CHARLESTON (SC)
The Associated Press
April 3, 2019
By David Purtell
The Catholic diocese in South Carolina on March 29 released a list of 42 priests with ties to the state who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children.
All but 11 of the priests on the list released by the Charleston Diocese have died. The list doesn’t specify the parishes or institutions where the priests served.
Locally, three of the priests on the list had ties to St. Mary Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Georgetown. In addition, at least one each at Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church in Pawleys Island and St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Garden City.
Priests who were assigned to St. Mary’s in Georgetown who are on the list include:
Frederick Suggs, who was assigned to Georgetown two times: from 1945-1947 and 1962-1968; died in 1998
John Bench, Georgetown, from 1985-1991, died in 2009
Gerald Ryfinski, Georgetown, from 2000-2001. Ryfinski was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in April 2007. A note on the list states “Unlike others on the list, this case involved possession of child pornography.”
Others who were assigned to nearby parishes include:
Thomas Evatt, Precious Blood of Christ, Pawleys Island, 1986-1988. He died in 2003. He was also with St. Cyprian’s Catholic Church in Georgetown.
Hayden Vavarek, St. Michael’s, 1999-2000. Vavarek was laicized in May 2016
The list was broken into four parts. Twenty-one priests served in South Carolina. Others were named in a class-action settlement over abuse, had abuse claims from a diocese outside South Carolina or were a visiting priest to the state.
Bishop Robert Guglielmone said he was releasing the list with a heavy heart, but also wanting to assure accountability and transparency.
“It is my fervent hope and prayer that publishing this list will help bring healing to the victims and their families who have been so grievously harmed by the betrayal of priests and Church leadership,” Guglielmone wrote in a note released with the list.
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