Society of the Divine Word – SVD

Return to main database page. See abbreviations and posting policy. Send corrections.

Terry McKiernan February 27, 2021

19 Accused in This Religious Order

Fr. Michael John Carew

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1946
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA

Worked in the Archdiocese of Accra, Ghana, from the late 1957 until his transfer to Boston in 1957. Incardinated into Boston in 1964. Voluntarily laicized in 1971. Accused in 2002 of sexually abusing two girls in the early 1960s. There may also be a third female victim. Carew was assigned to Immaculate Conception in Newburyport 4/60-2/63. Per the Boston archdiocesan list on 8/25/11, he was publicly accused on other grounds after his laicization.

Assignments:

Sources:

Fr. Richard Daschbach

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1964
Status: Indicted

Diocese: Archdiocese of Chicago IL

Ordained for the SVD's Chicago Province. Pittsburgh PA native. At Catholic U. in Washington DC and hospital chaplain at Fort Belvoir VA 1964-66. Went to Timor, Indonesia in 1966 where he spent the next five-plus decades. Accused in early 2018 of sexually abusing at least two dozen girls at Topu Honis Shelter Home, which he founded in 1993. Child pornography also involved. Admitted the allegations to police. Laicized 11/06/18. Refused to leave the orphanage and still saying mass, per SVD Superior General in 2/19. Arrested 4/26/19. Released on house arrest. Trial started in 3/21, postponed to 5/21 due to covid-19, then to 6/7/21. Reportedly threatened the life of the human rights lawyer representing the victims in 7/21, at the district court. Indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington D.C. 8/26/21, charged with 7 counts of illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.

Sources:

Br. Clifton Raymond Etienne

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1979
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of San Bernardino CA

Accused in a civil suit of abuse at Divine Word Seminary in Riverside when he was a religious brother, prior to ordination. Assigned as a priest to St. Patrick's parish in the Oakland diocese 1979-80, St. Anthony's in San Bernardino 1981-88, then back to Divine Word Seminary 1988-98. Died in 5/98. Personnel file released10/25/10. On San Diego diocese's 9/18 list.

Assignments:

Diocese of San Diego list 09.14.18

Sources:

Fr. Joseph Fertal

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1959
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of San Bernardino CA

Working in the Philippines in 1989 when suspected of abuse. Returned to his order's seminary in Riverside, CA, then asssigned to parishes. Accused in 1995 of molesting a 16-year-old boy from a catechism class. Civil suit filed in 1996; later settled out of court. Criminal investigation dropped for lack of evidence. Forced by church officials to leave a CA retirement home in 2002 after it learned of his past history. In treatment several times. Added to Scranton diocese's list in 12/18. Living in Chicago at the time.

Sources:

Fr. Dominic T. Gaioni

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1967
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Accused of abuse of a minor in 1977, per LA Archdiocese report in 2004. Included on San Bernardino diocese's list 10/9/18, where he worked 1986-92 at St. Catherine of Siena in Rialto.

Assignments:

LA Times Database 04.20.06

Sources:

LA Archdiocesan Report 02.17.04
Diocese of San Bernardino list 10.09.18

Fr. Melvin P. James

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1975
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Named publicly as accused on the Los Angeles archdiocese's updated list 12/6/18. Allegations reported in 2015 of abuse in the 1990s.

Sources:

Archdiocese of Los Angeles Update 12.06.18

Fr. Conrad Kinder

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1921
Status: Accused

Died: 01/2/1978
Diocese: Diocese of Austin TX

Named publicly as accused by the Austin diocese on its list 1/31/19. Died in 1978. Included in 2020 on the Diocese of Little Rock's list, where he was assigned to St. Bartholomew 1929-46.

Assignments:

Diocese of Austin Assignments

Sources:

Fr. Ronald Lange

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1971
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Chicago IL

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Chicago Province of the Society of the Divine Word on its list in 4/21. Abuse occurred in Ghana, Africa over "multiple years" and in Iowa in 1987. Worked in Ghana 1968-91 and 1996-2013, in the U.S. 1991-96. Living in Dittmer MO from 2013 at least through 4/21. Per his order, Lange is monitored and is prohibited from public ministry and contact with minors.

Assignments:

Society of the Divine Word List April 2021

Sources:

Fr. Pius Lawe

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Ordained: 2005
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston TX

Named publicly as accused by the Galveston-Houston archdiocese on its list 1/31/19. Removed from ministry in 2009.

Sources:

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston List 01.31.19

Fr. Patrick Lee

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1967
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Named publicly as accused by the Jackson diocese on its list 3/19/19. Alleged abuse in 1988 in Vicksburg reported same year to the diocese. Removed from ministry 1988.

Sources:

Diocese of Jackson List 03.19.19

Fr. Nilo C. Martins

Order: SVD
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Archdiocese of Philadelphia PA

Brazilian pediatrician and order priest. Convicted 1985 of abuse of boy, age 12. Sent for treatment before conviction. Served only about 5 weeks of 23-46 month sentence. Immediately deported/returned to Brazil. Remained active priest there for for many years.

Sources:

Fr. Andrew Masters

Order: SVD
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of New Orleans LA

First named publicly as accused on the New Orleans archdiocese's list 11/2/18. Allegation received 1993.

Sources:

Archdiocese of New Orleans list 11.02.18

Br. Edmundus Murphy

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Erie PA

First named publicly as accused in the PA Grand Jury Report 8/14/18. Allegation to diocese in 12/07 from Murphy's order that in 1964 Murphy sexually abused a male student at Sacred Heart High School in Girard. Murphy was the school's wrestling coach. His accuser said Murphy had him wrestle naked like the ancient Greeks and Romans, then sodomized him. Murphy died in 10/14.

Assignments:

PA Grand Jury Report Profile 08.14.18

Sources:

Seminarian Kevin Phan

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Archdiocese of Chicago IL

Native of Vietnam. Student at the Society of the Divine Word, a Catholic missionary organization. Charged with having 300 images of child pornography on his computer and posting 30 of them on the Internet. Expelled from the Seminary after charges filed. Pled guilty 12/04 to 1 count; balance of charges dropped.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

Sources:

Chicago Tribune 03.13.04
Chicago Sun-Times 03.14.04
Northbrook Star 12.23.04
Phan v Leis, C-050842, Court of Appeals Ohio 11.09.06

Fr. Ponciano M. Ramos

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1985
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Archdiocese of Indianapolis IN

From the Philippines. Pled guilty in 1993 to three misdemeanors in connection with strip-search of young boys in Indianapolis after they set off stink bombs in parish school. Sentenced to 18-month suspended sentence and 15 months probation. He was moved to Chicago and then to the San Bernardino, CA diocese. Placed on leave in 4/02. Allowed to return to restricted duty with Order in 2003. Included on the San Bernardino diocese's list in 10/18; noted to be permanently banned from ministry in the diocese.

Sources:

Fr. Lukas Bao Teluma

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1975
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Accused of abuse of a minor in 1995, per 2004 archdiocesan report. Remained an active priest in 2004.

Assignments:

LA Times Database 04.20.06

Sources:

LA Archdiocesan Report 02.17.04

Fr. Vance Zebulon Thorne

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1954
Status: Sued

Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Accused of abuse of one person in early 1970s per LA archdiocesan report in 2004. Also worked in dioceses of Austin TX (1961-1971), Jackson MS (1980-1987), and Trenton NJ. At least 3 civil suits and 2 criminal indictments filed 1986-87 in MS. One plaintiff claimed abuse by Thorne 1980-86 beginning when he was age 14 in at Holy Ghost church in the Jackson diocese. Another alleged abuse at the same parish as a 9-year-old boy. Thorne died 11/04. On Jackson diocese's list 3/19/19. It notes alleged abuse in 1986 reported same year, removed from diocese 1987.

Assignments:

LA Times Database 04.20.06

Sources:

Fr. John H. Wadeson

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1969
Status: Reinstated

Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Accused of abuse of two 1973-77, per 2004 L.A. archdiocesan report. Also worked in New York and/or Brooklyn, Trenton NJ and Portland OR dioceses. Banned from working in L.A. archdiocese; in 2014 was found working as priest in Guam, apparently since at least 2000. Idenitified himself as an "Australian priest of the Archdiocese of Agana in Guam, Micronesia." Guam Archdiocese Directory indicated he was incardinated there but assigned to Neocatechumenal Center in San Francisco, CA. Removed from active ministry 07/22/14; archdiocese admitted it knew of past allegations in 2000 when he was incardinated. As of 7/23/14, left Guam, possibly to San Francisco. Denied all allegations. SF archdiocese withdrew privileges as of 07/21/14. Reinstatement to Agana archdiocese announced 4/15/15 after L.A. archdiocese reviewed case and said, since there appeared to have been no settlement and Wadeson was not convicted, Wadeson was "a priest in good standing."

Assignments:

LA Times Database 04.20.06

Sources:

Fr. Vincent Casimer Waiches

Donate Photo

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1946
Status: Accused

Died: 06/18/1995
Diocese: Diocese of Austin TX

Named publicly as accused by the Austin diocese on its list 1/31/19. Died 1995. It notes Waiches was previously a Divine Word priest, later a San Diego diocesan priest. On Jackson diocese's list 3/19/19. No information as to when accused or where or when alleged abuse occurred.

Assignments:

Diocese of Austin Assignments

Sources: