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  Additional People Alleging Schroeder Abused Them

By Susan Orr
Evansville Courier & Press
August 29, 2007

Additional people have come forward in the past week alleging abuse by the late Monsignor Othmar Schroeder, a Catholic Diocese of Evansville spokesman said Tuesday.

Schroeder founded Holy Family Church in Jasper, Ind., in 1947. He moved to Sacred Heart Church in Schnellville, Ind., in 1975 and served there until his death in 1988.

On the weekend of Aug. 18-19, Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger visited Holy Family and delivered an address in which he said Schroeder had "sexually violated some innocent young boys of the parish." The statement did not provide details regarding the dates of the abuses or how many victims were involved.

Because Schroeder also served at Sacred Heart, Gettelfinger visited that parish this past weekend to talk about the abuse, said diocese spokesman Paul Leingang.

Since the bishop's announcement at Holy Family, additional people have come forward saying they, too, were abused by Schroeder, Leingang said.

Leingang said he did not know which parish these new cases are affiliated with.

"There are more people who are coming forward, and I don't know what the point of contact was," Leingang said.

Anyone who has not already done so should contact the diocese to report cases of abuse, Leingang said.

The diocese is offering counseling to abuse victims.

St. Joseph Church in Jasper, Ind., will host a public worship service of healing from abuse. The date for that service has not been set.

 
 

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