve two years probation, perform 200 hours of community service and be required to register as a sex offender for 25 years after being sentenced last week by Washington County, Pa. Judge Gary Gilman.

Dacal, 74, pleaded guilty in October to two felonies — criminal solicitation of sexual abuse of children and criminal use of a communication device.

Police arrested Dacal in April 2018 on child pornography charges after North Strabane Township police Officer Gary Scherer had assumed the decoy persona of a 14-year-old boy when he was contacted by someone with the username “chubby boy” in December 2017.

The user, later identified as Dacal, sent sexually explicit messages, sought nude photos of whom he thought was the 14-year-old and exposed himself during video sessions over the course of several months.

As a youth, Dacal left Cuba after the Communist revolution and lived in a refugee camp stateside, eventually earning postgraduate degrees in business and law. As a Catholic deacon, he volunteered as a chaplain at the Allegheny County Jail.

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Victims blast KS archbishop on abuse

KANSAS CITY (KS)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

January 31, 2019

Victims blast KS archbishop on abuse

They ‘out’ 6 publicly accused priests who are/were in KC KS

The allegations arose elsewhere but the clerics spent time here

SNAP also urges Archbishop to include those who abuse adults on his list

WHAT
Holdings signs at a sidewalk news conference, clergy abuse victims and concerned Catholics will disclose a list of six clerics publicly accused of child molestation who worked in/around KC KS but have gotten virtually no public or press attention here,

They will also call on KC KS Catholic officials to
—explain why these six names were left off their list of clergy with “substantiated” allegations,
—add the six names, along with photos, whereabouts and work histories of all publicly accused clerics, to their website, and
—include the identities of priests who have sexually abused, exploited and harassed adults as well.

WHEN
Thursday Jan. 31 at 1:45 p.m.

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Six more publicly accused child abusers are “outed”

HARTFORD (CT)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

January 31, 2019

Six more publicly accused child abusers are “outed”

All were left off Hartford’s new list of those “credibly accused”

Two admitted abuse, one was convicted & one is a nun

Victims want Catholic officials to “come fully clean now”

Group also urges CT to totally eliminate SOLs for child sex abuse

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will disclose the names and histories of six publicly accused child molesters, including one woman, who worked in the Hartford Catholic Archdiocese but were left off a just-posted list of those “credibly accused.” The group found six other “overlooked” publicly accused priests and brothers when the list was first released last week.

They will also call on Connecticut’s top Church officials to
–include the six new names on the Archdiocese’s “credibly accused” list,
–give more details about each abuser, especially their photos, current whereabouts and full work histories, and
–urge CT legislators to totally remove the criminal and civil statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse and open a permanent civil window.

WHEN
Thursday, Jan. 31 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
On the sidewalk outside St. Joseph Cathedral, 140 Farmington Ave. in Hartford CT

WHO
Three victims and advocates who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including Gail Howard, the group’s volunteer Connecticut leader and Donna Palomba who is also the founder of a Naugatuck- based organization, Jane Doe No More, dedicated to ending the silence surrounding sexual assault.

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Why police aren’t more involved in diocese abuse investigations

DALLAS (TX)
WFAA TV

January 30, 2019

By Tanya Eiserer

As the Dallas Catholic diocese prepares to release the names of priests “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors Thursday, many are wondering: What can law enforcement do with the list?

The reality is that police can only act when a victim is willing to come forward and file a police report.

“Without an outcry, the police can’t do anything,” said Brenda Nichols, a former supervisor of the Dallas PD’s child abuse unit.

Once a victim comes forward, police can investigate to determine if there’s enough evidence to obtain a warrant.

The case of accused priest Edmundo Paredes is instructive. He was the former longtime pastor at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Oak Cliff.

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Diocese of Monterey witnesses installation of its fifth Bishop

MONTEREY (CA)
Monterey Herald

January 30, 2019

By James Herrera

The fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey, Daniel E. Garcia, was installed in an elaborate celebratory mass and ceremony that included many faithful, fellow clergy from brothers, sisters, priests, bishops and included the reading of the Apostolic Mandate issued from the head of the Catholic Church himself – Pope Francis.

The installation ceremony, mass and reception was held on Tuesday afternoon for hundreds of people on the grounds of Madonna Del Sasso Church and Catholic School in Salinas.

“… It’s my desire to get to know you and for you to get to know me. For me to see and visit the various and awesome communities and parishes that are located throughout the four counties of our diocese. As I said at my press conference, and I say again to you today, I want to walk with you and to serve you. I want you to help me to wash the feet of our brothers and sisters around us. Especially those who are most vulnerable and often get lost in the midst of our policies, our politics, and structures in the church and outside of the church,” said Bishop Garcia during his homily.

The new Bishop said he was humbled and moved by his appointment to be the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey by the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

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SA advocate for victims of priest sex abuse anxiously awaits list of accused offenders

SAN ANTONIO (TX)
January 30, 2019

By Bill Barajas

On Thursday, the Archdiocese of San Antonio is expected to release a comprehensive list of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

The list includes accusations dating back to the 1950s and is meant to provide accountability and transparency.

“We feel like the list coming out is very important for many reasons. For the victims of sex abuse, it’s very important because it validates them,” said Patti Koo, San Antonio chapter leader of the Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.

“Oftentimes, they haven’t felt listened to or believed. It also empowers them. They feel like they are no longer alone. It empowers them to come forward,” Koo said.

In Oct. 2018, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller and dioceses across Texas agreed to compile and release the names.

“It’s a very long time coming. In fact, we wonder if they could have released this a year ago. Could they have released it five years ago and 10 years ago?” Koo said.

Since 1988, SNAP’s mission is to provide a safe place for victims to share their stories and be supported.

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January 30, 2019

From Evasion to Conversion

NEW YORK (NY)
Commonweal

January 30, 2019

By Austen Ivereigh

“Pope Lowers Expectations for Next Month’s Sex Abuse Summit”—the Associated Press headline may not have been heart-lifting, but it was fair. During Pope Francis’s flight back from Panama on January 27, he had told reporters that “we have to deflate the expectations” surrounding the bishops’ first global summit on clerical sex abuse, which is to take place at the Vatican between February 20 and February 24.

Francis described the summit as essentially a “catechesis”: to make church leaders across the world aware of the pain of victims, and their obligations to act against abuser priests, as well as to hear survivors’ testimonies and to pray, penitentially, for the church’s failures. But three days is not a long time, and no one is expecting a revolution. “The problem of abuse will continue,” Francis assured reporters. “It’s a human problem.” No one should be expecting the pope to pull a new solution out of a top hat.

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Jesuits Keeping Students and Staff at Fordham University in the Dark

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

January 30, 2019

Despite pledges to be transparent, Northeast Jesuit officials refused to tell Fordham University students and staff if any abusive clerics were living on-campus.

Apparently, Jesuits quietly moved “credibly accused” child molesting clerics to Murray-Weigel Hall on the Fordham campus. This strategy was also used by Jesuit officials at other colleges they operate across the US, such as at Gonzaga in Washington.

The religious order refused to say whether they are still doing this at Fordham. Instead, the university was forced to restrict student access to Murray-Weigel in order to keep them out of harm’s way. Ongoing student-volunteer programs had previously allowed student to visit the priests housed there.

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Wikileaks takes a swipe at the famously secretive Vatican

ROME (ITALY)
Washington Post

January 30, 2019

By Chico Harlan

WikiLeaks, the tell-anything anti-secrecy organization, on Wednesday took aim at one of the world’s most secretive institutions, the Vatican, releasing a small collection of documents about a power struggle involving Pope Francis, a leading traditionalist cardinal, and a medieval Catholic order of knights.

The documents offered little new about a fight that two years ago was widely covered in the media. Their contents seem especially paltry at a time when the Vatican is embroiled in full-fledged scandals on multiple continents. But the release represented the first time WikiLeaks has turned its spotlight on the often-acrimonious internal affairs of the Holy See, and some Vatican watchers wondered whether more damaging secrets might start to escape the city-state’s walls.

“The fact itself, WikiLeaks entering the internal affairs of the Vatican, is an alarm bell,” said Marco Politi, a veteran Vatican watcher. “The subject itself is not interesting. These are old diatribes, old fights. But the important thing will be the next step. Will there be a subsequent WikiLeaks [release] on something not previously revealed? Should WikiLeaks pull out stuff regarding pedophilia or banking scandals, then we would be onto something new.”

Though the Vatican has been burned by leaks in the past — mostly notably when a trove of confidential documents was released in 2012 with help from then-Pope Benedict XVI’s butler — the city-state is famed for its airtight hold on information, including its paperwork on cases involving sexual abuse.

A Vatican spokesman noted that WikiLeaks had previously touched on church affairs, in 2010 — but the documents leaked then were cables from the U.S. Embassy, describing diplomatic relations with the Holy See. WikiLeaks Editor in Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said Wednesday was the first time the organization released documents about the Vatican “conflict between the different factions.”

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List of Abilene-area priests accused of child sex crimes to be released Thursday

ABILENE (TX)
KTAB/KRBC TV

Jan 30, 2019

By Erica Garner

A list of Abilene-area priests and other clergy members accused of sexually assaulting children will be released by the end of the day Thursday.

The San Angelo Diocese, which parents Catholic parishes across the Big Country, says they will be releasing their abuse report on January 31, as mandated by a decision made by all 15 Texas Dioceses in September.

A press release states these lists are being released in an effort for local parishes to be transparent about the bishops, priests, deacons, and other religious leaders that served their organizations and were involved in “credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor” dating back to 1950.

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April 8 deadline set for Diocese of Winona-Rochester child sex abuse filings

WINONA (MN)
Post Bulletin

January 30, 2019

By Brian Todd

Individuals with a claim of child sexual abuse against the Diocese of Winona-Rochester will need to register that claim no later than April 8.

According to the diocese’s notice of chapter 11 bankruptcy, creditors — victims of abuse by clergy, staff or volunteers — need to file a proof of claim, a signed statement describing a creditor’s claim. Proofs of claim can be filed electronically on the court’s website at www.mnb.uscourts.gov. No login or password is required.

Alternatively, a Proof of Claim form may be obtained at the same website or any bankruptcy clerk’s office. Claims will be allowed in the amount scheduled unless they meet the following criteria:

• The claim is designated as “disputed,” “contingent” or “unliquidated”;

• Individuals file a proof of claim in a different amount; or

• you receive another notice, according to the bankruptcy documentation.

If an individual’s claim is not scheduled or if that claim is designated as disputed, contingent, or unliquidated, creditors must file a proof of claim or risk not being paid on their claim or unable to vote on a plan.

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Catholic parishes in San Antonio with ties to credibly accused priests

GUADALAJARA (MEXICO)
MySA [San Antonio TX]

January 30, 2019

By Unknown

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San Fernando Cathedral: 115 West Main Plaza

1977-1998
Benigno David Gonzalez Zumaya
 – 9 allegations:
David Gonzalez-Zumaya was ordained a priest in 1977 for the Archdiocese. From 1977-1998, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Sorrows in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, to St. Patrick in Batesville, to Sacred Heart in Crystal City, to St. Gregory the Great in San Antonio, to San Fernando Cathedral, to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs, to St. Mary Magdalene in Brackettville, to St Joseph in Nixon, and to St. Philip in Smiley. In 1997, a survivor alleged that he had been sexually abused as a minor teenager by Gonzalez-Zumaya in 1982. The Archdiocese found the allegation to be credible and Gonzalez-Zumaya was removed from ministry in 1997. In 1998, he was retired without faculties to exercise priestly ministry in the Archdiocese, and he left the country to return to his native home of Guadalajara, Mexico. Since then, eight additional allegations of abuse by Gonzalez-Zumaya have been made, all dating to the 1970’s and 1980’s. He was allowed by the archbishop of Guadalajara to exercise priestly ministry without an assignment from 1999-2000. In 2008, the Archdiocese notified the public of an allegation made against Gonzalez-Zumaya, and stated that he was no longer in ministry. While the last record we have of Gonzalez-Zumaya having authorization to exercise ministry was 2000, we cannot be certain that he was not exercising any ministry in 2008. Gonzalez-Zumaya died in 2013.

St. Agnes: 804 Ruiz St.
1960-1969
Marion Swize 
From 1959-1969, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Benedict in San Antonio, to St. Michael in San Antonio, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, to St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg, and to St. Agnes in San Antonio. In 1969, Swize left the priesthood and subsequently married. In 2005, the Archdiocese was sued by a woman who alleged that she was sexually abused as a minor teenager by Swize in the 1960’s. Swize denied the allegation, and the person bringing the lawsuit did not substantiate her claims. Nevertheless, the Archdiocese finds the survivor to be credible.

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church: 1314 Fair Ave.

1990-1999 
Jose Aviles
Jose Aviles was ordained a priest in 1990 for the Archdiocese. From 1990-2004, he was assigned in the Archdiocese as chaplain to the Catholic Community on Scouting, as vocation director, to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio,to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, and to St. Joseph South San. In 2003, it was alleged that Aviles sexually abused a minor teenage boy in 1984 or 1985 (before Aviles was ordained a priest). Aviles was removed from ministry in 2004, and the public was notified of the cause. After he was removed, also in 2004, it was alleged that he sexually abused a minor teenage boy in 1994. The San Antonio Police Department was notified of this allegation. The abuse was well enough established to keep him permanently removed from ministry until his death in 2008. 

1970-1979
Michael Kenny
Michael Kenny was ordained a priest in Ireland for the Archdiocese in 1973. From 1973-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio, to St. Luke in San Antonio, to Resurrection of the Lord in San Antonio, and to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio. In 2000, a survivor alleged that he had sexually abused her when she was a minor teenager in the 1970’s. The Archdiocese found the survivor’s allegation to be credible. 

1960-1969
Marion Swize
From 1959-1969, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Benedict in San Antonio, to St. Michael in San Antonio, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, to St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg, and to St. Agnes in San Antonio.

St. Michael Catholic Church: 418 Indiana St.
1960-1969
Marion Swize
From 1959-1969, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Benedict in San Antonio, to St. Michael in San Antonio, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, to St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg, and to St. Agnes in San Antonio.

St. Benedict Catholic Church: 4535 Lord Road 

1980-1989
Edward Pavlicek
– 1 allegation:Edward Pavlicek was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1983. From 1983-2018, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to St. Leo in San Antonio, to St. Benedict in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Floresville, to St. Mary in Somerset, to Good Shepherd in Schertz with its mission church in Marion, and to St. Thomas the Apostle in Canyon Lake. In 2018, the Archdiocese was informed of an allegation of child sexual abuse against Pavlicek, made by the abuse survivor. The abuse was alleged to have occurred between 1986 and 1988. The Archdiocese notified the Bexar County District Attorney’s office of the allegation. The Archdiocesan Review Board found that the allegation had an appearance of truth and recommended that the Archdiocese conduct a canonical investigation into the abuse. At the conclusion of this investigation, it was determined that there was sufficient evidence that the abuse occurred for the Archdiocese to refer the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for possible laicization (removal from the clerical state). Archbishop Gustavo made this referral and additionally prohibited Pavlicek from exercising any priestly ministry or presenting himself as a priest.
1960-1969Marion SwizeFrom…

St. Paul Catholic Church: 350 Sutton Drive 
1970-1979
Lawrence Hernandez 
Lawrence Hernandez was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1978. From 1978-1984, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. James in Gonzalez and its mission churches in Gonzalez and Waelder, to San Fernando Cathedral, and to St. Paul in San Antonio. In 1985, he left the Archdiocese and joined the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. In 2008, a survivor alleged that Hernandez had sexually abused him as a child in 1978. A second allegation was made following the Archdiocese notifying the community and inviting other survivors to come forward. The Archdiocese informed the Bexar County District Attorney’s office of the allegations. The Trinitarians removed him from ministry in 2008 and after a preliminary investigation found sufficient evidence that the abuse occurred to refer the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. As a result of this process, the Trinitarians permanently reaffirmed that Hernandez was prohibited from exercising any public ministry and from presenting himself as a priest. They also placed him under supervision. He has since left the Trinitarian community and has no 14 faculties to exercise priestly ministry and no authorization to present himself as a priest or as a Trinitarian.

St. George Maronite Catholic Church: 6070 Babcock Road 
1980-1989
James Khoury

James Khoury was ordained a priest in 1975 for the Eparchy (similar to a diocese) of St. Maron in the Maronite Catholic Church. From 1977-1985, he was assigned by the Maronite Eparch to St. George Maronite Church in San Antonio. From 1981-1983, he held the position of president of Antonian High School without compensation. In the mid 1980’s, a survivor made an allegation to the Eparchy of St. Maron that Khoury had sexually abused him as a student at Antonian High School. The survivor entered into a settlement with Khoury in 1985, and the Eparchy removed him from the San Antonio area. The survivor brought the allegation to the Archdiocese in 2004, and subsequently brought a lawsuit against the Archdiocese that was 11 dismissed in 2006. Nevertheless, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible. Khoury died in 2016.

St. John Berchmans Catholic Church 
1990-1999 
Theo Clerx
 
Theo Clerx was a priest of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. From 1960-1992, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Jude in San Antonio, to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall, to St. Joseph in Devine, and to St. John Berchmans in San Antonio. He also lived in the Archdiocese in retirement without assignment from 1992-2002. In 2002, it was alleged that he sexually abused a child in the early 1960’s and the San Antonio Police Department was notified of the allegation. Clerx admitted to this abuse. In 2011, after his death, six additional allegations of child sexual abuse were made, dating to the 1990’s. Clerx died in 2003. 
1957-1972
William Lievens
 (CICM)– 1 allegation: William Lievens was a priest of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ordained in 1954. From 1957-1972, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Immaculate Concepcion in San Antonio, to San Juan Capistrano in San Antonio, to St. Joseph in Devine (for Saint Andrew in Lytle and St John Bosco in Natalia), and to St. John Berchmans in San Antonio. In 2018, an allegation was made that Lievens had sexually abused a child in the 1950’s. Lievens died in 1972. Although the allegation was made after both Lievens and the victim had died, the Archdiocese found the victim’s daughter credible.

Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church
15322 Red Robin Road
1990-1999
Orr, James – allegations of abuse that predate his ordination James Orr was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese in 1997. From 1997-2016, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio. In 1992 or 1993, a child alleged that Orr, then a volunteer in the same parish, had sexually molested him in the neighborhood pool. In 2016, the then pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement, Fr. Christopher Phillips, acknowledged that he had received the complaint and had investigated it, finding it to be without basis. He did not inform the archbishop of the allegation, either at the time it was made or later when recommending Orr for ordination to the permanent diaconate. In 2007, a victim alleged that Orr had attempted to sexually abuse him in approximately 1995, also prior to Orr’s ordination. In December 2015, the Archdiocese was contacted by a psychologist who stated that her client had given her permission to inform the Archdiocese that he and another survivor had been sexually abused as children in the 1990’s by Orr. Shortly after this, Orr requested retirement and resigned from all active ministry. The Archdiocese accepted his resignation and forbade him from functioning or presenting himself as a deacon. In 2017, a civil demand was made by a survivor alleging sexual abuse in approximately 1993. Beginning in 2007, the Archdiocese notified the Bexar County District Attorney’s office of all known allegations of child sexual abuse made against Orr. While the reports refer to child sexual abuse alleged to have occurred before Orr’s ordination, the Archdiocese found the abuse survivors credible and forbade Orr from exercising any future ministry, notifying the community of these allegations so that the…

St. Joseph South San Catholic Church 
1990-1999
Jose Aviles

Jose Aviles was ordained a priest in 1990 for the Archdiocese. From 1990-2004, he was assigned in the Archdiocese as chaplain to the Catholic Community on Scouting, as vocation director, to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, and to St. Joseph South San. In 2003, it was alleged that Aviles sexually abused a minor teenage boy in 1984 or 1985 (before Aviles was ordained a priest). Aviles was removed from ministry in 2004, and the public was notified of the cause. After he was removed, also in 2004, it was alleged that he sexually abused a minor teenage boy in 1994. The San Antonio Police Department was notified of this allegation. The abuse was well enough established to keep him permanently removed from ministry until his death in 2008. 1950-1952, 1957 Emmet Malone (OFM) – 2 allegations Emmet Malone was ordained as a priest for the Franciscans in 1947. From 1950-1952, and in 1957, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Joseph South San. From 1990-1991, he lived in residence at the same parish. In 2001, a survivor alleged that he and his brother had been sexually abused as children by Malone in the 1950’s. While Malone died in 1994, before the allegation was made, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.

St. Matthew Catholic Church 
2000-2009

Jerzy Sieczynski
Jerzy Sieczynski was ordained a priest in 2000 for the Archdiocese. From 2000-2003, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Matthew in San Antonio. He was removed from this assignment and his faculties for priestly ministry were removed in 2003, after an allegation of 7 indecent exposure (not involving a minor.) In 2004, child pornography was found on his computer. This was established in a criminal trial, and he served three years in prison. Sieczynski is listed in the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry, has been permanently restricted from exercising any ministry, and is not authorized to publicly present himself as a priest. 
1960-1969
John Flynn
From 1952-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to St. Henry in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, to St. Michael in Cuero, to Saints Peter and Paul in Meyersville, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, to St. Helena in San Antonio, and to St. Matthew in San Antonio. In 1997, a survivor brought forward an allegation that Flynn had sexually abused her as a minor teenager in the 1960’s and sexually assaulted her as a young adult in the 1970’s. The Archdiocese found this to be a credible allegation. In 1997, Flynn resigned from his position as pastor of St. Matthew and retired from all ministry.

St. Thomas More Catholic Church: 4411 Moana Drive
1970-1979
David Connell

David Connell was a priest who incardinated into (joined) the Archdiocese from the New York Province of the Carmelite Fathers in 1980. From 1976-1995, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Antonian High School as instructor, vice-principal, and principal and to St. Thomas More in San Antonio. In 1976, a student from Nativity High School in Pottsville, Pennsylvania alleged that Connell made a sexual advance toward him, which the victim rejected. The same year the Diocese of Allenstown terminated their contract with the Carmelite Fathers and Connell sought an assignment in San Antonio. Aware of the allegation and Connell’s denial of the allegation, Archbishop Francis Furey assigned Connell in San Antonio. Current archdiocesan administrators became aware of this allegation when the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report identified 13 different allegations of child sexual abuse against Connell made in 2002. After the affected communities in San Antonio (including the alumni of Antonian College Preparatory High School) were notified in 2018, two San Antonio survivors came forward to inform the Archdiocese of additional incidences of child sexual abuse perpetrated by Connell. The Archdiocese found these survivors to be credible. Connell died in 1995.

St. Clare Catholic Church: 7707 Somerset Road 
1980-1989
Federico Fernandez Baeza
, Federico (OFM) Federico Fernandez Baeza is a Franciscan priest who at the time of the alleged abuse was a member of the Chicago-St. Louis Province of the Franciscans. From 1981-1987, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Leonard in San Antonio and to St. Clare in San Antonio. In 1983, it was reported that he exposed himself at a public pool to two teenage girls. Beginning in 1987, six allegations were brought forward alleging child sexual abuse between 1984 and 1987. In 1988, Fernandez was indicted on two criminal counts of indecency with a child, with contact, but the charges were later dropped. The Chicago-St. Louis Province of the Franciscans removed him from San Antonio at the request of the archbishop in 1987, but he was later found to be ministering in Bogota, Colombia. Baeza was removed from ministry there in 2015 and his case was referred to the Vatican by the Franciscan leadership in Colombia. Based on records available, the Archdiocese believes these allegations to be credible. From newspaper reports it appears that the Archdiocese took two months to report two 1987 allegations to law enforcement and were not specific in its reporting. In response, the newly formed Crisis Intervention Committee (a precursor to the Archdiocesan Review Board that helped the archbishop with allegations of child sexual abuse) met with Children’s Protective Services to discuss proper procedures for reporting allegations of child sexual abuse. In 1989, Child Protective Services led a workshop for priests working in the Archdiocese in order to assist with proper reporting in subsequent allegations.

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church:4222 S.W. Loop 410
1980-1989
Louis White
 From 1975-1980, from 1981- 1986, and from 1987-1988, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Floresville, to St. Joseph in Yoakum, to Notre Dame in Kerrville, to San 12 Fernando Cathedral, to St. Luke in Loire, and to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio. In 1980, White was reported to the Archdiocese for sexually abusing a child and he was sent for psychiatric evaluation and treatment.
1970-1979
Michael Kenny

Michael Kenny was ordained a priest in Ireland for the Archdiocese in 1973. From 1973-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio, to St. Luke in San Antonio, to Resurrection of the Lord in San Antonio, and to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio. In 2000, a survivor alleged that he had sexually abused her when she was a minor teenager in the 1970’s. The Archdiocese found the survivor’s allegation to be credible. 1972-2002 Alfred Harry Martin– 1 allegation: Alfred Harry Martin was ordained a priest in 1966 for the Diocese of Belize in Belize. He was incardinated into (joined) the Archdiocese in 1977. From 1972-2002, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Agnes in Edna, to the Bexar County Jail as a chaplain, to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, to Christ the King in San Antonio, to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio, and to Audie Murphy Veteran’s Administration Hospital as a chaplain.

St. Lawrence Catholic Church: 236 E. Petaluma 
1970-1979
Jose Luis Sandoval 
From 1974- 1998, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio (for Our Lady of Sorrows), to St. James in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Uvalde (for St. Patrick in Sabinal and St. Joseph in Knippa), to St. Patrick in Sabinal (when it became a parish separate from Sacred Heart), to St. Lawrence in San Antonio, and to St. Alphonsus in San Antonio. According to a 1985 letter written by a concerned parishioner, this parishioner had met in 1983 with Archbishop Flores, together with a minor teenage survivor of attempted sexual abuse by Sandoval, and the survivor’s father. During a 1993 review of files, it was not clear that an investigation had been conducted in 1983 or 1985. In 1998, a survivor reported that he was sexually abused 16 by Sandoval as a child between 1975 and 1977. He identified two additional survivors from the same timeframe. Archbishop Flores removed him from his assignment and prohibited him from exercising any priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church: 2123 W. Commerce St. 
1980-1989
Richard Garcia 
Richard Garcia was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1974. From 1974-1985, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Sacred Heart in San Antonio, to St. Cornelius in Karnes City, to St. Timothy in San Antonio, to St. Patrick in Bloomington, and to St. Jude in San Antonio. He died in 1985. After his death, a civil demand was made related to an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. The Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible. 
1960-1969 
Joseph Angeli
Joseph Angeli was a priest of the Diocese of Tacna, Peru. From 1960-1962, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in San Antonio, and to St. John the Evangelist in Hondo. He died in 1993. While the allegations of abuse were made after his death, the Archdiocese found the survivors to be credible.

St. Henry Catholic Church: 1619 South Flores St.
1960-1969 
John Flynn 
From 1952-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to St. Henry in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, to St. Michael in Cuero, to Saints Peter and Paul in Meyersville, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, to St. Helena in San Antonio, and to St. Matthew in San Antonio.

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church: 1710 Clower 

1990-1999 
Jose Aviles
Jose Aviles was ordained a priest in 1990 for the Archdiocese. From 1990-2004, he was assigned in the Archdiocese as chaplain to the Catholic Community on Scouting, as vocation director, to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, and to St. Joseph South San in San Antonio.

1960-1969 
John Flynn 
From 1952-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to St. Henry in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, to St. Michael in Cuero, to Saints Peter and Paul in Meyersville, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, to St. Helena in San Antonio, and to St. Matthew in San Antonio.

St. Helena: 14714 Edgemont Drive 
1960-1969 
John Flynn

From 1952-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Ann in San Antonio, to St. Henry in San Antonio, to Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, to St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, to St. Michael in Cuero, to Saints Peter and Paul in Meyersville, to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, to St. Helena in San Antonio, and to St. Matthew in San Antonio. In 1997, a survivor brought forward an allegation that Flynn had sexually abused her as a minor teenager in the 1960’s and sexually assaulted her as a young adult in the 1970’s. The Archdiocese found this to be a credible allegation.In 1997, Flynn resigned from his position as pastor of St. Matthew and retired from all ministry.

Our Lady of Guadalupe-Downtown: 1321 El Paso St.

1990-1999
Anthony Ozzimo (SJ)

Anthony Ozzimo was a priest of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). From 1987-1994, he was assigned within the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio. In 1995, a woman alleged that Ozzimo had sexually abused her daughter, a child, during the early 1990’s. She also notified the SAPD, but no indictment was brought. In 2016, the survivor, now an adult, brought the same allegation herself. The Archdiocese notified the Bexar County DA’s office of the ’16 allegation when it was made, including with our report the information available from 1995. Ozzimo ceased functioning as a priest in 1995; Ozzimo left the Jesuits in 1998 for unrelated reasons. The Jesuit USA Central and Southern Province was unable to determine that the allegation was credible, based on available information.

1960-1969
Jose Alfonso Madrid

Jose Alfonso Madrid was ordained as a member of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1950. From 1966-1970, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio. In 1968, it was reported that he had inappropriate contact with an unnamed 9-year-old boy. Since 2014, five additional survivors have alleged that they were abused by Madrid in the late 1960’s. While Madrid died in 1982, prior to these allegations, the Archdiocese found these survivors to be credible.

1961-1963
Austin N. Park (SJ)
 – 2 allegations:
Austin N. Park was a priest of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) who was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio from 1957-1958 and from 1961-1963. He died in 2013. In 2013, a family member informed the Archdiocese that Park had sexually abused two children while he was here in…

San Juan de los Lagos: 3231 El Paso St.

1970-1979
Francisco Gomez
Francisco Gomez was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1976. From 1976-1980 and from 1988-1991, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to San Juan de los Lagos in San Antonio, to Immaculate Conception in San Antonio, and to Holy Family in San Antonio. He joined the Conventual Franciscan Order in 1980 and died in 1998. In 2004, a survivor alleged that in the late 1970’s, Gomez, while still a priest of the Archdiocese, sexually abused him when he was a minor teenager. While the allegation was made after Gomez’ death, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible. 

1960-1969
Galeb Mokarzel
From 1959- 1965, from 1971-1972, from 1977-1982, and from 1992-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to the Oblate high school seminary,St. Anthony, in San Antonio, to St. Joseph Retreat Center (now Oblate Renewal Center) in San Antonio, to St. Joseph in Del Rio, and to San Juan de los Lagos in San Antonio.He retired without ministry in 1997. In 2019, a survivor alleged that as a minor teenager he was sexually abused by Mokarzel in the 1960’s. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate consider this to be a credible allegation. Mokarzel is living under supervision with a safety plan at an Oblate retirement facility in San Antonio.

St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church: 111 Barilla Place 

1960-1969
Michael J. O’Sullivan 
From 1955- 1965, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Mary in Fredericksburg, to St. Peter in San Antonio, to St. Mary in Victoria, to Blessed Sacrament in San Antonio, and to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio.

1926-1978
Cayetano Romero
(Cayetano Jose Leoca dio Cayetan de los Dolores Romero) – 1 allegation: 
Cayetano Romero was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1926. From 1926-1978, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Phillip in El Campo, to St. Helena in Pierce, to St. John Seminary in San Antonio, to St. John the Evangelist in Hondo, to St. Peter Prince of the Apostles in San Antonio (for St. Anthony de Padua),to Notre Dame in Kerrville, to St. Andrew in Pleasanton, and to the Teresian Novitiate. In 2015, a survivor alleged that he had been sexually abused as a child by Romero in 1952 or 1953. While Romero died in 1978, before the allegation was made, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.

1960-1969 
Michael J. O’Sullivan 
From 1955- 1965, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Mary in Fredericksburg, to St. Peter in San Antonio, to St. Mary in Victoria, to Blessed Sacrament in San Antonio, and to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio. The first known allegation of child sexual abuse against O’Sullivan was made in 1962, while he was assigned at Blessed Sacrament. O’Sullivan was placed under the care of a local psychiatrist, and on his recommendation was assigned to minister at St. Vincent de Paul while his treatment continued. Because it was alleged that he re-offended at St. Vincent de Paul, he was sent for residential treatment to Conyers, Georgia, under the care of a medical doctor. O’Sullivan died in 2013.

St. Luke Catholic Church: 4603 Manitou

1970-1979 
Michael Kenny
 
Michael Kenny was ordained a priest in Ireland for the Archdiocese in 1973. From 1973-1997, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio, St. Luke in San Antonio, to Resurrection of the Lord in San Antonio, and to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio. In 2000, a survivor alleged that he had sexually abused her when she was a minor teenager in the 1970’s. The Archdiocese found the survivor’s allegation to be credible.

1975-1976 
William Sprigler 
From 1975-1976, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Mary in Fredericksburg and to St. Luke in San Antonio. In 1976, it was alleged that he abused two boys and was sent for psychiatric care to Via Coeli in New Mexico. The Archdiocese found this to be a credible allegation.

St. James the Apostle Catholic Church: 907 W. Theo Ave. 

1990-1999
John Davila
John Davila was ordained a priest in 1984 for the Archdiocese. From 1984-1993, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs, to St. James in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Peace in Kenedy, to St. Cecilia in San Antonio, to Holy Family in San Antonio, and as a rural youth retreat moderator. On December 24, 1993, the Archdiocese was notified by law enforcement of allegations that Davila sexually abused two girls. He was suspended from his assignment as pastor and from priestly ministry and the archbishop informed Sacred Heart Parish in Uvalde of the allegations and suspension the following weekend. Davila pleaded guilty and was given a seven year probated sentence. He was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 1999.

Christ the King Catholic Church: 2619 Perez St. 

1970-1979 
Alfred Harry Martin 
Alfred Harry Martin was ordained a priest in 1966 for the Diocese of Belize in Belize. He was incardinated into (joined) the Archdiocese in 1977. From 1972-2002, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to St. Agnes in Edna, to theBexar County Jail as a chaplain to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, to Christ the King in San Antonio, toSt. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio, and to Audie Murphy Veteran’s Administration Hospital as a chaplain. In 2002, a survivor alleged that Martin had abused him as a minor teenager between 1975 and 1977.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church:18555 Leal Road 

1970-1979
Thomas Behnke
He lived in the Archdiocese from 1950-1978 and from 1989-1992. He was assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Térèse in San Antonio and to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall. In 2017, a survivor alleged that he had been sexually abused as a child by Behnke in the 1970’s. Behnke died in 2008. While the allegation of abuse in San Antonio was made after his death, the Archdiocese has been aware, since 2009, of allegations made against Behnke in Dallas. The Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help: 618 South Grimes St. 

1950-1959 
Gherman, Marshall (CSsR) – 5 allegations: Marshall Gherman, a Redemptorist priest, was a member of the New Orleans Vice-Province of the Redemptorists. From 1940-1946, in 1952, and from 1954-1957, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in San Antonio. He died in 1959. In 2004, two survivors came forward with allegations of child sexual abuse dating to the 1950’s. One of the survivors identified three other victims in her allegation. While the allegations of abuse were made after his death, the Archdiocese found the survivors to be credible.

Holy Family Catholic Church: 152 Florencia 

1990-1999

John Davila
John Davila was ordained a priest in 1984 for the Archdiocese. From 1984-1993, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs, to St. James in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Peace in Kenedy, to St. Cecilia in San Antonio, to Holy Family in San Antonio, and as a rural youth retreat moderator. 

1970-1979
Francisco Gomez
Francisco Gomez was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1976. From 1976-1980 and from 1988-1991, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to San Juan de los Lagos in San Antonio, to Immaculate Conception in San Antonio, and to Holy Family in San Antonio. He joined the Conventual Franciscan Order in 1980 and died in 1998. In 2004, a survivor alleged that in the late 1970’s, Gomez, while still a priest of the Archdiocese, sexually abused him when he was a minor teenager. While the allegation was made after Gomez’ death, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible. 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help: 618 South Grimes St. 
1950-1959 
Gherman, Marshall
 (CSsR) – 5 allegations: Marshall Gherman, a Redemptorist priest, was a member of the New Orleans Vice-Province of the Redemptorists. From 1940-1946, in 1952, and from 1954-1957, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in San Antonio. He died in 1959. In 2004, two survivors came forward with allegations of child sexual abuse dating to the 1950’s. One of the survivors identified three other victims in her allegation. While the allegations of abuse were made after his death, the Archdiocese found the survivors to be credible.

Holy Family Catholic Church: 152 Florencia 
1990-1999
John Davila
John Davila was ordained a priest in 1984 for the Archdiocese. From 1984-1993, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs, to St. James in San Antonio, to Our Lady of Peace in Kenedy, to St. Cecilia in San Antonio, to Holy Family in San Antonio, and as a rural youth retreat moderator. 
1970-1979
Francisco Gomez
 Francisco Gomez was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1976. From 1976-1980 and from 1988-1991, he was assigned in the Archdiocese to San Juan de los Lagos in San Antonio, to Immaculate Conception in San Antonio, and to Holy Family in San Antonio. He joined the Conventual Franciscan Order in 1980 and died in 1998. In 2004, a survivor alleged that in the late 1970’s, Gomez, while still a priest of the Archdiocese, sexually abused him when he was a minor teenager. While the allegation was made after Gomez’ death, the Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible.

Resurrection of the Lord: 7990 W. Military Drive

1970-1979

Michael KennyMichael Kenny was ordained a priest in Ireland for the Archdiocese in 1973. From 1973-1997, he was assigned in the…

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Chicago Catholic Teacher Arrested For Abusing 13 & 14-Year-Old Boys

CoEd.com

January 30, 2019

By Eric Italiano

Yesenia Rodriguez, a 27-year-old former teacher at St. Procopius School in Chicago, has been arrested and charged for allegedly sexually abusing a 14-year-old teen and made “physical contact” with another 13-year-old teen.

According to reports, an investigation by local authorities found that Rodriguez allegedly sexually abused the unidentified 14-year-old teenager in the 1600-block of South Allport on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Furthermore, the investigation into Rodriguez found that she also allegedly battered a 13-year-old teenager between the dates of September 15, 2018, and January 25, 2019, also on South Allport St. Procopius School is located at 1625 S Allport St in Chicago.

Rodriguez was arrested by authorities on Monday, January 28, and was subsequently charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving a victim 13 to 18 years old, which is a felony offense.

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State’s Dioceses Face Day of Reckoning With New York Child Victims Act

IRONDALE (AL)
National Catholic Register

January 30, 2019

By Peter Jesserer Smith

After traveling 300 miles by train to Albany, Michael Whelan, a Catholic survivor of sex abuse, witnessed the passage of the Child Victims Act in the state Legislature. Four decades had passed since a Buffalo priest preyed on him as a 13-year-old, taking away his childhood and altering his future forever.

“For us victims, I cried. I absolutely cried. I felt the relief they absolutely heard us,” he said. As he traveled back toward Buffalo by train, Whelan told the Register the sexual abuse he received during a skiing trip cost him many things: a happy first marriage, normal family life and a promising military career, as the trauma kept resurfacing through the years.

“It has been a slow, hard fight,” Whelan said.

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Baton Rouge list of Catholic clergy accused of sexual abuse to come Thursday

BATON ROUGE (LA)
The Advocate

January 30, 2019

By Andrea Gallo

Three months after Bishop Michael Duca pledged to release a list of local Roman Catholic clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, the people of Baton Rouge will find out Thursday which allegations of abuse in his diocese have previously been shielded from the public.

Duca is expected to release the list at noon Thursday, when he has scheduled a news conference.

Catholic dioceses nationwide have been under pressure to name names since a Pennsylvania grand jury last August revealed that more than 300 predator priests had abused 1,000 victims. The report set off a new wave of scandal and devastation in a clergy sex abuse crisis that has plagued the Catholic Church worldwide.

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Parishes, dioceses feeling the financial pinch

HUNTINGTON (IN)
Our Sunday Visitor

January 30, 2019

By Brian Fraga

These days, Father John Hollowell sits at his desk and pores over financial statements, trying to figure out how to cut almost 25 percent of his two Indiana parishes’ operating budgets for next year.

“McCarrick and friends are coming home to roost in fiscal year 2019-2020 at a parish near you,” Father Hollowell wrote to his 8,800 Twitter followers on Jan. 22.

In a recent interview with Our Sunday Visitor, Father Hollowell said he noticed “a pretty sharp decline” in parish weekend collections last summer, when the national clergy sexual abuse crisis exploded anew with revelations that former cardinal Theodore McCarrick was alleged to have harassed and molested minors and seminarians several decades ago.

“I totally get why people are doing that. For many people, money is the last form of protest they have to speak to Church authorities,” said Father Hollowell, the pastor of Annunciation Church in Brazil, Indiana, and St. Paul Church in nearby Greencastle.

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How Fort Worth dealt with priest abuse accusations

FORT WORTH, (TX)
KXAN TV

Jan 30, 2019

By Jody Barr

It’s taken Texas’ Catholic dioceses 12 years to do what Fort Worth’s diocese did back in 2007. Fort Worth was the first of the state’s 15 dioceses to identify clergy members with “credible allegations” of sexually abusing children — and any other allegation against priests.

Texas has 1,320 Catholic parishes in 15 dioceses.

“We listened to victims and one of the things they articulated was the experience of frustration of not having been heard and not having been believed,” the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson said in October 2018 when explaining why he decided to publish the list 12 years ago.

Olson made those comments last fall after the Catholic Diocese of Dallas told the public it had an active internal investigation into 220 priests. That investigation started in February 2018, Bishop Edward Burns told reporters last fall.

But, the Dallas diocese investigation only deals with active priests, Burns told reporters.

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Austin man relives alleged child sex abuse by Boston priest

AUSTIN (TX)
KXAN TV

January 30, 2019

By Brittany Glas
:
He was just a first-grade student at the time. His father had suffered a heart attack and was in the hospital. His mother was trying to juggle her three children and doing the best she could to take care of their family amid their own struggles.

Fearful his parents were already too stressed to be burdened by his issues, the boy turned to a priest for help. After all, he knew he wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers, but a priest was different, right?

The man the boy turned to was supposedly a man of God.

“He set up times to see me separately where he abused me. I didn’t know what was going on because I’m seven and I know this doesn’t feel right, and I know this isn’t right, but who am I going to tell?” He continued, “I thought I was doing the right thing and now I feel like I did something wrong.”

He says the priest didn’t threaten his life, but he believes manipulation was used to ensure he never told anyone about their sexually-inappropriate.

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Bishop Fernando Ramos to substitute for Chilean bishops president

CHILE
La Croix International

January 30, 2019

By Marie Malzac

Bishop Santiago Silva, implicated for allegedly failing to report accusations of sexual harassment, will not take part in the summit on sexual abuse at the Vatican

Bishop Fernando Ramos, the secretary general of the Chilean Episcopal Conference, will travel to Rome for the Vatican sexual abuse summit in place of conference president, Bishop Santiago Silva, who is accused of having covered up sexual abuse. This is the second of a seven-part series profiling heads of bishops’ conferences.

The earthquake that struck the Chilean Church in 2018 continues to rumble on. A year after Pope Francis’ voyage to the South American nation, the Chilean bishops are in the process of completely re-organizing themselves in the wake of the revelations of the Church’s egregious management of sexual abuse cases.

Over this period, several bishops have resigned, judicial action has been launched and the mechanisms of silence exposed.The Chilean example has become emblematic of the silence and dysfunction that has characterized the handling of sexual abuse in the church.

One consequence of these events is that the president of the Chilean Episcopal Conference (CECh), Bishop Santiago Silva, will not take part in the summit on sexual abuse at the Vatican convoked by Pope Francis from February 21-24.

An investigation has now implicated Bishop Silva for allegedly failing to report accusations of sexual harassment made by a former seminarian, who says that he confided the facts to him during the 1960s when Silva was still a theology professor.

Prosecutors also interviewed Bishop Silva, who is now the bishop for the military, for more than five hours in October over allegations concerning his management of another case involving an army chaplain.

In addition, he was questioned about several other episodes, notably when he was auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Valparaiso and rector of the pontifical seminary of San Rafael.

As a result, Bishop Fernando Ramos, secretary general of the CECh, will take the place of Bishop Silva at the Rome summit at the request of the latter, who has nevertheless remained president of the conference.

In an interview with the Chilean press at the end of December, Bishop Ramos explained that the decision would ensure that “attention will focus on… analyses and commentary linked to the president.”

Serious dysfunction

Pope Francis’ trip to Chile marked a turning point in his pontificate after his January 2018 visit turned to disaster. The pope had defended Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno, who was suspected of covering up the sexual abuse of Fernando Karadima, a former priest and sexual predator.

This provoked an outcry that forced the pope to look deeper into the matter sending a special envoy to Chile, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, who was tasked with gathering testimonies.

The results of this investigation caused an about face in his attitude as well as triggering an earthquake in the whole Chilean Church, the grave dysfunction of which emerged clearly.

In May, the pope summonsed all Chilean bishops to Rome for an unprecedented meeting to share and discuss Archbishop Scicluna’s conclusions.

Archbishop Scicluna’s report noted that the facts reported to the bishops “were superficially regarded as improbable even when there were serious indices of crime” while other cases “were investigated with delay or even never investigated.”

Based on Scicluna’s findings, Pope Francis also hit out at “pressure exercised on those who were responsible for the conduct of criminal prosecutions” as well as “the destruction of compromising documents by those responsible for ecclesiastical archives.”

Block resignation of the Chilean bishops

Following this meeting, the Chilean bishops presented their resignations en masse to the pope. To date, Pope Francis has accepted the resignations of seven, including Bishop Barros.

The scandal has now impacted the Chilean Catholic Church at the highest levels since Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati of Santiago is currently the subject of an investigation by Chilean prosecutors – along with six other bishops – for cover up of abuse.

Going beyond the issue of the cover up of sexual abuse cases, the scandal has also shed light on the dysfunction with respect to the information transmitted to the pope.

In mid-January, Pope Francis received the leaders of the Chilean bishops in audience for an update on the re-organization process since last year’s meeting.

Prevention and accompanying victims

Born in 1959 in the Chilean capital and ordained a priest in 1989, Bishop Ramos, who will now represent Chile at the Summit called by the pope, did not live in his country during the worst years of the sexual abuse omerta.

Sent to Rome to continue his studies in 1993, he then worked in the Congregation for Bishops until 2007 before returning to Santiago.The same year, he was appointed rector of the Pontifical Chilean Seminary. In 2011, Cardinal Ezzati appointed him as his first episcopal vicar in Santiago.

During this period, Bishop Ramos was also appointed as a member of the National Council for the Prevention of Sexual Abuse on Minors and Accompanying Victims created by the Chilean Episcopal Conference.

In 2014, he became auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Santiago, and was elected secretary general of the CECh in 2017.

Following the resignation of Bishop Alejandro Goic, Rancagua, Ramos was appointed apostolic administrator of the diocese, which is currently in a “complicated situation.”

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Why, despite 100s of letters, Texas AG can’t investigate priest abuse

AUSTIN (TX)
KXAN TV

January 30, 2019

By Erin Cargile, Phil Prazan andJody Barr

Hundreds of Texans reached out to Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office, asking it to investigate Catholic Diocese in Texas after Pennsylvania’s attorney general launched prosecutions into alleged sexual abuse of children.

Paxton’s office’s response: state law doesn’t allow them to investigate.

In an interview with KXAN News, Paxton spokesperson Marc Rylander, says there are constraints on the state office.

“There should be no safer place, not only in Texas, but on earth, than the local church,” Rylander said. “But every state is set up different. Every state has different statues. Some states have the ability to go into an issue where there are reports like these and blow the whole thing up and prosecute and take down. In Texas, the law is set up differently.”

State law doesn’t give the Attorney General primary jurisdiction — also known as original jurisdiction — over these cases. “Primary jurisdiction” is the ability to investigate a local matter alone.

Investigating and prosecuting allegations against priests must begin with local police and district attorneys’ offices, he says. Those agencies must ask the Attorney General to step in to lead or to help on a local crime.

“We have to rely on local district attorneys from the 254 counties in our state to either refer the case to us or ask for our assistance as they investigate and prosecute these cases,” Rylander said.

The law is different in Pennsylvania. There, under title 42, the General Assembly gave the Pennsylvania Attorney General the power to convene a grand jury to investigate organized crime or public corruption involving more than one county in the state. The Pennsylvania Attorney General used that authority to look into the Catholic Diocese.

The Texas Attorney General only has original jurisdiction for allegations of misuse of state property, abuse of office, election law violations and offenses against juveniles in state correctional facilities.

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Twice Accused NYC Priest Allowed to Continue Working in Southern California

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

January 30, 2019

A clergyman who was accused at least twice of abuse in New York City not only remained on the job there, he also continued working in southern California.

On December 20th, the New York Times disclosed that two settlements had been paid by the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program of the Archdiocese of New York on claims against Fr. Donald Timone . Both settlements were for six figures. One of the two men committed suicide in 2015.

However, while the settlements were paid out in 2017, Church supervisors kept quiet and let Fr. Timone keep working around unsuspecting families and vulnerable kids in two states until he was outed by the Times. This violates common sense, common decency, Church policy and hundreds of pledges by prelates to remove “credibly accused” abusers.

In California, Fr. Timone worked at the Church of the Nativity in Rancho Santa Fe and taught at John Paul the Great Catholic University, in Escondido. However, as far as SNAP knows, there has been no public coverage of this deplorable situation in California.

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Vatican official resigns following abuse accusation from ex-nun

WASHINGTON (DC)
The Hill

By Tal Axelrod

January 30, 2019

A senior Vatican official has resigned after a former nun accused him of making sexual advances during confession, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The Vatican said the Rev. Hermann Geissler has denied allegations made by Doris Wagner and noted that he has the right to file a civil suit.

Geissler said he was resigning “to limit the damage already done” to the Vatican, but noted he wants an investigation to be conducted into the woman’s allegations.

Geissler had previously worked as the chief of staff for the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees sexual abuse cases.

Wagner, a former nun in Geissler’s German order, went public with her accusation in November at a conference on women and clergy sexual abuse, referring to Geissler by his position rather than his name. The allegation stems from a 2009 incident.

Several women members of the Catholic Church have come out to denounce sexual abuse and harassment by members of the clergy, according to the AP, following the #MeToo movement.

Pope Francis has convened a meeting set to take place next month with the presidents of all the Catholic bishops’ conferences to discuss sexual abuse within the church.

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133 Victims: What does Fairfield Owe?

FAIRFIELD (CT)
Fairfield Mirror

January 30, 2019

By Alicia Phaneuf and Sabina Dirienzo

Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec, Ph.D. and chairman of the board of trustees Frank J. Carroll III ‘89 released an announcement on Friday, Jan. 25 stating that the University and four other defendants had reached a $60 million settlement with 133 victims of sexual abuse by Fairfield alum Douglas Perlitz ’92. Perlitz founded Project Pierre Toussaint, a school for poverty-stricken boys in Haiti. In 2007, allegations of sexual abuse began to circulate regarding Perlitz. He plead guilty in 2010 and will be imprisoned until 2026.

The other defendants in the case include Rev. Paul Carrier, S.J., a former director of Campus Ministry, the Society of Jesus of New England, the Order of Malta and Hope Carter, a member of the Haiti Fund’s board of directors.

The settlement will be considered for approval by the federal court in Connecticut on Feb. 11.

Andrea Bierstein, a partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy Law Firm, sent the amended complaint filed Jan. 25 regarding the settlement with the defendants to The Mirror.

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Pope downplays expectations for sexual abuse meeting in Rome

WASHINGTON (DC)
Religion News Service

January 30, 2019

By Fr. Thomas Reese

Talking to reporters on his plane coming back from World Youth Day in Panama this week (Jan. 27), Pope Francis downplayed what he called “inflated” expectations for the upcoming meeting of bishops in Rome to deal with clergy sexual abuse. “The expectations need to be deflated,” he said. He also sought to lower expectations about the possibility of married priests.

Many in the United States have been hoping that the meeting on abuse, which will bring the presidents of the episcopal conferences from over 100 countries to the Vatican Feb. 21-24, would result in procedures for dealing with bishops who do not protect children from abusive priests. While the church has made progress in dealing with abusive priests, it still needs a process for dealing with bishops who do not protect children.

The expectations for the meeting were raised in November, when the head of the Vatican Congregation for Bishops, Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, told the American bishops not to vote on such procedures at their fall meeting in Baltimore. Ouellet said the Americans should wait for a discussion of the issue at the meeting in Rome.

It now appears that the meeting will not develop new policies but, in the words of Pope Francis, will be a “catechesis” on the problem of abuse aimed at bishops who do not understand the issue or what they should do in response to abuse.

It also appears that the meeting will establish a task force to help bishops in implementing the church’s policies and procedures for dealing with abuse.

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It’s Not Just the Priests—Nuns Also Accused of Sexual Abuse

PITTSBURGH (PA)
Legal Examiner

January 30, 2019

By Eric T. Chaffin

Amidst all the reports of abuse by Catholic priests that have been circulating in the media over the past several months comes a new report alleging that priests weren’t the only ones engaging in sexual abuse. According to CBS News, several nuns have also been accused of sexual molestation and harassment, with victims now coming out to share their stories.

Former Nun Leads the Charge to Expose Abusive Nuns in the Church
Mary Dispenza, a former nun in the Catholic Church, is now working with the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) to expose the truth about child sex crimes and cover ups by nuns in the church.

Back in 2012, she sent a letter to the bishops asking them to expand their oversight of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) “into what the organization—and America’s religious orders of women—are doing and are not doing regarding child sex crimes and cover ups by nuns.”

She went on to write that many abusive nuns have never been exposed or disciplined and that many who were abused by nuns have coped by denying and mischaracterizing the crimes they suffered, leading to increased confusion, isolation, shame, and self-blame. She adds that there are more nuns than priests and that many more nuns had access to more kids, mostly because they worked in schools.

Finally, she urged the bishops to help in making the church “and our society safer from clergy child predators….”

It was after the Pennsylvania grand jury released their report of hundreds of pedophile priests back in August 2018 that Dispenza noticed an uptick in reports of abuse by religious sisters.

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“¿Eres maricón?”: La brutal pregunta del Tribunal Eclesiástico a víctima de abuso sexual por parte del cura Ramón Iturra

[“Are you a faggot?”: The brutal questioning of sex abuse victim by Ecclesiastical Court in Ramón Iturra case]

CHILE
El Mostrador

January 23, 2019

El ex acólito de Constitución, Cristian Alcaíno, se presentó en el Tribunal Eclesiástico para declarar en contra del párroco Ramón Iturra, quien abusó sexualmente de él cuando tenía 11 años a principios de 1989. A través de sus redes sociales, su abogado defensor denunció los entretelones del interrogatorio a cargo del sacerdote Francisco Iglesias.

Una ronda de entrevistas a cargo del sacerdote peruano, Francisco Iglesias, se realizó en el Tribunal Eclesiástico para investigar el caso de abuso sexual denunciado por el ex acólito de Constitución, Cristián Alcaíno.

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El incómodo silencio de los jesuitas para enfrentar su momento más complejo

[The uncomfortable silence of the Jesuits in their most complex moment]

CHILE
El Mostrador

January 30, 2019

By Felipe Saleh

La estupefacción del mundo jesuita ante la denuncia contra Renato Poblete incluye un disciplinado silencio, uno que bordea el doble estándar, a la luz de la fuerza con la que en el pasado fustigaron a otras congregaciones y figuras religiosas involucradas en casos de abuso sexual a menores de edad o mujeres, y a quienes los encubrieron. La estrategia comunicacional ha sido muy sigilosa. Las declaraciones públicas de integrantes de la orden sobre el caso han sido todas bien cuidadas, alineadas en poner el foco en el apoyo a la denunciante, Marcela Aranda, pero han esquivado hablar en profundidad del impacto interno que ha significado para la congregación que una de sus máximas figuras esté involucrada en un caso de abuso y, sobre todo, del encubrimiento que por años debe haber habido de la conducta del fallecido religioso.

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Formalizado por abusos y violación: Tribunal mantiene arraigo nocturno para ex canciller del Arzobispado de Santiago

[Court maintains overnight house arrest for former chancellor of Santiago Archdiocese, accused of sexual abuses]

CHILE
Emol

January 30, 2019

By Tamara Cerna

El 13° Juzgado de Garantía de Santiago se negó a dictar prisión preventiva, según solicitó la fiscalía, y agregó las cautelares de arraigo y prohibiciones de acercarse a los denunciantes.

Tras casi media hora de audiencia, el 13° Juzgado de Garantía de Santiago se negó cambiar la medida cautelar que actualmente pesa sobre el ex canciller del Arzobispado de Santiago, Oscar Muñoz, formalizado por abusos sexuales y violación.

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José Andrés Murillo: “Ya van cerca de ocho testimonios de víctimas del cura Poblete”

[José Andrés Murillo: “There are already about eight testimonies of victims of the priest Poblete”]

CHILE
La Tercera

January 29, 2019

By María José Navarrete

“Algunos me dijeron ‘todos sabíamos que Renato era mujeriego’”, señaló en radio Duna el director de la Fundación Para la Confianza y denunciante de Karadima.

“Ya van cerca de ocho testimonios de víctimas del cura Poblete”, afirmó el director de la Fundación para la Confianza y denunciante de Fernando Karadima, José Andrés Murillo.

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Jesuitas en la mira: abogado de denunciante de Renato Poblete apunta al encubrimiento y redes de protección de la compañía

[Jesuits in the crosshairs: Renato Poblete’s whistleblower says there are cover-ups and protection networks within the order]

CHILE
El Mostrador

January 29, 2019

Juan Pablo Hermosilla, el abogado de la denunciante Marcela Aranda, sostuvo que el comportamiento del cura capellán del Hogar de Cristo era un secreto a voces, estaba normalizado y hasta se hacían chistes con su conducta. Por eso, “lo que ella está pidiendo hoy día es una investigación para entender el comportamiento de la Compañía de Jesús y por qué nadie la apoyó en ese momento (…). Lo primero es fijar las responsabilidades dentro de la Compañía de Jesús, quién supo qué, por qué no hizo nada, y si alguien más participó en estas cosas”, dijo. La posibilidad de recurrir a la justicia civil o presentar una querella por encubrimiento no se descarta. Por su parte, el provincial de los jesuitas asegura que nunca había escuchado que el cura Poblete hubiera mantenido relaciones con mujeres.

La denuncia de la profesora de la Universidad Católica Marcela Aranda contra el fallecido sacerdote Renato Poblete y el reconocimiento de la congregación de que hay más acusaciones de similar tenor contra el capellán del Hogar de Cristo han puesto todo el foco en la Compañía de Jesús.

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Lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by former Falmouth pastor settled

EAST FALMOUTH (MA)
Cape Cod Times

January 24, 2019

By Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Two men who filed a lawsuit alleging they were sexually abused for years by a priest in St. Anthony’s Parish have each received $200,000 settlements.

Their attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, announced the October settlements Tuesday as the Archdiocese of Hartford released the names of 48 priests found to have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Garabedian said the list was a “small step in the direction of healing for clergy sexual abuse survivors,” but said the archdiocese should also release “the names of those who participated in the cover-up.”

The link between the Falmouth case and the Hartford archdiocese is the Most Rev. Daniel Cronin, who served as bishop of the Fall River Diocese, which includes the Cape and Islands, from 1970 until 1991 and then became archbishop in Hartford, Connecticut, until his retirement in 2003. Cronin was named as defendant in the lawsuit because he supervised Monsignor Maurice Souza, who was assigned to St. Anthony’s from 1977 to 1986, and the suit said he “knew or should have known” about the abuse.

“Agents” who worked for Cronin and were supervised by him knew the boys spent the night at the rectory with Souza and went on overnight, out-of-state trips with him, the suit said.

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Canonistas por caso Renato Poblete: La investigación es “necesaria” aunque no habría sanciones eclesiásticas

[Experts on the Renato Poblete case: The investigation is “necessary” although there would be no ecclesiastical sanctions]

CHILE
Emol

January 29, 2019

By Tomás Molina J

Según expertos, la indagatoria serviría para aclarar “más responsabilidades” y así reparar daños.

A comienzos de enero de este año una acusación presentada ante la comisión de escucha encargada por el arzobispo de Malta y enviado especial del Papa Francisco en Chile, Charles Scicluna, golpeó a los miembros de la Compañía de Jesús en el país.

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Gobierno asegura que “lo razonable” es cambiar el nombre al Parque Renato Poblete tras denuncias en contra del sacerdote

[Government says it is “reasonable” to change the name of Renato Poblete Park after accusations against the priest]

CHILE
Emol

January 29, 2019

By Leonardo Vallejos

El ministro de Vivienda y Urbanismo, Cristián Monckeberg, anunció que prontamente tomarán decisiones al respecto.

Primero fue la alcaldesa de Quinta Normal, Carmen Gloria Fernández, quien se abrió a la opción de cambiar el nombre al Parque Renato Poblete que se encuentra en su comuna.

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Cristián del Campo, provincial de la Compañía de Jesús: “Ha sido un año muy duro para todos quienes formamos parte de la Iglesia”

[Jesuit Cristián del Campo: “It has been a very hard year for all of us who are part of the Church”]

CHILE
LaTercera

January 29, 2019

By María José Navarrete

El sacerdote que encabeza la orden religiosa en Chile habla por primera vez de la denuncia contra Renato Poblete Barth. Apunta que la investigación buscará dilucidar si existió algún tipo de encubrimiento. “Nuestro compromiso hoy es investigar acuciosamente”.

Muy duro. Así ha sido el último año de Cristián del Campo como provincial de la Compañía de Jesús en Chile. El sacerdote de 48 años, quien dejará el cargo este año, ha debido hacer frente a una serie de denuncias de abusos contra jesuitas chilenos. Solo en 2018 se han iniciado investigaciones previas, destinadas a verificar la verosimilitud de las denuncias contra Jaime Guzmán, Leonel Ibacache, Raúl González, Juan Pablo Cárcamo y, la recién conocida contra Renato Poblete, ex capellán del Hogar de Cristo.

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Abogado de denunciante revela: “Hablando con algunos jesuitas, me comentaron de un apodo que tenía Poblete”

[Accuser’s lawyer says: “Speaking with some Jesuits, they told me about a nickname that Poblete had”]

CHILE
LaTercera

January 29, 2019

By Felipe Retamal Navarro

El jurista detalló que la acusación contra Poblete no causó sorpresa en la orden jesuita, pues el clérigo era conocido por “su gusto por las jovencitas”. También confirmó que se reunirá con algunas de las nuevas denunciantes del sacerdote.

El abogado Juan Pablo Hermosilla se refirió a la denuncia realizada por su clienta, la académica de Teología de la Universidad Católica, Marcela Aranda, en contra del fallecido sacerdote jesuita Renato Poblete.

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New York Passes the Child Victims Act, SNAP responds

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

January 29, 2019

We applaud the New York State assembly for taking this much-needed step towards prevention, justice, and accountability. The passage of the Child Victims Act sends a strong signal to survivors that their experiences have not been forgotten and that preventing future cases of abuse is critical. By opening this civil window and allowing cases to proceed, survivors of sexual assault now have a chance to expose their abusers in court and help ensure other children are safe, something that would not have been possible but for this much-needed reform.

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El cura que abusó de varias generaciones de niños

[The priest who abused several generations of children]

MADRID (SPAIN)
El País

January 29, 2019

By Íñigo Domínguez

Dos nuevas víctimas elevan a cinco las personas que acusan al “depredador” Francisco Carreras en Salamanca

Dos nuevas víctimas acusan de abusos de menores al sacerdote Francisco Carreras cuando era párroco en Calzada de Valdunciel, en la provincia de Salamanca, en los años ochenta. Se unen a las tres que ya había localizado EL PAÍS, una en ese municipio y otras dos en Sequeros, en la misma provincia, donde estuvo con anterioridad. Ya suman cinco. Todas estas personas coinciden en asegurar que puede haber decenas. “En Calzada pasamos por su casa, al menos, desde los nacidos en 1968 hasta los de 1977, niños de ocho a trece años, ha abusado de varias generaciones de niños del pueblo, de todas las pandillas, de todas las clases sociales”, afirma una de las víctimas que han decidido contar su caso. Aportan por primera vez una foto de Carreras, de los años noventa. Todos estos casos habrían prescrito, pero se desconoce si hay afectados más recientes.

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Abuse victims blast Gary bishop

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

January 28, 2019

Abuse victims blast Gary Catholic officials

Four names should be added to “accused” list, group says

SNAP: One has been found to be a ‘sexually violent predator’

Victims, witnesses & whistle blowers are urged to call law enforcement

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, two clergy sex abuse victims will disclose names and information about four publicly accused child molesting clerics who spent time in the Gary area but have attracted virtually no public attention in the area.

They will also
–prod Gary’s Catholic bishop to add more names to his “credibly accused” clergy list,
–urge victims to “step forward, get help, protect kids and expose predators,” and
–beg anyone who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes or cover ups in Indiana to contact the attorney general and urge him to conduct a statewide investigation into this crisis.

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Pédophilie dans l’Eglise française: une année de déballages, d’avancés, et de valses-hésitations

[Pedophilia in the French Church 2018: A year of unpacking, progress, and vacillations]

FRANCE
FranceInfo

January 12, 2019

Vous avez bousillé ma vie”, assène un ancien scout lyonnais. Sur le site de l’association La Parole libérée, des dizaines de victimes du père Bernard Preynat, mis en examen pour des agressions sexuelles sur de jeunes scouts dans les années 1980-1990, témoignent, réclament justice et somment le cardinal Philippe Barbarin de s’expliquer sur ses silences.

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Vatican doctrinal official steps down amid investigation of solicitation

WASHINGTON (DC)
Catholic News Service

January 30, 2019

An Austrian priest under canonical investigation stepped down as an official at the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in an effort “to limit the damage already done to the congregation and to his community,” the doctrinal office said.

The priest, Father Hermann Geissler, “affirms that the accusation made against him is untrue and asks that the canonical process already initiated continue. He also reserves the right for possible civil legal action,” the office said in a note released by the Vatican press office on 29 January.

The 53-year-old theologian, who is a member of a community called The Spiritual Family The Work, submitted his resignation on 28 January to the prefect, Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, who then granted his request. He had worked at the congregation for 25 years and had been head of its doctrinal section since 2009.

Doris Wagner-Reisinger, a German theologian, told the National Catholic Reporter on 21 January that, with the help of a canon lawyer, she reported to doctrinal congregation officials in 2014 that the priest had propositioned her in 2009 during confession — a serious crime reserved to the doctrinal congregation for judgment.

She told NCR that after her accusation, “I got a response that stated that Father Geissler had admitted, and had asked pardon, and was admonished.”

She had talked about the unwanted encounter at a November event in Rome, which featured three women survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

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Instruct the ignorant

MILWAUKEE (WI)
Journal Sentinel

January 30, 2019

For several months before his death, Father Alfred Kunz co-hosted a radio show called “Our Catholic Family.”

Some would later say Kunz planned to expose sexually deviant priests by reading their names on the program.

Back then, in the late 1990s, such a move would have been almost unheard of. While a few isolated complaints had come to light, neither the extent of abuse by American clergy nor the hierarchy’s efforts to keep it secret would be revealed until the Boston Globe published an investigative report in 2002.

And so, in publicizing a list of pedophile priests, Kunz and his best friend Father Charles Fiore would have been defying their superiors’ orders to let church officials handle such complaints.

But Kunz never discussed their efforts — or pushback from church leaders — on the radio show. His co-host, Peter Kelly, said he never intended to do so.

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Bury the dead

MILWAUKEE (WI)
Journal Sentinel

January 23, 2019

By Gina Barton

Deputy David Cattanach was on his way to check on a wounded cat when a more pressing call came over the radio: Someone had suffered an injury at St. Michael School. A fall maybe. Or an accident. The dispatcher mentioned blood on the floor.

The kitten would have to wait.

Cattanach turned onto the winding road that led to the rural Wisconsin town of Dane, population 621, give or take a few. It was a sunny March morning in 1998, more spring than winter, and the roads were clear.

A few minutes into his 10-mile drive, another radio call came through: The man on the floor of the school wasn’t just injured; he was dead.

An ambulance was already idling in the parking circle when Cattanach arrived at the school, which was connected to the church. Two medical techs walked toward their vehicle, supporting a young man, unsteady on his feet. His hands were covered in blood.

The dead man, he said, was the parish priest.

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Dallas Charter Culture and the Covington Controversy

IRONDALE (AL)
National Catholic Register

January 29, 2019

Father Raymond J. de Souza

How could the bishops of Kentucky get it so wrong?

It’s partly another consequence of the sexual-abuse crisis, wherein the protocols for handling allegations have created an environment where immediate action precedes investigation. That post-Dallas Charter culture is well-known inside the Church, but can be a bit surprising when encountered by the general public.

And it was only because there was video evidence to exonerate the students that the bishops were forced to reverse themselves. Otherwise, an investigation would have ground on for weeks or months while the students’ reputations were effectively destroyed. That would not have been an accident, but business that now is usual.

Still, despite the quick exoneration, it was a very bad week for the boys of Covington Catholic High School. It was a worse week for the bishops of Kentucky. It is a terrible thing to be the victim of slander due to rash judgment. It is morally worse to perpetrate slander because one is guilty of rash judgment.

The bishops of Kentucky were lightning-quick to condemn the conduct of the Covington Catholic students after the March for Life. The Diocese of Covington, led by Bishop Roger Foys, and Covington Catholic High School condemned the students the very day the original video came to light, without waiting to view the entire recording or even hear alternative explanations.

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University Students Prohibited from Visiting Murray-Weigel

NEW YORK (NY)
The Fordham Ram

January 30, 2019

By Erica Scalise

In an interview with The Ram on Jan. 29, Bob Howe, Fordham’s senior director of communications said the university is prohibiting all students from visiting Murray-Weigel Hall, the Jesuit New York Province’s infirmary and retirement home on campus.

Howe said the university could have done more to investigate the Northeast Province’s placement of priests at Murray-Weigel Hall.

“With the opportunity to review these matters in hindsight, with the information now available to us, the University should have sought to handle matters related to the Province’s assignments differently, much like the University’s recent insistence that current tenants of Murray-Weigel against whom credible allegations have been made be immediately removed,” Howe said.

In response to the Northeast Province’s release of a list of names of priests credibly accused of abuse, Howe said the university is no longer allowing students on the premises of Murray-Weigel.

“Unless and until the province can assure us they will not assign restricted Jesuits to Murray-Weigel Hall, even on a temporary basis, we are prohibiting all students from visiting the premises, nor will any restricted priests who may reside at Murray-Weigel Hall have access to Fordham facilities,” Howe said.

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KREBS: On (un)dead abusers

NEW HAVEN (CT)
Yale News

January 30, 2019

By Eric Krebs

What to do with a dead abuser? My high school, an all-boys Jesuit school, seems to be trying to figure that one out. The Jesuit Northeast Province recently released a report of over 50 priests from dozens of schools and parishes who have been identified as abusers. The numbers are truly frightening. The reports go back to the 1940s. Some are as recent as 2008. There are often decades between dates of incidents and dates of reports. All the while, generations of boys learned, graduated and forgot. My school makes the list upward of seven times and while no recorded incidents for said priests occurred during their time at my high school, they walked the halls, taught classes and shaped the lives of boys like myself all the same.

This isn’t new. We’ve all heard about the massive cases, while thousands of the individual cases, cover-ups and scandals have dotted the map and flown under our radars. And while the school community knew that these cases were out there, we never expected them to hit so close to home. It was foolish to think that we would escape it, but that’s always the hope when engaging with a flawed institution: that your iteration of it can exist without the baggage of its larger structure. Wishful thinking.

There are many outcomes that can occur when a Jesuit is credibly accused of misconduct: incarceration, impediment, laicization and departure from the order are a common few.

Of the 50 Jesuits on the list, 35 are deceased, with the vast majority having died before their abuses went recorded. Now that these men are six feet under, most of them long-deteriorated, are we to exhume their corpses? They’re dead. It sickens me to know that these predators will never face the music. Or will they? “To those who abuse minors, I would say this: Convert and hand yourself over to human justice and prepare for divine justice,” Pope Francis declared in a speech this past December. In the eyes of the church, the afterlife is a real place, capable of punishments greater than anything an orange jumpsuit can deliver.

But for those who don’t subscribe to that cosmic view of justice — and even for most who do — that is not enough. It can feel pointless to hate the dead, to want to shout at those who will never listen. But even if these priests are not alive somewhere in the afterlife, they’re not really dead. Their crimes, their lack of punishment, live on in the trauma of their victims and the structures that permit new victims to be made and new abusers to get away with it.’

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Apparently, it’s not me, it’s you!

MALTA
Malta Winds

January 30, 2019

By Giselle Scicluna

Statistics published by Discern, the research institute of the Archdiocese of Malta paint a very grim picture for the Church in our country. A mere fifty years ago, the number of faithful who attended Sunday mass was at a whopping eight-two percent of the population. Fresh from the abhorrent religio-political war of the early sixties, with people still reeling from the horrific effects of ‘id-dnub il-mejjet’ (interdiction), eighty-two percent was then a huge number indeed.

Fast forward five decades and that number has dwindled to a scant thirty-six percent, which figures show is hugely made up of attendees who are over fifty years of age. The same published data also predicts that if numbers keep on declining at the current rate, by 2040 only ten percent of Malta’s Catholic population will be attending Sunday Mass. Interestingly, against this scenario, the same study also reveals that ninety-two percent of the population believe they are Catholic.

So, in a nutshell, we can conclude that the decimated Sunday Mass attendance is not due to some existential crisis of faith, but to other perhaps more telling issues, which are increasingly keeping the faithful away from their Church.

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Ed Palattella: Different spotlight on Erie’s Bishop Trautman

ERIE (PA)
Erie Times News

January 30, 2019

National religion writer defends retired bishop in a parsing of the Pennsylvania grand jury report.

Peter Steinfels remains a notable name among journalists who cover religion. When Steinfels, a former senior religion writer for the New York Times, produced a lengthy examination of the Aug. 14 Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse, I took notice.

So did a number of readers of the Erie Times-News.

They sent me copies of Steinfels’ 11,000-word analysis of the grand jury report, published online Jan. 14 and in the Jan. 25 print edition of Commonweal, an American Catholic magazine.

“Vehemently misleading,” reads the headline of the article’s print version. “The Pennsylvania grand-jury report is not what it seems.”

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Springfield bishop to discuss, answer questions on clergy sex abuse

SPRINGFIELD (MA)
The Republican

January 30, 2019

By Anne-Gerard Flynn

Springfield diocesan Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski will discuss and respond to questions about how the diocese has been addressing allegations of sexual abuse against clergy in the first of four “listening and dialogue” sessions Wednesday, Feb. 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Mary, Mother of Hope Church, 840 Page Boulevard.

In a Jan. 15 letter to parishioners, Rozanski noted the Catholic Church has “once again found itself confronting the crisis of child sexual abuse, specifically the past failures of the church to respond to this terrible evil within our midst.”

Rozanski cited two such church-related failures of reporting in the letter – Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick and the Pennsylvania grand jury report – as having “no direct relationship to our diocese” but being the “cause of renewed concerns within our Catholic community.”

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Survivors, lay leaders help archdiocese hear victims, assist in healing

DENVER (CO)
Crux

January 30, 2019

By Maria Wiering

Frank Meuers and Tim O’Malley meet every month or so, often for breakfast, to talk about the Catholic Church and clergy sex abuse.

Meuers is the southwest Minnesota chapter director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, and O’Malley directs the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment.

Since its founding, SNAP has often positioned itself as an adversary of the institutional church, which is why these meetings – and the men’s resulting collegiality – is so extraordinary. Meuers said he knows of no other SNAP leader with a similar relationship to a church official.

Meuers, 79, is one of more than a dozen clergy sexual abuse survivors in regular – sometimes daily – contact with O’Malley and his office. O’Malley looks to them for advice and insight into improving and expanding the archdiocese’s outreach to survivors, and he expects that collaboration will broaden and deepen now that the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case is complete.

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Berks lawmaker: Sex-abuse legislation still a priority

HARRISBURG (PA)
69 News & Associated Press

January 28, 2019

With a new legislative session now underway in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania state Rep. Mark Rozzi said he is ready to continue his fight on behalf of child sexual abuse survivors.

The Berks County Democrat, a Catholic clergy abuse victim himself, has been leading efforts to reform the state’s statute of limitations.

“There are definitely different avenues that we should make available to these victims to be able to not only receive compensation, but to get justice,” Rozzi said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati led the resistance to House legislation giving now-adult victims a two-year reprieve from time limits that bar them from suing perpetrators and institutions that may have covered it up.

A bill failed to come up for a vote in the Senate late last year, three months after the state attorney general’s grand jury report on child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania’s Roman Catholic dioceses.

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Catholic Diocese, county DA praise passage of Child Victims Act

ALBANY (NY)
Niagra Gazette

January 29, 2019

By Rick Pfeiffer

For survivor Paul Barr, the passage the long-awaited passage of the Child Victim’s Act meant one thing.

“It means vindication,” Barr said. “It means I get to defend 16-year-old Paulie Barr. Now I can stick up for that kid. Now (survivors of abuse at the hands of Catholic priests) get to stick up for the children we were and confront those who abused us or let us be abused.”

The legislation relaxes the statute of limitations for child molestation cases to give victims more time to file lawsuits or seek criminal charges. It was approved unanimously by the the Democrat-controlled Senate and Assembly late Monday afternoon.

It had failed in previous legislative sessions because of opposition by Republican members of the State Senate. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has promised that he will sign the bill into law.

Opposition to the law from Catholic Dioceses across the state which had been strenuous in prior legislative sessions melted away on Monday.

“My gut tells me they acquiesced when they had no choice, and they made it sound like it was their idea,” Barr said.

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January 29, 2019

Weather impacts sentencing for man who attacked priest in Anamoose

TOWNER (ND)
KFYR TV

January 29, 2019

By Jack Springgate

The wintry weather prompted the courts to cancel Tuesday’s sentencing for a Minnesota man accused of attacking an Anamoose priest a year ago.

43-year-old Chad Legare was supposed to be sentenced today for his assault on Father Robert Wapenski.

Legare originally pleaded not guilty to three felony charges before changing to an Alford plea on an attempted murder charge in November.

Two lesser charges were dropped.

Legare remains in custody in Rugby.

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Overdue justice for victims of sexual abuse

NEW YORK (NY)
Newsday

January 29, 2019

For decades, young people were victimized twice — first by their tormentors, then by institutions that covered up what happened, protected abusers and offered victims no recourse. No opportunity for justice, no opportunity for compensation, no opportunity to heal. Religious institutions, schools, scouting groups, athletic organizations, politicians and even families were complicit in shielding perpetrators, hiding the truth and exacerbating the suffering.

The Child Victims Act passed overwhelmingly by the New York State Legislature was long overdue. It finally will change the dynamic surrounding childhood sexual abuse in favor of victims, and force a consideration of cases long buried in time. In the bill that passed, school districts were not exempted; this heinous behavior must be rooted out everywhere, which won’t happen without the purge the legislation promises.

The bill raises the age by which victims can pursue criminal charges against abusers to 28, and allows survivors to file civil suits up to age 55 — critical changes since victims can struggle for years to admit and address what happened to them. The measure includes what had been the most controversial provision, a 1-year window for people abused in the past to sue for damages, regardless of when the period expired for such lawsuits. That time frame should be adequate for the aggrieved to file claims while allowing the institutions being sued to know with certainty their possible liability.

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Merrill police investigate two more claims of abuse by former Catholic priest

WAUSAU (WI)
Wausau Daily Herald

January 29, 2019

By Laura Schulte

Police in Merrill are investigating at least two more sexual assault allegations against a former Wisconsin priest who already has been charged with molesting four young males in Sawyer County.

The latest complaints stem from the former Rev. Thomas Ericksen’s time at St. Robert’s Catholic Church in Merrill in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Merrill Police Chief Corey confirmed his department is investigating cases involving Ericksen but declined to comment on the nature of the offenses.

Ericksen, 71, is being held in the Sawyer County Jail in Hayward on a $510,000 cash bond while facing charges that he sexually assaulted boys while he was stationed in the town of Winter in the early 1980s.

The Catholic Diocese of Superior transferred Ericksen from Merrill to St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Winter in July 1982, according to Wausau Daily Herald archives. He’s facing one count of first-degree sexual assault of a child, one count of second-degree sexual assault of a child and two counts of second-degree sexual assault of an unconscious victim. He was arrested in Minneapolis on Nov. 16 and extradited to Hayward, the county seat of Sawyer County, on Nov. 30.

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A bill in the Utah legislature would let churches apologize for abuse without admitting guilt

SALT LAKE CITY (UT)
Fox 13 News

January 29, 2019

By Ben Winslow

A bill being drafted in the Utah State Legislature would allow churches and other nonprofit organizations to apologize for abuse, but not admit culpability.

The forthcoming bill, sponsored by Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, is an effort to provide abuse victims with some measure of comfort.

“We want to empower these organizations to reach out and minister and help and support victims in their most dire time of need,” he said in an interview with FOX 13.

Rep. Ivory said an apology wouldn’t mean an admission of liability in a civil lawsuit, nor would it block any litigation.

“They’re able to reach out, to apologize, to minister, to aid the victims without that being considered any type of basis of liability to such organizations,” he said. “Now it doesn’t mean that if there’s some liability, if they’re culpable for something, that’s a separate question.”

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Listen: How should the Catholic Church address the sex abuse scandal?

HOUSTON (TX)
Houston Chronicle

January 29, 2019

Decades in, scandal involving pedophile priests and elaborate coverups still festers within the Catholic Church like an open wound.

Law enforcement officials recently raided the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston for evidence on a Conroe priest accused of abuse. To understand why scandal persists and what should be done to fully address it, we talk to Anastasiya Zavyalova, assistant professor at Rice Business School who specializes in reputation management of organizations in crisis.

From Tylenol to VW, companies face controversies that can destroy them if not handled properly. Find out how the horrifying pattern of child abuse within the Catholic Church affects victims, the faithful and individual parishes and why it’s is an exceptional crisis in desperate need of resolution.

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