ABUSE TRACKER

A Jersey Shore Catholic retreat center was ordered to pay millions of dollars to a woman who said she was sexually abused there as a teenager, marking the first verdict in a series of lawsuits involving two clergy members.

A Cape May County jury awarded the woman $3 million over allegations that she was abused while volunteering at the Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May Point during the 1970s.

The retreat center has been named in five lawsuits filed since 2021 by women accusing John Sheehan, a priest, and Albert Koch, a religious brother, of sexually abusing them as children between 1974 and 1982.

Neither Koch nor Sheehan was named as a defendant.

The jury’s verdict came after a trial held earlier this month that included testimony from the woman, who is only identified in court documents as “Jane Doe RP.”

The woman first disclosed the assaults in 2000,…

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A young woman is suing the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and St. Matthias Parish School for covering up extensive sexual abuse she suffered as a child.

The Original Case

The original criminal case centered on now 52-year-old Kevin Buelow, a former fourth grade teacher at St. Matthias Parish School in Milwaukee and Holy Apostles School in New Berlin.

Buelow was convicted of sexually assaulting five young girls across the two schools. In 2023, he was sentenced to six years in prison in Waukesha County, and in 2024, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Milwaukee County.

The complainant in the civil lawsuit obtained by 620 WTMJ is not identified by name, but was confirmed to be the first victim of Buelow’s crimes to report the sexual abuse.

She was 11-years-old at the time of the abuse in 2013.

“My emotional health continued to decline, but was only truly worsened…

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A group of abuse survivors, advocates and pastors have called on a pair of Southern Baptist leaders to apologize for calling the denomination’s abuse crisis a hoax.

Those comments, according to survivors and others, make it harder to address the issue of sexual abuse in churches.

“Saying it is a ‘hoax’ sends the message to people in the pews and the general public to not believe survivors,” the survivors and advocates wrote in an open letter addressed to current Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice and the Rev. Jack Graham, a Texas megachurch pastor.

Both pastors have claimed that the abuse crisis that rocked the nation’s largest Protestant denomination in recent years was overblown. Graham has called it a hoax, while Rice, who was elected SBC president earlier this summer, referred to the crisis as a “ruse” and a “snipe hunt,” a term for a practical joke that involves taking people into the…

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Prosecutors allege the former bishop of Broome hosted alcohol-fueled parties for young aboriginal men at Church-owned properties. Saunders has pleaded not guilty to all 26 charges.Save this story

The trial of an Australian bishop opened this week in the District Court of Western Australia in Perth, where the 76-year-old faces 26 charges of sexual offenses against three young aboriginal men.

Bishop Christopher Saunders led the remote Diocese of Broome in Australia’s northwest from 1996 until his resignation in 2021. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which range from indecent assault to sexual penetration without consent, reported the West Australian newspaper.

The incidents allegedly took place between 2008 and 2017, while he was bishop. Saunders has consistently maintained his innocence.

In his opening address, state prosecutor Adam Ebell alleged that Saunders hosted parties for young aboriginal men at Church-owned properties across the Kimberley region, using what he…

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[PHOTO: Christopher Saunders is on trial in the District Court accused of offending against three males. (ABC News: David Weber)]

In short: 

The lawyer for former Catholic bishop Christopher Alan Saunders, told the second day of his sex abuse trial that he denied the charges against him. 

In his opening address to the court, Tony Hager warned the jury not to be affected by possible prejudice against the Catholic church and said witnesses may have motivation to lie or exaggerate. 

What’s next? 

The trial is set down for three weeks, during which many witnesses are expected to give evidence. 

The lawyer for a former Catholic bishop who allegedly sexually abused three young men has told his trial the incidents did not happen, and warned the jury not to be affected by possible prejudice against the church.

Christopher Alan Saunders, 76, was one of Australia’s longest-serving Catholic clerics and is accused of…

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Bishop Christopher Saunders’ trial is scheduled to last three weeks

The criminal trial of 76-year-old Australian Bishop Christopher Saunders on historic sexual abuse charges began this week, with the bishop facing the prospect of lengthy incarceration if convicted.

Saunders, who served as Bishop of Broome, Western Australia, from 1996 until his resignation in 2021, is facing 26 charges of sexual offenses against three young Aboriginal men. He denies the charges.

The trial, which is scheduled to last three weeks, opened July 21 at the District Court of Western Australia in Perth.

Prosecutor Adam Ebell told the court that Saunders was sexually attracted to Aboriginal males and invited them to “alcohol-fueled” parties at Church properties across the state’s Kimberley region, Australia’s ABC News reported.

The prosecutor said the dress code at the parties was “shirts off” and there was a “seemingly endless supply of alcohol and cigarettes,” bought using Church funds.

…

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The emeritus bishop of Broome, a diocese located in the remote northwest of Australia, Christopher Saunders, began this week to be tried by the District Court of Western Australia, in Perth, accused of 26 sexual offenses allegedly committed against three young Aboriginal people between 2008 and 2017. The prelate, 76, who led the diocese between 1996 and 2021, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial, expected to last three weeks, constitutes the latest chapter in a case that for years has shaken the Australian Church and led the Vatican to order an unprecedented canonical investigation in the country. Meanwhile, the procedure opened in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith remains suspended until the criminal case concludes.

The prosecution accuses the bishop of abusing three young people

In its opening statement, the prosecution maintained that Saunders organized meetings with young Aboriginal people at various diocesan properties spread…

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A group that assists victims of sexual abuse is calling for more transparency from the Buffalo Diocese following the arrest of priest Jeffrey Nowak.

Road to Recovery is demanding that the diocese publicly release the Code of Canon Law 489 secret files associated with Nowak.

“They’re still giving abusers, they’re still giving criminals, benefits, and have been doing it for years,” former priest Jim Faluszczak said.

Earlier this month, Nowak was arrested on child sexual abuse charges.

Federal agents seized multiple devices inside his home that contained sexually explicit videos and pictures of children.

He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Diocese officials added that financial support is still required by canon law even if priests have been removed from active ministry.

In a statement, the diocese said that they learned about the allegations against Nowak at the same time as the public and they are cooperating with the proper authorities….

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Massachusetts was the first state to light the fuse toward transparency about clergy abuse in the early 2000s with the Boston Globe Spotlight series. It changed the world. It prompted former attorney general Thomas Reilly to release the findings of his 2003 investigation into the Archdiocese of Boston. It sparked other investigations, including a probe into the Archdiocese of Philadelphia which resulted in a 400-page grand jury report.

My story of abuse at the hands of a Philadelphia parish priest can be found on page 373. The transparency of that work has been crucial in validating my experience as a survivor and is the single biggest factor in recovering my voice and feeling empowered to use it. The continuing failure of the current Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to release a five-year-old report about sexual abuse by clergy in the Springfield, Worcester, and Fall River Dioceses inexcusably inhibits that potential healing…

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A delegate was accused of communicating with a child on Roblox, which reportedly led to a “physical sexual encounter.”

According to WCHS, a West Virginia lawmaker and middle school teacher is accused in federal court documents of using Roblox and Snapchat to entice a minor and later engaging in sexual conduct with her.

Republican Del. David Elliott Pritt, 36, is charged with enticement of a minor, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. The complaint stems from an investigation into allegations that Pritt had a sexual relationship with a student at the school where he taught.

Pritt is accused of communicating with the girl while she was in eighth grade through Roblox and Snapchat, where he allegedly told her “he loved her.” During the summer of 2025, he is accused of sending sexually explicit photos to the minor before initiating…

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Father Ryan McCandless is in custody in Republic County following his transfer from the Sedgwick County Jail.

Jail records from Republic County show a Kansas priest accused of child sex crimes is in custody in Belleville following his transfer from the Sedgwick County Jail in Wichita.

The KBI arrested Father Ryan McCandless on Wednesday on a warrant for three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The arrest happened at a Wichita home.

The alleged crimes happened between last July and September in Belleville, the KBI said. The agency noted that the Diocese of Salina suspended McCandless from ministry after being made aware of the allegations against him.

McCandless had most recently been the pastor of three parishes in Republic County: St. Edward Parish in Belleville, St. George Parish in Munden, and St. Isidore Parish in Cuba, Kansas. He also previously served parishes in Hays, Manhattan, Mankato, Concordia,…

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A Kansas priest of the Catholic Diocese of Salina arrested Wednesday in Wichita for alleged child sex crimes is now being held in a north central Kansas jail.

Just after 5 p.m. Thursday,  44-year-old Ryan McCandless of Wichita was booked into the Republic County Jail in Belleville, according to online jail records.

On Wednesday, KBI agents arrested McCandless on an arrest warrant for three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to a media release from the KBI.

The arrest occurred at a residence in the 2100 block of S. Erie Street in Wichita. The Sedgwick County Fugitive Warrant Unit assisted with the arrest.

The Republic County Sheriff’s Office requested KBI assistance on Sept. 15, 2025. The charges allege that between July and September 2025, McCandless sexually abused a 6-year-old child in Belleville, Kansas. The Diocese of Salina suspended McCandless from ministry when they were made aware of…

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A senior Catholic priest on trial for allegedly sexually abusing Aboriginal teenagers while he worked in an outback diocese argues that while his methods of “pastoral care” were unorthodox – including getting his parishioners to strip off their shirts and wrestle – they were accepted in places like Broome.

Christopher Saunders appeared in WA’s District Court on Wednesday for the second day of his trial over alleged sexual abuse offences.

The 76-year-old is facing a total of 26 charges ranging from indecent assault to sexual penetration without consent, all of which are alleged to have taken place between 2008 and 2017. Saunders had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

On the first day of his trial, prosecutor Adam Ebell laid out the claims against the former Bishop of Broome, including allegations he sexually abused three Aboriginal teenagers who had been introduced to him through alcohol-fuelled parties at Catholic Church-owned…

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A new charge has been filed against the wife of a former Pawleys Island pastor as part of an ongoing investigation centered on a convicted sex offender who was allowed to volunteer at a church-based school.

Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver announced Friday that Ginny Williams has been charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk or causing child harm in connection with the sheriff’s office investigation into Pawleys Island Community Church.

According to investigators, the charge stems from findings that had not been verified last week but have since been confirmed through multiple witness statements.

“In order for this charge to be levied, a person has to be in a supervisory role, be responsible for a child’s welfare, and engage in acts or omissions that present a substantial risk that a sexual offense will be committed against a child,” the sheriff’s office said.

The agency added: “Ginny Williams has been found to not…

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“The parishes had no authority over the pastors and priests who were assigned by the Dioceses to the parishes,” suit argues

A group of seven Vermont Catholic parishes has filed a federal lawsuit arguing they cannot be held legally responsible for decades-old clergy sexual abuse because they never had the authority to appoint, supervise, transfer or discipline priests.

The complaint, filed July 21 in U.S. District Court in Vermont, seeks a declaratory judgment blocking pending state court lawsuits and related bankruptcy litigation against the parishes. The plaintiffs include Christ the King Parish in Rutland, St. Augustine Parish in Montpelier, St. Monica Parish in Barre, Mater Dei Parish in Newport, Christ the King St. Anthony Parish in Burlington, St. John the Baptist Parish in North Bennington, and Holy Cross and Our Lady of Grace Parish in Colchester. They are represented by attorney Kaveh Shahi of the Rutland-based firm Gfeller Laurie.

The lawsuit…

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A Kansas priest and former pastor at several parishes has been arrested on several charges of child sexual abuse.

Father Ryan A. McCandless, a priest of the Diocese of Salina, Kansas, was taken into custody shortly after 5 p.m. July 22 at a residence in Wichita.

The arrest was made by Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents, assisted by the Sedgwick County Fugitive Warrant Unit, according to a KBI July 22 media release.

The KBI said the 44-year-old Father McCandless was wanted on “three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.”

The charges “allege that between July and September 2025, McCandless sexually abused a 6-year-old child in Belleville, Kansas,” said the KBI.

The alleged acts involved “lewd fondling or touching of a child under 14 years of age,” according to a complaint obtained by OSV News from the Republic County Courthouse.

“The Diocese of Salina suspended McCandless from ministry when…

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If the government’s case against Vazquez Ortega succeeds, he will likely be deported.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed to revoke the citizenship of a Capuchin priest from Mexico who was convicted of sexually abusing minors while working in a parish in Washington, D.C.

If the federal government’s case against 53-year-old Fr. Urbano Vazquez Ortega succeeds, he will likely be deported. He is currently serving a 15-year sentence for sexual abuse of minors.

A Capuchin priest working in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., Vazquez Ortega was found guilty in 2019 of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl and a 9-year-old girl at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, where he served as assistant pastor. The abuse took place in 2015 and 2016.

In 2021, while serving his sentence in the child sex abuse case, Vazquez Ortega was found guilty in a separate case of sexually abusing an adult.

That abuse,…

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A priest has been returned for trial to Londonderry Crown Court charged with 116 sex offences.

59-year-old Edward Gallagher, whose address is Maghaberry Prison, appeared at a preliminary enquiry at Londonderry Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The charges are said to have occurred on dates between 22 June 2023 and 18 April 2025.

They include among others sexual communication with children, attempted sexual communication with children, possessing indecent images of children and inciting children under 16 to engage in sexual activity .

Defence solicitor Derwin Harvey told the court he had gone through the charges with Gallagher and there was no need for all 116 to be read out in court.

It was accepted there was a case to answer and there were no contrary submissions.

Gallagher said he did not want to call any witnesses or make any statement at this stage.

He was returned for trial to Londonderry Crown…

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A priest with the Catholic Diocese of Salina was arrested and accused of sex crimes against a child.

On July 22, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a press release that Ryan McCandless, 44, of Wichita, had been arrested for three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

According to the KBI, the Republic County Sheriff’s Office asked for the agency’s assistance on Sept. 15, 2025, after charges were alleged between July and September 2025.

KBI accused the suspect of sexually abusing a 6-year-old child in Belleville. KBI said the Salina Diocese suspended the priest from ministry when it was made aware of the reported incidents.

At about 5:05 p.m. July 22, the suspect was arrested by KBI agents and booked into Sedgwick County Detention Facility. He is expected to be transferred to Republic County Jail.

According to the KBI, McCandless, had most recently been pastor of three…

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(ANALYSIS) The Vatican’s latest statement on the canonical trial of Father Marko Ivan Rupnik was intended to quash rumors that one of the Catholic Church’s most controversial abuse cases had quietly ended in acquittal.

Instead, it highlighted a different issue: The complex and secretive process by which the church’s judicial system operates and whether it is capable of delivering justice in cases involving allegations of spiritual and sexual abuse.

By insisting that reports of the Slovenian priest’s acquittal were “totally unfounded” and confirming that judges are still reviewing evidence, the Vatican sought to reassure observers that the process remains active. For clergy sex-abuse survivors, the statement underscored the very frustrations that have plagued the case from the start.

“During the trial, as in any judicial proceeding, information regarding the proceedings underway cannot be shared in any way,” the Vatican said in the statement on Wednesday.

The…

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A South Side pastor is now facing allegations of sexually assaulting two of his relatives for decades, with claims that the abuse began when the victims were under the age of 10. WGN’s Patrick Elwood reports.

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A Fairfax County pastor is facing charges in Pennsylvania after he sent illicit photos of himself to a teen there, according to state police.

Troopers said Kenny Baldwin faces charges of unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, indecent exposure and open lewdness.

SEE ALSO | Special Education teacher accused of assaulting student in Fairfax County

Investigators said Baldwin met the victim when they were 15 years old in November 2024. Baldwin was visiting the victim’s church in York County to deliver a sermon, according to Troopers. Baldwin was employed as a senior pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church in Bailey’s Crossroads at the time. 7News has reached out to the church for more information on whether Baldwin is still employed there. This story will be updated if we receive a response.

Troopers said Baldwin and the teen exchanged numbers and…

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The Catholic Diocese of Salina has released a statement after a priest was arrested for child sex crimes by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

On July 22 at approximately 5:05 p.m., Father Ryan A. McCandless, 44, of Wichita, was arrested on an arrest warrant for three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to a media release from the KBI.

Below is the official statement from the Diocese:

Fr. Ryan McCandless has been charged with allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. We are extremely sorry for any pain and suffering that has taken place for any victim of sexual abuse. In accordance with diocesan policy and the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, these allegations were reported to both civil and ecclesiastical authorities. The Diocese of Salina is fully cooperating with the investigation being conducted by the Republic County Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas…

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The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Catholic priest on charges related to child sexual abuse.

Ryan McCandless, 44, of Wichita, was taken into custody on Wednesday.

He is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

According to the KBI, the arrest occurred at a residence in the 2100 block of South Erie Street in Wichita.

The investigation began after the Republic County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance in September 2025.

McCandless is accused of sexually abusing a six-year-old child in Belleville, Kansas, between July and September 2025.

McCandless has served as pastor of St. Edward Parish in Belleville, St. George Parish in Munden and St. Isidore Parish in Cuba.

He also served parishes in Hays, Manhattan, Mankato, Concordia and Esbon.

Anyone with information should contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or submit an anonymous tip through the agency’s website.

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Five Chicago-area Catholic parishes received letters this week about an allegation of sexual abuse against a priest who had worked in all of them.

Blase Cardinal Cupich issued the letters to the communities of Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Oak Lawn, Christ Our Savior Parish in South Holland, Saint George Parish in Tinley Park, Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, and Saint Katherine Drexel Parish in Chicago’s Calumet Heights neighborhood about the allegations against Father Kenneth Fleck.

The letters said the Archdiocese of Chicago Office for Child Sex Abuse Investigations and Review had learned a lawsuit was set to be filed accusing Fleck of sexually abusing a minor.

This happened more than 30 years ago, and Fleck, who is now retired, has strongly denied that he has ever sexually abused anyone, the letter said.

Cupich wrote that the Archdiocese’s request to interview the person making the…

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The former headmaster of Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield has been indicted for her role in the teacher abuse scandal that has already seen a former teacher indicted for rape.

Jeannie Norris, 80, now living in Durham, North Carolina, is being charged with one count of reckless endangerment of a child, according to Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue.

The investigation is continuing, and Shugrue said he expects more charges against Norris, who was the headmaster at the all-girls school from 1996 to 2012.

After former teacher Matthew Rutledge was indicted in March on three counts of rape, other students have come forward, according to Shugrue.

The investigation has found that as Norris was alerted to red flags about Rutledge’s behavior, she appeared focused on the harm the allegations could cause the school’s reputation instead of the victims, Shugrue said.

In the case of one girl, Shugrue said she…

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Jean Norris, who ran Miss Hall’s School in Massachusetts, was charged with reckless endangerment of a child. A former teacher under her tenure faces three rape charges.

A former headmaster of a private girls’ boarding school in western Massachusetts was indicted on Wednesday on one count of reckless endangerment of a child.

Jean Norris, the former headmaster of Miss Hall’s School, is accused of failing to take appropriate action in response to “numerous reports” she had received of a teacher’s inappropriate behavior during her tenure, the district attorney’s office in Berkshire County said.

The district attorney, Timothy J. Shugrue, said the charge was part of a larger investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the school. A former teacher at Miss Hall’s, Matthew Rutledge, was indicted in March on three counts of rape for allegedly assaulting two students who attended the school between 2001 and 2010.

The investigation into the school…

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The now-retired Rev. Thomas Conde, previously of Christ the King and St. Christina, is the subject of a pending lawsuit and has denied the allegations, the archdiocese said in a letter to parishioners.

A retired Catholic priest who previously led parishes in Beverly and Mount Greenwood is being accused of sexual abuse of a minor in a pending lawsuit, according to the Archdiocese of Chicago. 

The Rev. Thomas Conde was previously pastor of Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, 9235 S. Hamilton Ave. in Beverly, and St. Christina Roman Catholic Church, 3342 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood. 

In a letter sent Monday to parishioners at Christ the King and St. Christina, Cardinal Blase Cupich said the archdiocese had recently been informed that a lawsuit would be filed alleging the sexual abuse of a minor by Conde. 

Cupich said the allegations were from Conde’s time at St. James in Sauk…

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Move comes 8 months after a local media published report containing the survivor’s account

A diocese in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province has suspended a priest after a canonical investigation found he abused his position of authority in a sexual abuse case involving a female university student, in what is believed to be the first publicly known case of clerical sexual abuse in the country.

Father Ignasius Loy Semana, who was previously dismissed as a lecturer at the Catholic University of Indonesia Saint Paul Ruteng on Flores Island, was suspended by the Diocese of Labuan Bajo on July 20.

The decision came eight months after a local media outlet published an investigative report containing the survivor’s account. The survivor is also a distant relative of the priest.

“The final decision is what Church law calls suspension. It means the withdrawal of all faculties to exercise sacramental and pastoral…

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The Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May Point is facing several other lawsuits over allegations of decades-old abuse.

A Marianist retreat house on the Jersey Shore will pay out $3 million to a woman who said she was abused at the center in the 1970s.

Ken Fulginiti, who represented the plaintiff identified as Jane Doe in the suit, told EWTN News on July 22 that a jury in Cape May County returned the seven-figure verdict for the “emotional trauma of abuse” endured by his client.

“There will be another $750,000 in prejudgment interest that we’ve sent in a motion for,” he said.

Fulginiti’s client said the abuse occurred in 1974; she filed suit against the retreat center in January 2021.

The retreat center attempted to convince the jury that it was not required to pay out for the abuse. “There were arguing that they were not liable to the…

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Sister Theresa Aletheia and Sister Danielle Lussier stand out at daily Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington, Ky. Their heads are covered in waist-length teal veils, and black canvas work aprons cover their gray habits. The aprons feature an embroidered image of Jesus on the cross, alive and gasping for air.

“It is an important moment for us, when Jesus calls out to the Father, ‘My God, my God, Why have you forsaken me?’” Sister Theresa Alethia says. “That’s the moment that we enter into with the people that we serve.”

letheia and Lussier call themselves the Sisters of the Little Way of Beauty, Truth and Goodness. They spend most of their time praying for and meeting with people who have experienced abuse of various kinds, including emotional, financial, spiritual or sexual. It’s a daunting and complex mission: serving the Catholic Church by caring for people…

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Book Review: Baptistland, by Christa Brown

Introduction

In the fall of 1993, as I began studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, I had a certain idea of what it meant to be a conservative. I thought I was going to be in allied territory.

I was fairly new to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) world. The narrative I heard going in: conservatives—those who identified with a more literal view of Scripture and a right-leaning worldview—were taking back the Southern Baptist Convention from liberals and moderates: people who generally embraced a more left-leaning worldview and who were often skeptical of miracle accounts in the Bible. The liberals and moderates fired back at what they saw as a coordinated power grab that had less to do with theology and everything to do with a cultural fundamentalism that amounted to a good-old-boys network.

The way conservatives would put it today:…

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The longtime St. Sabina pastor remains under investigation after another decades-old child sexual abuse allegation, while parish leaders push for changes to the Archdiocese of Chicago’s investigative process.

Earlier this month, the Archdiocese of Chicago launched an investigation into a decades-old child sexual abuse allegation against the Rev. Michael Pfleger, the longtime pastor of St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham.

It was the fifth such accusation brought against Pfleger in five years, and the investigation continues. The archdiocese found the four previous allegations to be unfounded. The latest allegation has brought renewed attention to Pfleger, whose decades of ministry and community activism have made him a prominent South Side figure. It has also prompted parish leaders to call for changes to how the archdiocese handles allegations against priests.

Here’s what you should know.

What is the current allegation?

The archdiocese opened the latest investigation July…

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Warning: This story contains distressing details

A woman who said she was violently physically abused while being “delivered from demons” is among dozens of survivors whose experience has been detailed in a long-awaited report into child abuse in Catholic and Protestant faith settings.

The woman said at one time she was beaten so badly she believed her ribs were broken.

The report, called Investigation into Experiences of Victims and Survivors of Historical Clerical Child Abuse, was written by Prof Tim Chapman.

Another woman described the spiritual abuse she endured at the hands of a priest as “soul murder”.

Other individuals detailed serious sexual abuse, including the rape of a six-year-old boy.

Survivors have called for a public inquiry into clerical abuse in faith settings.

While previous research examined abuse within residential settings, this report focused on abuse in church congregations and church-run schools and youth organisations.

It was completed in…

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Date: April 13, 2007

To: Jaybird <Jay Sefton>

From: Dad <Joe Sefton>

Subject: the bastard.

Link: Priest Defrocked Over Abuse Cases

Jaybird, just saw this in the Inquirer.

Please call me. Love, Dad

“Holy s—,” Jay Sefton thought.

His father — a lifelong Havertown boy, a diehard Catholic and Philadelphia Phillies fan, a chain-smoking Army vet and a veteran claims adjuster — knew how to email a link to an article.

But besides that: No one had ever called what happened to him abuse.

After growing up in a working-class, hard-drinking town where feelings were expressed with four-letter words, Sefton, the son, had learned from his father to curse his way through Philadelphia Eagles games — to be as loud as possible while ultimately saying nothing at all. So there’s something beautiful, poetic even, that 20 years ago, his father gave him permission to use his voice. 

Now an Easthampton-based therapist,…

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A pastor’s son in Mississippi is accused of impregnating a 14-year-old girl while she was living with the family

Dawson James Brown, 27, and his mother, Sabrina Brown, 54, were arrested on Friday after investigators obtained felony arrest warrants for the pair.

Dawson Brown is charged with one count of statutory rape, two counts of sexual battery, and one count of human trafficking.

Sabrina Brown is charged with conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence, attempted tampering with physical evidence, and felony child neglect, which is defined as intentionally and knowingly permitting the continuing sexual abuse of a child.

The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office (PRCSO) began its investigation after someone anonymously reported that the 14-year-old was pregnant.

PRCSO confirmed that Sabrina Brown is the wife of a pastor at New Heights/College Heights Baptist Church in Poplarville. Dawson is their son.

Authorities said the teen lived with the Brown family at the…

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The Vatican has denied rumors that Fr. Marko Rupnik, the prominent Catholic priest, artist and former Jesuit accused of sexually and spiritually abusing more than two dozen women, has been acquitted in an ongoing canonical case.

The proceedings against the Slovenian priest remain underway, the Holy See Press Office said in a July 22 statement, rejecting as “completely unfounded” rumors that the case had concluded and absolved Rupnik of any wrongdoing.

A former titan in Catholic circles, Rupnik’s distinctive mosaics appear in prominent churches and shrines around the world, including in Lourdes, Washington and the Vatican. In 2020, Pope Francis tapped his fellow Jesuit to preach the Lenten reflection for members of the Roman Curia.

The handling of the allegations against Rupnik has become a major test of the Vatican’s willingness to investigate abuse involving adult women and hold influential clergy accountable.

Two days before the…

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Long-simmering unease over the lack of Vatican transparency in a high-profile abuse case boiled over this week and brought a major problem of governance into sharp focus.

In a word: Why are criminal trials at Church law conducted in secret?

The question has vexed penal lawyers practicing in the Church’s justice system, criminal justice experts, and reform advocates, for years.

The case of Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, a disgraced Slovenian priest and former Jesuit who gained worldwide renown as a mosaic artist and spiritual master allegedly while abusing dozens of victims over many years, is a microcosm of the problem.

Earlier this week, the attorney for five of Rupnik’s accusers, Laura Sgrò, delivered a withering public critique of the Church’s efforts to provide justice in the case, complaining of procedural irregularities, foot-dragging, and an almost Kafkaesque lack of transparency.

RELATED: Rupnik victims ‘disheartened and distressed’ but determined, says lawyer

…

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The Holy See said the canonical criminal trial remains open and judges are continuing to review evidence in the case involving the former Jesuit accused of sexual and psychological abuse.

The Vatican on July 22 denied reports circulating on blogs and social media that Father Marko Rupnik, the former Jesuit accused by several women religious of sexual abuse, had been acquitted.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, described reports that the judges overseeing the case had reached a final decision as “absolutely unfounded.”

Bruni said the canonical proceedings remain underway and that the tribunal “is examining documentation received from the dioceses involved, the Society of Jesus, the interested parties, and information published by the media.”

Proceedings Remain Confidential

The Vatican spokesman stressed that no information about the case can be made public while the trial is underway. He said the confidentiality is intended both to protect due…

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The Vatican on Wednesday confirmed that a church trial against a famous ex-Jesuit priest accused of spiritual and sexual abuse of women is ongoing and defended the secrecy of the proceedings as necessary to guarantee the process.

An Italian blog reported Monday that an acquittal verdict had been reached in the case against the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik, a Slovenian artist whose mosaic designs decorate Vatican chapels and churches and basilicas around the world.

A statement from the Vatican press office said the report was “totally unfounded” and that judges were continuing to “examine documentation provided by the dioceses involved, the Jesuits, the parties concerned, and from the press.”

A scandal that calls into question Pope Francis

The Rupnik scandal exploded publicly in late 2022, when Italian blogs first reported claims by women and nuns of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse by Rupnik dating back to the 1990s that had been…

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The Vatican has pushed back against reports that former Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik has been acquitted in his Vatican criminal trial. In a July 22 statement, the Vatican said rumors of an acquittal are “completely unfounded” and confirmed the canonical trial is still under review. Officials said judges continue examining evidence from dioceses, the Jesuits, alleged victims and media reports. 

The press release came a day after Laura Sgrò, a civil and canon lawyer who represents five women who have accused Father Rupnik of abuse, rebuked the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, saying she and her clients have no information about the case, and they had not been informed whether the trial even began.

‘Review of the case is still ongoing’

On July 20, Italian website Messainlatino.it reported that Father Rupnik, a well-known mosaic artist accused of abusing several women, may have been acquitted.

“INCREDIBLE! We…

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Note: This story uses the term “child sexual abuse material,” to reference exploitative content depicting children, however federal child exploitation laws use the term “child pornography.”

Assemblymember Patrick Burke said Wednesday he’s requested state police investigate child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo.

“I’m calling on the state police to create a special investigative task force to address the issue of child sexual abuse in the Buffalo diocese and to hopefully take immediate action,” Burke said.

Burke’s call comes after Jeffery Nowak, a Diocese of Buffalo priest, was arrested and charged earlier this month with receipt and possession of “child pornography” or child sex abuse material (CSAM), by federal investigators.

The FBI had been alerted by Scottish officials of a Telegram group where users view child sex abuse material, or CSAM over a Zoom call. Nowak was identified as one of the participants, using the username…

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2026
Bill Meagher
Director of Communications
Catholic Diocese of Salina
785-827-8746
communications.office@salinadiocese.org
www.salinadiocese.org

Statement Regarding Father Ryan McCandless

Fr. Ryan McCandless has been charged with allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. We are extremely sorry for any pain and suffering that has taken place for any victim of sexual abuse. In accordance with diocesan policy and the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, these allegations were reported to both civil and ecclesiastical authorities. The Diocese of Salina is fully cooperating with the investigation being conducted by the Republic County Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Fr. McCandless was immediately removed from all public priestly ministry upon notice of the allegation. He was not permitted to celebrate Mass, perform sacraments, or engage in any pastoral duties while the matter was under investigation. He will remain removed from ministry unless and until he is fully cleared of the…

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Father Ryan A. McCandless, 44, faces three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a priest from the Catholic Diocese of Salina on child sex crime charges.

The Sedgwick County Fugitive Warrant Unit arrested Father Ryan A. McCandless, 44, of Wichita, at around 5:05 p.m. on Wednesday, at home in the 2100 block of S. Erie St. in Wichita. He was wanted on three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

The charges allege that between July and September 2025, McCandless sexually abused a 6-year-old child in Belleville, Kansas. The Republic County Sheriff’s Office requested KBI assistance on Sept. 15, 2025.

McCandless was booked into the Sedgwick County Detention Facility following his arrest and is expected to be transferred to the Republic County Jail.

Parish assignments

The Catholic Diocese of Salina said McCandless most recently served as pastor of three parishes…

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The Catholic Diocese of Arlington is in receipt of an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a minor against Rev. Charles A. Ryan, a former priest of the diocese, ordained in 1948 and who passed away in 1995. The alleged incidents occurred during Fr. Ryan’s tenure as Pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Church, in Falls Church, VA, from 1981-1986.  Upon receiving this allegation, the diocese promptly reported it to law enforcement.

The diocese encourages anyone who knows of any information specifically related to this allegation or other allegations of sexual misconduct involving Fr. Ryan to reach out to the diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at (703) 841-2530. Additionally, the diocese encourages anyone who knows of any information related to any misconduct or abuse on the part of any cleric or employee of the diocese to reach out to the Victim Assistance Coordinator and to notify civil authorities.

The Catholic Diocese of Arlington requests prayers for all affected by this allegation. 

The diocesan child protection policy is available here.

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What remained of a seven-year-old lawsuit filed by a former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary student against former President Paige Patterson has been settled out of court.

A July 16 court filing in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas says the plaintiff, known only as Jane Roe, has dropped her case against Patterson and the seminary and “each party (will) bear their own costs, expenses and fees.”

Typically, such language implies a confidential out-of-court settlement was reached. However, there is no indication that has happened in this case, that originally was filed in 2019.

One of the points of initial curiosity in the case was whether or not Patterson could be covered the seminary’s insurance policy because at the time of the alleged defamation, he already had been fired by seminary trustees. One of the allegations was that others, still employed by the seminary at the time, acted on his…

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One of the nation’s highest-ranking Catholics allegedly plied young Aboriginal boys with alcohol, made them strip off and sexually abused them at Catholic Church-owned properties across outback Western Australia, a court has heard.

Christopher Alan Saunders, 76, appeared in WA’s District Court on Wednesday, for the first day of his trial on 26 sexual abuse charges against three young Aboriginal men, ranging from indecent assault to sexual penetration without consent.

The incidents were alleged to have taken place between 2008 and 2017, when Saunders was the Bishop of Broome, in WA’s Kimberley region. Saunders has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and has long maintained his innocence.

The 76-year-old was dressed in an all-black suit on the first day of his trial, with a white vicar collar. He had a crucifix brooch on the lapel of his suit.

Originally from Victoria, Saunders was first ordained as a priest in 1976…

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The Archdiocese of Chicago said it remains “committed” to “the same thorough and impartial” investigative process for abuse allegations, after the faithful at one parish called for an “immediate and comprehensive reform” of that protocol when their pastor was placed on leave.

“Only by doing this can we be assured of fairness to all concerned,” the archdiocese said in a July 17 statement to OSV News.

More than 40 members of the Faith Community of St. Sabina signed an open letter to the archdiocese, which was unveiled at a July 17 press conference outside the church.

The letter was prompted by the administrative removal of St. Sabina senior pastor Father Michael Pfleger, a Chicago priest known for his longtime social justice ministry, following an abuse allegation for an incident said to have taken place some three decades ago.

Father Pfleger ‘strongly’ denies allegation

In a July 11 me View Cache

A priest and former school chaplain has been given a two-year community order after admitting the sexual abuse of two schoolboys more than 40 years ago.

Edwards Phillips-Smith, 76, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting an 11-year-old boy and inciting him to commit an act of gross indecency in his flat at St Peter’s Collegiate School in Wolverhampton between 1978 and 1980.

He had also admitted to indecently assaulting a second boy under 14, and inciting him to commit an act of gross indecency in Brewood, Staffordshire, between 1982 and 1983.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard the defendant, who had previously served time in prison for sexually abusing schoolboys, was dying of cancer.

Phillips-Smith, who now lives in Essex, was sentenced in January 2024 to 32 months in prison after admitting sexually abusing St Peter’s schoolboys at his Brewood home in the 1980s.

The priest, known to children as Father Eddie, was released…

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Date: Monday, July 27
Start Time: 6:30 p.m.
End Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Virtual
Register here

“And” is one of the most important words in the English language. It allows us to hold more space for the complexity of human experience. Every human being has both beauty and brokenness. Every family has both goodness and dysfunction. One of the most common symptoms for trauma survivors is black-and-white thinking, which helps us feel in control and tells a distorted story about ourselves or others. Sometimes this all-or-nothing thinking gets embedded in our collective narrative – the stories we tell ourselves in our family, community, church, or nation. “And” allows us to tell a more truthful story, embrace more fully the paradox of human existence, and live more abundant lives.

Presenting this webinar is Derek Sakowski, who was ordained a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse in 2003. He holds a Licentiate in Philosophy from…

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It took a long while, considering the stature of the man involved and the controversy surrounding him, to pass this small ordinance of great significance. 

Forty-six years after Father Gerald Robinson stabbed Sister Margaret Ann Pahl 31 times with a letter opener, leaving wounds that prosecutors said formed an inverted cross, Toledo City Council voted 8-2 Tuesday to remove a street sign honoring the priest many say helped cover up what was once called Toledo’s most notorious murder.

For Lee Pahl, Sister Pahl’s nephew, the vote offered a measure of relief decades in the making.

“It helps,” he said. “It was a terrible, terrible, crime that happened. The cover-up by the Catholic Church, to me, is the worst part of it.”

The man honored by the sign is Monsignor Jerome Schmit, a priest still widely admired for his contributions to youth sports in Toledo. 

He was an enterprising figure —…

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With a civil lawsuit and criminal charges against enablers, maybe some Southern Baptist leaders will finally learn a lesson.

At Pawleys Island Community Church in South Carolina, church leaders allowed a convicted child sex offender to regularly interact with kids.

When it came to light last week, church leaders performed a spiritual-sounding song-and-dance to try to justify their recklessness, but parents weren’t having it. Bravo.

Pawleys Island Community Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant faith group in the nation, and it sits in an affluent town with gated neighborhoods and high-end golf courses. So, don’t imagine that this is just a one-off aberration at some podunk church. It’s not. Pawleys Island is a prominent church, and its story illustrates some of the egregious patterns within the SBC… except this time, ordinary people are fighting back.

(And for what it’s worth… there are a LOT of…

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The long-awaited reforms seek to introduce stricter penalties for sexual crimes in the Chinese-ruled city

Hong Kong NGO worker Jessie recalled freezing in panic when she said she was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance one summer, unable to resist while he proceeded without her consent.

Years later, she testified against him, but rather than feeling empowered, she felt “oppressed and helpless” as she watched the man walk free under decades-old laws Hong Kong is now seeking to overhaul.

“The defence lawyer asked: ‘why didn’t you fight back at the time, bite or hit him?’” she told AFP, adding that the court failed to consider she had been unable to resist the assault due to fear.

The judge ruled the defendant may have “honestly but mistakenly believed” that she consented. He was acquitted despite never testifying.

“I never realised our laws were so backwards,” said Jessie, who is in her 30s.

…

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Victims group rejects meeting with presidential advisers

Victims of sexual abuse within Portugal’s Catholic Church have rejected a meeting with presidential advisers after President António José Seguro appears to have declined receiving them himself. They have told Expresso that only the head of state can help address what they have described as an unjust compensation process.

After waiting months for a response to their request for an audience with President António José Seguro, the association Coração Silenciado, representing victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, claims it has, for the first time, been refused a direct meeting with the country’s head of state.

Instead, members were invited to meet two presidential advisers – an offer thay have  declined, arguing that only the president himself has the authority and moral influence needed to address their concerns.

“We felt they were trying to patch things up,” António Grosso, a member of the association’s leadership, told Expresso….

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The department announced the latest leadership shakeup and shared a list of reforms at its Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers.

The man overseeing Nebraska’s state-run youth facilities is out of a job as the ripples of a sex abuse scandal at its Kearney center reached the highest level yet.

Four former state employees have been arrested on allegations they sexually abused teens at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney. In at least two teens’ cases, staff knew about the allegations for months but didn’t tell key figures in their juvenile court cases.

The Department of Health and Human Services fired YRTC-Kearney’s top administrator in March. Now, DHHS has ousted her former boss.

The department announced on Wednesday that it had made “a leadership change,” installing a new senior administrator to oversee its Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers in Kearney, Hastings and Lincoln.

“As…

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A Jersey Shore Catholic retreat center was ordered to pay millions of dollars to a woman who said she was sexually abused there as a teenager, marking the first verdict in a series of lawsuits involving two clergy members.

A Cape May County jury awarded the woman $3 million over allegations that she was abused while volunteering at the Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May Point during the 1970s.

The retreat center has been named in five lawsuits filed since 2021 by women accusing John Sheehan, a priest, and Albert Koch, a religious brother, of sexually abusing them as children between 1974 and 1982.

Neither Koch nor Sheehan was named as a defendant.

The jury’s verdict came after a trial held earlier this month that included testimony from the woman, who is only identified in court documents as “Jane Doe RP.”

The woman…

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A 90-year-old former Christian Brother, jailed in 2023 for the sexual abuse of primary school students in Kilkenny in the 1970s, has been found guilty of sexually abusing boys in St Patrick’s CBS primary school, Portarlington, Co Offaly, in the early to mid-1980s.

Liam Coughlan, who appeared by video link from prison during a trial that started last week in the Circuit Criminal Court, Portlaoise, Co Laois, had pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of indecent assault against nine former students who attended the school on Patrick Street, Portarlington.

On Friday, the jury took just an hour to find Coughlan guilty on all of the 31 counts they were asked to consider.

After the verdict, Judge Keenan Johnson praised the complainants who were in court and said they could take pride in the fact that their voices had now been heard. At least one of the men was crying.

During the trial…

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Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation from the pastoral governance of the diocese of Huacho (Peru) presented by Monsignor Antonio Santarsiero Rosa, O.S.I., as reported this Tuesday by the Holy See Press Office. The decision comes just over a month after the prelate turned 75, on June 13, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the Pope. The Vatican statement offers no explanation regarding the acceptance of the resignation and makes no reference to the complaints that have come to light in recent months.

A resignation after months of controversy

The acceptance of the resignation comes three months after InfoVaticana revealed a complaint of alleged sexual abuse of a minor and a deacon against the prelate. Following the publication of the information, the Peruvian Episcopal Conference announced that Santarsiero was temporarily stepping down as secretary general of the episcopate to facilitate the clarification…

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A notice in the church bulletin at the Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul in Providence caught Patrick Wall’s eye in early June.

A former Benedictine priest and advocacy consultant specializing in canon law, Wall says he has seen similar notices before.

“In the 44 prior Roman Catholic bankruptcies in the United States, that was one of the precursors. That they did a reorganization. …
They started the consultation process. It looks very inert,” said Wall, an advocacy consultant with the national law firm Grant & Eisenhofer, which filed the first federal lawsuit in Rhode Island on behalf of a Georgia resident who alleges he was abused by a priest as a child in Central Falls and plied with gifts, candy and home-cooked meals.

The notice might seem innocuous to the average parishioner. It announces that Bishop Bruce Lewandowski has established a “new one time program” for a diocesan consultation with parish…

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The senior priest has led one of the nation’s best-known Black Catholic parishes since 1981 and recently saw multiple unsubstantiated accusations.

Fr Michael Pfleger, the senior pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church on the South Side of Chicago, has been removed from ministry pending investigation of a new child sex abuse allegation. Four previous accusations in recent years have not been substantiated.

The 77-year-old priest, who has led the church since 1981, announced the news personally on social media on July 11, noting that the accusation came from an adult woman who says she attended St. Sabina Academy in the 1990s.

“First, this is an absolute lie,” Pfleger said of the allegation, noting that he believes it is connected to a pattern of false allegations.

“I believe this is another attempt and another attack by those who have sought to destroy me for…

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The Rev. Michael Pfleger ‘strongly denied’ the allegation, which comes after archdiocesan reviews with outside investigators cleared him of four previous accusations of decades-old abuse.

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, a well-known anti-gun activist priest, has been accused of child sexual abuse and removed from ministry while the allegation is investigated, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced on Saturday (July 11). Pfleger “strongly denied” the allegation, which comes after archdiocesan reviews with outside investigators cleared him of four previous accusations of decades-old abuse, which were all found in the last five years to be unsubstantiated.

Pfleger, 77, is the longtime pastor of St. Sabina Parish, a predominantly African American parish, and he has been at the helm of several prominent, sometimes controversial, activism campaigns. Last month, he called on President Donald Trump to restore gun violence prevention funding to the City of Chicago and told Trump to “shut up,” referring to a social media…

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Catholic order with a record of child abuse could be subject to hundreds of redress claims worth up to $65m

Australian taxpayers could be forced to cover up to $65m in payouts to hundreds of abuse victims when a failing arm of the Catholic church disappears, new court documents reveal.

Last month, the Christian Brothers, a Catholic order with a shocking record of child abuse, informed a court it was going broke and would not be able to afford to pay out survivors.

The move has affected hundreds of cases brought either through the civil courts or through the government-run national redress scheme, which allows survivors to seek capped amounts of compensation without going to court.

An actuarial report detailing the state of the Christian Brothers finances was released to the media on Monday, alongside other court documents.

The report reveals there are currently 340 redress claims involving the Christian Brothers,…

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Survivor advocates are renewing calls for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence to release internal records after a man reported an allegation of childhood sexual abuse involving the late Rev. Raymond C. Theroux.

According to an attorney, the man alleges that Theroux sexually abused him twice inside the rectory of St. John Vianney Parish in Cumberland, Rhode Island, around 1996. The impacted individual was approximately 9 years old at the time of the alleged misconduct.

Theroux served at St. John Vianney for 28 years and died in December 2024. The Diocese of Providence said it had not been notified of an allegation or lawsuit involving him when contacted about the advocates’ claims. The reported allegation comes as Rhode Island gives childhood sexual abuse survivors a limited opportunity to bring certain civil claims that may previously have been blocked by filing deadlines.

Theroux Was Not Included in the Attorney General’s Report

In…

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The status hearing for Acadia Parish Catholic priest Korey Lavergne, accused of indecent behavior with a juvenile, has been postponed until next week.

The new date is set for Thursday, July 23. The hearing was initially set for June 12 but was moved to allow for a new judge to preside over the case. Judge David Smith recused himself due to personal connections to the church and to avoid any concern of bias.

Lavergne was arrested Jan. 17, and pleaded not guilty to all charges March 20.

Judge Scott Privat is the new judge who will take over the status hearing and possibly set new dates to move the case forward.

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Portsmouth Abbey School, a Catholic boarding and day school run by Benedictine monks in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, has confronted sexual abuse allegations twice in recent years, separated by decades. One case involved monks accused of abusing students between 1959 and the early 1980s. The other involved a teacher accused of abusing a student beginning during her sophomore year at the school. Together, they show how institutional failures to protect children can repeat themselves across generations.

An Investigation Confirms Decades-Old Abuse by Monks

In August 2017, Portsmouth Abbey released the findings of an investigation by the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, which the school and monastery commissioned to review allegations of sexual abuse within the monastic community. The investigation found credible allegations of sexual abuse by two former monks, Father Bede Gorman and Father Geoffrey Chase, dating back as far as 1959 and continuing into the early 1980s. Both men were…

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In the spirit of transparency and full cooperation with law enforcement authorities, the Diocese of Buffalo wishes to provide the following background concerning the status of Jeffrey Nowak as a suspended priest of the Diocese and further details relating to his removal from active ministry:

In 2019, the Diocese was advised of numerous complaints about Rev. Nowak.  None of the complaints included any allegation of inappropriate sexual contact, possession of child pornography or sexual abuse of a minor.  However, given clear evidence of inappropriate conduct of Jeffrey Nowak with adults, then-Bishop Richard Malone removed him indefinitely from active ministry in 2019.  The Diocese further required Rev. Nowak to engage in professional counseling which he repeatedly failed to do. In 2020, then-Apostolic Administrator Bishop Edward Scharfenberger reviewed Rev. Nowak’s circumstances and decided to remove him from the Office of Pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians through a process required by canon law, despite…

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A one-person show about surviving clergy abuse is coming to Western Massachusetts later this month and its performer says what happens after the curtain falls is just as important as the play itself.

“Unreconciled,” written and performed by Jay Sefton, is rooted in his own childhood experience growing up outside of Philadelphia. He said he was cast to play Jesus in an eighth-grade passion play directed by a parish priest who was later defrocked and named in a grand jury report for sexual abuse of minors.

Humor and hope alongside heavy subject matter

Sefton said he understands why some audiences may hesitate to attend a show on this topic, but said the goal is connection, not shock.

“I think the humor is the thing that surprises people and also the hopefulness,” Sefton explained. “It can be intimidating to come and see a solo show about clergy abuse and so lots…

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A priest identified as Enrique “N” has been arrested for alleged sexual abuse of a minor girl based on a preliminary investigation. The Archdiocese of Mexico has initiated a canonical investigation.

The Mexico City attorney generalʼs office announced the arrest of a priest from the Archdiocese of Mexico accused of aggravated child sexual abuse against a 17-year-old girl and stated that a judge has already initiated criminal proceedings against him.

Obtuvimos la vinculación a proceso de Enrique “N” por su probable participación en el delito de pederastia agravada, en perjuicio de una adolescente.

La investigación inició a partir de la denuncia presentada el 4 de junio de 2026 por la madre de la adolescente, quien refirió haber encontrado en el teléfono celular de su hija conversaciones de contenido sexual con un contacto identificado como “Winnie Poo”. La víctima manifestó que dicho contacto correspondía a Enrique “N”, identificado como sacerdote,…

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Pawleys Island Community Church pastor could not be reached to answer questions about Power of Attorney

A registered sex offender accused of violating his probation by working near children answered his door, but not WMBF’s questions on Thursday.

70-year-old Warren Spence Perry, of Murrell’s Inlet, was arrested on July 14. The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office said Perry violated his probation by doing volunteer work at Pawleys Island Community Church, which also runs an elementary school, preschool, and nursery.

Perry was convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in 2023 for a crime committed in 2020.

WMBF has contacted the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services to inquire why Perry’s probation officer did not know of his activities at PICC, but has not received a response yet.

Perry declines to answer questions

WMBF reporter Sydney Ryan knocked on Perry’s door Thursday to ask why he worked near children…

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The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Hollister man for sexually assaulting at least four children, and authorities believe there could be additional victims.

Emmanuel Marchica, 51, of Hollister, was arrested and booked on July 10, 2026, on charges of lewd or lascivious acts with a child, sexual penetration of a child, oral copulation of a child, and annoying or molesting a child, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.

On July 5, a report of ongoing sexual abuse of a child was made to the sheriff’s office. Investigators followed up by interviewing witnesses and subsequently identified several other victims, according to the sheriff’s office.

Based on the evidence, authorities said there was enough to book Marchica into the Monterey County Jail.

The investigation uncovered victims whose disclosures date back to 2012. Based on this and other evidence gathered, the spokesperson said there is reason to suspect there…

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A former Mississippi educator is in custody after police say she had sexual relations with a student.

Olivia Marie Smith has been charged with sexual battery and enticement of a child to meet for sexual purposes.

Smith previously worked as a teacher at Ocean Springs Middle School, where she won “Teacher of the Year” in 2022, and was most recently assistant principal at Oak Park Elementary.

Investigators with the Ocean Springs Police Department said they were first informed of the situation by Ocean Springs School District officials on June 20.

The district said it was “deeply saddened” to hear about the charges being filed against one of its former employees but said it was fully cooperating with the investigation.

“After being tipped off about potential inappropriate behavior taking place involving an employee, OSSD immediately notified OSPD and Mississippi Child Protective Services,” the district shared in a statement. “OSSD has been…

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Members of St. Sabina Catholic Church are standing by their pastor, Fr. Michael Pfleger, and they’re demanding that the Archdiocese make some changes to how it handles sexual abuse allegations after the priest was accused of wrongdoing for the third time.

“While we fully recognize the church’s sacred responsibility to take every allegation seriously, and to ensure that every person who comes forward is heard with compassion, dignity and respect, we can no longer remain silent about the devastating impact of a process that has repeatedly demonstrated itself to be fundamentally unjust to those who are accused,” said church leader Felicia Chase, standing with about two dozen church members in the basement at St. Sabina.

She said it is “unjust and unnecessary” for the Cardinal to publicly announce that an allegation has been made and to remove the priest before there has been an investigation, without taking into account how…

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Leaders and parishioners at Saint Sabina Church are calling for the reinstatement of Father Michael Pfleger and demanding the Archdiocese of Chicago reform its investigation policy, days after the senior pastor was removed from the church amid sexual abuse allegations. 

Pfleger is being investigated for an accusation of sexual abuse against a girl when she was a student at Saint Sabina School between 1993-95, the senior pastor said in a July 11 statement. 

The Archdiocese of Chicago asked Pfleger to step aside from his role at the parish and live off campus while the accusation is investigated, Cardinal Blase Cupich previously wrote in a letter to parishioners.

“We do not presume the truth or falsity of an allegation until the process is complete and our Independent Review Board has made a recommendation that I accept,” Cupich wrote in the letter. “Only by conducting a thorough and impartial review…

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An independent review has concluded that the Church of England repeatedly failed a survivor of alleged sexual and spiritual abuse by clergy, finding that both its initial response to her disclosures in 2001 and a later national safeguarding investigation left her “further traumatised”.

The review, commissioned by safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight and carried out by Kevin Crompton, examined complaints made by Jane Chevous, co-founder of Survivors Voices and vice-chair of the Church of England National Safeguarding Panel. She has waived her right to anonymity. 

The complaints concern the Church’s handling of allegations against two former priests and senior clergy after they were first reported in the Diocese of Southwark in 2001. The events the complaints refer to occurred between 1979 and 1992.

While acknowledging improvements in safeguarding practice over the past two decades, the review concluded that the Church’s processes are not sufficiently survivor-centred or trauma-informed. It calls for significant reforms…

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CHURCH deacon John Grant smiled benevolently as he dished out soup to the homeless.

As a prominent member of the Baptist Church, nobody blinked an eyelid when he offered men a temporary place to live in his £500,000 home in leafy Muswell Hill, London.

But behind the scenes, wolfish Grant had already been grooming and abusing vulnerable young men for years – and The Sun can today reveal that the church KNEW he was a sex offender.

Grant, 77, who also ran youth clubs, even told church bosses he had a problem – but they suggested he get counselling instead of going to the cops.

Now police fear he could have victims all over the UK after his abuse went on for more than four decades.

The detective who finally brought him to justice said: “This was textbook grooming.

“His church work facilitated his offending.”

Grant’s twisted crimes only came to…

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A Terre Haute man faces a charge of sexual misconduct with a minor following his arrest on Wednesday.

The Terre Haute Police Department arrested Tracy Hamilton, 62, after detectives said they became aware of the allegations earlier in the week.

According to court documents, Hamilton is a pastor.

Through their investigation, police said they learned Hamilton was involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with an underage girl.

Hamilton was charged with sexual misconduct with a minor.

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A Stearns County judge has dismissed four of five felony charges against Joseph Paul Herzing, a Catholic priest and Milaca resident, but ruled that a third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge may proceed.

In an omnibus order filed June 15, District Court Judge Ole Tvedten granted Herzing’s motion to dismiss one count of stalking and three counts of threats of violence, finding they were barred by Minnesota’s three-year statute of limitations.

Prosecutors agreed those charges could not proceed.

The remaining charge, third-degree criminal sexual conduct, stems from an alleged incident on or about Dec. 7, 2021.

Prosecutors allege Herzing engaged in sexual penetration with the woman while acting in what Minnesota law defines as a prohibited occupational relationship — a member of the clergy providing religious or spiritual advice, aid or comfort in private.

The court noted that, under Minnesota law, the charge has no statute of limitations.

Herzing’s attorney, Paul…

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ngry church members confronted their pastor during a heated meeting after learning that a registered sex offender had been volunteering at Pawley’s Island Community Church and around children, despite restrictions meant to keep him from being alone with minors.

Church volunteer Warren Perry was convicted in 2023 of sexual exploitation of a minor for a crime committed in 2020, according to the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office.

During the meeting, Pastor Don Williams said Perry’s conviction had been known within church leadership for years.

“Mr. Perry’s conviction was known to me, to several leaders within our church, to our church staff, and to the leadership of the PICC,” Williams said.

Williams also said authorities were aware Perry was volunteering on the campus, which includes a school, and that the church had provided restrictions.

“The county was aware that he was volunteering on our campus, which includes…

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The limited information released by authorities and religious leaders in Mexico City makes it harder for other potential victims to come forward.

Unlike what happened almost simultaneously in Buffalo and Chicago in the United States, the Catholic Church in Mexico City still bets on opacity.

By the time the authorities in Mexico City informed about the arrest, the alleged culprit’s name had been removed already from the sole Catholic official database publicly available.

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On Wednesday, July 15, the Mexico City attorney’s office released a statement providing some detail on the arrest of a Catholic priest only identified, per the Mexican code, as Enrique “N.”

A few minutes before, Spes Viva, a Mexican human rights advocacy NGO that helps some victims of clergy sexual abuse in their cases, released a short statement of their own, where they offered a bit more detail about the identity of the arrested priest.

Although it also…

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A technical issue prevented progress in the case against a suspended Londonderry priest charged with child sex offences when it came before court today.

Edward Gallagher (59) is currently in custody at Maghaberry Prison.

Gallagher was arrested and charged after he was confronted by a group of people outside a hotel in Derry on April 17 last year.

The former parish priest and curate in the Diocese of Derry currently faces a number of charges alleged to have been committed between April 2 and April 17, 2025.

He is charged with attempting to sexually communicate with a male he believed to be under the age of 16.

He also faces charges of possessing an indecent image of a child; possessing an extreme pornographic image; making and distributing or showing indecent images of a child; causing unknown children to watch a third person engaging in sexual activity; and sexually communicating with…

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The diocese also will seek to remove Father Jeffrey Nowak from the clerical state.

The Diocese of Buffalo, New York, has cut a priest off from financial support and is seeking his removal from the clerical state after federal investigators accused him of “abhorrent criminal conduct,” the diocese said this week.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York said in July that Father Jeffrey Nowak of Lackawanna, New York, had been arrested and charged with both the receipt and possession of child pornography.

Nowak had been placed on administrative leave by the diocese in 2019 amid allegations that he had sexually harassed a seminarian. Bishop Michael Fisher, who was appointed to the diocese in 2021, subsequently told Nowak that his priestly faculties in the diocese would not be reinstated and that he would advise other bishops not to accept Nowak in their own dioceses.

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Would you be satisfied if you knew the priest that violated your brother or sister, classmate, neighbor or extended family was given a pass, not reported to authorities in the criminal justice system?

Key Points:

• Wisconsin’s Attorney General launched an investigation in 2021 into sexual abuse by clergy and faith leaders.
• Survivors and advocates are awaiting the public release of the investigation’s findings.
• The author, a survivor and psychotherapist, has been involved in training investigators for the case.
• The article calls for transparency and accountability from religious institutions and support from the community.

For the past five years, I have been active in supporting and participating in Wisconsin attorney general’s Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse investigation. AG Josh Kaul opened the investigation in April 2021 to investigate ongoing sexual abuse committed by clergy and faith leaders as well as the mishandling of the…

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Bishop Antonio Santarsiero Rosa denied accusations of sexual abuse that surfaced in April. He submitted his resignation as bishop when he turned 75 in June and the pope accepted it as of July 15.

On July 15, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Antonio Santarsiero Rosa as bishop of the Diocese of Huacho, Peru, which he has led since 2004.

The resignation was accepted as Santarsiero turned 75, the age at which the Code of Canon Law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. The decision comes just over three months after allegations of sexual abuse and psychological mistreatment against the prelate came to light.

The Holy See Press Office stated only that “the Holy Father has accepted the resignation” without providing further details.

Accusations against Santarsiero

In April, the Spanish news outlet InfoVaticana reported on the accusations, contained in a…

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In March, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha published a report identifying 72 clergy members credibly accused of child sexual misconduct in the Diocese of Providence.

The late Fr. Raymond Theroux, who served at St. John Vianney Parish in Cumberland for 28 years, was not on the list – but is now the focus of a renewed effort by victims advocates to get the Catholic diocese to release its “secret archive.”

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian says that a man recently reported to him that he had been sexually abused by Theroux twice in the Cumberland rectory.

Theroux was the brother of former Vicar General Monsignor Paul Theroux, who was a diocesan spokesman on clergy sexual abuse cases from 2005 to 2010. The vicar represented the diocese during mediation of what would ultimately become a $13.5-million settlement of 36 sexual-abuse lawsuits in 2002, according to reports at the time in The Providence Journal.

…

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Last May, congress passed the Take It Down Act, requiring websites to remove “nonconsensual intimate visual depictions” of identifiable individuals. This includes both real and AI-generated content.

But this law only addresses content publication, not the various ways in which it may be created or stored. And as AI models become increasingly more advanced, legislators are having a hard time keeping up.

Gaps in the law

Just months before that bill became law, a Wisconsin district court ruled to protect the right to private possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse materials.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The ruling states it is legal to possess such materials if they are (1) synthetic — that is, does not contain images generated from actual children — and (2) not distributed outside one’s home. The actual production of such materials is not protected by law, although its legality remains hazy.

In making this decision, the court…

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Catholic anti-trafficking advocates urged Congress to pass legislation strengthening prevention efforts, expanding survivor protections, and combating online exploitation.

Catholic sisters, survivor advocates, and lawmakers gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday to urge Congress to quickly pass bipartisan legislation they say would strengthen protections for victims of human trafficking and help prevent future exploitation.

Hosted by the Alliance to End Human Trafficking and the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, the July 14 congressional briefing focused on the need to reauthorize federal anti‑trafficking programs through fiscal 2029 and pass legislation to impose requirements on social media platforms to reduce harms to minors.

Sponsor Rep. Chris Smith, R‑New Jersey, titled his human trafficking bill the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 1144), and the measure is next up for House consideration. A separate bill,…

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An Elkins pastor accused of soliciting a minor appeared in Randolph County Circuit Court for his arraignment Tuesday.

Kevin Jones, 34, was arraigned on four charges — soliciting a minor via computer, distribution of material depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct, delivery of a controlled substance and distribution of a hemp-derived product to a person under 21.

Jones was arrested in October 2025. He was investigated by the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

During Tuesday’s court proceedings, the judge ordered that Jones is not allowed to access a cellular device as the case continues, and it was stated in court that the allegations involve messages sent through Snapchat to a minor.

Court officials set Jones’ pre-trial hearing for Sept. 3 at 1 p.m. Trial dates were also scheduled for Oct. 13, 14 and 15 at 9 a.m.

Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney Gabrielle Mucciola has been named as…

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Yesterday, the Toledo City Council voted 8-2 to remove the honorary street sign bearing the name of Monsignor Jerome Schmit, despite staunch opposition from the Catholic Diocese of Toledo. The vote culminates a crusade begun more than 20 years ago by the family of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl and survivor advocate Claudia Vercellotti, who believed that evidence uncovered at Father Gerald Robinson’s 2006 trial for Sister Margaret Ann’s murder showed that Monsignor Schmit interfered with the original investigation. The Abuse Survivors Coalition (ASC) applauds the long-awaited action of the City Council.

David Lorenz, a member of the ASC Operations Team and an ASC MD Contact, said, “There is simply no reason to honor a priest who, by all accounts, acted to protect Father Robinson from prosecution for murdering Sister Margaret Ann. Ultimately, Father Robinson was found guilty. It is a common reaction by the Catholic…

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The defendants in a civil suit that alleges unchecked bullying of a student at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School in Carmel have requested a judge reconsider a decision to allow the adult plaintiffs to use a pseudonym. 

Attorneys for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette-In-Indiana; Trudy Schouten Young, diocese superintendent of schools; the Rev. Richard Doerr, OLMC pastor; OLMC Principal Timothy Fletcher; and OLMC Assistant Principal Deanna Cotter filed the motion to reconsider June 30. 

The lawsuit, filed by the student’s parents, accuses OLMC officials and the diocese of failing to adequately address and prevent intensifying harassment of their son that became sexual in nature. The parents are identified as James Doe and Julie Doe in the suit. 

The defendants argue that pseudonymity is an “extraordinary, disfavored exception” and that the plaintiffs’ seeking media coverage of the case is a contradiction to “any desire for privacy.” 

“They demanded publicity,…

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The Catholic Diocese of Maralal has announced sweeping new rules for priests following the suspension of seven clerics accused of violating Church law.

In what Bishop Hieronymus Joya described as the first disciplinary action of its kind in the diocese, the seven priests were relieved of their priestly and pastoral duties pending investigations.

The priests are accused of abusing ecclesiastical authority, administrative negligence, and financial mismanagement.

The suspensions were announced alongside a raft of reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, discipline, and governance within the diocese.

In a detailed four-page letter, the bishop expressed frustration over what he described as years of mismanagement and a lack of cooperation since he took over leadership three years ago.

According to Bishop Joya, preliminary investigations uncovered serious concerns that warranted the suspension of the priests.

“If things are not addressed per the Catholic rules and regulations, we will seek the government’s intervention so that…

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The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Maralal, Hieronymus Joya, has suspended seven priests over alleged violations of Church law. In a major shake-up, the first of its kind in the diocese, the priests have been relieved of their priestly and pastoral duties pending investigations into allegations of abuse of ecclesiastical power, negligence of administration, and financial mismanagement. As Emily Chebet reports, the Diocese of Maralal has also announced new appointments and introduced a series of stricter regulations aimed at strengthening accountability and governance within the Church.

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For almost seven years, Jeffrey Nowak has not been allowed to practice as a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo after he was accused in 2019 of harassing a former seminarian and inappropriate contact with children.

Over that period of inactivity, Nowak has been investigated twice by the FBI for allegedly accessing websites with photos and videos of sexually exploited children, and last week he was arrested and charged by federal agents with receipt and possession of child pornography.

Through all of this, the Diocese had continued to pay Nowak “a modest monthly stipend”, which a spokesman said is required by Canon Law, an internal system of regulations that govern its operations and discipline. As of Wednesday, the Diocese said, “In light of the abhorrent criminal conduct recently alleged by federal investigators, the Diocese is no longer providing any financial support to Rev. Nowak, who remains incarcerated pending his trial.”

The…

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A 47-year-old woman is accused of witnessing the alleged abuse and failing to report it.

A pastor at a Thibodaux church has been arrested in Terrebonne Parish on charges including felony sexual battery and cruelty to juveniles as authorities investigate allegations of physical and sexual abuse involving children, authorities said. 

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office identified 57-year-old Thomas J. Tucker III of Houma as a suspect in the case. Investigators also arrested 47-year-old Sharotta Lewis of Houma, accusing her of witnessing the alleged abuse and failing to report it.

The investigation began after child abuse allegations involving Terrebonne Parish juveniles were reported to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives with the Special Victims Unit and child protection investigators conducted interviews and gathered evidence.

Authorities say Tucker identified himself as a pastor with Outcast of Society Ministries in Thibodaux, where some of the…

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The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has been informed by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (F.S.S.P) that the Archdiocese of Omaha recently received an allegation concerning Reverend Eric Flood, F.S.S.P, involving alleged misconduct with a minor occurring more than twenty years ago. This allegation was immediately reported to law enforcement, in accordance with mandatory reporting requirements.

Consistent with the Archdiocese’s commitment to the protection of children and persons in vulnerable situations, and pending the outcome of investigations by civil authorities and the Archdiocese of Omaha, Father Flood has been temporarily withdrawn from the public exercise of priestly ministry, including celebrating Mass and other public ministerial duties. This administrative measure is intended to protect all parties, including Father Flood, and should not be interpreted as a determination regarding the allegation. No conclusion has been reached, and Father Flood is entitled to the presumption of innocence and to a fair…

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The Diocese of Buffalo is providing new details about a priest who was arrested on child sexual abuse charges.

Last week, federal agents arrested Fr. Jeffrey Nowak, 46, of Lackawanna, after they seized multiple devices inside his home that contained sexually explicit videos and pictures of children.

In 2019, the diocese said it received numerous complaints regarding Nowak, claiming he was inappropriate with adults. Then-Bishop Richard Malone suspended Nowak that year and required him to get counseling, which the diocese says he never did.

In 2021, now-Bishop Michael Fisher told Nowak he would not consider reappointing him to active ministry. The diocese claims that no allegations they received mentioned Nowak was involved children, and therefore the diocese had no grounds to petition the Vatican to remove Nowak from the clerical state against his will.

The diocese says that, as required by canon law, some level of financial support must be…

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Federal prosecutors say a Buffalo priest charged in a child pornography case also allegedly shared the Payton Gendron manifesto.

We’re hearing more details about a Western New York priest who remains in custody after appearing in federal court on child pornography charges.

Jeffrey Nowak, 46, a priest in the Diocese of Buffalo, was arrested and charged with receipt and possession of child pornography. 

According to the criminal complaint, Nowak was placed on administrative leave in August 2019 following allegations of inappropriate contact with children and harassment of a seminarian. Investigators say an email address allegedly linked to Nowak was identified as an email address that accessed a New Zealand cloud-based digital storage and file-hosting site that had photos and videos files of sexually exploited children. 

A spokesperson for the US Attorney office confirmed to 2 On Your Side that prosecutors said in court on Monday…

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Nowak has been charged with child porn possession

In light of the arrest of Jeffrey Nowak, a pastor on administrative leave, the Buffalo Catholic Diocese issued the following statement on Wednesday:

“In 2019, the Diocese was advised of numerous complaints about Rev. Nowak. None of the complaints included any allegation of inappropriate sexual contact, possession of child pornography or sexual abuse of a minor. However, given clear evidence of inappropriate conduct of Jeffrey Nowak with adults, then-Bishop Richard Malone removed him indefinitely from active ministry in 2019.

“The Diocese further required Rev. Nowak to engage in professional counseling, which he repeatedly failed to do. In 2020, then-Apostolic Administrator Bishop Edward Scharfenberger reviewed Rev. Nowak’s circumstances and decided to remove him from the Office of Pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians through a process required by canon law, despite the fact that he was on indefinite leave.

“For a brief…

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