EL PASO (TX)
El Paso Times
July 22, 2025
By Aaron Martinez
- Eight lawsuits allege sexual abuse of children by priests in New Mexico and Texas from the 1960s to 1990s.
- The lawsuits name the Dioceses of Las Cruces and El Paso, along with several New Mexico churches, as defendants.
- The El Paso Diocese says it is aware of the lawsuits and cannot comment on pending litigation, but emphasizes its commitment to Safe Environment protocols.
Victims of alleged sexual abuse by Catholic priests from the 1960s to 1990s filed lawsuits against the Diocese of El Paso and the Diocese of Las Cruces.
Eight separate lawsuits were filed July 14 in New Mexico’s Third Judicial District alleging sexual abuse of children between the ages of 3 and 15 years old, lawyers at the Davis Kelin Law Firm said.
None of the priests named in the lawsuit are alive. One of the incidents occurred nearly 62 years ago.
“We are shocked by the number of victims and the ages of the victims who continue to step out of the shadows,” Levi Monagle, co-lead litigator and partner in the firm, said in a statement. “The abuse perpetrated by these priests is repulsive. And that this went on for so long and involved so many priests is completely unjustifiable.”
The New Mexico churches named in the lawsuit are Our Lady of Health in Las Cruces, Our Lady of Purification in Dońa Ana, Immaculate Conception in Alamogordo, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mesilla Park, St. Anthony in Anthony, and St. Eleanor in Ruidoso.
The priests accused of child sexual abuse are Monsignor Albert Chavez, Monsignor Gonzalo Morales, the Rev. David Holley, the Rev. Emilio Roure, the Rev. Wilfrid Diamond, the Rev. Bernard Bissonnette and the Rev. Joaquin Resma.
[More: ‘Suffering in silence’: Lawsuit accuses Diocese of El Paso of 1960s priest sexual abuse]
John Doe is listed as the victim in six lawsuits and two victims are identified as Jane Doe.
“We know this is just the tip of the iceberg and that there are many more victims of the abuse,” Zackeree Kelin, another co- lead litigators and principal at the law firm, said in a statement. “No matter how long ago this happened, it’s not too late to make this right for the victims and their families.”
The Diocese of El Paso is listed as a defendant in the lawsuit because the diocese was in charge of churches throughout New Mexico until 1982.
“The diocese has been made aware of the aforementioned lawsuits and cannot comment on any pending litigation,” Fernie Ceniceros, director of communications for the Diocese of El Paso, said in an emailed statement. “The Diocese of El Paso works very diligently to cooperate with all parties involved when cases like this are brought forward. The diocese takes all matters of abuse as grave and serious situations and will work to ensure that justice is served.”
[More: ‘Chosen by God:’ Lawsuit alleges New Mexico priest abused girl, 8, in confessional booths]
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages. The victims have suffered through decades of severe emotional, psychological and physical injuries because of the sexual abuses, the lawsuit states. The trauma of the sexual abuse has caused many to become alcoholics and addicted to drugs.
In the past, the Davis Kelin Law Firm has filed several lawsuits over the past few years against the Diocese of Las Cruces and the Diocese of El Paso over allegations of priests abusing children.
Lawsuit details allegations against priests
Father Bernard Bissonnette
Bissonnette of St. Eleanor parish sexually abused more than 30 children during his time as a priest in New Mexico, the lawsuit states. He was transferred to St. Eleanor parish in 1963 because of allegations that he sexually abused children in Connecticut.
The victim who filed the lawsuit was 10 years old at the time of the alleged abuse.
“The sexual abuse occurred on multiple occasions during overnight stays at the rectory of St. Eleanor’s parish, which Fr. Bissonnette referred to as ‘lock-ins,’” the lawsuit states.
Bissonnette was at St. Eleanor parish from 1981 to 1984, according to a list of allegations against priests released by the El Paso and Las Cruces dioceses in 2018. He was moved to other churches in New Mexico until 1992. He was laicized in 2005 and died in 2008.
Priest Joaquin Resma
Resma of Our Lady of Health Parish allegedly sexually abused an 8-year-old girl in 1979, the lawsuit states.
Resma, who is now deceased, was a priest at Our Lady of Health Parish from 1978 to 1983, nmpriestabuse.com states. No other information is available on Resma.
Priest Wilfrid Diamond
Diamond of St. Jude parish is accused of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old boy in 1983, the lawsuit states.
He was assigned to St. Jude parish from 1965 to 1988. Diamond was also accused of sexually abusing a child in 1987 to 1988, the Las Cruces Sun News reported. Diamond died in 1995.
Monsignor Gonzalo Morales
Morales of St. Anthony Parish allegedly sexually abused a boy from 1972 to 1975. The boy was 8 years old when the alleged abuse started and 11 years old when it stopped, the lawsuit states.
“Monsignor Morales told Plaintiff, in the context of sexually abusing him, that God had a purpose for the two of them that included the sexually abusive acts,” the lawsuit states.
Morales died in 1984, bishop-accountability.org states.
Priest David Holley
Holley of Immaculate Conception parish is “a notorious serial pedophile sent to New Mexico” from Massachusetts, the lawsuit states. The victim in the lawsuit was a 10-year-old boy when the alleged abuse happened between 1975 and 1976. The alleged sexual abuse was “frequent and brutal,” the lawsuit states.
“Fr. Holley showed Plaintiff pornography, plied him with beer and wine that incapacitated him, forced Plaintiff to” perform sexual acts, the lawsuit states.
Holley, who served from 1972 to 1975 at the Immaculate Conception parish, was convicted in 1993 of sexual abuse, the Las Cruces Sun News reported. He died in prison in 2008.
Monsignor Alberto Chavez
Chavez of Our Lady of Purification Parish is accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy in 1984, the lawsuit states. The sexual abuse allegedly continued until 1990 when Chavez retired as a priest.
Chavez died in 1996.
Priest Emilio Roure
Roure of Our Lady of Guadalupe is accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl between 1956 to 1964, the lawsuits. He allegedly began sexually abusing the girl “beginning in the early years by encouraging plaintiff’s parents to bring her to private piano lessons with him,” the lawsuit states.
Roure was part of a list of accused priests released by the El Paso diocese in 2019, but little information about his past was released, the El Paso Times reported. He died in 1964, bishop-accountability.org states.
Unnamed Las Cruces priest
An unnamed priest in the lawsuit assigned to Our Lady of Health parish allegedly sexually abused a 10-year-old boy in 1982, the lawsuit states. The victim believes the priest was originally from the Philippines.
Diocese encourages victims to come forward
Pope Leo XIV has addressed the decades of allegations of priests sexually abusing children since he became Pope earlier this year.
“It is urgent to root in the whole church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse — neither of power or authority, nor abuse of conscience, spiritual or sexual abuse,” Pope Leo XIV said in the message reported by AP. “This culture will only be authentic if it is born of active vigilance, of transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt. For this, we need journalists.”
[More: El Paso catholic diocese releases names of 30 priests accused in church sex abuse scandal]
Monagle called for more accountability from the Catholic Church.
“The Pope has said there is no tolerance for any type of abuse, and he is implementing transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt within the church,” Monagle said in a statement. “Real transparency also requires accountability, and reaching out for help is the first step in seeking justice for these crimes against children.”
The Diocese of El Paso has created training and implemented protocols to protect parishioners, Ceniceros said.
“The diocese has worked to implement and train clergy, employees, and volunteers on best practices of Safe Environment,” Ceniceros said in a statement. “All who work in any ministry as a member of the clergy, employee, or volunteer within the diocese must have undergone and passed a certification of training annually as part of the diocesan Safe Environment protocols.”
[More: Las Cruces catholic diocese identifies 28 ex-clergy accused of sexually abusing children]
The Diocese of El Paso encouraged all victims to come forward to them or law enforcement.
“We encourage individuals with any knowledge of any misconduct and/or of any crime committed by any member of the clergy, employee, or volunteer within the diocese to please come forward to law enforcement,” Ceniceros said in a statement. “They can also reach out to our office of victims’ assistance and our office of safe environment by calling 915-872-8400.”
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on X/Twitter @AMartinezEPT.