Catholic Organization Releases List of Priests, Brothers Accused of Sex Abuse

By Angela Ingram
WKRC
October 11, 2019

https://local12.com/news/local/catholic-organization-releases-list-of-priests-brothers-accused-of-sex-abuse

FAIRFIELD, Ohio (WKRC) - Seven priests and four brothers associated with a Cincinnati-based organization are accused of sex abuse.

Glenmary Home Missioners released a list Friday. The report was self-initiated. The religious organization hired a retired FBI investigator to look into potential abusers and come up with this list.

The names go back as far as 1941. They are the names of four brothers and seven priests who were members of Glenmary Home Missioners.

A spokesman for the religious organization says Glenmary did its own investigation after the scandals of sex abuse involving former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked.

“This list is the result of more than a year-long forensic review that Glenmary leadership commissioned,“ John Stegeman of Glenmary said. “Glenmary determines a credible allegation as a preponderance of evidence that is more likely true than not true.“

Glenmary sends priests and brothers to rural areas on missions and to establish Catholic ministries.

“We establish food pantries, outreach ministries, different things like that,“ Stegeman said.

Most of the accused abusers are deceased. Brother Al Behm is still living but left Glenmary in 1993. Tony Jablonowski is no longer a priest and served time in prison for abuse of a minor while he was a priest in the state of Wyoming.

“They do run background checks, criminal background checks,” Stegeman said.

The most recent accusation is from 10 years ago. Glenmary says it does psychological examinations in addition to background checks on the men who join the organization. The organization says it is committed to preventing sex abuse by priests and brothers.

Stegeman said, “If an allegation comes forward, the first thing Glenmary does is follow its plans and procedures. That includes getting the accused person, be it a priest or a brother out of ministry. Then, as soon as that happens, we notify local law enforcement about the accusation."

The sex abuse survivor network called, “SNAP Cincinnati,” released a statement as well which reads:

“This list, while a step in the right direction, is a minimal effort to get needed information into the hands of the public. The list does not provide all the transparency it could or should. Nowhere does it contain information related to when Glenmary officials received allegations against each named person, nor what actions those officials took upon learning of the allegations. In order to ensure that future crimes are prevented and that cover-ups are exposed, it is important to know who knew what, when they knew it, and what they did in response. We urge the Glenmary leadership to disclose all relevant information in an effort to allow possible survivors to have enough information about an abuser to be confident enough to come forward and get the help they need. This would include links to the websites of each diocese to which the listed missionaries were assigned so that the public can see if each missionary is listed on both sites.”

Glenmary is asking people to come forward if they’ve been abused by a member of Glenmary Home Missioners. The number is 513–881–7402. Officials also urge anyone with credible allegations to contact their local law enforcement agency.