13 Accused in This Religious Order
Fr. John Joseph Berube
Member of Missionary Fathers of La Salette. Died in 1998. Four men filed suit spring 2003 alleging that they were abused by Berube over a 6-month period in 1965, when he was assigned to St. Theresa of Avila church. Parents complained; Berube was transferred shortly thereafter. Worked in Canada and in Boston. Settled 4/04 just before trial. On diocese's list in 2019. It notes "priestly service" in diocese "terminated in 1965."
Fr. Richard Roy Boucher
Priest of the Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSalette. Named publicly as accused on the Atlanta archdiocese's list 11/6/18. Worked in the archdiocese at Our Lady of LaSalette. Removed from ministry in 1992. Died in 2020.
Seminarian Kenneth Joseph Cassity
Seminarian of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette. Arrested in 4/02 in Lake Wales, FL, where he had been working since 11/01/01 as director of youth ministry at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Charges related to accusations of abuse of three boys in 7/99-12/00 while working at St. Ann's in East Cobb, GA. Pled guilty in 7/03 to molesting twelve-year-old twin boys. The third boy was age 16 when allegedly abuse. Sentenced to six years in prison and nine years' probation The family sued; settled in 12/03 for $10M. Cassity died in 2006. Included on the archdiocese's list 11/6/18. Also reportedly worked 1994-99 in Silver Spring MD as youth ministry at St. John the Baptist, and briefly at Sacred Heart in Glyndon, MD between his assignments in GA and FL.
Fr. Eugene Adalbert Dranka
Two people settled claims against Dranka as part of 2004 $7.5M settlement reached between 45 claimants and the Diocese of Springfield involving 18 priests. This was first time Dranka had been publicly identified as accused. From Three Rivers. Worked in parishes in Westfield and Bondsville as well as LaSallette settings in TX and NH. Died at age 66 in 1974. Added to the Springfield diocese's list 5/2/21, with multiple credible allegations noted, occurring 1966-68. Assigned to the diocese 1964-74.
Assignments:
Sources:
Fr. Albert A. Fredette
Priest of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette (M.S.) Named publicly by the Fall River diocese in 1/21 on its list of accused (as Alfred, other sources show his name as Albert A). Assigned to the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro. Per his obituary, Fredette had many assignments across the US, the Philippines and Canada. Died in 6/26/2000 in Attleboro MA.
Fr. Alphonse Rodrigue Hemond
Ordained for the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette. Incardinated into the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in 1978. Worked in West Warwick, RI; Ontario, Canada; Baton Rouge, Scotlandvilee and Maringouin, LA. Retired and died in 1990. Allegations received in 11/92, 5/02 and 6/02 of abuse in the 1960s-1970s while at St. Tomas More in Baton Rouge. On Galveston-Houston's list 1/31/19. On Baton Rouge diocese's list 3/27/19. Noted to have left Baton Rouge in 1968.
Fr. Joseph Kettner
Kettner's name was included on the diocese's list 3/22/19 of clergy on whose behalf settlements were paid related to allegations of sexual abuse of minors. The allegations against Kettner were deemed not credible. He was accused of sexually abusing two girls, ages 7-8, in 1979 and 1970. He died 3/6/2002.
Fr. Peter D. Kohler
Priest of the Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSallette (M.S.). On the Diocese of Rockford's list 11/14/18. Died in 2014.
Fr. Jeffrey L’Arche
LaSalette Missionaries priest. Pastor of two parishes in the Diocese of Albany NY 6/2/21 when when placed on leave after the Diocese of Springfield MA released a list of accused which included L'Arche. He allegedly sexually abused a minor in MA 1976-81. L'Arche denied the allegation and his order deemed it not credible. Also worked in CT and FL.
Fr. Gerard R. Miller
"Fr. Jerry." Priest of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette. Named in a suit by two men in 2019 of abusing them and other boys as teenagers for three years, beginning in 1984. The boys were residents of the Home for Wayward Boys in Knox. Miller allegedly raped and assaulted them, at times along with a visiting "Fr. Jim," in his bedroom at the Home, and on trips to Agawam, MA and Atlanta, GA. Said to have plied them with alcohol, drugs, and "lavish spending on shopping sprees" and to have threatened them if they resisted the abuse. In 1987 one boy told trusted adults who, along with a nun, contacted law enforcement. No charges, reportedly because the boy was too traumatized to give a full statement. In 7/19 a man said his son died by suicide just shy of age 18, having been abused by Miller. Order moved Miller to a Marietta, GA parish, then to England in 1989. He left the priesthood, married, and moved to FL.
Br. Edmund Normantowicz
La Salette Missionary. Per the 1989 Catholic Directory was also a permanent deacon in St. Louis. By 1999 he was a permanent deacon in the Lake Charles diocese. Named publicly as accused by the Lake Charles diocese on its list updated in 11/19. (Name misspelled Normanmtowicz, first name Edward, but is Edmund in Directories and father's 2014 obituary.) Lake Charles' list notes accusations of sexual abuse of minors, occurring 1976-78 and 1980 in Sulphur, LA and reported to the diocese in 2003 and 2019. Prohibited from ministry. Appears to have been long living with his order in Hartford, CT.
Fr. Louis J. Reczek
Priest of the LaSalette Province of Mary, Mother of the Americas Missionaries. Permanently removed by the order in 1974. Assigned in Peoria IL early career, including as a hospital chaplain. Active priest in FL 1970s and '80s until his death. Died in 1986, age 57. Named publicly as credibly accused by the Pensacola-Tallahassee diocese on its list in 2020.
Fr. Donald D. Simonds
Named publicly as accused by the Diocese of Springfield MA on its list 6/2/21. Worked in the diocese 1980-83 and 1984-97. Removed from ministry in 2002. Multiple credible allegations of the sexual abuse of minors, occurring 1979-83.