ABUSE TRACKER

CANADA
The StarPhoenix

BY HANNAH SPRAY, THE STARPHOENIX DECEMBER 6, 2013

Paul Leroux remains unrepentant for molesting eight boys he was supposed to be caring for and protecting, and that makes it very hard to forgive him, says one of his victims.

“He has lived in denial.

Forgiveness for me is something that has to be reciprocal. And if he’s not willing to do that, I cannot give him that, because he still denies what he’s done, so I cannot in any way give him that,” the 59-year-old man said outside Battleford Court of Queen’s Bench on Thursday. His name cannot be published due a publication ban on the victims’ identities.

Leroux, 73, was convicted last month of the string of crimes at the Beauval Indian Residential School in the 1960s, but on Thursday during sentencing arguments he still maintained his innocence, saying he intended to appeal.

Nevertheless, he said the sentence for fondling and raping the teenage boys should be three years, noting he already received a 10-year sentence in 1998 for similar crimes in Inuvik in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

CANADA
CTV

One of Paul Leroux’s sex abuse victims says he won’t ever forgive the former residential school supervisor.

The man, who was a student at the Beauval Indian Residential School in northern Saskatchewan during the 1960s, was one of several students Leroux was found guilty of sexually abusing.

At Leroux’s sentencing hearing Thursday in Battleford, the man said he can’t forgive Leroux, now 73, because he still denies what he’s done.

The Crown argued for an 11-year-sentence, but Leroux, who acted as his own lawyer, said that was too harsh for crimes that happened so long ago.

Last month, a judge convicted Leroux on 10 of 17 charges involving boys at the school — eight counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

CANADA
CBC News

Posted: Dec 05, 2013

A former residential school worker in northern Saskatchewan was in court for his sentencing hearing today after being found guilty last month of indecently assaulting young boys nearly five decades ago.

Paul Leroux, 73, a former dormitory supervisor at the Beauval Residential School in the 1950s and 60s, is guilty on 10 counts of indecent assault.

The sentencing hearing was held this morning at the Battleford courthouse, which was packed with victims, family and media.

There were 17 charges altogether, including indecent assault and gross indecency. The allegations included sexual touching, oral and anal sex, and bringing boys to his room where they were given alcohol and shown pornography.

The Crown is asking for an 11 year sentence. The charges added up as consecutive sentences would equal 25.5 years, but Prosecutor Mitch Piche said a number of factors need to be considered, including how much time has passed, that Leroux was back in society and is a low risk to re-offend.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
Perspective

Coming right after the Vatican rebuffed UN inquiries about clergy sex abuse, the Pope [is] Setting Up Commission on Clerical Child Abuse.

There’s a lot about this in the Catholic press … at NCR, Vatican announces new papal advisory commission on sex abuse … at US Catholic, Pope Francis launches commission to tackle sex abuse … at dotCommonweal, Pope Francis to create commission on protection of minors. From David Gibson’s post at US Catholic …

[…] O’Malley acknowledged that Catholics were most keen to hear how and whether the pope and the new commission would tackle the question of disciplining bishops who have shielded abusive priests …. Several current cases in the U.S. have rekindled anger over the abuse crisis: last year in Missouri, Bishop Robert Finn was convicted in court of failing to report an abusive priest to authorities, and in Minnesota it was recently revealed that Archbishop John Nienstedt did not report priests suspected of abuse to authorities. Archbishop John Myers of Newark, N.J., has faced similar criticism for his handling of abusers. All three men are outspoken conservatives, and all three remain in office [not to mention Mahony] ….

I think Francis has good intentions but I don’t hope for much from this new commission … it won’t address the accountability of church leaders for covering up abuse, and also it doesn’t appear that the actual causes of clergy sex abuse will even be addressed.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
Notes to Ponder

The Vatican has announced formation of a commission to protect young people from Catholic priests. To be fair; not all priests, just those with a fondness for “choir boys”. Spokesman, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston broke the news today; reportably a recommendation coming out of the Council of Cardinals meeting in Rome this week. Pope Francis, acting on the advise of his advisory council, gave the green light to “draft guidelines for prevention of abuse, developing training programs, advising on co-operation with law enforcement officials, and promoting care of victims of abuse”.

The as yet to be appointed commission members will be experts on sexual abuse and prevention. Up until now, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have been handling discipline for naughty priests. Cardinal O’Malley didn’t know if the commission would have authority over Bishops who cover up allegations of abuse by priests. The announcement comes on the heals of the church refusing a United Nations request to provide information on how it dealt with abusive clergy.

Call me cynical but something smells fishy. I’ve pondered Pope Francis long and hard – my conclusion being, he might be a man willing to make some changes. On the surface this announcement reads like a step in the right direction. Peel back a few layers and I’m still astounded. The very fact that a commission needs to be formed in order to “educate” and “counsel” clergy leaves me speechless.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has today announced the first public hearing for 2014.

The hearing, which will commence on 28 January, will inquire into the responses of The Salvation Army (Eastern Territory) to child sexual abuse within its children’s homes at:

* Alkira Salvation Army Home for Boys, Indooroopilly, QLD
* Riverview Training Farm (also known as Endeavour Training Farm), Riverview, QLD
* Bexley Boys’ Home, Bexley, NSW
* Gill Memorial Home, Goulburn, NSW

The hearing will also examine The Salvation Army’s processes in investigating, disciplining, removing and/or transferring anyone accused of, or found to have engaged in, child sexual abuse in these homes.

Royal Commission CEO Janette Dines is urging anyone who suffered sexual abuse as a child within these homes to contact the Royal Commission.

“We are in the process of gathering information relevant to this matter and would like to hear from as many people as possible.

“People’s experiences will help to inform the Royal Commission as to how The Salvation Army responded to allegations of child sexual abuse.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

The ‘roadmap’ and Issues Paper 5 are both available on the Royal Commission website at www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse today released a paper outlining its approach to examining the scope of justice for victims, ‘Justice for Victims: Addressing or Alleviating the Impact of Child Sexual Abuse in Institutions’.

The Royal Commission’s examination of the scope of justice for victims will cover:

• civil litigation and redress/compensation schemes
• the criminal justice system
• past inquiries, the regulatory system and advocacy bodies

Along with this paper, the Royal Commission has also released Issues Paper 5 on Civil Litigation and is inviting members of the public to contribute ideas and expertise on the best ways to ensure justice for victims through redress.

Royal Commission CEO Janette Dines said civil litigation is one of the ways in which victims may bring a claim for damages against the institution where they were abused.

“Through our private sessions, we have already heard from many people about the impact of the sexual abuse they suffered as children, and their difficult experiences throughout the civil litigation process.

“Our Terms of Reference require us to inquire into what institutions and governments should do to address or alleviate the impact of child sexual abuse, particularly through the provision of redress.

“We invite interested individuals, government and non-government organisations to tell us their views on the effectiveness of civil litigation as a mechanism for providing redress or compensation.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

AUSTRALIA
Broken Rites

By a Broken Rites researcher (updated 6 December 2013)

Australia’s national Royal Commission on child-abuse is holding two weeks of public hearings (in Sydney, beginning on 9 December 2013) to investigate how the Catholic Church’s “Towards Healing” system has handled (or mis-handled) the church’s sex-abuse victims. The December hearings will focus on the experiences of several victims who came through that system.

“Towards Healing” is the church’s own damage-control system (devised by the church’s lawyers and public relations consultants), under which the church is allowed to “investigate” itself.

“Towards Healing” is financed by the church’s in-house insurance company, Catholic Church Insurances Limited. Many victims have contacted the Royal Commission, complaining that the purpose of “Towards Healing” is primarily to help the church (and to protect its assets), rather than to help the victims. These victims say that, after going through “Towards Healing”, they feel re-victimised.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

CANADA
Sylvia’s Site

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Sylvia

No court today in the Father Eric Dejaeger sex abuse trial in Iqaluit, Nunavut. There was a possibility of something in the afternoon regarding having a video entered into evidence as testimony of a deceased victim/complainant who died of cancer. We arrived at the courtroom – nothing today.

Tomorrow Father Robert Lechat omi will testify. According to an Oblate directory Father Lechat, a 93-year-old French-born Oblate priest, served in Igloolik from 1972-1986, and was back for one year in 1988. Father Lechat served in Igloolik while Father Dejaeger was there. Most witnesses testifying to date recall Father Lechat as a priest who was at the Igloolik mission while Father Dejaeger was there.

My friend and I fly out tomorrow afternoon – will be able to catch the morning court session and then head for the airport when court recesses for lunch.

With no court, today turned into a day of sight-seeing and picture taking. We were squired around town and beyond. Such a breath-takingly beautiful part of this beautiful country. I took lots of pictures – will share a few after I get home.

Met wonderful people who have been so very gracious, hospitable and kind. It’s been a wonderful whirl which started last Friday evening . Silver linings. So very many silver linings.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net

The formal submission by Judy Courtin (see previous posting), a Monash University researcher, to the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, is based on interviews with many victims, lawyers and victims’ relatives and support persons. It is both interesting and informative, and represents one of the few studies anywhere on the theme of “Sexual Assaults and the Catholic Church: Are Victims Finding Justice?” (That is her doctoral thesis’ title).

Her submission complements and supports the general thrust of that of John and Nicola Ellis (see previous posting), on the “Towards Healing” process of the Catholic Church for dealing with allegations of abuse throughout Australia, except for Melbourne which has its own protocol, termed the “Melbourne Response”, which was established by Cardinal George Pell (of Domus Australia fame – see previous posting).

Details of the interviews contained in Ms. Courtin’s submission are not given here, but are available from her submission at http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/14-Judy-Courtin1.pdf (Only the general findings will be discussed here.)

One may as well get across early on just how she views the “Towards Healing” process by giving a few quotes from the submission. “It’s not ‘Towards Healing’; it actually takes you towards madness.” “The Towards Healing process needs to be dismantled.” “Towards Healing has failed.”

“The Towards Healing process is flawed. It is a Kangaroo court giving it the ‘opportunity to mislead and lie’. It is a sham and a con and an incredibly unsatisfactory process. It is difficult, inappropriate and insensitive. It is deficient, condescending, depersonalizing, demeaning and obscene.”

By the conclusion of the up-coming hearings, many people will surely share this perspective.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Fox 9

[with video]

video report by Iris Perez

On Thursday, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis revealed that 7 of the men church leaders believe have been credibly accused of child sex abuse spent at least a year leading congregations in Faribault, Minn.

Attorney Jeff Anderson’s office reports at least 15 victims are connected to the following men:

– Dennis Kampa
– Lee Krautkremer
– Gilbert DeSutter
– John Brown
– Richard Jeub
– Patrick Ryan
– Albert Longley

All of the priests led churches in Faribault for between a year and a decade between the years of 1922 and 2000, but some stayed even longer. Anderson believes that’s because the church had a habit of purposely moving accused clergy to serve in the quiet, rural city, away from victims who had reported them.

“Sometimes they would place known offenders in rural parishes, where they’re less likely to be known to the victims that reported the crimes,” Anderson said.

While all those listed have been permanently removed from ministry or no longer serve, the list shows allegations against Longley and six others have been kept secret for decades. In fact, allegations against Ryan and Longley were revealed for the first time Thursday.

“My name is Finnegan. Once it got misspelled with an S — Sinnigan. That’s so true; we all sin,” Father Kevin Finnegan told Fox 9 News.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
National Survivor Advocates Coalition

In today’s world, headlines can masquerade as substance.

Because of the general goodwill Pope Francis has created for the Vatican worldwide, NSAC raises an alarm bell today that the headlines about a sexual abuse commission not be welcomed without examination.

NSAC asks how independent will the Vatican’s commission on sexual abuse be?

If the proof’s in the pudding and the pudding is not made by a truly balanced commission designed to go where the truth is, find it, expose it and deal with it, the result will only be a soggy, tart, and unsatisfying whitewash. More’s the pity, the sin and the crime if that is the outcome.

A bedrock question here is: who will be on the commission, how balanced will the representation be, what’s the timetable, and what’s the endgame: report or action?

By balanced, NSAC means real representation from those who know this problem: the survivors themselves, critics of the why the crisis has been covered up and handled with public relations, the whistleblowers, professionals in law enforcement, psychology, sociology, mental health and finance – for indeed the survivors regardless of how the Church has portrayed it have been on the short end of the financial stick given the depth and breath of this lifelong problem for survivors and their families.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter

Brian Roewe | Dec. 5, 2013

1:56 p.m., CST: This post has been updated with comments from BishopAccountability.org President Terrance McKiernan.

Following through on a vow made a month ago, the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese released Thursday the names of 30 former priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors.

The priests named relate primarily to reported incidents that occurred between the mid-1950s and 1980s. All but one of those with substantiated claims were listed in a 2004 report by the archdiocese as part of a nationwide survey of credibly accused clergy.

The 30th priest is Curtis Wehmeyer, currently serving five years in prison, whose name appeared among others in news reports by Minnesota Public Radio — based on documents and information supplied by former archdiocesan canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger — detailing negligence and lack of adherence to abuse-related archdiocesan policies.

All 30 have been removed from ministry. Two have been laicized, and one was dismissed from his order and dispensed from vows. …

Six of the 30 names became public for the first time, according to Terrance McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org. They are Frs. Alfred Longley (deceased), Timothy McCarthy, Paul Palmitessa, Joseph Pinkosh, Richard Skluzacek (deceased) and Raymond Walter.

Saying the release of names will allow for further investigation and greater protection of children in the case of those priests accused still living, McKiernan expressed gratitude to Nienstedt for posting the list, but also for the work of victims in achieving the end.

“They have found a way of transforming the numbers … into names. And of course names have stories, and names unfortunately have victims. And it’s a really, really crucial achievement,” he told NCR.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICANO
El Nuevo Herald

ASSOCIATED PRESS
VATICANO — El papa Francisco respondió a las acusaciones de que ha pasado por alto las quejas por los abusos sexuales por parte de sacerdotes y creó una comisión de expertos que asesore al Vaticano para proteger a los niños de los sacerdotes pedófilos y ayudar a las víctimas.

Sin embargo, se desconoce si los integrantes de la comisión asumirán uno de los problemas medulares detrás del escándalo de abuso sexual en la Iglesia Católica: la rendición de cuentas de los obispos que protegieron a sacerdotes pedófilos.

El cardenal Sean O’Malley, arzobispo de Boston, anunció el jueves la creación del panel al término de la reunión de Francisco con los ocho cardenales que lo asesoran sobre el gobierno de la Iglesia y la reforma de la burocracia vaticana.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED KINGDOM
Channel Online

The Bishop of Dover and Bishop of Basingstoke are in Jersey today to get a better understanding of complaint procedures.

Both are on a pastoral visit organised by the Bishop of Winchester. The Bishops will stay at Government House and meet with local church leaders and island authorities from both Deaneries.

They plan to ease tensions within the church following months of disruption among church-goers.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED KINGDOM
Channel Online

Later today (Fri), the Jersey’s recently ‘exonerated’ Dean, will meet with the Bishops of Dover and Basingstoke.

The two Bishops are in Jersey to get a better understanding of the complaint procedures.

The trip was initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Today they will meet with Jersey’s Chief Minister, Ian Gorst.

Both are on a pastoral visit organised by the Bishop of Winchester. The Bishops are staying at the Government House.

Their plan is to ease tensions within the church following months of disruption among church-goers.

The visit follows the suspension of Jersey’s Dean earlier this year, for failing to properly handle an allegation of abuse.

The Bishops’ visit was first outlined in a statement by the Bishop of Winchester on 22 November, in which he also said he would not be taking disciplinary action against any member of the clergy in Jersey. He also said he would not be publishing the Steel report.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte Observer

By Michael Gordon
mgordon@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Dec. 05, 2013

A Mecklenburg County judge Thursday dismissed the claims of a former Charlotte official of the United House of Prayer who accused the top leaders of the congregation of wrecking his marriage.

In his lawsuit, the Rev. Ronald Belton described a church atmosphere of rigged national elections, political infighting and millions of dollars raised by House of Prayer congregations that is sent to post office boxes in Charlotte, long a center of activities for the Washington, D.C., based church.

Whether a jury hears any of those accusations is now in question. Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin threw out Belton’s remaining claims against the House of Prayer’s presiding Bishop C.M. Bailey and its former first lady, Deloris Beal “St. Lady” Madison.

Church attorney Robert Dortch argued that Belton and his attorney failed to prove that a North Carolina court could hear the case against Bailey because he lives in Maryland and doesn’t own property in Charlotte or the state.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

NORTH CAROLINE
Charlotte Observer

By Michael Gordon
mgordon@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Wednesday, Dec. 04, 2013

A lawsuit in court Thursday casts unflattering light onto what it describes as the political infighting and private financial dealings of a secretive church with deep spiritual and economic ties to Charlotte.

The United House of Prayer for All People is known nationwide for the exuberant worship style of its congregations, along with its shout bands, mass baptisms with fire hoses, and the stone lions guarding the front doors of its sanctuaries.

But the lawsuit by Ronald Belton, a longtime House of Prayer evangelist who lives in Charlotte, focuses on what his attorney describes as the “absolute power” of the church’s top leaders, namely the presiding bishop and the widow of the former one.

Believers hold their leaders as intermediaries with God.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ILLINOIS
Daily Herald

By Lee Filas
A former monk accused of trying to lure teenage girls into his car in Antioch pleaded guilty to a single count of child abduction in Lake County court Thursday.

Thomas Chmura, 57, who had been associated with the St. Benedict’s Abbey in Benet Lake, Wis., will spend 24 months on probation. He also has been ordered to undergo sex offender treatment, and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Victor O’Block said following the plea deal.

Chmura was also sentenced to a six-month periodic imprisonment in Lake County. However, that was delayed by Lake County Judge James Booras and could be dropped if Chmura meets all the requirements of his probation.

Booras also allowed Chmura to move to Jefferson County, MO, where he will receive treatment at the Vianney Renewal Center, O’Block said.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune

By Susan Berger
Special to the Tribune
2:41 p.m. CST, December 5, 2013

A monk accused of trying to lure girls into his car pled guilty today to child abduction, officials said.

Thomas Chmura, a Benedictine monk who lived at an a abbey in Benet Lake, Wis., was given two years probation and must register as a sex offender and receive counseling as part of the plea, according to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office.

Chmura was arrested last April after authorities said he pulled up alongside a 14-year-old girl who was on foot in Antioch, told her she was beautiful and asked her to let him drive her home.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ILLINOIS
San Francisco Chronicle

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — A Wisconsin monk has pleaded guilty to a child abduction count after being accused of trying to abduct four girls in Illinois earlier this year.

Thomas Chmura (shah-MOO’-rah) agreed to a negotiated plea deal on Thursday in Lake County court. Chmura is a former monk at the St. Benedict’s Abbey in Benet Lake, Wis.

The 57-year-old was sentenced to two years of probation. He also must undergo sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The judge has allowed Chmura to move to Jefferson County in Missouri where he can receive treatment.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ILLINOIS
WLS

Sun-Times Media Wire

December 5, 2013 (WAUKEGAN, Ill.) — A judge accepted a plea deal Thursday in the case of a former Benedictine monk accused of child abduction attempts earlier this year in the north suburbs, sentencing him to probation and periodic jail time.

Thomas Chmura, 57, was charged with four counts of child abduction and could have faced up to three years in prison after authorities alleged he offered rides to a number of girls ages 11 to 14 in April in the Antioch area.

On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to one count of child abduction and was sentenced to six months of periodic imprisonment, plus 24 months of felony probation, the News-Sun is reporting. He must register as a sex offender for life and undergo sex offender treatment.

Chmura never actually abducted any of the victims he tried to lure into his car, but under state statute, his behavior qualified for the abduction charge, according to assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Victor O’Block.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
NBC News

By Claudio Lavanga, NBC News Correspondent

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican is to set up a special committee to improve measures to protect children against sexual abuse within the Church, the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, said on Thursday.

“Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that,” O’Malley told reporters, referring to Pope Francis.
The commission of experts would “study these issues and bring concrete recommendations” for the Pope and the Vatican, he said.

“Continuing decisively along the lines undertaken by Pope Benedict XVI, and accepting a proposal presented by the Council of Cardinals, the Holy Father has decided to establish a specific Commission for the protection of minors, with the aim of advising Pope Francis on the Holy See’s commitment to the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse,” O’Malley said in a statement.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

COLORADO
Christian Post

BY MORGAN LEE , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
December 5, 2013

Boulder police have accused a Colorado senior pastor of covering up information about a youth pastor who allegedly sexually assaulted a female church attendee starting when she was 15.

Walt Roberson was out of the country when police first announced charges for four members of Vinelife Church’s pastoral and elder teams. Jason Allen Roberson, 35, Vinelife Church’s youth pastor and the son of Walt, was arrested in September on charges that he sexually abused a former church member and emplyoyee who was underage when the abuse began.

Walt is due on court on Dec. 9 and the church’s executive pastor Robert Phillip “Bob” Young must report later this month, according to The Daily Camera. Church elder Warren Lloyd Williams is set to appear on Jan. 6 while pastors Luke Humbrecht and Edward Bennell have no court dates set yet.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
KVSC

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has disclosed the names of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors.The names of the priests were made public Thursday following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled allegations of abuse. Archbishop John Nienstedt says he hopes the move will restore trust.

The archdiocese says it has substantiated claims against 30 priests on the list. The remaining four have claims against them that could not be substantiated, but the archdiocese released them after a court order.

The information includes the clerics’ names, parishes where they served, and other details. It does not include details of the allegations.

Of the 34 names, three of them, Father Cosmas Dahlheimer, Francis Hoefgen, and Brennan Maiers, have had ties with the St. Cloud Diocese.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

BOSTON (MA)
Boston Globe

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley unveils Vatican effort to prevent abuse

By Lisa Wangsness | GLOBE STAFF DECEMBER 06, 2013

Almost 12 years after the clergy sexual abuse crisis exploded in Boston, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley announced Thursday the creation of a Vatican commission on protecting children from abuse, marking the Catholic Church’s first comprehensive effort to address the crisis globally.

O’Malley, speaking in Rome after a meeting of the eight-cardinal council that advises Pope Francis on church governance reform, said the new commission would advise the pope about the protection of children and the pastoral care of victims of abuse.

The new panel represents Pope Francis’s first substantive attempt to confront the central issue facing the church in recent years. Its establishment also came days after the church refused a UN committee’s request for detailed information about sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and religious orders.

Some church observers praised the new commission, calling it long overdue.

“It reflects that Pope Francis is determined to get to the root causes of the clergy sexual abuse scandal and to prevent it from ever happening again,” said Thomas Groome, a theologian and chairman of the department of religious education and pastoral ministry at Boston College. …

Critics were skeptical that the panel would be effective. Terence McKiernan — president of Bishop Accountability, a watchdog on clergy abuse and an online archive of the crisis — said that the commission’s to-do list is too long. But he also said the panel lacks a clear mandate to figure out how the church could hold bishops accountable if they mishandle abuse complaints.

Bishops in Philadelphia and Kansas City failed to enforce US church laws for handling abuse cases in recent years. The Kansas City bishop was convicted in secular court for failing to report suspected child abuse, but he remains in office.

Asked at Thursday’s press conference whether the commission would deal with bishop accountability, O’Malley said that was something that the church needs to address, but he said he was not sure whether the commission or a Vatican department would take it on.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Woodbury Bulletin

By Michael Longaecker on Dec 5, 2013

The identities of 33 Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing minors – including one who was briefly involved with a Woodbury-area church – were released Thursday, prompting a promise of more openness in disclosure from the leader of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Among the priests accused of sexually abusing minors is Timothy McCarthy, a 67-year-old who was removed from the ministry in 1991. According to the list issued Thursday, McCarthy spent part of 1984 as an associate priest at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Oakdale – what was formerly Lake Elmo, prior to annexation.

Denny Farrell, church administrator at Guardian Angels, said he and current priest Rodger Bauman were notified Wednesday that a former pastor from the church would be on the list. After learning McCarthy’s name on Thursday, Farrell said he went in search of information about the priest since he was at Guardian Angels less than a year.

“We didn’t know much about him,” Farrell said, adding that a cursory check with older parishioners turned up no answers. “That’s how interim he was.”

McCarthy served a few months in between two permanent Guardian Angels priests, Farrell said.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

WALTHAM (MA)
BishopAccountability.org

Statement by Terence McKiernan

December 5, 2013

We welcome the release of this highly significant list – the first church list to be released by order of the court.

We’re grateful to Jim Keenan (John Doe 73C) and John Doe 1, and to their attorney Jeffrey Anderson, who saw that their cases could help make children safe, and could help other survivors to heal. Their visionary work has transformed the cold numbers of a 2004 press release into the human story of abuse in St. Paul and Minneapolis – and soon Winona as well. Names can do what numbers never can.

We’re also grateful to Archbishop Nienstedt for his belated conversion to the cause of transparency. He clearly chose wisely in posting the entire list, including the so-called unsubstantiated claims (not a correct term for two or three of the four). As Cardinal Keeler wrote when he released the Baltimore list more than a decade ago, “Telling the truth cannot be wrong.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Parade

By LINDSAY LOWE

Since he was elected pope this March, Pope Francis has made headlines for his relatively simple lifestyle and his emphasis on helping the poor and embracing people of all faiths.

However, not everyone is a fan. Irish actor Gabriel Byrne, who was raised in a strict Catholic household and once trained for the priesthood, says that despite the Pope’s talk of reform, he will not fundamentally change the Catholic Church.

“Like Barack Obama, a bit like Tony Blair, he’s a figurehead, a CEO—a man who does the bidding of the masters who hide behind him,” Bryne said in an interview with the Michael Des Barres Show today.

He added that while Pope Francis has set a new tone within the Church by performing “Christ-like things” such as bathing prisoners’ feet, these are empty gestures that won’t change the Catholic Church’s “innately conservative” agenda.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
KARE

[with video]

Blake McCoy

MINNEAPOLIS – Knocking on the door of a priest accused of molesting children, we were surprised when that door opened.

“I have never abused anybody,” said Father Joseph Wajda. “I deny all these allegations. They are false. They are ridiculous.”

Fr. Wajda’s name is one of 34 released by the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese Thursday as credibly accused of molesting children. Fr. Wajda was removed from the priesthood in 2002.

11 years have passed but Wajda maintains his innocence and admits he is still being compensated by the archdiocese.

“I’m in the process of trying to get reinstated, so that’s it.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
KARE

[with video]

John Croman

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is working to restore trust among Catholics and the public at large, in the wake of the latest clergy sex abuse disclosures.

The archdiocese Thursday complied with a court order to release the names of 34 former priests, 30 of whom were deemed by the church to have substantiated claims of abuse.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has come under fire from some advocates, issued a lengthy statement in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit newspaper, detailing efforts to aggressively pursue reports of abuse.

Fr. Nienstedt also pledged to involve law enforcement in the process immediately, and to publish the names of verified offenders in a special section of the Archdiocesan website.

“All clergy feel the shame of the acts of some of their brother priests,” Nienstedt wrote.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

CALIFORNIA
Santa Barbara Independent

by PAUL FERICANO

In 1965 when I was 14 I was sexually abused at St. Anthony’s, a Catholic minor seminary in Santa Barbara operated by the Franciscan religious order. My offender (who died on November 23 at the age of 83) was the school’s prefect of discipline. It’s since been estimated that during his six years of tenure he may have molested more than 250 boys. In 2003, after years of therapy, I chose to forgive him. It was a conscious and willing choice, and a significant change in my way of thinking. I did this without expecting, demanding, or receiving any apology. Even though the evidence against him was overwhelming, he never admitted any crime and insisted he’d done nothing wrong. But I did not allow his denials to prevent me from doing what is necessary to heal.

Deniers of clergy abuse are not limited to those who perpetrated the abuse. They are everywhere. The Franciscan friars currently in charge at Old Mission Santa Barbara (not to be confused with the Parish of St. Barbara) are some of those who still believe they are the victims of this crisis and that survivors are to blame. It’s a deep, dark hole that they’ve dug into the mythology of their lives. Their behavior and actions over the last six years have served to rewound survivors and poison the community. For this reason, I have publicly called for the removal of these friars from any positions of power. I’ve undertaken this without malice, but rather with compassion for those who have been hurt and for those who have done the hurting.

We all dig our holes, some deeper than others. The holes in my life have led me to some encouraging encounters with the church, particularly through my work with SafeNet, a survivor nonprofit I cofounded in 2003 that focuses on the healing process. Though I’m no longer Catholic and have no desire to return to Catholicism, I’ve found good reasons to explore these issues with bishops and cardinals who’ve shown an eagerness to explore them with me. These perceptible shifts in the church indicate a willingness by some to tackle complex questions of peace, reconciliation, and restorative justice.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
The New Yorker

POSTED BY ALEXANDER STILLE

From the first day of his papacy, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francesco, changed the mood music around the Vatican by presenting the world with a very different kind of pope. Wearing a simple white cassock, he declined to live in the papal apartment and chose instead to stay in a Vatican guesthouse so that he could continue to live in a community. He scandalized some Church traditionalists, washing the feet of female juvenile delinquents and expressing nonjudgmental compassion for gay priests, and treated everyone—even journalists—with infectious, sunny warmth, simplicity, and disarming candor. Without saying so, he seemed to be casting off a traditional idea of the pope as a solitary, infallible absolute monarch. Pius XII, who reigned from 1939 until 1958, ate alone all but a few times during his nearly twenty-year papacy. Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, had paid close attention to papal vestments, steeped in the liturgical meaning of this or that medieval garment.

The papacy during the last years of Benedict had come to seem an institution in sad decline, closed off behind the Vatican walls, out of touch, on the defensive, fighting a losing cultural war with its own followers, resigned to a smaller Church of “true believers,” in a hostile or indifferent secular world. Francis changed that almost overnight by showing how radically challenging it could be if a world leader tried to put into practice the basic precepts of the Christian gospel—dedicating oneself fully to task of loving and caring for others—and doing so with genuine joy.

Yet the question remained: Would these stylistic changes translate into significant, lasting shifts in the life and doctrine of the Catholic Church and, if so, how? We are beginning to get some concrete answers. Francis’s candid public interviews and his most recent publication, a two-hundred-and-twenty-four-page apostolic exhortation called “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), have attracted the most attention. But he has also made a series of careful management changes that may transform the Church.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ROME
Daily Mail

Disgraced US cleric to wed daughter of Pope Francis’ highest-ranking female adviser after fathering her child and resigning priesthood

The former public face of the discredited Legion of Christ order who left the priesthood after fathering a love child is getting married this weekend to his son’s mother.

Former clergyman Thomas Williams will walk down the aisle with the daughter of former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon – one of Pope Francis’ top advisers.

Glendon, a Harvard University law professor, is one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican as president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences.

She is also one of five people on Francis’ commission to reform the scandal-marred Vatican bank.
Her daughter, Elizabeth Lev, is a well-regarded art historian and columnist for the Legion-run Zenit news agency, which Williams published for over a decade while he was in the order.

Williams, a moral theologian, author, lecturer and U.S. television personality, admitted last year that he had fathered a child several years earlier.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

CONNECTICUT
The Hartford Courant

BY KELLY GLISTA, Kglista@courant.com
The Hartford Courant
7:46 p.m. EST, December 5, 2013

CHESHIRE — The Legionaries of Christ, a religious order plagued in the late 1990s and early 2000s by allegations of sexual abuse against its founder, announced on Thursday that an independent investigation had revealed “significant evidence” of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest who served at the order’s Cheshire seminary.

The allegation against Fr. William Izquierdo surfaced in July 2012, and involved abuse that took place while Izquierdo served as an instructor of novices in the Cheshire seminary, a position he held from 1982 to 1994, according to a letter from the Legion’s North American territorial director Fr. Luis Garza.

The Legion commissioned Praesidium Inc., a firm that specializes in abuse risk management, to do an independent investigation of the allegations, the letter states. That investigation concluded in August and was reviewed by the Legion’s North American review board in October.

“We have no reason to doubt that sexual abuse with a minor actually occurred,” Garza wrote in his letter.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Irish Times

Paddy Agnew

In a surprise move, the Holy See yesterday announced that Pope Francis is to assemble a panel of experts to advise him on the problem of clerical sex abuse. This Vatican Child Protection Commission represents arguably the first concrete proposal to emerge from the so-called “G8” Council of Cardinals who have been meeting with the pope in Rome this week.

Originally appointed in April by Pope Francis to help him both govern and reform the Catholic Church, the G8 council is only now getting down to serious work.

Vatican insiders last night suggested that such a decision, at this early stage in the process of Curia reform, indicates the level of commitment that Pope Francis wants to bring to the sex abuse issue.

As far as the composition of the commission’s panel of experts goes, it seems likely that the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, will be nominated, given his extensive track record in dealing with the problem in the Dublin archdiocese. Another obvious panel member may well be the Maltese bishop Charles Scicluna, the former Promoter of Justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by Mike Schoemer (Editor) , December 05, 2013
with Chris Steller, James Warden

A priest assigned to northeast Twin Cities churches and now resides in Oakdale appears on the newly released list of clergy deemed “credibly accused” of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The archdiocese published a list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Many of those listed had associations with parishes on the east side of the Twin Cities metro area, with one (see below) having served in Lake Elmo in 1984.

The publication was made in response to ongoing lawsuits against priests and the church arising from childhood sexual abuse cases. The achdiocese and Diocese of Winona originally sought to seal the list—which was created in 2004 and included 33 of the 34 priests named today, according to the Star Tribune.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Shakopee Valley News

By Lori Carlson editor@plamerican.com

Former Catholic priests at churches in Prior Lake, Spring Lake, Cedar Lake, New Prague and Shakopee are among those named on a list of clergy accused of sexually abusing minors.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday released the list of 29 priests with credible claims against them.

The archdiocese and Archbishop John Nienstedt have come under fire in recent months for their handling of sexual misconduct cases. Included in the list are clergy members from other dioceses or religious orders who at one time worked in the archdiocese and were accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors.

According to the archdiocese, there is “reliable and sufficient information” to substantiate the sexual abuse claims against the men on the list.

In a statement on the archdiocese’s website, Nienstedt wrote: “My staff and I are completely committed to combating the problem of sexual abuse and doing all we can to ensure that these horrors are never repeated in the church. To that end, as I have been communicating to you over the last two months, we are evaluating and improving our policies and practices in our concerted effort to protect children and prevent sexual abuse.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by James Warden (Editor) , December 05, 2013

A former Lake Minnetonka clergyman is on a list of priests “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese (of St. Paul and Minneapolis),” according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

Thomas Stitts was a pastor at St. George in Long Lake from 1973 until 1980. His careers ran from 1962 to 1985, when he was permanently removed from the ministry. He died that same year.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis published the list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Fairbault Daily News

Posted on December 5, 2013
by Jaci Smith

From the archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul:

Included in this disclosure are clergy members from other dioceses or religious orders who at one time worked in the archdiocese and were accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors in our archdiocese, to the extent we have reliable and sufficient information to determine whether the claim was credible and could be substantiated. These disclosures will indicate that the individuals are non-diocesan clergy. We may not be able to report on the present status of such clergy members because the archdiocese does not always have access to such information since they are under the authority of their respective diocese or religious order. We do not have sufficient information to make a disclosure regarding priests from outside our archdiocese who may have served here at some point in time but committed child sexual abuse elsewhere.

Also, please note: Despite our best efforts to provide accurate information, our listings at this time may include some errors or omissions. The archdiocese requests that anyone with additional information or corrections regarding clergy members that are or should be subject to disclosure, to contact Greta Sawyer, the archdiocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator at 651-291-4497.
With Faribault area ties:

John Brown
Date of birth: 7/2/1920 (Age: 93)
Date of ordination: 1948
Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:
Associate priest, St. Timothy, Maple Lake, 1948-1949;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1949-1950;
Associate priest, St. John, St. Paul, 1950-1951;
Associate priest, Hopkins, 1951-1956;
Chaplain, U.S. Army, 1956-1958;

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times

Written by
David Unze

ST. PAUL — Three former St. John’s Abbey priests are on a list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct; the list was released Thursday by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Fran Hoefgen, Cosmas Dahlheimer and Brennan Maiers had previously been publicly named by the abbey as having credible allegations of sexual misconduct against them. They were among 34 priests listed Thursday by the Twin Cities archdiocese after a Ramsey County judge recently ruled that the archdiocese could release the names.

The list released Thursday includes the names of eight men who had not been publicly named before and includes 30 believed to have molested children. Four have claims against them that could not be substantiated.

St. John’s Abbey previously posted lists of monks and priests who faced credible allegations of various types of misconduct. Some involved the abuse of children, while other conduct included viewing Internet pornography or inappropriate behavior with an adult. …

Abbey list

The names of monk or priests from St. John’s Abbey who have had credible allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct made against them:

Brother Andre Bennett
The Rev. Michael Bik
Brother Isaac Connolly
The Rev. Cosmas Dahlheimer
The Rev. Richard Eckroth
The Rev. John Eidenschink
The Rev. Thomas Gillespie
The Rev. Francis Hoefgen
The Rev. James Kelly
Brother John Kelly
Brother Steven Lilly
The Rev. Brennan Maiers
The Rev. Finian McDonald
The Rev. Dunstan Moorse
Brother Jim Phillips
The Rev. Francisco Schulte
The Rev. Allen Tarlton
The Rev. Bruce Wollmering

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

WALTHAM (MA)
BishopAccountability.org

Statement by Anne Barrett Doyle

December 5, 2013

BishopAccountability.org cautiously welcomes Cardinal O’Malley’s announcement in Rome today that the Vatican will form an advisory commission on the sex abuse of minors in the Church. It’s good that the Vatican will be giving this terrible problem focused attention. But we are concerned that the commission will be toothless and off-target. Cardinal O’Malley’s list of its possible “lines of action” has two crucial omissions. There is no indication that the commission will study either the Vatican’s culpability or the crucial need to discipline bishops, religious superiors and other church supervisors who enable child rape and molestation.

Judging from Cardinal O’Malley’s list of possible lines of action, it appears he hopes the commission ultimately will recommend the “American solution” to the crisis. This would be good and bad news. The US bishops’ Charter and Norms are by far the strictest child protection rules in the global Catholic Church. But these measures have fatal inadequacies. They omit accountability for church supervisors, and they have a hidden laxness: bishops are allowed to keep accused priests in ministry until their guilt is established according to the church’s own inscrutable criteria. Today in the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, we see the calamitous consequence of both the impunity of bishops and the lenience toward accused priests. As long as these flawed policies persist, children will be unsafe in the US Catholic Church.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
The American Conservative

By ROD DREHER • December 5, 2013

Pope Francis today announced the formation of a high-level commission to advise him on how to handle instances of clerical sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. It is a cautious and underwhelming response. From the NYT report:

At the same time, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the leading United States-based support group for clergy abuse victims known by its acronym, SNAP, called the news a disappointment that reflected badly on the new pope. David Clohessy, executive director of the group, said the announcement suggested that the Vatican remained strongly resistant to making sexually abusive members of the clergy and their church protectors accountable to external criminal prosecution.

“A new church panel is the last thing that kids need,” Mr. Clohessy said in a telephone interview from St. Louis. “Church officials have mountains of information about those who have committed and those who are concealing horrible child sex crimes and cover-ups. They just have to give that information to the police.”

More:

Precisely who will serve on the advisory commission and what authority it will have remained unclear. But Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, the only American among the eight cardinals advising the pope, said on Thursday that it would include priests, men and women from religious orders and laypeople with expertise in safeguarding children, and that it would offer advice on pastoral care rather than judicial functions. That seemed to signal that it would not make proposals for exposing or punishing abusive clerics.

The commission will have a broad mandate including the development of “norms, procedures and strategies for the protection of children and the prevention of abuse of minors,” the Vatican said in a statement.

Look, the US Catholic bishops at the national level, and most US dioceses at the local level, have adopted strenuous and detailed norms, procedures, and strategies over the last 10 years. Did those strategies prevent Bishop Finn of Kansas City from criminally shielding a child porn priest in 2010 and 2011, despite the stated policy of the diocese? Did it prevent the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis from engaging in its own cover-ups, including recent offenses, which were only exposed by a disgusted archdiocesan whistleblower this year? The previous archbishop, Harry Flynn, headed the US bishops’ national effort to fight clerical sexual abuse after the historic Dallas meeting in 2002. But in his own diocese, he was covering up. His successor, John Nienstedt, continued the policy until the whistleblower outed him. In the wake of the scandal, Abp Nienstedt has called for — wait for it — a task force to study procedures.

And now, so has the Pope. This, almost 12 years after Boston.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
MinnPost

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released the list of priests it says have been involved in sexual abuse over the last 60 years. Madeleine Baran and Laura Yuen of MPR say: “The archdiocese also released the names of four other priests who had been included on an earlier list, but church officials now say those four should not have been included. A Ramsey County judge ordered the archdiocese Monday to release a list of 33 priests that had been sealed since 2009. Seven of the priests named today were not previously known to the public as accused abusers. Five of those seven are still living. Others, such as the Rev. Robert Kapoun, are already well known through lawsuits and media coverage. About one-third of the priests on the list are dead. … Attorneys for victims of clergy sexual abuse have argued for years that the public is at risk as long as the names of abusers remain secret. … It’s unclear how law enforcement agencies will respond to the release of the list, if at all.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
KAAL

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has disclosed the names of 34 priests who it says have been accused of sexually abusing minors.

The names were made public Thursday following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled allegations of abuse. Archbishop John Nienstedt says he hopes the move will restore trust; he made comments in a column in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Spirit.

He says the 34 names disclosed in the newspaper are not intended to be a final list. He says a review of clergy files is under way, and the list could be updated. Going forward, new abuse claims that can be substantiated will be disclosed on the archdiocese website.

He also apologized to victims, and says he is committed to combatting sexual abuse and ensuring it is never repeated in the church.

The archdiocese says it has substantiated claims against 30 priests on the list. The remaining four have claims against them that could not be substantiated, but the archdiocese released them after a court order.

The information includes the clerics’ names, parishes where they served, and other details. It does not include details of the allegations.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Aljazeera

Pope Francis is assembling a panel of experts to advise him on combatting sex abuse in the clergy, it was announced Thursday.

The move would help protect children from pedophiles and better screen would-be priests, according to the Vatican. But it was dismissed as a “public relations stunt” by a leading victim advocacy group, who added that it would do little to shield young people from predatory priests.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, announced the creation of the commission Thursday at the conclusion of a meeting between Francis and his eight cardinal advisers in Vatican City who are helping him govern the church and reform the Vatican bureaucracy. Boston was the epicenter of the 2002 clerical sexual abuse scandal in the U.S.

O’Malley told reporters that the commission, made up of international lay and religious experts on sex abuse, would study current programs to protect children, better screen priests, train church personnel and suggest new initiatives to implement inside the Vatican and around the world.

“The Holy Father has decided to constitute a committee for the protection of children,” O’Malley said at a press conference, adding that the make-up of the new body would be announced “in the near future.”

However, it remains unclear if the experts will take up one of the core issues behind the Roman Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal: how to make bishops who shelter abusive priests accountable.

Just more of the same?

Barbara Blaine, the president and founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said despite the announcement, the move seemed “to be one more time that church officials are basically giving a lot of fluff, but not any substantive action.”

“We believe that actions speak louder than words. What the Vatican is doing continues the same tried responses from previous popes,” Blaine told Al Jazeera.

Blaine said setting up a commission and potentially new policies was “meaningless,” rather, she said, church officials should turn over information and evidence about sex abuse scandals to police if they “really wanted to make a difference.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
ABC Newspapers

By Mandy Moran Froemming
December 5, 2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has released a list of priests which it says have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children since 1950, including two who served at area parishes.

Ramsey County District Court ordered the archdiocese to make the list public in a ruling made by Judge John Van de North Monday.

Named was Michael Stevens, 58, who served as an associate priest at Epiphany Church in Coon Rapids from 1982 to 1988.

In 1987 Stevens pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge in Anoka County District Court. At sentencing in January 1988, Stevens was put on probation for five years, fined $1,000 and ordered to undergo residential treatment in New Mexico, with jail time was stayed.

According to a story that appeared in the Coon Rapids Herald, Feb. 12, 1988, prosecutor Robert D. Goodell, assistant Anoka County attorney, said the charge did involve sexual contact. According to the criminal complaint, Stevens touched a 13-year-old boy while they were at an Anoka County motel the previous July on what was described as a “camping trip”.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Press Pubs

UPDATE: the original version of this story stated that the list was unclear on whether a fourth man, Robert Kapoun, had also served at St. Joseph. The archdiocese has since confirmed that he did not.

LINO LAKES – Three men who served at St. Joseph of the Lakes Catholic Church in the 1980s were named Dec. 5 in a list of priests credibly accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors, according to information from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. According to church administrator Amy Moore, to current church staff’s knowledge, none of the claims of abuse occurred while the men were serving at St. Joseph of the Lake.

The three men are Lee Krautkremer, 73, of Minneapolis; Timothy McCarthy, 67, of St. Paul or Oakdale; and Robert Zasacki, 67, now deceased.

The Quad Community Press did not uncover significant civil or criminal cases involving Krautkremer,

McCarthy or Zasacki. Krautkremer was a pastor at St. Joseph from 1978 to 1984, McCarthy was an associate priest at the parish from 1984 to 1986, and Zasacki served at the parish in 1983 and 1984 (the list did not state in what capacity).

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by James Warden (Editor) , December 05, 2013

A former Shakopee priest is on a list of priests “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese (of St. Paul and Minneapolis),” according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

Rudolph Henrich worked as an associate priest at St. Mark in 1938 as part of a career that ran from 1933 until 1976. He was permanently removed from the ministry in 1976 and died in 1992.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis published the list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ROME
Time

By Charlotte Alter @charlottealterDec. 05, 2013

A priest who left the church after fathering a child with the daughter of one of Pope Francis’ closest advisers will marry the mother of his love child this weekend.

The former Rev. Thomas Williams, of the Legion of Christ, admitted last year to fathering a love child several years before with the daughter of Mary Anne Glendon, the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and one of the most powerful Americans in the church. She is also one of the highest-ranking women in the Vatican.

Rev. Williams took a year off after the revelation and subsequently left the church.

He and Elizabeth Lev are set to be married on Saturday, the Associated Press reports.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, December 5 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )

A high profile priest from a corrupt Catholic religious order is marrying the daughter of the former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican.

[Washington Post]

We are grateful that Fr. Williams is taking responsibility for the child he fathered. Most Catholic officials let priests who exploit and impregnate vulnerable parishioners avoid helping to raise their children.

We call on other Catholic officials – in Rome and in the Legion of Christ – to “come clean” about their roles in hiding or denying Fr. Williams’ wrongdoing.

At a minimum, this seems like sexual harassment, since he was an editor and she was a columnist.

A year and a half ago, Vatican officials claimed they were investigating seven Legion priests accused of molesting kids. This should have been resolved months ago. We hope the Vatican will disclose their name and the results soon.

[CBS News]

Finally, let’s be clear on what this is and what this isn’t. This is exploitation. It’s not “a relationship.” It’s manipulation. It’s not “consent.”

An educated, allegedly holy and celibate religious authority figure who holds the exalted title of “reverend” – and professes to be Christ’s representative on earth – cannot ever have truly consensual or healthy sexual contact with a parishioner. It is always morally wrong and emotionally harmful.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by Andrea Parrott (Editor) , December 05, 2013

Originally written by James Warden

A Former Lakeville priest is on the list of priests credibly accused of “engaging in sexual abuse of minors,” according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis published the list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Timothy McCarthy served as associate priest at All Saints Catholic Church in Lakeville from 1974-77. He was permanently removed from ministry in 1991. McCarthy, 67, is believed to be currently living in Oakdale or St. Paul.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Huffington Post

Reuters | By David Bailey and Mary Wisniewski
Posted: 12/05/2013

CHICAGO, Dec 5 (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday identified 30 priests accused of sexually abusing minors in the archdiocese, which has been under fire for its past handling of clergy abuse cases in its part of Minnesota.

The archdiocese said the 30 priests had “credible claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor.”

The archdiocese said none of the men were still in ministry and most had been identified previously in media reports. The information related mainly to incidents from the mid 1950s to the 1980s, and 11 are deceased, it said.

Child sex abuse litigation has cost the U.S. Catholic Church some $3 billion in settlements in the two decades since the ongoing scandal erupted with a series of molestation cases uncovered in Boston in 1992.

Attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents people who claim they were victims of clergy sex abuse, said in a telephone interview that release of the names in Minnesota was “real progress,” but not full disclosure.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Los Angeles Times

By Michael Muskal
December 5, 2013

After months of accusations that it had mishandled the sensitive issue, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday disclosed the names of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors, becoming the latest Roman Catholic Church district to release the identities.

The archdiocese, which serves about 825,000 Catholics in the Twin Cities area, was ordered by the courts this week to release a list it had compiled of “credibly accused abusers” by Dec. 17. It joins about two dozens other dioceses or archdioceses that have released such lists under pressure from victims and their families.

“All clergy feel the shame of the acts of some of their brother priests. We deeply regret the pain caused by sexual abuse by members of the clergy, and we remain committed to protecting children and promoting healing for victims,” Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a statement posted on the archdiocese’s website. “I sincerely pray that these efforts will contribute to the healing process for victims and others who have been harmed, and serve to protect God’s children and foster trust in the Church.”

Acknowledging the sexual abuse, Nienstedt apologized to the victims.

“This is a tragedy that has caused insufferable harm to victims, their families, parishioners and the Church. I must say once again to all victims of this abuse: I am so sorry for the pain you have endured. You have been on my mind and in my heart as I offer my daily prayers for you,” he stated.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

CANADA
Oye! Times

A 71-year-old Aldouane, N.B. man has been charged in Moncton Provincial Court on several indecent assault charges dating back to the early 1970’s.

Charges were laid in court on December 5, 2013 against Yvon Arsenault in connection with offences that are alleged to have occurred during the 1970’s and early 1980’s in Shediac, Rosaireville, and Collette, N.B. Arsenault, who was not present in court, has been charged with three counts of indecent assault, four counts of gross indecency and one count of sexual assault. The matter has been adjourned until January 27, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. for election and pleas.

The RCMP started its investigation in December 2012 as the result of a complaint. The victims were four boys under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offences.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

CANADA
CBC News

A suspended Roman Catholic priest is facing several sex-related charges involving boys dating back to the 1970s.

Yvon Arsenault, 71, of Aldouane, was charged Thursday in Moncton provincial court with four counts of gross indecency, three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.

Arsenault was not present in court. The matter has been adjourned until Jan. 27 when he is expected to elect how he wants to be tried and to enter pleas.

Meanwhile, RCMP Staff Sgt. Jeff Johnston says the investigation is ongoing and police believe there may have been other incidents.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ROME
National Catholic Register

by EDWARD PENTIN 12/05/2013

ROME — The Legion of Christ has expressed its “deep sorrow” after internal investigations revealed that a Legionary priest has been found guilty of sexually abusing a minor.

The charges against Legionary Father William Izquierdo involve a novice when Father Izquierdo served as instructor of novices in Cheshire, Conn., between 1982 and 1994.

Legionary Father Luis Garza, North American territorial director of the congregation, was informed of the case in July 2012, the Legion said, and added that a third party and independent investigation of the allegation then took place that concluded in August of this year, ruling that the allegation was true.

In a Dec. 5 statement, Father Garza said the health of 85-year-old Father Izquierdo has “declined greatly,” and he is now “in an advanced state of dementia.” He added that the priest has not exercised his ministry since 2008 and has been unable to respond to questions about the allegations.

“Father Izquierdo is in the process of being moved to an assisted living facility, where he will receive proper treatment,” Father Garza said.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Telegraph (UK)

By Nick Squires, Rome 7:07PM GMT 05 Dec 2013

Pope Francis set up a special task force to tackle sex abuse by Catholic priests on Thursday — two days after the Vatican rebuffed requests to provide information to the United Nations on how it was addressing the problem.

The Vatican said the Pope had decided to establish a “specific commission for the protection of minors” on the advice of a group of eight cardinals, whom the Jesuit pontiff has given the task of helping him to reform the Catholic Church.

The new commission would “advise Pope Francis on the Holy See’s commitment to the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse”, but the move was condemned as “meaningless” by victims’ groups.

The initiative — the first concrete action against the scandal of paedophile Catholic priests of Pope Francis’s nine-month-old papacy – was announced by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston and one of the eight members of the council of cardinals.

The sex abuse scandals, which have severely tarnished the image of the Church around the world and shaken the faith of ordinary Catholics in countries from Ireland to Australia, first erupted in Boston more than a decade ago.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
The Guardian (UK)

Lizzy Davies in Rome
The Guardian, Thursday 5 December 2013

Pope Francis has given the go-ahead to a commission of experts that will advise him on new measures to try to fight clerical sex abuse in the Roman Catholic church and boost the provision of pastoral care for victims.

In his first major move on the scandal that clouded his predecessor’s time in office, the pope told his council of cardinalson Thursday that he was approving their proposal for a new panel devoted to the issue, said the archbishop of Boston, cardinal Seán O’Malley.

“Up until now there’s been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral response of the church is very important and the holy father is concerned about that,” O’Malley told journalists .

“And so we feel as though having the advantage of a commission of experts that will be able to study some of these issues and bring concrete recommendations for the holy father and for the Holy See will be very important.” …

Snap, the main US victims’ group, dismissed the initiative and said the only thing that would protect children was if the church punished negligent bishops and ordered them to name molesters

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Calgary Herald

BY NICOLE WINFIELD, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DECEMBER 5, 2013

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has responded to complaints that he has largely ignored the clerical sex abuse scandal by assembling a panel of experts to advise the Holy See on protecting children from pedophiles and helping abuse victims heal.

It remains to be seen if the experts will take up one of the core issues behind the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal: how to make bishops who shelter abusive priests accountable.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, announced the creation of the commission Thursday at the conclusion of a meeting between Francis and his eight cardinal advisers who are helping him govern the church and reform the Vatican bureaucracy.

Boston was the epicenter of the 2002 clerical sexual abuse scandal in the U.S.

O’Malley told reporters that the commission, made up of international lay and religious experts on sex abuse, would study current programs to protect children, better screen priests, train church personnel and suggest new initiatives for both the Holy See to implement inside the Vatican City State and for bishops to implement around the world. …

BishopAccountability.org, an online resource for the clergy sex abuse, cautiously welcomed the initiative but said the commission’s scope as presented by O’Malley had two “crucial omissions.”

“There is no indication that the commission will study either the Vatican’s culpability or the crucial need to discipline bishops, religious superiors and other church supervisors who enable child rape and molestation,” said Ann Barret Doyle, the site’s co-director.

SNAP, the main U.S. victim’s group, dismissed the initiative as useless and said the only thing that will protect children is if the church punished negligent bishops and ordered them to publicly disclose the names of molesters.

“This simple step would immediately make kids safer,” said David Clohessy, SNAP director. “But instead, parents and parishioners are being offered yet another toothless church panel.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter

Brian Roewe | Dec. 5, 2013

Following through on a vow made a month ago, the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese released Thursday the names of 30 former priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors.

The priests named relate primarily to reported incidents that occurred between the mid-1950s and 1980s. All but one of those with substantiated claims were listed in a 2004 report by the archdiocese as part of a nationwide survey of credibly accused clergy.

The 30th priest is Curtis Wehmeyer, currently serving five years in prison, whose name appeared among others in news reports by Minnesota Public Radio — based on documents and information supplied by former archdiocesan canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger — detailing negligence and lack of adherence to abuse-related archdiocesan policies.

All 30 have been removed from ministry. Four have been laicized, and one was dismissed from his order and dispensed from vows.

Along with each priest’s name, the archdiocese included his age, birthday and day of death (when applicable), year of ordination, prior assignments, date of removal from ministry, and current status, including current city and state. It did not disclose the date when a claim was brought against each cleric.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
Legionaries of Christ

In keeping with the Legion of Christ’s commitment to safe environments for all its members, Fr Luis Garza, LC, North American territorial director of the Legion of Christ, informed its members of a sexual abuse case involving Fr William Izquierdo, LC.

In July 2012, Fr Garza was informed of an allegation regarding sexual abuse in the United States involving Fr Izquierdo and a novice when the former served as novice instructor in Cheshire, CT. He held that position from 1982 to 1994.

In addition to reporting to local authorities, the Legion commissioned Praesidium, Inc. to provide a thorough, independent investigation, which concluded in August 2013. Its findings were presented and carefully analyzed by the Legion’s North American review board in October 2013.

“After reviewing the information, we have no reason to doubt that sexual abuse with a minor actually occurred,” Fr Garza said. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith has been informed of the case.

Since the early 2000s, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) have provided strong leadership in the vital goal of providing a safe environment for young people in all Church activities. The Legion of Christ, following their lead, has adopted policies and procedures aimed at protecting young people and eliminating abuse. The congregation is committed to investigating and responding appropriately to all allegations of misconduct, so that the tragedy of clergy sexual abuse may be overcome.

Over the past decade, the Legion has implemented a stringent program to maintain safe environments, including audits of its facilities, training of its members and adoption of a strict code of conduct. This case occurred many years ago, but Fr Garza said he learned about it in 2012 and that it was handled with the openness and transparency demanded by current standards.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

Tom Roberts | Dec. 5, 2013

The Legion of Christ, a religious order of priests still dealing with the fallout from revelations of sexual abuse by its disgraced founder, announced Thursday that a recent investigation has uncovered “significant evidence of sexual abuse” by another Legion official who served as the order’s novice master at its Cheshire, Conn., seminary.

At the same time, the order issued a summary of actions it has taken in addressing other cases of alleged sexual abuse by its priests, as well as a long letter from Fr. Sylvester Heereman, the order’s acting general director, detailing the Legion’s approach to dealing with the issue of sexual abuse.

The announcements come just ahead of an extraordinary general chapter at which the Legion will elect new leaders and approve a new constitution. The general chapter is to open in Rome Jan. 8 and is expected to run about a month.

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Velasio De Paolis to govern the order as it and Regnum Christi, its lay branch, underwent reform and reorganization. The January general chapter is the culmination of that reformation processes.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

CANADA
The StarPhoenix

MONCTON, N.B. – RCMP in New Brunswick say a retired Roman Catholic priest faces several charges, including one count of sexual assault, in connection with alleged incidents involving boys in the 1970s and 80s.

Staff Sgt. Jeff Johnston says 71-year-old Yvon Arsenault of Aldouane is also charged with three counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency.

Police say the alleged incidents occurred in Shediac, Rosaireville and Collette and involved four boys under the age of 18.

RCMP began investigating last December after receiving a complaint.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Patch

Posted by James Warden (Editor) , December 05, 2013

A former Fridley priest is on a list of priests “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese (of St. Paul and Minneapolis),” according to the archdiocese’s newspaper.

Gilbert DeSutter was at St. William between 1976 and 1983. He then moved to St. Michael in Prior Lake, where he stayed until he resigned in 1993. He continued to have limited ministry until he was permanently removed from the ministry in 2003. The 85-year-old now lives in Mesa, AZ.

Nearby Columbia Heights had four former priests on the list:

* Thomas Adamson was at Immaculate Conception from 1979-1980. He transferred to Risen Savior, when he stayed until he returned to the Diocese of Winona in 1985. He was removed from the ministry that year. The 80-year-old now lives in Rochester.

* Francis Hoefgen never served at a Columbia Heights, but the 63-year-old lives there now. He was a member of the Order of St. Benedict at St. John’s Abbey and served in Cold Spring, St. Boniface and Frontenac between 1980 and 1994. He was permanently removed from the ministry in 2002. He left the order and was laicized in 2012.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
The Daily Beast

By Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 5th 2013

For victims who silently suffered child abuse at the hands of priests, nothing the Vatican does will ever be quite enough. But a new commission ordered by Pope Francis could be a solid step in the right direction.

On Thursday, Pope Francis agreed to appoint a special ad-hoc “commission for the protection of minors” to address alleged and proven sex abuse by Catholic priests. The commission was suggested by a council of eight cardinals, tasked with advising the pope on church reform, who are meeting in Rome this week.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston—a city that was once the epicenter of the sex-abuse coverup scandal—briefed reporters after the council met with the pope. “Specifically, the commission will study present programs in place for the protection of children; formulate suggestions for new initiatives on the part of the Curia, in collaboration with bishops, bishops, Episcopal conferences, religious superiors and conferences of religious superiors; and indicate the names of persons suited to the systematic implementation of these new initiatives, including laypersons, religious and priests with responsibilities for the safety of children, in relations with the victims, in mental health, in the application of the law, and so forth.”

Taken at face value, that would imply that the pope wants to hear from not just those inside the church hierarchy, but perhaps he would also call in advisors from outside the church to help deal with the problem. O’Malley said that the commission could be made of up priests, men and women religious, including nuns, and laypeople. Roping in secular entities, including law enforcement officials, has always topped the wishlist of victims groups, who feel that clerical child abuse is often “dealt with” in secret out of the long arm of the law. No other entity that deals with minors, including education systems, groups like Boy Scouts, or sports organizations, have the same umbrella protection that the Catholic church provides its clergy when it comes to child sex abuse.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
The New York Times

By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO and ALAN COWELL
Published: December 5, 2013

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will set up a commission to advise him on protecting children from sexually abusive priests and on how the church should counsel victims, the Vatican said on Thursday. The step was his first to address one of the most sensitive issues facing his papacy.

The timing of the announcement, two days after a United Nations panel criticized the Vatican over its handling of abuse cases, suggested that the pope and his closest advisers want to be seen to be tackling the issue with greater firmness than in the past.

The announcement was a forthright acknowledgment by the Vatican of the enduring problem of abusive priests, and it fit with Pope Francis’s pattern of willingness to set a new tone in dealing with religious and secular critics of the church.

The suggestion to set up the commission came from the group of eight cardinals brought together by the pope a month after his election in March to advise him on reforming the Vatican’s labyrinthine bureaucracy.

Precisely who will serve on the advisory commission and what authority it will have remained unclear. But Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, the only American among the eight cardinals advising the pope, said on Thursday that it would include priests, men and women from religious orders and lay people with expertise in safeguarding children, and that it would offer advice on pastoral care rather than judicial functions. That seemed to signal that it would not make proposals for exposing or punishing abusive clerics.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Washington Post

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, December 5

VATICAN CITY — Thomas Williams, the onetime public face of the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order who left the priesthood after admitting he fathered a child, is getting married this weekend to the child’s mother, The Associated Press has learned. The bride is the daughter of former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon, one of Pope Francis’ top advisers.

Glendon, a Harvard University law professor, is one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican as president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences. She is also one of five people on Francis’ commission to reform the scandal-marred Vatican bank. Her daughter, Elizabeth Lev, is a Rome-based art historian and columnist for the Legion-run Zenit news agency, which Williams published for over a decade while he was in the order.

Williams, a moral theologian, author, lecturer and U.S. television personality, admitted last year that he had fathered a child several years earlier.

At the time, Williams apologized for “this grave transgression” against his vows of celibacy and said he had stayed on as a priest because he hoped to move beyond “this sin in my past” to do good work for the church. The Legion’s retired superior later admitted he had learned about the child in 2005 but allowed Williams to keep teaching and preaching about morality.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release Thursday December 5, 2013

Statement by Megan Peterson, Twin Cities SNAP leader, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 218-689-9049 cell, survivor19@live.com )

Neinstedt must now force child molesting clerics into remote, secure treatment centers so they’ll be kept away from kids and give every shred of information about them and their crimes to police and prosecutors.

After 25 years of watching Catholic bishops act recklessly, deceitfully and callously in clergy sex cases – in the US and across the globe – we don’t stun easily.

But we are stunned that Archbishop Neinstedt claims “It is the practice of the archdiocese to report promptly to law enforcement all allegations of clergy sexual abuse of minors. The recent cases of Fr. Jonathan Shelley and Fr. Curtis Wehmeyer- prove this is a lie.

[Star Tribune]

It’s almost as stunning that he claims “Any clergy member facing a credible claim of sexual abuse of minors will be removed from ministry pending an investigation of the claim.” The recent case of Fr. Michael Keating proves this is a lie.

It’s shocking that Neinstedt makes these claims with a straight face.

It’s not shocking, however, that Neinstedt makes no mention of law enforcement or of cover up.

That’s because he wants victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to keep contacting church officials, not secular officials. And that’s because he wants the attention focused solely on the predator priests, not their corrupt church supervisors.

Neinstedt conveniently doesn’t mention that the abuse training he brags about doing is required by the church’s belated, grudging, weak and vague national abuse policy. Neinstedt implies this training is something he’s doing voluntarily. That’s just not true.

We should keep in mind that this disclosure of names is also not voluntary. It’s something forced on Neinstedt by legal and public pressure. If not for brave whistleblowers and journalistic investigations and determined victims, Neinstedt would still be hiding these predator priests’ names.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By Emily Gurnon
egurnon@pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 12/05/2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released Thursday its list of priests “credibly accused” of sexually abusing children.

The list consists of 33 priests who have worked in the archdiocese beginning in 1950.

Nearly half of the parishes in the archdiocese — 92 out of 188 — have had at least one offending priest, the archdiocese reported.

Ramsey County District Judge John Van de North on Monday ordered the list of 33 priests be made public. He gave the Twin Cities archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona until Dec. 17 to do so. The archdiocese said it would release at least some of those names Thursday.

Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a letter on the archdiocese website Thursday that it would disclose all “credible and … substantiated” claims on the website from now on.

“This is a tragedy that has caused insufferable harm to victims, their families, parishioners and the church,” Nienstedt wrote. “I must say once again to all victims of this abuse: I am so sorry for the pain you have endured.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery, Inc.
P.O. Box 279
Livingston, NJ 07039

December 5, 2013

Response by Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity that assists victims of sexual abuse to the news that the Vatican is establishing a papal advisory commission on sexual abuse of children, teenagers, and vulnerable adults

The specifics of the Vatican commission on sexual abuse have not yet been determined, but many aspects of the commission already announced cause us to be skeptical. Why?

1) The proposed commission will be composed of an international range of experts and will focus on the pastoral aspect of the continuing clergy sex abuse crisis.

Our response: Once again, the Catholic Church emphasizes the “pastoral” aspect of its programs, hoping the faithful will empathize with their attempts to be sensitive and caring, the hallmarks of “pastoral ministry.” Instead, the Church should be focused, first of all, on the criminal and psychological aspects of clergy sexual abuse. Sexual abuse of children and many others is criminal behavior, for the most part, and cases should be handled by civil authorities. Establishing a commission that “appears” to be focused on the pastoral aspects of sexual abuse diverts attention away from the needs of victims: justice in the civil and criminal arenas, and psychological services that promote healing.

2) The proposed commission will be composed of priests, women and men religious, and lay people.

Our response: Once again, the Church turns inward instead of outward to solicit the opinions and counsel of “experts.” The “experts” regarding clergy sexual abuse are the victims themselves, yet no victims will be invited to sit on this commission. In addition, should the Vatican want to assemble an international panel of “experts,” it should never begin with priests and men and women religious because they and their colleagues have been the abusers, enablers, and deniers of clergy sexual abuse for centuries. The Church must look “outward” toward experts if it wants an independent commission. Entrenched lay people would be just as myopic as priests and men and women religious.

3) The proposed commission will have no clout or independence, in the same way that international Church review boards, panels, and experts appointed by Church officials have no clout and are not objective entities.

Our response: Unless and until Church authorities are held to the same legal and moral standards as other service-oriented persons, the Church’s credibility will continue to be virtually non-existent. There are Popes, Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops who have concealed crimes against children and the vulnerable but continue to serve as Church leaders. If the new commission is able to charge, indict, prosecute, and punish those Church leaders who covered up and enabled the serial sexual abuse of children (and continue to do so), then it will have clout. Otherwise, the new commission will be a paper tiger, just like all other Church commissions.

Contact: Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Co-founder and President, Road to Recovery, Inc. – 862-368-2800 – rmhoatson@gmail.com

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release Thursday December 5, 2013

Statement by Barbara Blaine, SNAP President, SNAPblaine@gmail.com, 312-455-1499 (office), 312-399-4747 (cell)

This Pope has been a breath of fresh air to many. But he’s a breath of stale air to wounded victims, vulnerable children, and betrayed Catholics.

Catholic officials have tons of knowledge about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups. They must simply give all this information – right now – to law enforcements and sanction their colleagues who conceal it.

Pope Francis and his staff refuse to do this. They even refuse to directly and honestly answer questions from a United Nations panel.

[BBC News]

So we have little faith that this latest in a long series of hundreds of church abuse panels will make any difference whatsoever.

According to news outlets, among other things, the committee will focus on “codes of conduct for clergy.” That’s ridiculous. No priest, nun, bishop or seminarian ever sexually assaulted a child because of a lack of a formal “code of conduct” prohibiting clergy sex crimes.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Patch

(James Warden wrote the original version of this post.)

A priest assigned to Lake Elmo nearly 30 years ago appears on the newly released list of clergy deemed “credibly accused” of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The archdiocese published a list of 34 priests Thursday in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper that serves the archdiocese.

About half of the parishes in the archdiocese—92 out of 188 parishes—had one of the priests on the list there at some point, according to the archdiocese.

Many of those listed had associations with parishes on the east side of the Twin Cities metro area, with one (see below) having served in Lake Elmo in 1984.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
News & Observer

BY AMY FORLITI
Associated Press
December 5, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday disclosed the names of 34 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors, following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled such allegations.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has come under fire for the way sexual misconduct cases have been managed, said the disclosures are not intended to be final and that the list could be updated after a review of clergy files.

“All clergy feel the shame of the acts of some of their brother priests. We deeply regret the pain caused by sexual abuse by members of the clergy, and we remain committed to protecting children and promoting healing for victims,” Nienstedt said in a statement on the archdiocese’s website. “I sincerely pray that these efforts will contribute to the healing process for victims and others who have been harmed, and serve to protect God’s children and foster trust in the Church.”

In 2004, the archdiocese compiled a list of 33 priests deemed to have been credibly accused of sexual abusing a minor. The list was put together as part of a nationwide study to determine the scope of clergy sex abuse. Across the country, roughly two dozen archdioceses and dioceses already have made such lists public.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Religion News Service

David Gibson

(RNS) Pope Francis is creating a special commission to deal with the clergy sexual abuse crisis on a global scale, a step that comes amid growing criticism that Francis had not given sufficient attention to the scandal.

Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley made the announcement on Thursday (Dec. 5) in the Vatican where he was meeting this week with Francis and the other members of the so-called “Gang of Eight” cardinals that the pope chose to help him reform the Roman Curia.

O’Malley, who is the U.S. bishop with perhaps the most credibility on the abuse issue, listed a range of programmatic ideas for the commission, whose members are expected to include lay people, mental health professionals and other experts in the field as well as leading churchmen.

But O’Malley acknowledged that Catholics were most keen to hear how and whether the pope and the new commission would tackle the question of disciplining bishops who have shielded abusive priests.

“Quite frankly that’s something that the church needs to address,” O’Malley said, noting that he wasn’t sure whether the commission, the Congregation for Bishops or the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — the Vatican department that has been handling most abuse cases — would take the lead on rogue bishops.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
BBC News

Pope Francis is to set up a Vatican committee to fight sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church and offer help to victims.

The announcement, by the archbishop of Boston, follows a meeting between the Pope and his eight cardinal advisers.

It comes days after the Vatican refused a UN request for information on alleged abuse by priests, nuns or monks.

One of the main Italian associations of clerical abuse survivors has said it has “little trust” in the Vatican.

Pope Francis has said dealing with sex abuse is vital for the Church’s credibility.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MISSOURI
Lake Expo

MONITEAU COUNTY, Mo. — The case of a Stover pastor charged with statutory rape and sexual abuse will go to a jury trial next year.

Rev. Travis Ray Smith, age 43, is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Stover, Mo.

He is charged with two counts of 2nd Degree Statutory Rape, one count of Forcible Rape, and one count of Sexual Abuse. He pled Not Guilty to the charges at a hearing in the Moniteau County Circuit Court on July 12, 2013.

Over the past four years, Smith has been accused of molestation or statutory rape in the cases of four different girls. Two of those accusations were made in 2010, but one case was dropped and Smith was acquitted in the other.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013

For more information please contact SNAP Director David Clohessy of St. Louis
(314) 566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com

Another KC predator priest passes away
He admitted “inappropriate relationships”
Cleric later became a Lutheran and an Episcopalian
Victims blast Catholic bishop for “continuing secrecy”

A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is disclosing that another Kansas City Catholic priest who was accused of molesting children has passed away.

He is Fr. Bede Parry who worked in Conception, Missouri and in Nevada, Minnesota and New Mexico.

Parry’s passing was noted on the Facebook page of his lawyer, Joseph Paul Smith:

[Facebook]

Parry belonged to a Catholic religious order known as the Benedictines.

In 2011, Parry was sued for allegedly molesting a boy in the late 1980s in northwest Missouri. He admitted to his church supervisors that he had been involved in three “inappropriate relationships.”

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are urging Bishop Robert Finn to “aggressively seek out anyone else who may have seen, suspected or suffered Fr. Parry’s crimes.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

List of priests with credible claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor

Article by: TONY KENNEDY , Star Tribune Updated: December 5, 2013

List on archdiocese website includes many priests previously named in civil and criminal cases.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released a list today of 32 priests accused of sexually abusing minors.

The list was published in the online edition of The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocesan newspaper, in response to ongoing litigation of childhood sexual abuse cases in Ramsey County against the church and individual priests. Many of the priests named today have previously been named in criminal charges and civil lawsuits, but some are new to the public domain.

Archbishop John Nienstedt said in his written announcement that his administration will publicize additional “credible claims of abuse of a minor by a member of the clergy” as the archdiocese learns of them. If a credible claim is substantiated, the archdiocese will list the accused priest in a permanent disclosure section of its website, Nienstedt said.

“The disclosures made today are not intended to be final,” the archbishop wrote. “We cannot bring others to the light of Christ unless we first live out his love through our witness.”

The disclosure was ordered Monday in St. Paul by Judge John B. Van de North Jr. All but one of the priests named today were originally identified in a church document created in 2004 listing 33 priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse over several decades. The archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona have fought St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson’s attempts to make the names public for the past five years, winning court protection of the list in 2009.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

By Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio
Dec. 5, 2013

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has released the names of 30 priests it believes sexually abused children between 1950 and 2013.

The archdiocese also released the names of four other priests who had been included on an earlier list, but church officials now say those four should not have been included. A Ramsey County judge ordered the archdiocese Monday to release a list of 33 priests that had been sealed since 2009.

Seven of the priests named today were not previously known to the public as accused abusers. Five of those seven are still living. Others, such as the Rev. Robert Kapoun, are already well known through lawsuits and media coverage. About one-third of the priests on the list are dead.

The accused priests have served at nearly half — 92, in total — of the 188 parishes in the archdiocese, according to an email sent to priests Wednesday by vicar general Rev. Charles Lachowitzer, the archbishop’s top deputy.

The archdiocese released the names on its website and in the print edition of The Catholic Spirit newspaper, along with each priest’s birth year, ordination year, parish assignment history, current status and city of residence. For the deceased priests, it also released the year of death.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
The Republic

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: December 05, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — The archbishop in St. Paul and Minneapolis says he hopes the disclosure of names of priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors will help restore trust in the church and foster healing for those who have been harmed.

Archbishop John Nienstedt made the comments Thursday in a column in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Spirit.

He says the 34 names disclosed in the newspaper are not intended to be a final list. He says a review of clergy files is under way, and the list could be updated. Going forward, new abuse claims that can be substantiated will be disclosed on the archdiocese website.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Fox 9

posted by Mike Durkin

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) –
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday released its list of priests with credible claims against them of sexually abusing a minor.

ARCHDIOCESE DISCLOSURE

Below is a list of ordained ministers of the Catholic Church who previously had assignments in the archdiocese, and who have had credible claims against them of sexually abusing a minor in our archdiocese. All of these claims have been substantiated, which means that there is reasonable grounds to believe that the reported abuse occurred. Most of the reported incidents of abuse occurred between the mid-1950s and the 1980s, and most of these men have been previously identified in media reports. All of these men have been permanently removed from ministry, and most of them have been out of ministry for a decade or more.

Clergy who have committed acts of sexual abuse have caused insufferable harm to victims, families, parishioners, and the Church. We grieve and pray for all who have been harmed and are committed completely to combating acts of sexual abuse and doing all we can to ensure that these horrors are never repeated in the Church.

THE LIST

Priests with credible claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor

Thomas Adamson – Permanently removed from ministry from our archdiocese in 1985.

John Brown – Permanently removed from ministry in 2002.

Cosmas Dahlheimer – Permanently removed from ministry (date unknown, died in 2004).

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit

In his Nov. 7 column in The Catholic Spirit, Archbishop John Nienstedt identified fulfillment of the charter as a top priority of the archdiocese. Below are answers to some common questions regarding the charter’s scope and provisions.

Q. What is the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”?

A. The charter is a comprehensive set of procedures established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 2002 for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The charter includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention of further acts of abuse. It directs action in all the following matters:

Creating a safe environment for children and young people;
Healing and reconciliation of victims and survivors;
Making prompt and effective responses to allegations;
Cooperating with civil authorities;
Disciplining offenders; and
Providing for means of accountability for the future to ensure the problem continues to be effectively dealt with through the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board.

Q. Where can I read it?

A. The charter is available for download from the USCCB Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection website.

Q. How does the charter define a “minor”?

A. In both civil and canon law, a minor is anyone under the age of 18. Until 1994, under canon law, a minor was considered any person under the age of 16. In 1994, canon law was changed for dioceses of the USCCB so that anyone under the age of 18 was considered to be a minor. In 2001, it changed for the universal Church. Also covered under the charter is anyone over the age of 18 who habitually lacks the use of reason and therefore is considered equivalent to a minor.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit

As part of its ongoing efforts to address issues related to clergy sexual misconduct, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is releasing information related to priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in the archdiocese.

The information can be found in this issue of The Catholic Spirit and on a special page titled “Disclosures Regarding Clergy Sexual Abuse of Minors” on the archdiocese’s website, http://www.archspm.org.

In his column this week in The Catholic Spirit, Archbishop John Nienstedt said the disclosure is part of the archdiocese’s safe environment efforts, which he hopes “will contribute to the healing process for victims and others who have been harmed, and serve to protect God’s children and foster trust in the Church.”

The disclosure includes the following information:

the cleric’s name;
his year of birth and age;
year of ordination;
if deceased, the year he died;
the cleric’s prior assignments;
the date of his removal from ministry and current status; and
the city and state where he presently resides.
The information being released is mostly related to reported incidents that occurred between the mid-1950s and 1980s, the archdiocese said in a Dec. 2 statement. Most of the men identified have been previously identified in media reports. All of them have been permanently removed from ministry or are deceased.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
The Catholic Spirit – Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Notes regarding disclosure

Included in this disclosure are clergy members from other dioceses or religious orders who at one time worked in the archdiocese and were accused of engaging in sexual abuse of minors in our archdiocese, to the extent we have reliable and sufficient information to determine whether the claim was credible and could be substantiated. These disclosures will indicate that the individuals are non-diocesan clergy. We may not be able to report on the present status of such clergy members because the archdiocese does not always have access to such information since they are under the authority of their respective diocese or religious order. We do not have sufficient information to make a disclosure regarding priests from outside our archdiocese who may have served here at some point in time but committed child sexual abuse elsewhere.

Also, please note: Despite our best efforts to provide accurate information, our listings at this time may include some errors or omissions. The archdiocese requests that anyone with additional information or corrections regarding clergy members that are or should be subject to disclosure, to contact Greta Sawyer, the archdiocese’s Victim Assistance Coordinator at 651-291-4497.

Thomas Adamson
Date of birth: 7/12/1933 (Age 80)
Date of ordination: 1958

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Diocese of Winona, 1958-1975;
St. Leo the Great, St. Paul, 1975-1976;
St. Boniface, St. Bonifacius, 1976;
St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul Park, 1976-1979;
Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1979-1980;
Risen Savior, Apple Valley, 1981-1985;
Returned to Diocese of Winona, 1985
Diocese or religious order: Diocese of Winona

Date removed from ministry: 1985
Current location: Rochester, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry from our archdiocese

John Brown
Date of birth: 7/2/1920 (Age: 93)
Date of ordination: 1948
Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Timothy, Maple Lake, 1948-1949;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1949-1950;
Associate priest, St. John, St. Paul, 1950-1951;
Associate priest, Hopkins, 1951-1956;
Chaplain, U.S. Army, 1956-1958;
Associate priest, St. Mary, LeCenter, 1958-1960;
Temporary administrator, St. Mary, LeCenter, 1960;
Administrator, St. Mary, Waverly, 1960-1963;
Pastor, St. Mary, Waverly, 1963-1964;
Pastor, St. Anthony of Padua, Minneapolis, 1964-1966;
Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Marysburg, 1966-1970;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Faribault, 1970-1978;
Pastor, St. Peter Claver, St. Paul, 1978-1981;
Pastor, Annunciation, Hazelwood, 1981-1990
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Maplewood, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Cosmas Dahlheimer
Date of birth: 11/20/1908, deceased
Date of ordination: 1936

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. John’s Abbey, 1936-1969;
Associate priest, St. Augustine, St. Cloud, 1969-1973;
Associate priest, St. Bernard, St. Paul, 1973-1978;
Returned to St. John’s Abbey, 1978
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: Unknown (died 2004)
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2004

Gilbert DeSutter
Date of birth: 4/28/1928 (Age: 85)
Date of ordination: 1964

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1954-1956;
Associate priest, St. Mary, St. Paul, 1956;
Associate priest, Annunciation, Minneapolis, 1956-1964;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Richfield, 1964-1968;
Spiritual director, St. John Vianney Seminary, St. Paul, 1968-1973;
Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1973 -1976;
Pastor, St. William, Fridley, 1976-1983;
Pastor, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1983-1993;
Resigned with limited ministry, 1993-2003
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Mesa, Ariz.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Gilbert Gustafson
Date of birth: 4/18/1951 (Age 62)
Date of ordination: 1977

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake, 1977-1982;
Administrator, St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake, 1978;
Associate director, Continuing Education and Spiritual Growth for Priests, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 1982;
Student, Catholic University of America, Washington D.C., 1982-1983;
Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1983-1988;
In residence, St. Peter, Mendota 1988-2002 (unassigned);
Resigned, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Louis Heitzer
Date of birth: 7/15/1914, deceased
Date of ordination: 1942

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, Winsted (New Ulm) 1942-1944;
Associate priest, St. Andrew, Fairfax (New Ulm), 1944;
Associate pastor, Assumption, St. Paul, 1944-1945;
Associate priest, Holy Redeemer, Marshall (New Ulm), 1945;
Associate priest, St. Mary, Sleepy Eye (New Ulm), 1945-1948;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, Waconia, 1948;
Associate priest, St. Aloysius, Olivia (New Ulm), 1948-1950;
Administrator, Sacred Heart, Franklin (New Ulm), 1950-1954;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Rosen, 1954-1955;
Pastor, St. Michael, Gaylord (New Ulm), 1955-1956;
Pastor, St. Luke, Clearwater, 1956-1958;
Pastor, St. Scholastica, Heidelberg, 1958-1966;
Associate priest, St. Richard, Richfield, 1966-1967
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1969
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1969

Rudolph Henrich
Date of birth: 4/3/1906, deceased
Date of ordination: 1933

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. James, St. Paul, 1933-1937;
Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, Winsted, 1937-1938;
Associate priest, St. Mark, Shakopee, 1938;
Chaplain, State Training School for Boys, Red Wing, 1938-1942;
Chaplain, U.S. Navy, 1942-1946;
Chaplain, State Training School for Boys, Red Wing, 1946-1952;
Chaplain, U.S. Forces, 1952-1954;
Pastor, St. Boniface, Stewart (New Ulm), 1954-1957;
Pastor, St. Margaret Mary, Minneapolis, 1957-1976
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1976
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1992

Francis Hoefgen
Date of birth: 8/1/1950 (Age 63)
Date of ordination: 1979

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Boniface, Cold Spring, 1980-1984;
Associate priest, St. Boniface, Hastings, 1985-1992;
Confessor, Villa Maria Center, Frontenac, 1985-1994
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Columbia Heights, Minn.
Current status: Left order and laicized in 2012

Richard Jeub
Date of birth: 2/21/1940 (Age: 73)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1967-1970
Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1970-1976;
Associate priest, Christ the King, Minneapolis, 1976-1978;
Chaplain, Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park, 1978-1982;
Chaplain, Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina, 1978-1982;
Pastor, St. Kevin, Minneapolis, 1981-1990;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1996-1997;
Associate priest, Sacred Heart/St. Lawrence, Faribault, 1997-2000;
Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 2000-2002;
Retired, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Crosby, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Dennis Kampa
Date of birth: 5/31/1932 (Age 81)
Date of ordination: 1968

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1968-1969;
Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1969-1972;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 1972-1974;
Associate priest, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1974-1976;
Associate priest, Holy Trinity, South St. Paul, 1976-1980;
Pastor, St. Vincent de Paul, Osseo, 1980-1989;
Administrator, St. Michael, Pine Island, 1989-1990;
Administrator, St. Michael, Kenyon, 1989-1990;
Pastor, St. Michael, Pine Island, 1990-2002;
Retired, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Victoria, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Robert Kapoun
Date of birth: 12/1/1938 (Age 75)
Date of ordination: 1964

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1964-1967;
Associate priest, St. Kevin, Minneapolis, 1967-1971;
Associate priest, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1971-1974;
Chaplain, Home of the Good Shepherd, St. Paul, 1974-1976;
Medical leave, 1976-1977;
Pastor, St. Patrick, Cedar Lake, 1977-1984;
Administrator, St. Catherine, Spring Lake, 1977-1984;
Pastor, St. Scholastica, Heidelberg, 1984-1996;
Administrator, St. Joseph, Lexington, 1984-1996;
Pastor, St. Thomas, St. Thomas, 1991-1996;
Resigned, 1996;
Retired, 1998
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Cold Spring, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Jerome Kern
Date of birth: 3/20/1941 (Age 72)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1967-70;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1970-1975;
Administrator, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1975-1976;
Co-pastor, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Minnetonka, 1976-1994;
Sabbatical, 1994-1995 (in residence at St. Paul Seminary);
Temporary administrator, St. Dominic, Northfield, 1995;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1995-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Edina, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Lee Krautkremer
Date of birth: 8/28/1940 (Age 73)
Date of ordination: 1966

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1966;
Associate priest, St. Peter, North St. Paul, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley, 1967-1968;
Associate priest, St. Michael, St. Michael, 1968-1970;
Associate priest, St. Michael, West St. Paul, 1970-1975;
Associate priest, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1975-1978;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1978-1984;
Pastor, St. Michael, St. Michael, 1984-1987;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1987-1989;
Chaplain, North Memorial Hospital, Robbinsdale, 1987-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Laicized in 2006

Ronan Charles Liles
Date of birth: 9/6/1942
Date of ordination: 1969

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis, 1969-1978;
Dominican Fathers provincial office, Chicago, 1978-1979;
Dominican Fathers and Brothers, Southern Dominican Province, New Orleans, 1979- 1982;
Leave of absence
Diocese or religious order: Order of Preachers (Dominicans)

Date permanently removed from ministry: Dismissed from order and dispensed from vows in 1985
Current location: Believed to have died sometime before 2006
Current status: Believed to have died sometime before 2006

Alfred Longley
Date of birth: 9/17/1913, deceased
Date of ordination: 1939

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1939-1942;
Military chaplain, U.S. Army, 1942-1952;
Pastor, St. Richard, Richfield, 1952-1961;
Chaplain, Riverside Medical Center, Minneapolis, 1962-1964;
Pastor, St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi, 1964
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1968
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1974

Brennan Maiers
Date of birth: 4/27/1936 (Age 77)
Date of ordination: 1963

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Pastor, St. Bernard, St. Paul, 1983-1990
Diocese or religious order: Order of St. Benedict, St. John’s Abbey

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Collegeville, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Timothy McCarthy
Date of birth: 6/26/1946 (Age 67)
Date of ordination: 1973

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Leo, St. Paul, 1973-1974;
Associate priest, All Saints, Lakeville, 1974-1977;
Administrator, St. Andrew, Elysian, 1977-1982;
Associate priest, St. Peter Claver, St. Paul, 1982-1984;
On special assignment, 1982-1984;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Lake Elmo, 1984;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1984-1986;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Maplewood, 1986-1991;
Resigned, 1991
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1991
Current location: Believed to be residing in Oakdale, Minn., or St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

John McGrath
Date of birth: 4/13/1931, deceased
Date of ordination: 1957

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Nativity, St. Paul, 1957-1965;
Associate priest, St. Helena, Minneapolis, 1965-1969;
Associate priest, St. Andrew, St. Paul, 1969-1970;
Faculty, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, 1970-1976;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1976-1995
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1995
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1995

Paul Palmitessa
Date of birth: 1/18/1931 (Age 82)
Date of ordination: 1956

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Cathedral of St. Paul, 1956-1968;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, St. Paul, 1968-1979;
Pastor, St. Paul, Zumbrota, 1979-1982;
Administrator, St. Mary, Bellechester, 1979-1982;
Diocese of San Diego, 1982-1988;
Excardinated, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; incardinated, Diocese of San Diego, 1988
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Diocese of San Diego

Date permanently removed from ministry: Retired in 1998, limited ministry until 2012
Current location: Santee, Calif.
Current status: No longer in ministry, (determined by the Diocese of San Diego)

Joseph Pinkosh
Date of birth: 10/27/1943 (Age 70)
Date of ordination: 1969

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1969-1972;
Associate priest, St. Wenceslaus, New Prague, 1972-1974;
Associate priest, Holy Cross, Minneapolis, 1974-1981;
Pastor, St. Patrick, Shieldsville, 1981-1992
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1992
Current location: Columbia Heights, Minn.
Current status: Left ministry in 1992

Francis Reynolds
Date of birth: 9/5/1922, deceased
Date of ordination: 1955

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Maternity of Mary, St. Paul, 1955-1957;
Associate priest, St. Patrick, St. Paul, 1957-1964;
Associate priest, Visitation, Minneapolis, 1964-1966;
Associate priest, St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley, 1966-1968;
Pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo, 1968-1985;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1985-1986;
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1987
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1988

Richard Skluzacek
Date of birth: 8/10/1932, deceased
Date of ordination: 1957

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Stanislaus, St. Paul, 1957-1964;
Administrator, St. Stanislaus, St. Paul, 1964-1966;
Associate priest, St. Stephen, Anoka, 1966-1967;
Associate priest, Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1967-1968;
Administrator, Most Holy Trinity, Veseli, 1968-1973;
Administrator, St. Nicholas, New Market, 1970-1974;
Pastor, Most Holy Trinity, Veseli, 1974;
Pastor, Corpus Christi, Roseville, 1974-1978;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 1978-1990;
Chaplain, Veterans Medical Center, Minneapolis, 1990-1998;
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2005
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2012

Michael Stevens
Date of birth: 12/24/1954 (Age 58)
Date of ordination: 1980

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1980-1982;
Associate priest, Epiphany, Coon Rapids, 1982-1988;
In residence, St. Mark, St. Paul, 1988;
In residence, St. Adalbert, St. Paul, 1988-2003
Resigned, 2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Believed to be residing in St. Paul, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Thomas Stitts
Date of birth: 5/5/1935, deceased
Date of ordination: 1962

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1962-1965;
Associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 1965-1966;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1966-1970;
Associate priest, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 1970;
Administrator, St. Leo, St. Paul, 1970-1973;
Pastor, St. George, Long Lake, 1973-1980;
Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Brighton, 1980-1985
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 1985
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1985

Robert Thurner
Date of birth: 11/25/1925 (Age 88)
Date of ordination: 1951

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park, 1951-1963;
Administrator, Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park, 1959;
Associate priest, St. Luke, St. Paul, 1963-1967;
Pastor, St. Michael, Prior Lake, 1967-1970;
Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Hopkins, 1970-1983;
Associate priest, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 1983-1986;
Temporary administrator, St. Edward, Bloomington, 1986;
Pastor, St. Therese, St. Paul, 1986-1991
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Maplewood, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Clarence Vavra
Date of birth: 3/13/1939 (Age 74)
Date of ordination: 1965

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 1965-1969;
Associate priest, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1969-1970;
Associate priest, St. Peter, North St. Paul, 1970-1971;
Associate priest, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1971-1972;
Absent, 1972-1973;
Associate priest, St. Matthew, St. Paul, 1973-1975;
Diocese of Rapid City, 1975-1976;
Associate priest, Holy Spirit, St. Paul, 1976-1977;
Pastor, Sacred Heart Rush City, 1977-1978;
Administrator, St. Gregory, North Branch, 1977-1978;
Associate priest, St. Wenceslaus, New Prague, 1979;
Associate priest, St. Jerome, Maplewood, 1979-1981;
Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Maplewood, 1981-1986;
Unassigned, 1986-1987;
Temporary administrator, St. Genevieve, Centerville, 1987;
Pastor, St. Nicholas, New Market, 1987-1992;
Temporary administrator, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1992-1993;
Pastor, St. Philip, Minneapolis, 1993-1996;
Sabbatical, 1996-1997;
Associate priest, Nativity of Mary, Cleveland, 1997;
Associate priest, Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery, 1997-2003;
Associate priest, St. Patrick, Shieldsville, 1997-2003;
Retired, 2003
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: New Prague, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Joseph Wajda
Date of birth: 2/9/1947 (Age 66)
Date of ordination: 1973

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate priest, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1973-1977;
Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1977-1981;
Administrator, Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights, 1980-1981;
Associate priest, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, 1982-1986;
Temporary administrator, St. Joseph, Waconia, 1986;
Temporary administrator, Sts. Peter and Paul, Loretto, 1986;
Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Minneapolis, 1986-1987;
Pastor, St. Andrew, St. Paul, 1987-1989;
Associate priest, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 1990-1991;
Student, Catholic University of America, 1992-1994;
Judicial Vicar, Metropolitan Tribunal, St. Paul, 1996-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry

Raymond Walter
Date of birth: 7/28/1915, deceased
Date of ordination: 1941

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center, 1964-1978, 1981-1989
Diocese or religious order: Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists)

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2003
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2003

Curtis Wehmeyer
Date of birth: 9/28/1964 (Age 49)
Date of ordination: 2001

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Associate pastor, St. Joseph, West St. Paul, 2001-2006;
Parochial administrator, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 2006-2009;
Pastor, St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Paul, 2009-2011;
Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul, 2009-2012
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2012
Current location: Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud, Minn.
Current status: Permanently removed from ministry. Incarcerated

Robert Zasacki
Date of birth: 5/13/1940, deceased
Date of ordination: 1967

Cleric’s prior assignments in archdiocese:

Entered archdiocese from Archdiocese of Newark, 1979;
St. Bridget, Lindstrom, 1982-1983;
St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, 1983-1984:
Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul, 1984-1985;
Administrator, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1985-1987;
Incardinated, 1987;
Pastor, St. Peter, Forest Lake, 1987-1989;
Pastor, St. Peter, Delano, 1989-1995;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Delano, 1989-1995;
Pastor, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale, 1995-2001;
Pastor, St. Joseph, Hopkins, 2001-2002
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.

Date permanently removed from ministry: 2002
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 2008

Clergy included on John Jay Commission list with unsubstantiated claims

We have disclosed above the names of 29 of the 33 priests on the list provided to the John Jay Commission in 2004 by the archdiocese. We have been able to determine that those 29 priests had substantiated claims asserted against them of sexually abusing a minor. We have not determined that the other four priests had substantiated claims against them of sexually abusing a minor. In fact, we were unable to verify any claim in two of the four cases. Nevertheless, in deference to a recent order from the Ramsey County District Court, we are listing these four priests separately below with further explanation on each.

Eugene Corica
Date of birth: 7/31/1933 (Age 80)
Date of ordination: 1960

Parish assignments:

Associate priest, St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights, 1974-1979;
Pastor, St. Bridget, Minneapolis, 1979-1983;
Associate pastor, St. Raphael, Crystal, 1983-1985;
Temporary administrator, Holy Childhood, St. Paul, 1985;
Administrator, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1985-1987;
Pastor, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, 1987-1995
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1995
Current location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Current status: Left ministry in 1995

Eugene Corica was accused of having sexual relationships with adult women. No claim of sexual abuse of a minor was made or substantiated against Corica. We have not been able to determine why he was included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission.

Robert Loftus
Date of birth: 12/22/1930 (Age 82)
Date of ordination: 1963

Parish assignments:

Assistant pastor, St. Stephen, Anoka, 1963-1966;
Assistant pastor, Christ the King, Minneapolis, 1966-1967;
Assistant pastor, St. Mary’s Basilica, 1967-1971;
Pastor, St. Frances Cabrini, Minneapolis, 1971-1977
Leave of absence, 1977
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1977
Current location: Coon Rapids, Minn.

Current status: Laicized in 1977

Robert Loftus was credibly accused of sexual misconduct with a “young woman” in the early 1970’s. We do not have knowledge of the complainant’s age at the time of the misconduct. An independent investigator was hired to review the file and advise on whether Loftus should be disclosed as a “substantiated claim.” To date, the investigator has not determined whether a claim of sexual abuse of a minor was or can be substantiated. The investigation is continuing, and our disclosures will be updated when the investigation is completed.

Patrick Ryan
Date of birth: 12/2/1892, deceased
Date of ordination: 1919

Parish assignments:

Associate priest, St. Mary, St. Paul, 1919;
Associate priest, St. Clement, Minneapolis, 1919-1921;
Associate priest, St. Stephen, Minneapolis, 1921-1922;
Associate priest, Immaculate Conception, Faribault, 1922-1933;
Pastor, St. John, Ortonville (New Ulm), 1933-1943;
Pastor, Guardian Angels, Hastings, 1943-1965
Diocese or religious order: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date no longer in ministry: 1965
Current location: Deceased
Current status: Died in 1965

Patrick Ryan was accused posthumously in 2002 of sexually abusing a minor in 1961, and was consequently included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission. The Archdiocese subsequently met with the complainant and hired a private investigative firm. The firm investigated the matter through more than two dozen conversations and face-to-face meetings with the complainant as well as interviews with more than a dozen persons thought to have information relevant to the claim against Ryan. The private investigative firm reported that “this investigation found no credible, corroborating or supporting information which would validate [the] claim of sexual abuse.” The claim of sexually abusing a minor was never substantiated.

Roger Vaughn
Date of birth: 6/16/1948 (Age 65)
Date of ordination: 1977

Parish assignments:

Crosier Monastery and Seminary, Onamia, 1977-1980. Never assigned to ministry or residence in the archdiocese
Diocese or religious order: Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers)

Date no longer in ministry: 2000
Current location: Yonkers, N.Y.
Current status: Left the Crosier order in 2001

We have not been able to determine why Roger Vaughn was included in the list provided to the John Jay Commission. There is no record of Vaughn being assigned to ministry or residence in this Archdiocese. He was a priest of the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers) until he left the order in 2001. We do not have knowledge of any claims that Vaughn sexually abused a minor in this archdiocese.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date:Thursday, December 5, 2013

Source: Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt

Over the last several decades, some clergy members of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis unfortunately have violated the sacred trust placed in them by children, youth and their families by committing acts of sexual abuse.

This is a tragedy that has caused insufferable harm to victims, their families, parishioners and the Church. I must say once again to all victims of this abuse: I am so sorry for the pain you have endured. You have been on my mind and in my heart as I offer my daily prayers for you.

My staff and I are completely committed to combating the problem of sexual abuse and doing all we can to ensure that these horrors are never repeated in the Church. To that end, as I have been communicating to you over the last two months, we are evaluating and improving our policies and practices in our concerted effort to protect children and prevent sexual abuse.

Today, I am announcing the details of our new disclosure practices. These disclosures being made now, and the changes in our disclosure practices generally, are part of a comprehensive and cohesive set of actions we have been taking here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis this fall to address the issues associated with clergy sexual misconduct.

These decisions reflect not only a great deal of my own prayer and reflection, but also wise counsel provided by my staff and other advisers. I also have considered the practices of a number of other dioceses. As we progress with our disclosure, our practices may continue to evolve, including recommendations that may be made by the independent task force or through the review of our clergy files by an outside firm. Please be assured that I will let you know of any changes to the practices that may develop in the future.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL (MN)
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

[The archdiocese is having website problems. We have PDF’d the list from the Catholic Spirit digital edition for use until the web page is available from the archdiocese.]

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Catholic Register

Written by Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
Thursday, 05 December 2013

VATICAN CITY – For Pope Francis, the reform of the Catholic Church and its structures “isn’t a project, but an exercise of the Spirit” that will take time, said Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga.

The cardinal, co-ordinator of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals, which is working on the reform of the Roman Curia and advising him on Church governance, spoke about the Pope and his approach during a Dec. 4 book presentation at the Vatican.

Other cardinals on the council were in attendance as well for the presentation of Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro’s book, La Mia Porta ‘E Sempre Aperta (My Door is Always Open), an expanded version of the interview with Pope Francis published in Jesuit periodicals around the world in September.

Rodriguez said the title of the book could well be the main theme of Pope Francis’ pontificate.

“The theme of open doors is central to the preaching of Pope Francis,” he said, and signifies an attitude of trusting and welcoming others, but also — as far as Church doors go — refers to the Pope’s insistence that parishes welcome people in and let the Gospel out into the world.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
eNCA

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Thursday formed a committee to fight child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in a landmark initiative after thousands of abuses and cover-ups, but campaigners said the new body would be “toothless”.

While the composition and precise tasks of the committee are yet to be established, the Vatican said it could vet future priests and establish codes of conduct and guidelines for responding to allegations.

It could also propose ways of offering pastoral care to victims of abuse and look at ensuring greater cooperation between religious and lay investigators — a key bone of contention in many of the abuse scandals.

The announcement was made by US cardinal Sean O’Malley, one of the eight members of a new council of cardinals set up by Francis to advise him and on whose recommendation the committee is being set up. …

There was immediate support for the move in many parts of the Catholic world, with US priest and blogger Michael Duffy saying: “This is a big deal!”

In Italy, the Famiglia Cristiana weekly said it signalled a “crackdown” by the new pope.

But the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a US campaign group, said the initiative was “meaningless” and just “a toothless church panel”, arguing secular authorities should deal with clergy sex crimes.

“It’s like offering a band aid to an advanced cancer patient,” SNAP director David Clohessy said.

“Only decisive action helps, not more studies and committees and promises,” he added.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

UNITED STATES
NBC Chicago

By Mary Ann Ahern | Thursday, Dec 5, 2013

On the day that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis plan to disclose the names of roughly 30 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, the Vatican announced the Pope will form a new international commission to examine this crisis.

The Minnesota archdiocese sent an email to priests Wednesday saying 92 parishes have had at least one accused priest at some point – that’s nearly half of the 188 parishes there. Most of the allegations stem from the 1950s to the 1980s.

As for the new Vatican Commission, the Pope’s spokesman Rev. Thomas Rosica told NBC 5 in an email that the commission will be different than the one established in Chicago.

“What is new… it is a commission established by the Vatican at the universal level of the Church,” he said in the email. “What Cardinal Bernardin established was for Chicago.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

MINNESOTA
Jeff Anderson and Associates

December 5, 2013

Sexual Abuse Survivors React to Release of Secret List Containing Names of 33 Priests with Credible Abuse Allegations

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona ordered to release the names of 46 priests

WHAT: At a news conference today in St. Paul, sexual abuse survivors James Keenan, Al Michaud, and David Pususta, along with sexual abuse attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, will respond to the court-ordered release of a list containing the names of 33 priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“Today our communities are safer, survivors know that they are not alone, and law enforcement will have more information about the crimes committed within this Archdiocese,” said attorney Jeff Anderson, “we applaud each and every courageous survivor who has broken the silence and fought for this day.”

WHEN: Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 2:00PM CST

WHERE: Law Office of Jeff Anderson & Associates
366 Jackson Street
Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101

WHO: James Keenan, a sexual abuse survivor of Thomas Adamson at Risen Savior in Apple Valley, Minnesota; Al Michaud, a sexual abuse survivor of Fr. Jerome Kern at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Minnetonka, Minnesota; David Pususta, a sexual abuse survivor of Fr. John Brown at St. Mary’s in Waverly, Minnesota; Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, sexual abuse attorneys based in St. Paul, Minnesota who have represented hundreds of sexual abuse survivors.

Notes:
· Judge Van de North’s Order dated December 3, 2013, and the original Doe 1 complaint can be found on our website at www.andersonadvocates.com.

Contact Jeff Anderson: Office/651.227.9990 Cell/612.817.8665
Contact Mike Finnegan: Office/651.227.9990 Cell/612.205.5531

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Victims want accused priest disciplined
He’s accused of raping a pre-teen girl
Catholic officials supposedly “retired him”
But cleric still acts like a priest in public
He was on radio & TV as archdiocesan spokesman
Group urges others he hurt to “come forward & get help”
It also blasts SF church officials for “continued secrecy and inaction”
SNAP: For kids’ safety, Archbishop should put him in secure treatment center

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will disclose that a high-profile predator priest who was supposedly “retired” or “resigned” because of child sexual abuse allegations is still performing priestly functions in public, in violation of church abuse policy. They will urge

— Catholic officials to suspend him, discipline him, and put him in a treatment center,
–disclose any other allegations or settlements against him, and
— “aggressively reach out to anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered his crimes,” prodding them to “call police, expose wrongdoers, and protect others.”

Afterwards, they will try to hand deliver a letter to the SF archbishop urging him to post on his website the names, photos, whereabouts and work histories of all predator priests.

WHEN
Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 1 p.m.

WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the San Francisco archdiocesan headquarters 1 Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco CA 94109

WHO
Three-four members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
In 2002, a very high profile priest, Father Miles O’Brien Riley resigned or was “retired” by San Francisco Catholic officials after being accused of raping and sexually assaulting an eleven year old girl. But he still publicly functions as a priest and calls himself a priest, in what SNAP calls “a clear and egregious violation” of the church’s abuse policy.

According to BishopAccountability.org and news accounts, Fr. Riley is “an author, actor, and former church spokesman who was well-known for his radio ministry and as a fixture on the old God Squad TV show.” The SF Chronicle reports that he has “written many books, produced films and written and directed musical comedies, as well as hosting 1,500 television and 4,000 radio programs.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Gazzetta del Sud

Vatican City, December 5 – Pope Francis has decided to set up a special commission to advise him on how the Catholic Church should protect children and help the victims of sexual abuse by the clergy. A panel of eight cardinals who have been advising the pontiff on reforms suggested he set up the commission, the details of which will be described in depth in a forthcoming papal announcement. Officials said the commission will report on the current status of abuse victims, as well as propose clergy and laypersons to oversee the implementation of new initiatives. According the Vatican, those new initiatives will likely include guidelines and standards for the protection of children, training programs, criminal background checks and psychiatric evaluations for those who work with children and minors, and protocols for collaborating with civil authorities and for reporting offenses.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
AFP

Vatican City — Pope Francis on Thursday set up a committee to fight child sex abuse in the Catholic Church and give pastoral care to victims following a recommendation from a council of cardinals he has asked to advise him.

The announcement was made by US cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston and one of the eight members of the council, who said the precise composition of the new committee will be announced “in the near future”.

O’Malley said the council suggested the new committee on Wednesday and Francis approved it on Thursday, adding that the initiative was also in line with the zero tolerance approach of pope emeritus Benedict XVI.

“The Holy Father has decided to constitute a committee for the protection of children,” O’Malley said.
The committee could come up with codes of professional conduct for clergymen, guidelines for Church officials in individual countries on how to deal with misconduct and checks for would-be priests, O’Malley said.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
Buenos Aires Herald

The Vatican is to set up a special committee to improve measures to protect children against sexual abuse within the Church, the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, said.

“Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that,” O’Malley told reporters, referring to Pope Francis.
The commission of experts would “study these issues and bring concrete recommendations” for the Pope and the Vatican, he said.

O’Malley was speaking on the third and final day of a series of closed-door meetings between Pope Francis and a special commission of eight cardinals who are discussing the Vatican’s troubled administration.

The commission, named a month after the pope’s election, underlined his determination to push through reforms of the Vatican’s top-heavy administration and tackle festering scandals like the issue of sexual abuse of children by priests.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATICAN CITY
The Pilot

By Francis X. Rocca

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis accepted a proposal to set up a special commission on the sexual abuse of children, which will advise him on ways to prevent abuse and provide pastoral care for victims and their families.

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, a member of the pope’s advisory Council of Cardinals, announced the decision at a Vatican briefing for reporters Dec. 5, during a break in the council’s meetings with the pope.

The cardinal said the new commission would continue the work of Pope Benedict XVI against clerical sex abuse, and that among its tasks would be to “study the present programs in place for the protection of children, and to come up with suggestions for new initiatives” by the Vatican, in collaboration with national bishops’ conferences and religious orders around the world.

According to the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Pope Francis heard the proposal on the afternoon of Dec. 4, during the second of three days of meetings with his 8-member Council of Cardinals, and announced his decision to the council the following morning.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ESPANA
El Mundo

Pese a que al cura de Borja (Zaragoza), Florencio Garcés, el juez le imputa delitos de apropiación indebida, de 185.183,63 euros, y contra la libertad sexual, su pueblo se ha volcado con el sacerdote “casi más que antes”, incluida Cecilia Giménez, la pintora local que hizo los retoques a la ya famosa obra del eccehomo.

El apoyo al cura es de tal envergadura que ya suman tres las concentraciones multitudinarias y “espontáneas”, que se han celebrado en la plaza del pueblo desde el pasado viernes cuando fue detenido el sacerdote, explica a Efe el alcalde, Francisco Miguel Arilla.

Los vecinos de Borja “primero se llevaron mucha sorpresa, porque nadie se iba a imaginar lo que iba a pasar, pero prácticamente el apoyo es total”, describe el alcalde; “incluso más que antes”, agrega.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

SPAIN
UPI

BORJA, Spain, Dec. 5 (UPI) — Police said they arrested a Spanish priest — from a church where a woman defaced a fresco of Jesus while trying to restore it — on sex and fraud charges.

The Rev. Florencio Garces, 70, was one of six men arrested Friday as part of a sting called Operation Thorn Tree, TheLocal.es reported.

He was released after his arrest but was remanded in custody without bail Thursday, Spain’s El Mundo newspaper said.

Garces allegedly embezzled $251,000 from the parish where he worked in Borja in the Zaragoza region.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

VATIKAN
Basler Zeitung

Franziskus bringt seine Reform der katholischen Kirche voran: Ein neues Gremium soll Kinder vor sexuellem Missbrauch schützen und den Opfern seelsorgerische Hilfe anbieten.

Angesichts zahlreicher Fälle von Kindesmissbrauch in der katholischen Kirche setzt Papst Franziskus einen Ausschuss für den Schutz der Kinder ein. Das Gremium soll Kinder vor sexuellem Missbrauch schützen und den Opfern seelsorgerische Hilfe anbieten.

Das teilte der Erzbischof von Boston, Kardinal Sean O’Malley, heute im Vatikan mit. Der Ausschuss soll zum Beispiel über die Situation der Opfer berichten und neue Initiativen erarbeiten. Die Zusammensetzung des Gremiums soll bald bekanntgegeben werden.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

ESPANA
La Informacion

Prisión provisional sin fianza para el cura de Borja por los delitos de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y abuso sexual

* La jueza ha enviado a prisión sin fianza a Florencio, el cura de Borja, acusado de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y de otro delito de abuso sexual.
* La jueza habría tomado declaración por segunda vez tanto al parroco como a otros cinco testigos, a los que habría decidido dejar en libertad provisional.

La jueza ha enviado a prisión sin fianza a Florencio, el cura de Borja, acusado de apropiación indebida de 210.000 euros y de otro delito de abuso sexual, según publica Telecinco en su página web.El cura ha declarado por segunda vez ante la jueza, que ha decidido dejar en libertad provisional a los otros cinco imputados. La parroquia de Borja adquirió fama internacional tras los retoques que una vecina pintora local hizo al Ecce Homo, que se exhibe en una iglesia del pueblo.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.