BUFFALO (NY)
WKBW TV
May 3, 2019
By Charlie Specht
A confidential investigative report obtained Friday by 7 Eyewitness News from Christ the King seminary confirms multiple seminarians came forward recently to report misbehavior by Diocese of Buffalo priests .
Reeling from the fallout, officials at the seminary have undertaken a full-scale “leak investigation” that involves interrogations of the same seminarians who came forward to report wrongdoing.
That’s according to multiple sources who spoke with 7 Eyewitness News on the condition of anonymity, because they feared retribution from the seminary and diocese. The sources say the intent of the crackdown is finding out who provided documents to 7 Eyewitness News.
The report — authored by Michael J. Sherry, a retired Orchard Park police chief who now works at the seminary — contains many of the graphic sex-related details that were revealed Monday by 7 Eyewitness News.
But for the first time, it makes clear at least five seminarians came forward to make their claims about what happened at SS. Peter & Paul Church rectory on April 11 that led to the suspensions of Rev. Art Mattulke, Rev. Robert Orlowski and Rev. Patrick O’Keefe.
The report states 14 seminarians in total — and five priests, including the suspended priests as well as Fr. Bryan Zielenieski and Fr. Cole Webster — attended the “pizza party” which reportedly devolved into “vulgar” conversations about the sex lives of priests, seminarians and parishioners.
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