6 Accused in This Religious Order
- BA.org Assignment Record
- Diocese of Dallas Priest Details
- Archdiocese of Oklahoma City List Updated 01.21.20
- Dallas Morning News 05.18.03
- Albuquerque Journal 02.10.04
- Dallas Morning News 05.19.05
- Dallas Morning News 07.14.06
- Chicago Tribune 11.16.08
- Dallas Morning News 10.17.09
- Statement by Plaintiffs’ Attorney 10.17.09
- Dallas Morning News 10.21.09
- Latin American Herald Tribune 10.23.09
- Houston Chronicle 08.12.10
- KFOR 08.13.10
- SNAP Statement 08.26.10
- SNAP Statement 12.16.10
- Archiocese of San Antonio List 01.31.19
- Diocese of Dallas List 01.31.19
- Archdiocese of Oklahoma City List 10.03.19
- The Oklahoman 10.04.19
Fr. Francis Arakal
From India. Arrived in the U.S. in 1998. Placed on leave in 4/2002, reinstated in 7/2002. A woman filed suit in 9/2002 claiming Arakal had touched her two daughters, ages 11and 13, in 2001. One of the girls told another priest who told Arakal; both men confronted the girl. A jury cleared Arakal of sexual battery but awarded the family $20K for way the two priests responded. In 2009 Arakal was parochial vicar at St. Bernard in Tracy, CA.
Fr. Thomas Behnke
Full name Richard Thomas Behnke. Accused of sexually abusing at least six boys in several dioceses, all beginning when the boys were in about the sixth grade. There were at least two formal complaints to religious authorities, one in 1959 and another in 1963. The abuse is said to have occurred in parish rectories and on trips. Behnke organized religious retreats for boys under the age of 15 to Mexico, Japan, Ireland, Greece, and France. A suit filed in 10/2002 by a Dallas-area man alleged Behnke abused him as a boy at St. Mary of Carmel in Oak Cliff 1978-1980; Behnke denied charges. Per 2003 news, he was living at the Servants of the Paraclete treatment facility in Jemez Springs, NM. The Dallas Diocese denied sending him there and the Order wouldn't comment. Five more plaintiffs joined the suit. Settled for $4.65M 10/2009. All but $500K of the settlement came from the Order. Also worked in OK. Died 11/9/2008. Included on the Dallas Diocese and San Antonio Archdiocese's lists 1/31/2019. Accused in 2017 of abuse of a San Antonio boy in the 1970s. On Oklahoma City Archdiocese's list 10/3/2019.
Assignments:
Sources:
Fr. Gabriel Hentrich
Named publicly as accused by the Dallas diocese and the San Antonio archdiocese on their lists 1/31/19. Accused in 2018 of sexually abusing a child in the 1950s. Hentrich died in 1992.
Fr. Mark Kristy
Reportedly trained as a psychotherapist after his 1985 ordination and was assigned to parishes in Tucson AZ and Los Angeles CA, moving later to the Oakville Carmelited House of Prayer in the Santa Rosa diocese. In 2015 the Diocese of Sacramento received an allegation that Kristy sexually abused a girl under the age of 14 from 2001 through 2004. Kristy was not assigned in the diocese; the abuse occurred during visits to the area. Convicted. Sentenced in 2022 to one year in jail and five years' probation. Released from jail after six months. Living in 2024 in Napa County.
Fr. Denis O. Lynch
Included in 1/19 on the Galveston-Houston archdiocese's list of accused. Removed from ministry in 1993. Died in 2015.
Fr. Francis Miller
Ordained for the Order of Discalced Carmelites in 1949. Assigned to St. Margaret Mary parish in the Tucson diocese 1955-1963. Left the diocese in 1963. As of 2005 he was living in a retirement facility run by the Order. A 3/2003 article reports credible accusations of child molestation against him. Placed on leave. Per the diocese's list in 3/2024, Miller is deceased.