Fr. Benedict Van der Putten

Ordained: 1992
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of San Jose CA

Member of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, which is not recognized by Roman Catholic Church nor overseen by the San Jose diocese. Retreat master at St. Aloysius Retreat House in Los Gatos 1995- 2000. Accused of molesting a teen girl there in 2000, and attempting to molest another. Sent by Society to its Switzerland headquarters. Worked briefly in the Diocese of Scranton in 2001, applied to be a priest of the diocese; denied after Vatican alerted the diocese to the Los Gatos allegations. Sent to Southdown Institute in Canada for treatment; admitted to molesting a teen girl in 2001 in Europe. Laicization announced 8/05. Moved at some point to Hawaii. On Scranton diocese’s list 8/19/18. Per a 2/21 news report, Van der Putten married, had four children, divorced and moved to Oklahoma.


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