5 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
Fr. Francis Arakal
From India. Arrived in the U.S. in 1998. Placed on leave in 4/02, reinstated in 7/02. A woman filed suit in 9/02 claiming Arakal had touched her 13-year-old daughter on her breasts in a sexual manner in 2001. Also accused of touching the breasts and pelvic area of younger daughter. One girl told another priest who told Arakal; both men confronted the girl. Jury cleared Arakal of sexual battery but awarded family $20K for way the two priests responded. In 2009 Arakal was parochial vicar at St. Bernard in Tracy, CA.
Fr. Thomas Behnke
A suit filed in 10/02 by a Dallas-area man alleged Behnke abused him as a boy at St. Mary of Carmel in Oak Cliff 1978-80; Behnke denied charges. Per 2003 news, he was living at the Servants of the Paraclete treatment facility in Jemez Springs, NM. Dallas diocese denied sending him there and the order wouldn't comment. Five more plaintiffs joined the suit. Settled for $4.65M 10/09. All but $500K of the settlement came from the order. Also worked in OK. Died 11/9/08. On Dallas diocese and San Antonio archdiocese's lists 1/31/19. Accused in 2017 of abuse of a San Antonio boy in the 1970s. On Oklahoma City archdiocese's list 10/3/19.
Assignments:
Sources:
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. Apparently worked at St. Margaret Mary parish in the Tucson diocese between 1955 and 1963. He left the diocese in 1963. As of 2005 he was living in a retirement facility run by the Order. A 3/03 article reports credible accusations of child molestation against him. Placed on leave.
Fr. Joseph Puthenkandam
Member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI). Name quietly added, along with 23 others, to the Los Angeles archdiocese's Final Addendum posted on its website 1/31/13.