• Bishop not Being Informed about More Sexual Abuse Allegations? [Russell]
WWLP,
www.wwlp.com/news2004/story.html?artID=46271 ,
May-07-2004
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS (WWLP) - This week we learned of another priest who'd worked in the Springfield diocese that has been accused of sexual abuse. But when exactly did the bishop learn of this accusation?
The question comes up because almost a week after the review board decided there was a credible accusation against former priest John Russell, the bishop was still telling us he knew of no other accusations against priests that might be about to come out. And we wanted to know why he didn't know.
According to the diocese, it was on April 22nd that the review board considered the complaint against the Reverend John Russell, decided it was credible and decided to inform Bishop McDonnell. So almost a week later, one might assume that bishop McDonnell would know of the allegation. But he apparently didn't when we asked him about it on his visit to Pittsfield on April 28th, six days later.
So why, 6 days after the review board decided there was a new, credible allegation, and decided to inform the bishop, did the bishop still not know? Laura Faila Reilly, the victim advocate who works with the board, says there's an explanation.
She says the church secretary was on vacation for a day, and then it was the weekend and the bishop probably only got a letter about the matter the day before our interview, and apparently hadn't gotten to it.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 07:07 PM]
(This is the first of the Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
for Sat May 08, 2004.)
INCOMPLETE LINKS: Refer back to "References 61" for methods of obtaining the URLs.
• Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach to join sex abuse settlement
[Maloney, Whipple; > $US 900,000]
Sun-Sentinel,
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0508palmcatholic,0,4467221.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines ;
The Associated Press, May 8 2004
WEST PALM BEACH (FL): The Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach will pay part of a settlement to a teenager who accused a now-retired priest of sexual misconduct.
Lawyers would not disclose the amounts to be paid by the diocese or the other defendants - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Port St. Lucie, another retired priest, the Rev. Donald Whipple, and his religious order, the Holy Cross Fathers.
The teen sued in March 2003, alleging Rev. Francis Maloney was naked in front of him, asked sex-related questions during counseling sessions and showed him pornographic letters and pictures. He also said he found Maloney in bed with another man.
"It would not be appropriate for us to comment," said diocese attorney C. Brooks Ricca.
The five-county diocese, based in Palm Beach Gardens, has acknowledged paying more than $900,000 to settle seven previous abuse or harassment claims.
Maloney's home insurance company agreed to pay $150,000 of the settlement. Exact terms of the settlement weren't release, but it is more than $150,000 and less than $1 million, according to lawyers and court documents.
• Mahoney deposition in O'Grady case stayed [1970s O'Grady, 94 cases]
Lodi News-Sentinel,
http://lodinews.com/articles/2004/05/08/news/06_mahony_040508.txt ,
By Ross Farrow, May 8 2004
CALIFORNIA: Orange County attorney John Manly had hoped to conduct a deposition of Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Los Angeles Archdiocese regarding allegations against former Lodi priest Oliver O'Grady on April 22.
But due to a stay issued by a Los Angeles judge, Mahony's deposition won't be held until late June or the first half of July, said two attorneys involved in clergy abuse cases.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles McCoy ordered a "coordination" of numerous clergy abuse cases in Northern California so that attorneys in 94 civil cases against Mahony won't ask the same questions over and over again. The cases have been assigned to Alameda County Superior Court.
O'Grady, who was a priest at Lodi's St. Anne's Catholic Church from 1971 to 1978, allegedly sexually assaulted several children -- Manly calls it "child rape" -- while at St. Anne's and other churches in the Stockton Diocese. The diocese is named in eight pending civil lawsuits involving O'Grady.
O'Grady was deported to his native Ireland shortly after he was paroled from state prison in late 2000. He served seven years at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione after pleading guilty in 1993 to four counts of sexual abuse with children under 14, according to Calaveras County court records.
• Toledo priest denies murdering nun in 1980 [Robinson]
Cincinnati Enquirer,
www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/05/08/loc_ohpriestslay08.html ,
By John Seewer, The Associated Press, May 8 2004
TOLEDO (OH): A priest accused of the ritualistic slaying of a nun 24 years ago pleaded innocent Friday to an aggravated murder charge.
The Rev. Gerald Robinson stood during the five-minute arraignment in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, resting his hands on a chair in front of him. He is charged with strangling and stabbing Sister Margaret Ann Pahl over Easter weekend in 1980.
Robinson spoke just once, to confirm that he would give up his right to appear at the pretrial hearing, which Judge Patrick Foley set for May 24. His sister-in-law was among those attending the hearing.
"He's holding up well, but I don't want to talk about anything personal," Robinson's attorney, Alan Konop, said after the hearing.
Robinson was released from jail last week after supporters put together four pieces of property to post a $400,000 property bond to cover his $200,000 bail.
• Robinson pleads not guilty [1980 nun dead]
Toledo Blade,
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040508/NEWS02/405080347/-1/NEWS ,
By MARK REITER, May 8 2004
TOLEDO (OH): The Rev. Gerald Robinson yesterday made his first appearance in Lucas County Common Pleas Court to face a charge accusing him of choking to death and stabbing a nun 24 years ago at Mercy Hospital.
John Thebes, an attorney for Father Robinson, entered a plea of not guilty to the sole count of aggravated murder.
Judge Patrick Foley continued the case to May 24 for a pretrial hearing.
If convicted, the semi-retired Roman Catholic priest could face life in prison with eligibility for parole after 20 years.
Father Robinson, 66, is accused of the April 5, 1980, murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl in a chapel at the hospital.
The 71-year-old nun was strangled and then stabbed up to 32 times in what investigators have called a ceremonial killing.
Father Robinson, dressed all in black except for a white clerical collar, stood with his defense team - Mr. Thebes, Alan Konop, and John Callahan - for the five-minute hearing.
The defendant and his attorneys entered the courtroom from an area adjoining the courtroom that is only accessible by the judge's staff and attorneys.
• Council president shows proof of his U.S. citizenship [Verse, Weeks]
Tri-Valley Herald,
www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10671~2133443,00.html ,
By Heather MacDonald
OAKLAND (CA): Firing back at his critics, Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente released documents to ANG Newspapers this week proving that he is a naturalized citizen.
Questions about his immigration status have dogged De La Fuente, who was born in Mexico City in 1949, since he entered Oakland politics more than a decade ago.
"I chose to do this on Cinco de Mayo on purpose, to honor those Mexicans who fought and died to bring liberty and justice to all," De La Fuente said, referring to the holiday celebrating Mexican troops' defeat of the French Army on May 5, 1862. ...
However, Burns revived the issue several weeks ago after De La Fuente campaigned to shut down St. Patrick's Abbey in his Fruitvale district after the Rev. Donald Weeks offered Cary Verse, a sexually violent predator, a place to live after being released from prison. Neither the abbey nor Weeks is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.
While De La Fuente worked to shut down the abbey because of numerous code violations, Weeks was charged with 24 counts of orally copulating with a minor. The charges were later dismissed by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, citing lack of evidence.
"I was furious that these charges were brought without better evidence," Burns said. "I was ripping mad at the disregard for Weeks' rights, and wanted to give Ignacio a taste of his own medicine."
Burns said he refused to let the matter drop because he was "intrigued" by De La Fuente's refusal to answer the questions and put the issue to rest.
• Priest faces additional accusations [1980 Miller]
Pantagraph,
www.pantagraph.com/stories/050804/new_20040508025.shtml ,
By Associated Press, May 8 2004
PEORIA (IL): New allegations of sexual abuse have been leveled against a monsignor on leave from his job as head of a Peoria parish and two parochial schools, the Catholic Diocese of Peoria said.
Diocese officials said they could not yet say how many more have accused Monsignor Thomas Miller of sexual misconduct, or release details about times and places.
The new allegations have been leveled since last week, when news organizations reported Miller was accused of abusing a boy nearly 25 years ago, diocese Vice Chancellor Patricia Gibson said.
Miller was placed on administrative leave and agreed to refrain from public ministry during an investigation into the allegations.
Bishop Daniel Jenky held a meeting of the more than 220 priests in the diocese on Thursday to update them on various diocesan issues and to encourage them, said Monsignor Steven Rohlfs, vicar general of the diocese.
"He just wants to assure the priests of his prayers and his concerns," Rohlfs said. "He knows it's difficult when these things happen. When these things happen, it demoralizes them."
• Allegations against priests The Morning Call,
www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b2_5satb20508may08,0,3875756.story?coll=all-newslocal-hed
ALLENTOWN (PA): The Catholic Diocese of Allentown will argue in Lehigh County Court Wednesday against adding three cases to the list of those claiming sexual abuse by a priest. The diocese is seeking a motion to dismiss based on the statue of limitations. Six molestation cases were filed in Lehigh County Court and two other cases were filed in Schuylkill County.
• Head of watchdog board steps down Tri-Valley Herald,
www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10671~2135828,00.html ,
By Associated Press
CHICAGO (IL): The head of the National Review Board, a lay Roman Catholic body that monitors bishops' implementation of sexual abuse reforms, will soon leave that post.
Anne Burke, an Illinois Appellate Court judge, is among four of the board's 12 members who will depart in June, said William Burleigh, board spokesman and chairman of E.W. Scripps Co.
He said the others are Washington lawyer Robert Bennett, who led the major board report issued in February, former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta and Burleigh himself.
Burleigh said such turnover was to be expected. Board members have served nearly two years, devoting many hours to their unpaid positions.
However, there have been signs of tension between the board and America's bishops. For instance, Burke has been the board's acting chair since last June, when former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating quit and criticized some bishops for noncooperation.
• Donation spurs ethics complaint Telegram & Gazette,
http://telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040508/NEWS/405080326/1008/NEWS02 ,
by Kathleen A. Shaw, T&G STAFF, kshaw@telegram.com , May 8 2004
WORCESTER (MA): Mary T. Jean of the Worcester Voice said she has filed a complaint with the state Ethics Commission against District Attorney John J. Conte after he gave a $500 contribution from campaign funds to the Bishop's Fund of the Diocese of Worcester.
Mrs. Jean, a Leominster resident who advocates for victims of clergy sexual abuse in the Worcester Diocese and operates a Web site at www.worcestervoice.com, based her complaint on two issues. She said Mr. Conte has failed to properly investigate the Diocese of Worcester and its handling of clergy abuse complaints, and she said he has a pattern of giving money to the Catholic church and Catholic organizations but not to other religious denominations.
Both Mrs. Jean and Mr. Conte are Catholic.
A check of Mr. Conte's campaign finance expenditure records, which are open to public inspection, showed that he made a $500 donation to the Bishop's Fund on April 14. He gave the same amount each of the past two years, since the clergy abuse scandal became an issue in the Worcester Diocese.
The records showed that in the past six months, he also gave money to secular charitable organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, the American Red Cross, the United Way of Central Massachusetts and the Joe DiMaggio Little League.
Mr. Conte took strong exception to Mrs. Jean's complaint and said he has been giving to the Bishop's Fund for more than 35 years.
"The goals of this charity are consistent with the mission of the district attorney's office to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens," he said.
"Catholic Charities or the Bishop's Fund is a nonprofit organization that serves many constituents, the poor, the handicapped, the elderly and a host of other people in our community. My donation is not to the bishop but to the people served by this charitable fund," the district attorney said.
"The prosecution record of the district attorney's office as regards to clergy sex abuse is second to none," he said. "Our office has been in contact with over 113 victims, and each and every case where prosecution was possible, we have prosecuted or are prosecuting."
Mr. Conte also operates a Web site, at www.worcesterda.com, where, he said, people can get a copy of his clergy abuse report. He also lists pending court cases involving Protestant and Catholic clergy and gives updates on the status of those cases.
Mrs. Jean based her complaint on a section of Massachusetts law - Chapter 268A, Section 23(3) - that states an elected official should not act in a way so a reasonable person might believe favoritism is being shown in [the] conduct of the official's duties.
"Donations from the campaign funds are disproportionately distributed towards the Catholic Church and/or its organizations," she said. "We can find no instance of where he donated campaign funds to any other religious group or denomination."
Mrs. Jean said Central Massachusetts has sizable numbers of Protestants, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists.
In her letter to the state Ethics Commission, Mrs. Jean said the district attorney made a deal with Bishop Daniel P. Reilly regarding release of diocesan records that resulted in keeping the records secret; did not investigate criminal activities at the House of Affirmation in Whitinsville; and failed to question Auxiliary Bishop George E. Rueger and Monsignor Edmond T. Tinsley under oath regarding activities at the House of Affirmation.
Mrs. Jean received support from Bryan Smith of Hubbardston, local leader of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, who said Mr. Conte is showing favoritism by giving money to a church he is supposed to be investigating.
"I think he's way too comfortable with the diocese," he said. "It's too cushy."
• Group: Remove Tracy priest [Booth]
Record,
www.recordnet.com/articlelink/050704/news/articles/050704-gn-3.php ,
By Alex Gronke and Kate Fowlie, Friday, May 7, 2004
TRACY (CA): A national organization for victims of sexual abuse by priests asked the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin on Thursday to remove a part-time Tracy priest accused of molesting girls when he was a Catholic priest more than 30 years ago.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, SNAP, wrote a letter to Bishop John Schofield in Fresno after learning the Rev. James T. Booth was working as an Episcopal priest in Tracy.
"Kids can really be at risk. That's why we sent that letter," said Mary Grant, the regional director for SNAP in Long Beach.
Booth, 82, who lives in Stockton and works at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Tracy, denied abusing anyone. He said Thursday that the accusations are distressing.
"I am upset," Booth said. "When you are accused of something, it is very upsetting."
The semiretired priest is named in a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego on behalf of a woman identified as Patty M., alleging that Booth sexually molested her from 1969 to 1970 when he was a priest at Mission San Diego del Alcala. The Beverly Hills law firm of Kiesel, Boucher and Larson filed the suit in February 2003.
A person answering the phone Thursday at the San Joaquin Episcopal Diocese's headquarters in Fresno, who did not want to give his name, said the diocese had no comment, because Schofield was in Israel.
Booth said Thursday that he has not seen or been served with the lawsuit. He said he doesn't know what the specific charges are or even who Patty M. is, though he assumed she must have been in high school in 1970.
"I don't know what she is saying," Booth said Thursday at his modest home on a quiet north Stockton street.
• N.Y. priest convicted in Billerica boy's rape 20 years ago [1984 Ferraro]
Lowell Sun,
www.lowellsun.com/Stories/0,1413,105~4746~2135309,00.html ,
By PETER WARD, Sun Staff
CAMBRIDGE (MA): Moments before the jury declared suspended priest Romano Ferraro guilty of raping a Billerica boy some 20 years ago, the judge asked the victim's relatives to refrain from showing emotion.
They complied, though they dabbed their eyes and clasped hands.
But after Ferraro was led out the courtroom to a Cambridge Jail cell, the six family members gathered in the hall where they hugged each other and wept tears of joy.
Wearing thick-framed glasses and a light blue jacket, Ferraro showed no emotion and said nothing as six female and six male jurors announced Ferraro guilty of child rape and guilty on three counts of indecent assault and battery against a child under 14.
They deliberated for four hours Thursday and 90 minutes yesterday.
Judge Raymond Brassard denied the defense's request to waive bail until May 20, when he returns for sentencing. Ferraro could receive a maximum life sentence, officials have said.
• Jurors Deliberate Former Pastor's Sexual Assault Trial [1998 Tucker, Abundant Life Church, adult victim]
Click 2 Houston,
www.click2houston.com/news/3280030/detail.html ,
May 7, 2004
HOUSTON (TX): Jurors began deliberations Friday afternoon in the sexual assault trial of a former pastor.
Jim Tucker, 53, the former pastor of Abundant Life Church of North Houston, 713 E. Airtex, is accused of sexually assaulting the church's secretary in 1998. However, he was not officially charged with the assault until 2002.
Friday morning, prosecutors urged jurors to find Tucker guilty. He was called a master manipulator who exploited the alleged victim's emotional dependency for sex.
Prosecutor Paul Doyle said, "He puts on gold-rim glasses, his hair slicked back Jimmy Swaggart style. In order to manipulate you, you have to trust him, but you can't. He's nothing but a liar."
Defense attorney Dick DeGuerin told jurors that Tucker and his alleged victim had a consensual relationship that was not criminal.
He said, "You don't have to like Jim Tucker, but you don't have to convict him because the state has made him look like the devil."
Prosecutor Kelly Siegler argued the case is about power and control, not sex. She quoted versus in the Bible for her closing statements.
"The Bible talks about the shepherd leading the flock. Jim Tucker is not just the wolf attacking the sheep, he's attacking the lamb," she said.
• Pastor avoids jury decision, strikes deal
[Tucker]
KHOU,
www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou040507_mh_pastor.19c404e20.html ,
From 11 News Staff Reports, 10:32 PM CDT on Friday, May 7, 2004
HOUSTON (TX): Instead of facing a jury verdict and up to 20 years in prison if convicted, the trial of the former pastor of Abundant Life Church abruptly ended Friday night when prosecutors and the defense struck a deal.
Jim Tucker pleaded no contest to a charge of illegal restraint in exchange for five years deferred adjudication, meaning if he stays out of trouble his record will be cleared. He also must do community service and pay a $500 fine.
Tucker was accused of sexually assaulting a church member who went to him for marriage counseling a charge that's now been dropped. Jurors deliberated for more than seven hours when they went home Friday without a decision.
James Tucker admitted he had sex with the woman but swore, under oath, that it was consensual.
• Former pastor's sexual assault trial suddenly ended with plea deal [1998 Tucker, Abundant Life, adult victim]
ABC13 Eyewitness News,
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/050704_local_pastorjury.html , 5/07/04
A Friday evening plea deal sends the jury home after days of testimony.
HOUSTON (TX): Jim Tucker was the pastor at the Abundant Life Church on Airtex. He's accused of sexually assaulting a female church member while he was counseling her for marital problems.
Jurors heard closing arguments Friday in that sexual assault trial. Prosecutors called Tucker a rapist who was like a buzzard circling for prey, while the defense told the jury Tucker and his accuser had an affair.
Friday evening, after the jury had already begun their deliberations, a plea agreement was struck. Tucker pled no contest to unlawful restraint and received five years deferred adjudication.
• Ex-pastor receives probation [1998 Tucker, Abundant Life Church, adult victim]
Houston Chronicle,
www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2557689 ,
By DALE LEZON and RHEA DAVIS
HOUSTON (TX): A former pastor accused of sexually assaulting a female member of his church pleaded no contest to unlawful restraint Friday night and received five years' probation.
James Tucker also was ordered to perform 160 hours of community service and pay a $500 fine.
The plea agreement came after the jury was excused for the weekend. They had deliberated for about six hours Friday.
Tucker, 53, was accused of assaulting a woman, 33, who sought marital counseling in 1998. He claimed the sex was consensual.
"We arrived at a compromise," said Tucker's attorney Dick DeGuerin. "Jim Tucker is not a sexual offender. He was not convicted of being a sexual offender."
A small group of supporters cheered as Tucker left the courtroom.
"We're just glad this long nightmare is over," he said.
Tucker's wife, Traci, embraced him as they left the courtroom.
• Seduced their children, Church votes to invite minister back [2002 Brown]
Ledger-Enquirer,
"Religion in the News,"
www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/nation/8613188.htm ,
By JENNY BURNS, Associated Press
SHARON, S.C. - Faced with a shattering scandal - the conviction of their pastor on sexual assault charges - the congregation at St. John Baptist had a difficult choice: Throw out the Rev. John T. Brown or allow him to return after he finishes serving a four-year prison sentence.
The church voted recently to let Brown return, a move that some see as faithful to Jesus' message of forgiveness and redemption but which angered 10 of the roughly 100 congregants enough that they left.
"We're just trying to be the church that God has come back looking for," said Debra Wade, who's been a member of St. John for 33 years. "He says, 'Don't judge and forgive others so that you won't be judged harshly.' "
Brown pleaded guilty Feb. 10 to criminal sexual conduct with a minor and committing a lewd act on a minor.
According to police, a 16-year-old girl said Brown sexually assaulted her in her home in 2002 while her mother was away. Also in 2002, a 13-year-old girl said Brown sexually touched her while in his home and in his car. The minister was arrested shortly after the girls told authorities about the abuse.
• Judge to oversee priest sex-abuse pretrial proceedings San Francisco Chronicle ,
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/07/BAGOA6H88S1.DTL ,
by Bob Egelko, Friday, May 7, 2004
CALIFORNIA: Pretrial proceedings in dozens of lawsuits against Roman Catholic dioceses in Northern California alleging molestation by priests will be heard by a judge in Alameda County, Chief Justice Ronald George announced Thursday.
The order affects between 56 and 94 suits against the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the dioceses of Monterey, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Rosa and Stockton. The suits were filed last year, when a state law temporarily suspended the legal deadline for suing churches for sexual abuse by clergy.
A judge in Los Angeles ruled last month that the Northern California cases should be assigned to a single judge, who would rule on pretrial legal issues and each side's access to the other's witnesses and evidence. Each case would then be returned to its county of origin for trial.
The procedure, known as coordination, is being used in Los Angeles in about 400 Southern California cases. Church lawyers say coordination guarantees consistent rulings on issues that are common to all the cases, such as privacy, separation of church and state, and employers' responsibility to supervise employees.
• Attorneys: Diocese cases growing Kentucky Post,
www.kypost.com/2004/05/07/abuse050704.html ,
By Paul A. Long, May 7 2004
KENTUCKY: Attorneys suing the Roman Catholic Diocese in Covington say that despite a judge's order allowing seven additional people to opt out of the class-action lawsuit, their number of clients continues to grow.
Robert Steinberg, a partner with Stan Chesley, said attorneys also have identified at least 62 priests and other diocesan employees who have had allegations of sexual abuse made against them.
He said the number of accusers has gone past the 110 people named during a recent hearing. Although he had wanted the seven to remain in the lawsuit, he said, he accepts Special Judge John Potter's ruling.
"Actually, we're pretty happy with the ruling, because it establishes the class and prohibits further-opt outs," he said.
Earlier this week, Potter ruled that the seven people -- who Steinberg argued had sought to opt out of the case past a Jan. 31 deadline -- would be allowed to leave. Although Potter ruled that "the case law is clear -- a deadline is a deadline," he noted that Steinberg himself had said several times that the deadline was not "cast in stone."
• More step forward with allegations of misconduct Journal Star,
www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/b2ur4vms049.html ,
By MICHAEL MILLER, May 7, 2004
PEORIA (IL): More people have accused Monsignor Thomas Miller of sexual misconduct, Catholic Diocese of Peoria officials said Thursday.
Vice Chancellor Patricia Gibson said the diocese could not yet say how many more have accused Miller or release details about times and places. She said the others came forward after the initial accusation was made known in the news media last week.
Bishop Daniel Jenky held a meeting of the more than 220 priests in the diocese on Thursday at King's House Retreat Center near Henry to update them on various diocesan issues and to encourage them, said Monsignor Steven Rohlfs, vicar general of the diocese.
"He just wants to assure the priests of his prayers and his concerns," Rohlfs said. "He knows it's difficult when these things happen. (He wants) to comfort the priests. When these things happen, it demoralizes them."
Also, Rohlfs said, Jenky "wants to clarify any questions that they might have on the process."
• Former Springfield priest faces abuse allegations [1960s Russell]
KRQE,
www.krqe.com/crime/expanded.asp?RECORD_KEY%5BCrime%5D=ID&ID%5BCrime%5D=5171
SPRINGFIELD (MA): The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts is investigating a sexual misconduct allegation against a former priest dating to the late 1960s. The Reverend John R. Russell is now retired in living in Albuquerque.
The diocese recently received a complaint that Russell was involved in some sort of sexual misconduct with a minor while assigned to Holy Cross Parish between 1966 and 1970.
Russell -- who is now 62 -- left the Catholic church in early 1970s to join the Episcopal priesthood. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
Information about the case has been forwarded to the district attorney and the Episcopal Diocese of Rio Grande in New Mexico.
The Episcopal church in New Mexico said it received notice about the allegation against Russell on May 3 and will cooperate fully with any church or civil investigations.
• Not guilty plea in nun's slaying [1980 Robinson]
CNN,
www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/05/07/crime.priest.reut ,
Friday, May 7, 2004 Posted: 2:10 PM EDT (1810 GMT)
TOLEDO (OH) (Reuters) -- A Roman Catholic priest in Ohio pleaded not guilty Friday to murdering an elderly nun 24 years ago in what police investigators have said may have been a ritualistic slaying.
The Rev. Gerald Robinson, 66, stood quietly as his attorney entered a not guilty plea to the charge of aggravated murder in Lucas County Common Pleas Court in Toledo, Ohio, said Alan Konop, his lawyer.
Robinson is charged in the murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, 71, who was killed during Easter weekend 1980 in the chapel of a hospital where she and Robinson worked.
Sister Margaret was strangled, then covered with an altar cloth and stabbed several times along the neck and torso, the Toledo Blade reported citing unnamed sources.
Few details of the investigation that led to Robinson's arrest last month have been released.
The Blade has reported that police re-opened the case after a woman now in her 40s told a church panel investigating sexual abuse by priests that Robinson had been involved in satanic rituals.
• Peoria Diocese Official Accused of More Sex Abuse [1980 Miller]
WBBM,
www.wbbm780.com/asp/ViewMoreDetails.asp?ID=38811 ,
11:15 a.m., Friday, May 07, 2004,
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - More allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against an official of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria who previously was accused of abusing a boy nearly 25 years ago.
Diocese officials say they could not yet say how many more have accused Monsignor Thomas Miller of sexual misconduct, or release details about times and places. However, diocese Vice Chancellor Patricia Bigson said the latest accusers came forward after news organizations reported the initial accusation.
Miller, who heads a Peoria parish and two parochial schools, was placed on administrative leave and agreed to refrain from public ministry during an investigation into the allegations.
Bishop Daniel Jenky held a meeting of the more than 220 priests in the diocese on Thursday to update them on various diocesan issues and to encourage them, said Monsignor Steven Rohlfs, vicar general of the diocese.
"He just wants to assure the priests of his prayers and his concerns," Rohlfs said. "He knows it's difficult when these things happen. When these things happen, it demoralizes them."
A man who is now 36 years old reportedly told diocesan officials on April 23 that an incident allegedly involving sexual misconduct with Miller occurred nearly 25 years ago in Bloomington. Miller was an assistant at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Bloomington then.
Diocesan officials said it was coincidence that the man came forward shortly before it was to be announced that Miller would be transferred back to Holy Trinity.
• Tony Winners Dennehy and Plummer Are Catholic Priests in Showtime Sex Scandal Film "Our Fathers" Playbill,
www.playbill.com/news/article/86057.html ,
By Ernio Hernandez, May 07 2004
HOLLYWOOD (CA): Tony Award winners Brian Dennehy and Christopher Plummer are set to star a Showtime Networks' film adaptation of "Our Fathers," based on the David France book, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The drama that deals with the history of accusations of sexual abuse by priests that came to light in 2002, plaguing the Catholic Church. Dan Curtis is set to direct the film, with a screenplay penned by Thomas Michael Donnelly, slated to begin filming in June.
"The film will depict the interwoven cross-section of priests, victims, lawyers and newspaper reporters who have been caught up in this story since it first broke two years ago," states a Showtime release.
The trade paper said that Dennehy will play Boston priest Father Domenic Spagnolia, a well-known straight shooter who criticizes the archdiocese then finds himself wrapped up in turmoil when an ex-lover outs him. Plummer was previously announced as the controversial Boston Cardinal Law who was at the center of the scandal.
Dennehy won a 2003 Tony Award for his performance in Long Day's Journey Into Night. His other Broadway appearances include Translations and another Tony-winning turn in Death of a Salesman. He also recently played the title role in Trumbo Off-Broadway.
• Further Allegations [Miller]
Week,
http://week.com/morenews/morenews-read.asp?id=4324 ,
Posted 12:47pm May 7, 2004
PEORIA (IL) (AP): More allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against an official of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria, who previously was accused of abusing a boy nearly 25 years ago.
Diocese officials say they couldn't yet say how many more people have accused Monsignor Thomas Miller of sexual misconduct or release any details. However, diocese Vice Chancellor Patricia Gibson says the latest accusers came forward after news reports on the initial accusation.
Miller heads a Peoria parish and two parochial schools. He was placed on administrative leave last month and agreed to refrain from public ministry during an investigation into the allegations.
• Separate funds aid victims, ousted clergy The Dallas Morning News,
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/0508dnrellazarus.73138.html ,
By SUSAN HOGAN/ALBACH, 06:17 PM CDT Friday, May 7, 2004
TEXAS: Catholic priests in Dallas are raising money to help sexual abuse victims. In Amarillo, a retired bishop is soliciting funds for predatory priests removed from ministry.
The Dallas priests are donating money to pay the counseling expenses of anyone sexually abused by a church official or employee. The newly created Lazarus Fund, named for the New Testament figure whom Jesus raised from the dead, collected nearly $2,000 in its first month.
The Rev. Robert Williams, pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Garland, initiated the fund. He asked priests to donate $100 monthly, or whatever they could, on a continuing basis.
"This is coming out of our own pockets, not any parish funds," he said. "It's showing that we're not just rallying around each other, but we're concerned about the victims."
The donations by priests, which are anonymous, go directly to the diocese.
"I don't know who's contributing," Father Williams said. "The diocese is going to let us know how many people receive services. The money goes to the counseling, not the individual victims."
Father Williams was a whistleblower in the scandals involving Rudy Kos, a former priest now in prison for molesting altar boys in three parishes. Father Williams - who initially said he did not want his name used in this story - said the priests weren't seeking publicity for their fund.
• Priest convicted of raping boy in 1970s [1970s Ferraro]
Newsday,
www.nynewsday.com/news/local/crime/nyc-priest0508,0,2192650.story?coll=nyc-homepage-headlines ;
BY STEPHANIE SAUL, 7:49 PM EDT, May 7, 2004
NEW YORK: A Roman Catholic priest who once served in Queens and Brooklyn was convicted Friday of sexually abusing a young Massachusetts boy decades ago.
The Rev. Romano Ferraro, 70, admitted during his trial that he was a pedophile who left a trail of pre-pubescent victims. But he swore he never molested the child in the criminal case, the son of a boyhood friend from Brooklyn.
The jury in Cambridge believed the charges, however, finding Ferraro guilty of one count of rape and three counts of indecent assault and battery.
Ferraro's victim, now 37 and a New Hampshire resident, testified that, as a child, he dreaded Ferraro's annual visits in the 1970s to the boy's home in Massachusetts. That was when the sexual abuse occurred, beginning when the boy was 7 and continuing until he was 13.
The Diocese of Brooklyn ordained Ferraro in 1960 but has barred him from active ministry since the late 1980s. His suspension followed an unrelated sexual-abuse allegation. At the time of his arrest in 2002, he was living at Parsons Manor, a Jamaica residence for priests.
"These are always painful stories for everyone involved," said diocesan spokesman Frank DeRosa, reacting to Friday's jury verdict. "We cooperated fully with the investigation. We accept the decision and respect the work of the jury. And, of course, we're concerned for the victim."
• Priest sued here is found guilty in Massachusetts [1970s, 1984 Ferraro]
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/St.+Louis+City+%2F+County/1E504FB25C716A8F86256E8E000FC1EF?OpenDocument&Headline=Priest+sued+here+is+found+guilty+in+Massachusetts ;
By Tim O'Neil, 05/07/2004
ST. LOUIS (MO): A suspended Catholic priest who has been accused of molesting a boy in St. Louis 20 years ago was convicted Friday in Cambridge, Mass., of sexual assault upon a boy in Massachusetts.
A jury in Middlesex County Superior Court found the Rev. Romano Ferraro, 70, of New York, guilty of rape of a child and indecent assault upon a child. Ferraro had abused a boy during the 1970s at the victim's home in Billerica, northwest of Boston.
Sentencing was set for May 20.
In January, a man who is in his 30s filed suit in St. Louis Circuit Court, alleging that Ferraro sexually abused him in the early 1980s. The man, identified only as John Doe, said he was an altar boy at St. Joan of Arc parish in St. Louis when the offenses occurred.
The man's lawyer said the case here is pending. In January, a spokesman for the St. Louis Archdiocese said Ferraro served during the early 1980s as a chaplain at the former Jewish Hospital of St. Louis and lived in the rectory at St. Joan of Arc.
• Diocese to join in settling youth case
[Maloney, Whipple; $US 900,000 spent]
Palm Beach Post,
www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/news_04c9e4a2371d52140085.html ;
By Mary McLachlin, Saturday, May 8, 2004
WEST PALM BEACH (FL): The Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach has agreed to join in the settlement of a lawsuit filed by a Port St. Lucie youth alleging sexual misconduct by the Rev. Francis Maloney, a retired priest.
The total settlement is more than $150,000 -- which Maloney's home insurance company agreed to pay -- and less than $1 million, according to attorneys and court documents.
Lawyers would not disclose the amounts to be paid by the other defendants -- the diocese, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Port St. Lucie and another retired priest, the Rev. Donald Whipple, and his religious order, the Holy Cross Fathers.
Maloney, 73, acknowledged having a long-term, "sporadic" sexual relationship with Whipple, who wrote sexually explicit letters suggesting ways to seduce the then-17-year-old high school student while he worked as a houseboy for Maloney.
"It would not be appropriate for us to comment," said diocese attorney C. Brooks Ricca. The five-county diocese, based in Palm Beach Gardens, has acknowledged paying more than $900,000 to settle seven previous abuse or harassment claims in its 20-year history.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 01:07 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Sat May 08, 2004
Religions' sex abuse Chronology, visit: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont80.htm
• Sex abuser Fr Shanley and rapist Paquin are defrocked.
The West Australian,
"Sex abuse priest is defrocked," Los Angeles Times,
p 30, Saturday, May 8, 2004
BOSTON (Mass.): One of the most notorious figures in the Boston clerical sex-abuse scandal has been removed from the priesthood.
The Catholic Archdiocese announced on Thursday that Paul Shanley had been stripped of his job as a priest and had lost his life-long benefits.
The rare process of laicisation -- commonly known as defrocking -- is among the most extreme punishments the Vatican can invoke.
"This letter serves as a formal communication of your dismissal from the clerical state by the Holy Father," wrote Boston Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley.
The letter also informed Ronald Paquin, who is in prison for raping a 12-year-old boy, that he was no longer a priest.
Mr Shanley, 73, was a popular motorcycle-riding "street priest" in Boston in the 1960s and 70s, known for his work with gay and troubled youth.
He will stand trial in Boson on 10 counts of child rape and related criminal charges. He has entered a plea of not guilty.
[May 8, 04]
#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Sun May 09, 2004 edition follows:- • Accused priest to return [Carroll]
Newsday,
www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lipriest0509,0,5048844.story?coll=ny-top-headlines ;
BY RITA CIOLLI
LONG ISLAND (NY): After a diocesan tribunal and Catholic Church officials in Rome found insufficient evidence that the Rev. Michael Carroll had sexually abused minors, Bishop William Murphy is returning him to ministry. Carroll is the first local priest to get his collar back since the clerical sexual abuse scandal broke on Long Island two years ago.
Carroll, 48, will be living at St. Christopher Church in Baldwin where he had previously resided, according to a brief announcement that recently appeared in the parish bulletin. He is assigned to Villa St. Joseph, a convent on the grounds of Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, where he says Mass for the sisters there.
However, he will not be returning to the hospital where he was a chaplain before his suspension in the spring of 2002, said the Rev. James Vlaun, a spokesman for the diocese. Vlaun described Carroll's gradual return as a pastoral decision Murphy made "so that the priest can, once again, adjust to his life" and the diocese can "adjust to this priest ministering again."
Carroll was allowed to get his clerical collar back earlier this year after a local review board, appointed by Murphy in the wake of the scandal, reviewed the allegations against him last year. The leader of the Diocese of Rockville Centre addressed the issue in a February "Letter to the Faithful," when he wrote: "The Review Board declared one priest to have insufficient evidence against him. I submitted his case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which exonerated him after a review of the evidence and he has been returned to ministry."
Vlaun said Carroll is the priest cited by Murphy in that letter mailed to all 414,000 Catholic households in Nassau and Suffolk.
Carroll's case is cited in last year's Suffolk County grand jury report, which detailed individual abuse cases as well as the diocese's treatment of victims and problem priests. In four pages, the report describes Priest P -- who sources say is Carroll -- as someone who had left several parishes suddenly and had complaints against him of "inappropriate sexual conduct" with a teenage boy as well as young men over age 18.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 08:02 PM]
• Vicar jailed after indecent assaults [1997-2002, Goodman, Evangelical Church]
Local London,
www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.487635.0.vicar_jailed_after_indecent_assaults.php ;
By Local London Reporter
BRITAIN: A vicar has been jailed today after being found guilty of indecent assault and trying to pervert the course of justice.
Pastor Douglas Goodman was sentenced to three and a half years at the Old Bailey for assaults between Feb 1997 and March 2002 against women at various locations including his office, car, hotels, a cinema and a flat.
Camden Police initially received five separate allegations of indecent assault in April 2002.
An investigation was launched which uncovered further allegations against Goodman.
Goodman was arrested in June 2002 and charged with 1 count of rape and indecent assault against a 28-yr-old woman and further 10 counts of indecent assault against three other women in their late teens.
He was also charged with perverting the course of justice after he attempted to get one of the women to withdraw her allegation by threatening her through a third party.
Detective Sergeant Neil Williamson from Camden Community Safety Unit, who lead the investigation, said Pastor Goodman used his position at the Evangelical church in Kilburn to his own ends.
"It has taken a great deal of courage for the victims to come forward and give evidence.
• Supporters of outspoken Ramstein priest question reasons for removal [Whistleblower and victims' backer]
Stars and Stripes,
www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=22094 ,
By Marni McEntee, European edition, Sunday, May 9, 2004
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - Air Force Maj. Thomas Doyle's departure from Ramstein Air Base to a new assignment last August was a great loss to those he counseled in Germany, supporters said.
But his dismissal a month later as a Catholic chaplain also took a member of a critically undermanned career field out of service.
"He's a great, great chaplain. It's a tragic loss," Ramstein's 435th Air Base Wing Chaplain (Col.) Lee Thompson said Wednesday. "I tried to support him but unfortunately I was not successful."
In September, Doyle, 59, was dismissed as a Catholic chaplain by his archbishop after a dispute over pastoral matters. A military chaplain since 1986, Doyle was less than a year from retiring. He had just moved to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
The Dominican priest was renowned around the world, though, for his work as an advocate for victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Initial news reports of Doyle's dismissal focused on an Aug. 16 memo Doyle wrote to Thompson and another wing chaplain interpreting the basic expectations of the Archdiocese for the Military Services for the pastoral care of Catholics in the armed forces.
Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, leader of the military archdiocese, took exception to parts of the memo.
Because of Doyle's dismissal of his expectations, the archbishop wrote in a Sept. 17 letter to Doyle, "... I no longer have confidence in your ability to serve as a priest chaplain ... ." The dismissal was effective immediately, the letter said.
• Diocese under attack at conference Albany Times Union,
www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=246408&category=REGIONOTHER&BCCode=&newsdate=5/9/2004 ;
By BRIAN NEARING, Sunday, May 9, 2004
ALBANY (NY): Christine Oakes heard for herself Saturday from the man she said her church deacon has called "the evil one."
She was so impressed by attorney John Aretakis and his fight against clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany that she immediately paid $6 for a cassette tape of his Saturday talk at the Elks Lodge to share with friends.
Oakes, a 51-year-old Catholic with strong views against abortion, was one of the 250 people who attended a daylong conference in Latham sponsored by the Coalition of Concerned Catholics of the Albany Diocese.
The group, which last year demanded Bishop Howard Hubbard's resignation and says the diocese under his leadership has become too liberal in teaching human sexuality, also hosted two Midwestern activists who are working to force out Hubbard.
"I'm not a member of the coalition," said Oakes, a Scotia resident who attends the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Glenville. "I just came to this for information. Have my eyes been opened. What you are seeing here today is the purification of the Catholic Church."
Also speaking were two men who have worked with Aretakis -- Stephen Brady of Illinois, president of Roman Catholic Faithful, and Paul Likoudis of The Wanderer, a conservative Catholic newspaper based in Minnesota.
• Rally held against Bishop Hubbard Capital News 9,
www.capitalnews9.com/content/your_news/capital_region/default.asp?ArID=73420 ,
By Chris Hamilton, Updated 9:04 PM: 5/8/2004
ALBANY (NY): "You gotta point out the problems and the contradictions with this. And then and only then something will be done," Stephen Brady, President of the Roman Catholic Faithful said.
Brady traveled to the Capital Region from Illinois to talk to some area Catholics about how to accomplish getting rid of Bishop Howard Hubbard.
"We owe it to Father Minkler, that his death not be in vain. So we're going to dedicate a majority of our resources until the job's done -- until Hubbard's gone," Brady said.
Brady was joined by Paul Likoudis, the Editor of the Minnesota Catholic newspaper The Wanderer. Likoudis also believes the Bishop should resign, or be forced out by the Vatican.
"If Bishop Hubbard would realize that he has no credibility, then he would voluntarily submit his resignation to the Holy Father," Likoudis said.
The two men were joined by attorney John Aretakis, who talked about the history of the alleged sexual abuse in the Albany Catholic Diocese, and the attempts to cover it up.
• Diocese investigating sex abuse claim [Miller]
Journal Star,
www.pjstar.com/news/topnews/b2v10pdp040.html ,
By MICHAEL MILLER, May 9, 2004
PEORIA (IL): Five minutes after a 36-year-old man had called on April 23 with sexual-misconduct allegations against a popular Peoria priest, victims assistance coordinator Ann Slaughter was calling him back.
Slaughter took down the information and called Monsignor Steven Rohlfs, vicar general of the diocese. Rohlfs then contacted Bishop Daniel Jenky, who was in Danville that day attending to confirmations and school activities.
"He ordered the policy to be put into action," Rohlfs said.
The "policy" is the Diocese of Peoria's "Policies and Procedures Relating to Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons or by Lay Employees or Volunteers."
And the accusations brought against Monsignor Thomas Miller of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Parish in Peoria were the first in the Diocese of Peoria since the policy was finalized in 2002.
• Ex-Altar Boy Sues Archdiocese, Alleges Abuse [1978-79 Cinesi]
Tampa Tribune,
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGAO5XXM0UD.html ,
The Associated Press, May 9, 2004
MIAMI (FL): A former altar boy has sued the Archdiocese of Miami, saying he was repeatedly raped by a priest at a Catholic school 25 years ago.
The victim, who was not identified, attempted suicide twice because of the abuse at Immaculate Conception School, according to the civil lawsuit filed Thursday.
The lawsuit accuses the Rev. Joseph Cinesi of sexually assaulting him when he was 10, during the 1978-79 school year.
Cinesi, 54, of Coconut Creek, previously denied having sexual contact with anyone while he was a priest.
He left his parish in August 1999, saying he wanted to fight the false allegations against him.
Five lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by Cinesi have been settled out of court, according to attorneys involved.
Archdiocese spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta expressed sympathy for the former altar boy and said Thursday that Cinesi was placed on a leave of absence in December 1999 because of earlier accusations. He is still a priest.
The lawsuit accuses Cinesi of putting his hand over the boy's mouth and assaulting him in a bathroom.
• Aretakis addresses Concerned Catholics Troy Record,
www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11616479&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=7021&rfi=6 ,
By Shawn Charniga , 05/09/2004
COLONIE (NY): Before an audience of nearly 150 attending the 14th regional Education Forum of the Coaliton of Concerned Catholics in the Albany Diocese Saturday, attorney John Aretakis, outlined his efforts to bring to justice those in the Roman Catholic Church who he said have wronged parishioners.
Aretakis is representing several clients who claim they were sexually abused by priests.
He implied that he has possession of secret documents naming pedophilic priests and said a lawsuit based on federal racketeering charges was in the works.
Aretakis was among several speakers appearing during the day-long event at the Colonie Elks Lodge, most of whom addressed the damage done by priests who have allegedly molested members of their congregation, including children.
During the conference, signs calling for Hubbard's resignation and expressing woe for the situation were omnipresent. Members of the audience exchanged glances as Aretakis recalled his battles with the diocese.
The attorney spoke at length about his years-long battle against the diocese before taking questions from those assembled. Standing at a podium marked "Fidelity" in the hall's meeting room, Aretakis urged the concerned Catholics present to continue their efforts to put public pressure on the church.
These efforts included the dissemination of information about area priests, including the allegedly homosexual priest of a Rensselaer County parish who was installed to further Hubbard's efforts to turn the diocese presbyterate into a "gay fraternity." The Jan. 21 letter, signed only as "A Disgusted Catholic," contains 15 bulleted points attacking Hubbard and the priest, whose identity is being withheld by The Record.
• Diocese of Palm Beach to pay part of sex-abuse settlement [Maloney, Whipple]
TCPalm.com ;
www.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,1651,TCP_16736_2871837,00.html ,
The Associated Press, May 9, 2004
WEST PALM BEACH (FL): The Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach will pay part of a settlement to a teenager who accused a now-retired priest of sexual misconduct.
Lawyers would not disclose the amounts to be paid by the diocese or the other defendants - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Port St. Lucie, another retired priest, the Rev. Donald Whipple, and his religious order, the Holy Cross Fathers.
The teen sued in March 2003, alleging the Rev. Francis Maloney was naked in front of him, asked sex-related questions during counseling sessions and showed him pornographic letters and pictures. He also said he found Maloney in bed with another man.
"It would not be appropriate for us to comment," said diocese attorney C. Brooks Ricca.
The five-county diocese, based in Palm Beach Gardens, has acknowledged paying more than $900,000 to settle seven previous abuse or harassment claims.
Maloney's home insurance company agreed to pay $150,000 of the settlement. Exact terms of the settlement weren't release, but it is more than $150,000 and less than $1 million, according to lawyers and court documents.
• Media glare intense for decades-old murder case [1980]
Toledo Blade,
www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040509/NEWS03/405090366/-1/NEWS ,
By ROBIN ERB, May 9 2004
TOLEDO (OH): The television crews have broken camp and the siege of phone calls to Lucas County and Toledo investigators has subsided.
But it's clear that the national spotlight - focused here after April 23 when a local priest was arrested for the 24-year-old murder of a nun - has shifted only temporarily. Toledo-area residents linked to the case say they continue to field calls from representatives of national media outlets, ranging from prime-time news shows such as Dateline and 48 Hours to People and even Playboy magazines.
There has been talk of movie and book deals.
"Speaking in terms of the nonfiction genre they called true crime, [the case] involves the church, there's a murder, and there's this intimation of satanic worship," said Barret Neville, a New York-based author and publisher who is interested in publishing a book on the case.
"It's consistent of what you hear about in these movies of the week," Mr. Neville said.
• Slain priest in Riney murder case had affair with red-haired woman
Irish Independent,
"Slain priest in Riney murder case had affair,"
www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1178256&issue_id=10847 ,
By JIM CUSACK
IRELAND: Senior Catholic clergy approached the gardai investigating the disappearances of Imelda Riney, her four-year-old son, Liam, and Fr Joe Walsh in east Clare 10 years ago this week in the mistaken belief that the priest and the single mother had eloped together, it has emerged.
The clergy's belief was based on information that the young priest was conducting an affair with a "red-haired" woman.
It has been learned that Fr Walsh was indeed having an affair with a red-haired woman, but that it was not Imelda Riney, who also happened to have red hair. The woman whom Fr Walsh was seeing was later identified by gardai and she confirmed the affair.
It has emerged that in the early stages of the investigation, gardai were approached by the Bishop of Clonfert, Dr John Kirby.
It is believed Bishop Kirby was genuinely concerned that the priest and the missing mother and child had left east Clare of their own volition.
However, within a week of the disappearances, their bodies were discovered hidden in Clegg Forest, outside Whitegate. Imelda Riney had been raped before being murdered.
Last Thursday, the bishop declined to say what contact he had with gardai and said that the families of the victims had already suffered enough anguish.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 06:11 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Sun May 09, 2004
Religions' sex abuse Chronology, visit: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont80.htm
#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Mon May 10, 2004 edition follows:- • Abuse victims welcome apology by nuns
One in Four,
http://oneinfour.org/news/news2004/abusapolo , ? May 6 2004
IRELAND: Representatives of people abused as children in institutions run by religious orders have reacted positively to a statement by the Sisters of Mercy yesterday. Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent reports in The Irish Times
Sisters Breege O'Neill, Mary Reynolds, and Mary Conway, of the congregation's leadership team, accepted "unreservedly" that many who had spent their childhood in their institutions had been "hurt and damaged while in our care".
They said that "we believe that you suffered physical and emotional trauma.
"We have in the past publicly apologised to you. We know that you heard our apology then as conditional and less than complete.
"Now, without reservation, we apologise unconditionally to each and every one of you for the suffering we have caused."
Ms Christine Buckley, whose experiences at Dublin's Goldenbridge orphanage, run by Mercy nuns, featured in RTÉ's 1996 programme Dear Daughter, said last night the Sisters of Mercy "should be congratulated" on the apology and for accepting they had caused suffering to former residents.
"Most importantly, they have believed us," she said. The response at the Aislinn victims' centre in Dublin yesterday had been "phenomenal", "very, very positive," she said, while the reaction from people phoning her home had been "fantastic". [...]
Sisters of Mercy Congregation, Central Leadership Team, can be contacted in any of the following ways:
Free phone number 1800 321 123 from May 9th to June 9th - Mon/Tues/Wed from 5-8 p.m.
Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, 13/14 Moyle Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
E-mail: mercy@csm.ie
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:13 PM]
• Hunger striker seeks justice from abuse received in two homes [1950s - 60s]
One in Four,
"From The Irish Examiner (Opinion),"
http://oneinfour.org/news/news2004/endprotest IRELAND: It is shameful that a man who was put in care by the State and suffered abuse in two institutions in the 1950s and '60s should have to resort to a hunger strike of more than three weeks outside the Dáil to try to get justice.
Tom Sweeney began his hunger strike outside our national parliament in protest at what he perceived as unfair treatment by the Residential Institutions Redress Board.
Because of the institutional abuse he suffered, Mr Sweeney was paid €113,000 by the Board, which was subsequently reduced by €50,000 when he demanded a full hearing of his case. It was established to make awards to people who were abused in institutions subject to State regulation or inspection.
• Sweeney ends strike and heads to High Court One in Four,
http://oneinfour.org/news/news2004/sweeney ,
From RTE Online
IRELAND: The man who has been on hunger strike outside Leinster House for 22 days has given up his protest and is taking his case back to the High Court.
Tom Sweeney made his decision following a meeting with his lawyers in Buswells Hotel near Leinster House. He was protesting over his treatment by the Residential Institutions Redress Board in relation to abuse he suffered in two institutions.
Mr Sweeney was earlier taken into Leinster House in a wheelchair by the Dublin South West Fianna Fáil TD Charlie O'Connor for talks.
The proposals presented to Mr Sweeney arose from a meeting between the four Dublin South West TDs and the Minister for Education, Noel Dempsey, yesterday.
Earlier today, Green Party TD Paul Gogarty was ordered to leave the Dáil after attempting to raise Mr Sweeney's case.
• Govt faces calls for redress review as man ends protest One in Four,
http://oneinfour.org/news/news2004/endprotest ,
by Michael O'Farrell in The Irish Examiner
IRELAND: The Goverment was under pressure last night to review the workings of the Residential Institutions Redress Board after a 22-day-long hunger striker called off his Dáil protest.
Tom Sweeney, 57, had been on hunger strike outside Leinster House for more than three weeks, protesting that his original award of €113,000 by the Redress Board was reduced by €40,000 after he requested a full hearing.
The marathon protest garnered support from many abuse victims who claimed to have had similar experiences with the Redress Board and accused it of punishing those who wished to tell their stories.
• Naming child abusers policy reversed [Christian Brothers]
One in Four,
http://oneinfour.org/news/news2004/policyreverse ,
From RTE Online
IRELAND: The commission to inquire into child abuse has proposed that it will not name individual perpetrators unless they have already been convicted. Its new chairman, Mr Justice Sean Ryan, told a hearing in Dublin this morning that he hopes the commission will make a final decision on the controversial issue within about six weeks.
The Christian Brothers are challenging an earlier decision by the commission under its previous chairperson, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, to name and shame people who had not been convicted. Judge Ryan said he hopes to announce commission policy on the matter after consultation with all parties, but before the Supreme Court begins hearing the Brothers' appeal late next month.
• Allegations plague church The Advertiser,
www.theadvertiser.com/news/html/32AC0B95-60F7-4500-9340-72C469B88F51.shtml
NEW IBERIA (LA): A contretemps involving a priest accused of "tyrant-like behavior" that resulted in his ouster as pastor of St. Edward Church in New Iberia and the early retirement of the principal of St. Edward School has become a racial issue, according to the president of the Society of Divine Word, a group of missionary priests.
The school's governing board also was dissolved by the Rev. Michael Jarrell, bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette, as a result of the controversy.
The issue began after parents and faculty complained to the Diocese of Lafayette School Board about the Rev. Alfred Ayem, a missionary priest appointed to serve as pastor of the predominantly black 6,000-member St. Edward Church, a job that also requires serving as administrator of the school.
Specific complaints about the pastor included belittlement of faculty and volunteers for minor infractions, such as misspelled words in memos, or criticism of the clothes they wore. The faculty felt the School Board was their only hope to end the "inappropriate" treatment, said school faculty spokeswoman Karen Bonin.
• Alleged Cathedral Sex Abuse Update [1985-86 Martinez]
KTSM NewsChannel 9,
www.ktsm.com/news/story.ssd?c=c04efe9695746aca ,
by Christina Montoya, Tuesday, January 13, 2004
EL PASO (TX): We first told you last March about the El Paso man who accuses a former Cathedral High School Principal of sexual abuse. Now, a judge has ruled the man may ask questions of church officials which could be crucial to the case.
The man is going by the name of "John Doe." He alleges Brother Sam Martinez abused him in 1985 and 1986 when he was a student at Cathedral. But he's also suing the diocese, the Bishop, and the Christian Brothers order for knowing about the abuse...and doing nothing about it.
Doe's attorney says there were several other complaints against Martinez. But when the bishop and other members of the diocese were asked about them, their attorney told them not to answer.
But now Judge Richard Roman has opened the door for some of the questions to be answered. Two men have already given sworn affidavits about their alleged abuse.
One said "Brother Sam held onto my belt loop with one hand and fondled my genitals with the other. This lasted about 15 minutes and I left...I did not return to Cathedral."
• Priest accused of abuse, then reinstated, dies at 73 [Covas]
The Press-Enterprise,
www.pe.com/localnews/sanbernardino/stories/PE_News_Local_covas10.57ed3.html , Monday, May 10, 2004
CALIFORNIA: Father Peter Covas, a longtime Inland priest removed from his church after allegations of sex abuse, then reinstated in retirement, died early Sunday morning at San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland, according to a written statement by the Diocese of San Bernardino. He was 73.
Bishop Gerald R. Barnes was in Rome when he was told of Father Covas' death and expressed sorrow through the church statement.
Funeral liturgies will be announced this week after Barnes returns from Rome.
In April 2002, Barnes removed Father Covas as pastor at St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Rancho Cucamonga after allegations of decades-old abuse surfaced against the priest.
The accusations by two men sparked a yearlong criminal investigation that ended in April 2003, when San Bernardino County prosecutors announced they would not file charges against Father Covas.
• Priest cleared of charges dies [Covas]
San Bernardino Sun,
www.sbsun.com/Stories/0,1413,208~12588~2138397,00.html ,
Staff Reports
RANCHO CUCAMONGA (CA): A Catholic priest recently cleared of criminal child molestation charges has died, church officials said Sunday.
The Rev. Peter Covas, 73, of Rancho Cucamonga died of natural causes at 1 a.m. Sunday at San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland, officials of the Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino said.
Covas, who was placed on leave from his clerical duties last year when the child molestation accusations were made, had been critically ill since January. It was announced at that time that he needed a ventilator to breathe.
Covas had suffered from a respiratory condition he acquired as a child, said the Rev. Howard Lincoln, spokesman for the diocese.
Covas resigned from St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church in Rancho Cucamonga in April 2002.
He was one of 20 priests whose names were given to investigators by the San Bernardino Diocese in connection with suspected child molestation, dating back decades.
Prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Covas, who was suspected of molesting two boys nearly 30 years ago.
• Bishop McManus eager to get started
[$US 13 million spent]
Telegram & Gazette,
http://telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040510/NEWS/405100316/1025 ,
by Kathleen A. Shaw, T&G STAFF, kshaw@telegram.com
PROVIDENCE - Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. McManus walked out to the front of the chancery building on Friday and encountered a young woman who asked when he was leaving. "Today's my last day," he told her.
The woman gave him a big hug and wished him luck on his new assignment. It had been a week of farewells; a final Mass in Providence brought tears to his eyes as he said goodbye to the people of Rhode Island.
As the Catholics of one diocese bid him farewell, Catholics in Central Massachusetts are preparing to welcome him to replace retiring Bishop Daniel P. Reilly. ...
"Bishop Reilly told me the two dioceses are similar," he said. The new bishop - like Bishop Reilly, a Providence native - admitted he has been to Worcester only twice, but he is eager to meet the people and get started. He said he has already received a warm welcome from Auxiliary Bishop George E. Rueger and the chancery staff.
Bishop McManus said he has been busy winding up business in Providence and that Worcester officials have been very good about driving down Route 146 to meet with him.
He planned to begin the move to the Worcester bishop's residence on High Ridge Road Saturday. Bishop Reilly and Monsignor Thomas Sullivan, diocesan chancellor, have moved to St. Paul's rectory.
Bishop McManus, 52, will be installed as fifth Bishop of Worcester at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Paul's Cathedral. The event is by invitation only. Renovations to St. Paul's by Bishop Reilly reduced the seating.
"There are a hundred people with tickets who will be standing," Bishop McManus said ruefully.
The diocese plans a public reception for the new bishop from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday in the atrium of the Worcester Medical Center.
The public will meet a man who decided early in life to be a priest and wants to emphasize religious education and recruitment of clergy.
He will get down to business right away. Some Catholics have asked to discuss their concerns about the diocese with the new bishop, who said he will hold meetings once he settles in.
Bishop McManus comes to Worcester during a deep crisis over the sexual abuse scandal that has gripped the Catholic church. He has had some experience handling sexual abuse cases and wants to look at pending civil suits over abuse allegations to see what can be done.
"I know what it is to handle these allegations," he said. "You get a telephone call at quarter of 10 in the morning and you are busy for the next several hours."
There were days he'd look forward to an evening Confirmation ceremony. "At least I'd be out there with people," he said. Spending a day listening to horrific stories of abuse affected him emotionally.
Bishop McManus said if allegations of sexual abuse have been difficult for priests and lay people it is no different for the bishops. As auxiliary bishop, he had to travel to a parish where a priest had been removed after an allegation of sexual abuse was made.
"The people would say things like, "He's innocent,' and "How can you do this?' I couldn't tell them everything," he said. "It was painful for me."
A sea change in handling sexual abuse allegations in Providence happened after he and Bishop Robert E. Mulvee returned from the 2002 meeting of the American bishops in Dallas. There the bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children.
Providence had some suits still pending after 10 years, but Bishop Mulvee wanted the litigation to end; all but one suit was settled.
Ann Hagen Webb, a native of Rhode Island who heads Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests [SNAP] for New England, said that substantial changes are still needed in Providence. She said Providence settled those suits for about $13 million "to void a court order to open records."
• Clergyman accused of abuse did not fake his own death [Clonan]
Irish Independent,
www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1178581&issue_id=10848
IRELAND: A Co. Meath priest sought by British police on child sex abuse allegations and who was thought to have faked his own death in Australia, died six years ago, detectives have decided.
Fr Christopher Oliver Clonan, originally from Clonard, Co Meath, who was alleged to have sexually abused young boys in his former parish in Coventry, fled to Australia in 1992 to avoid arrest.
Allegations had surfaced that he had molested youngsters in his care while he was attached to Christ the King church in Coundon, Coventry.
West Midlands Police said last July that eight people, aged between eight and 17 at the time of the alleged offences, had made allegations against the priest.
Amid reports of sightings of the priest, British police sent two detectives to Australia last month to investigate the matter.
His family maintained he had died in Australia in October 1998 from a brain haemorrhage; his death certificate confirmed these details.
However, while the police are satisfied he is dead, DNA tests will be carried out to ensure the accuracy of these reports.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 05:36 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Mon May 10, 2004
Religions' sex abuse Chronology, visit: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont80.htm
#### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Tue May 11, 2004 edition follows:- • Minister gets 20 years in sex case [Stone, 70 years prison]
The Sun Herald,
www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/local/8636572.htm ,
By ROBIN FITZGERALD, Posted on Tue, May. 11, 2004
GULFPORT (MS): A Saucier minister will serve 20 years in prison for having sexual contact with a teenage member of his congregation.
The Rev. Larry "David" Stone, 54, of All By Grace church, wept Monday as relatives and church members described him to Circuit Court Judge Robert Walker as kind, generous, loving and an accomplished Bible teacher.
He faced up to 360 years in prison if found guilty of eight counts each of sexual battery and unlawful touching. He pleaded guilty in March to two counts of each charge.
The judge sentenced him Monday to 70 years, ordering the time for each charge to run concurrently. Stone will not be eligible for early release.
"I am so sorry," Stone said. "I confessed fully because I am guilty. It makes me sick, and I hate it with all my heart. I'll never do this again."
The teen and his family did not attend the hearing but waited in a private area of the District Attorney's Office. They were pleased with the sentence, said John Gargiulo, an assistant district attorney. [...]
Stone said he did not force himself on the teen, who was 15 years old at the time. Deputies found the two engaged in sexual activity in a wooded area near the church.
Gargiulo said Stone violated his position of trust and also confessed to sexual encounters with four other boys in other cities and to dozens of incidents of sexual contact.
Stone ran a Head Start program in Kentucky before he became a minister in 1981.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:33 PM]
• Sex abuse panel says US bishops manipulated it New Zealand Herald,
www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3565949&thesection=news&thesubsection=world ;
May 12 2004
CHICAGO (IL): A lay panel heading an investigation into sexual abuse in the US Roman Catholic Church has accused the country's bishops of manipulating it and backsliding on promises, according to a letter made public on Tuesday.
The letter was one of several between the National Review Board and various bishops posted on the website of the National Catholic Reporter which said it had obtained and verified them.
The review panel, headed by Anne Burke, a judge in Chicago, criticized the administrative committee of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops for deciding to delay action on some key issues until a meeting in November.
The delays among other things would push back a second round of audits to see how well dioceses are complying with new measures designed to protect children from clerical abuse.
The panel's letter complained that the bishops were considering the delay but hid it from the panel at the time of a high profile February 27 news conference so it would not become public.
At that time it was disclosed in two reports that more than 10,600 children claimed to have been molested by priests since 1950 in an epidemic of child sexual abuse involving at least 4 per cent of US Roman Catholic clergy.
• Former National Review Board Chair Calls Bishops 'Manipulating' NBC 5,
www.nbc5.com/news/3294036/detail.html ,
May 11, 2004
CHICAGO (IL): A prominent figure in the Roman Catholic sex abuse investigation has decided to step down from her post, and a letter obtained by the National Catholic Reporter reveals she felt the lay board she led was manipulated.
NBC5's Mary Ann Ahern reached Illinois Appellate Court Justice Anne Burke -- the former chairman of the National Review Board -- by phone Tuesday.
"While I think that we made a lot of progress, we have a lot to go, and it's just a growing pain, I believe," Burke said.
Those words come a year after the first chairman, Frank Keating, resigned after comparing the bishops to the mafia, as many of them initially refused to cooperate with the lay board.
"We are members of the church, as are the bishops, so we all have to work together to make sure that Christ's calling for us all is being fulfilled," Burke said.
Since Burke wrote that letter to the bishops, they have agreed to discuss a possible second audit at their June meeting. Some bishops have said they need a break from all of the scrutiny.
"I think a lot of people would like to have this put behind them and go forward, and we do, too, but we still have work to do so we can proceed," Burke said. "We must know what happened in the past."
The letter and the responses back to Burke provide an interesting behind-the-scenes look, Ahern said. She also called the bishops disingenuous and backsliding. In one letter back to her, the bishop of Denver said Burke's language contains threats and is inappropriate for anyone of her professional stature.
• Arraignment set for pastor's sexual abuse case [2002-03 Hollingsworth] - Baptist.
The Hawk Eye,
www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/ln10_0511.html , Tuesday, May 11, 2004
IOWA: A felony sexual abuse case against a former Danville pastor arrested in March will move forward.
Harry Frederick Hollingsworth Sr., 57, now of Hubbard, Texas, was charged with Class D sexual abuse by a counselor or therapist.
He is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with an emotionally dependent client he was counseling between Sept. 1, 2002, and April 30, 2003, while the pastor of First Baptist Church in Danville. The client was an adult female parishioner whom Hollingsworth counseled for marriage and personal problems.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Iowa Attorney General Virginia Barchman at the request of the victim who perceived a conflict of interest with the Des Moines County Sheriff's office.
Court documents filed May 4 indicate that Barchman "made a full and careful investigation of the facts upon which this information is based and have determined ... that a criminal prosecution is warranted in this matter."
• Special Documents National Catholic Reporter,
www.ncronline.org/mainpage/documents2.htm , up to Apr 11 2004
UNITED STATES: NCR's mission statement reads, in part: "We attempt to contribute to the faith community by supporting a free, honest and open discussion of issues that face the church and the wider world."
The documents posted here are intended not only as background readings for our articles but as contributions to open debate in general. If you know of a document or statement that you think should be posted here, please let us know. We may or may not choose to post any given document, but the information is always appreciated.
All documents listed from the Vatican are the English translations. If you wish a different translation go to the Vatican site at: http://www.vatican.va . Then click on the language of your choice and then to the section also of your choice.
Letters about the National Review Board exchanged among bishops and between bishops and Judge Anne Burke, the board's interim chairperson [re sex abuse] Posted May 11, 2004
Interview with Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk Posted May 11, 2004
Interview with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Posted April 28, 2004
Interview with Sr. Enrica Rosanna Posted April 26, 2004
Homily for the Mass of Christian Burial for Bishop Ken Untener Posted
April 3, 2004
Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, Australia, speaks to NCR about the work of the Vox Clara committee. Posted March 16, 2004 . . .
• Murder, Abuse in New York Catholic Orphanage? Men's News Daily,
http://mensnewsdaily.com/archive/a-b/abbott/2004/abbott051204.htm ,
by Matt C. Abbott, May 10, 2004
WATERVLIET (NY): St. Colman's Home for boys and girls was an orphanage founded in Watervliet, New York, by the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The orphanage housed children who suffered from mental and emotional problems.
All was not well at St. Colman's, according to some of the (now-adult) orphans who lived there many years ago. Check out the St. Colman's Survivors website.
There are posts such as this one, from Sue Sleasman of Albany, New York…
"The damage that the Sisters of the Presentation caused me and the other young people who lived at the home will never be totally healed. Before I was sent there, at the age of 15, I was a victim of severe and prolonged physical, mental and sexual abuse; St Colman's only compounded the trauma I aleady [sic] had. The mental tourture [sic] was more than my young could handle and I ended up developing an angry and self destructive teenage alter [sic]. Besides placing me in head locks and threatening to 'lock me up' in the crazy house, many times I would stand between them and a young child. I could not stand violence and tried to protect the younger children, especially the autistic ones. Over the 19 months I was forced to live there I ran away on several occasions and would save up the drugs they gave me, so that I would die. I was already a damaged young teenager, but once I left there I turned to drugs and self-destructiion [sic] to deal with the pain…."
Also on the site is this message…
"Children have been enduring abuse at the hands of the nun's [sic] at St Colman's for way to [sic] long. Three children have died under suspicious circumstance's [sic] that we know of. How many [have died] that we don't know of? How many children have to suffer before the authorities do something about the severely abusive conduct by the nun's [sic]?
There are several survivors that [sic] have testified to the fact that they endured extreme abuse at the hand's [sic] of the so called 'Gods [sic] servants' at St Colman's. 8yr old [sic] Gilbert Bonneau cried for help for close to 3 days! While his brain hemeraged [sic] in his skull. The only help the nuns would offer is to suffocate him to death. There is a witness!
There are also witnesses to Gilberts [sic] brutal stick beating that landed him in the infirmary where he was later suffocated."
• Springfield Diocese puts deacon accused of abuse on leave [1991 Martone]
Telegram & Gazette,
www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040511/APN/405110983 ,
By ADAM GORLICK, Associated Press Writer, Tuesday, May 11, 2004
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- A deacon in the Springfield Diocese is being investigated for allegedly molesting a child 13 years ago, church officials said Tuesday.
James A. Martone, 62, a permanent deacon who ministered at St. Louis de France and Immaculate Conception parishes in West Springfield was put on a leave of absence, church officials said Tuesday. Martone is also on a paid leave from his job as business manager at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Springfield, according to Laura Failla Reilly, the diocese's victim advocate.
The Diocesan Review Board, which reviews allegations of sexual abuse by clergy and church employees, referred the case to Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett.
Church officials would not give many details of the allegations, but said they date back to 1991.
"There is only one alleged victim, but there are multiple allegations that go beyond 1991," Reilly said.
Martone's lawyer, Vincent Bongiorni, did not return a telephone call to The Associated Press.
Martone was ordained a permanent deacon in 1983. Permanent deacons are men who are ordained to work in the church and assist in parish life. They volunteer for the ministerial positions and don't hear confessions.
• Archdiocese named in sex-abuse lawsuits [1980s]
Philadelphia Inquirer,
Headline sighted May 14, 04 "Abuse lawsuits allege new trauma,"
www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/8641390.htm?ERIGHTS=2664939441169614425philly::kashaw@peoplepc.com&KRD_RM=1impqpknppohhhhhhhhhholjmp|Kathleen|Y ;
By David O'Reilly, Posted on Tue, May. 11, 2004
PENNSYLVANIA: Using a legal strategy untested in Pennsylvania, a Berks County law firm yesterday said it had filed six more lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and two against the Diocese of Allentown for allegedly allowing and concealing clergy sexual abuse.
Although Pennsylvania law usually bars sex-abuse cases brought after a victim turns 30, an attorney for the eight plaintiffs said he would argue that his clients were traumatized anew by recent revelations that most Catholic dioceses had systematically concealed and reassigned abusive priests.
"The victims suffered harm when they found out the dioceses had misrepresented their knowledge" of abuse patterns, Wyomissing lawyer Jay Abramowitch said in a telephone interview. "This created new injury that exacerbated the old injury."
None of the six former priests and one former nun identified as perpetrators in the suits is still serving in ministry.
Abramowitch's clients, most of whom allege they were abused as minors in the 1980s, are seeking monetary damages based on the new injuries, he said.
"The approach isn't new, but the application is," said Abramowitch, a personal-injury attorney who has hitherto specialized in medical malpractice law.
• Man alleges abuse by priest in early 1980s [Ferraro]
Boston Globe,
www.boston.com/dailynews/132/region/Man_alleges_abuse_by_priest_in:.shtml ,
By Betsy Taylor, Associated Press, 5/11/2004
ST. LOUIS (MO) (AP): A Christian minister filed a sexual-abuse lawsuit Tuesday against Rev. Romano Ferraro, a Roman Catholic priest convicted last week of molesting a boy in Massachusetts.
Tim Bartin, 35, alleges he was abused by Ferraro in the early 1980s as an 11- or 12-year-old altar boy at St. Joan of Arc Parish. He filed his lawsuit in St. Louis Circuit Court against the priest, the Archdiocese of St. Louis and its Archbishop Raymond Burke.
Bartin said he sued to support other victims. He said he knows how to forgive, but that he still believes the church needs to be held accountable for abuse against children.
"I do not want to see any more victims, not even one more victim, of this abuse," he said. "And I would like to send a message to those that have remained silent. 'It is OK to come forward if these things have happened to you.' "
Bartin declined to identify where he now lives in Missouri and the specific denomination of his ministry, saying only that it no longer is Roman Catholic.
He filed the lawsuit as "John Doe" but said he felt compelled to speak out.
In January, another St. Louis man in his 30s sued Ferraro and the St. Louis archdiocese, claiming he was raped by the cleric in the 1980s.
• Deaf Pupils Accuse Nuns of Abuse at Mass. School [1944-77]
Reuters,
www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5109653 ,
By Greg Frost, 05:21 PM ET, Tue May 11, 2004
BOSTON (MA) (Reuters) - Roman Catholic nuns subjected students at a Boston-area school for the deaf to sexual, physical and mental abuse -- including rape -- according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
More than two years after a pedophile priest scandal erupted in the Archdiocese of Boston, attorney Mitchell Garabedian filed a lawsuit on behalf of nine former students of the Boston School for the Deaf, which closed in 1994.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages, charges that nuns at the school, along with a priest and other unidentified staff members, abused students between 1944 and 1977.
Garabedian said some of the abuse may have been punishment for students who tried to use sign language to communicate.
He said the Boston School for the Deaf neither taught nor tolerated the use of sign language, and instead encouraged pupils to use oral language.
"They were supposed to receive an education. Instead they were sexually molested, physically abused and mentally tormented," Garabedian told a news conference where he was flanked by some two dozen former pupils.
"If they were caught using American Sign Language, they would be punished. Some would have their hands tied behind their backs for a couple of hours," he said, adding more lawsuits may follow. "This is ugly."
• Statement Regarding Charges by National Review Board Head Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
http://snapnetwork.org/snap_statements/051104_anne_burke_charges.htm ,
Statement by David Cerulli of New York (917 757 1791 Cell), NEWS@ELCA.ORG , Snap National Board Member,
May 11, 2004
UNITED STATES: "If the National Review Board feels manipulated, imagine how we who have been abused feel now.
"Among many, many depressing days, this is one of the most dark.
"We in SNAP have seen widespread backsliding by America's bishops, and this news confirms our worst suspicions and fears.
"Frank Keating must feel sad but vindicated, and many Catholics will be further disillusioned by this obvious and inexcusable backsliding.
"Now more than ever, if children are to be safer, it is clear that civil authorities must work even harder on genuine reform and effective prevention." #
• Review board head charges bishops 'manipulated' sex abuse panel and withheld information National Catholic Reporter,
http://nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/bn051104a.htm ,
By Joe Feuerherd
WASHINGTON (DC): The high-profile lay committee investigating the clergy sex abuse scandals was "manipulated" by the bishops, who used the 13-member National Review Board for public relations cover while withholding key information from the panel.
That charge was made in a March 30 letter from Anne Burke, the Illinois Court of Appeal Justice who serves as the Board's interim chair, to bishops' conference President Wilton Gregory.
Copies of correspondence obtained by NCR indicate the board's relationship with dozens of members of the hierarchy is severely strained. While the language used by the NRB and the bishops falls short of the invective that led then-NRB chairman Frank Keating to resign in June 2003 (he compared the bishops to the mafia), it is far from collegial. Board members question the bishops' commitment to child protection, while some bishops charge the NRB has strayed beyond its mandate.
Burke's letter paints a picture of hierarchical deception and public relations maneuvering. While the letter bears her signature, it was reviewed and approved by the Review Board, Burke told NCR.
Even as NRB members were presenting their findings on the scope and causes of the crisis to a widely-covered Feb. 27 press conference, wrote Burke, its members were unaware that the bishops were considering shelving or delaying some of the board's key recommendations.
Nearly a month later, as four NRB members formally presented the recommendations to the bishops' Administrative Committee, the Board had not been informed that key members of the hierarchy were seeking to defer or derail a second round of audits designed to measure diocesan compliance with child-protection policies established by the bishops at their June 2002 meeting in Dallas.
• Sex Abuse Panel Says U.S. Bishops Manipulated It Reuters,
www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=5110460 ,
By Michael Conlon, 07:49 PM ET, Tue May 11, 2004
CHICAGO (IL) (Reuters) - A lay panel heading an investigation into sexual abuse in the U.S. Roman Catholic Church has accused the country's bishops of manipulating it and backsliding on promises, according to a letter made public on Tuesday.
The letter was one of several between the National Review Board and various bishops posted on the Web site of the National Catholic Reporter, which said it had obtained and verified them.
The review panel, headed by Anne Burke, a judge in Chicago, criticized the administrative committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for deciding to delay action on some key issues until a meeting in November.
The delays among other things would push back a second round of audits to see how well dioceses are complying with new measures designed to protect children from clerical abuse.
The panel's letter complained that the bishops were considering the delay but hid it from the panel at the time of a high-profile Feb. 27 news conference so it would not become public.
At that time it was disclosed in two reports that more than 10,600 children claimed to have been molested by priests since 1950 in an epidemic of child sexual abuse involving at least 4 percent of U.S. Roman Catholic clergy.
The Review panel was formed by the bishops in 2002 after the abuse scandal had shaken the U.S. church to its foundations.
"It is hard to reach any other conclusion than that the failure to tell the (panel) of these matters in a timely fashion was to make sure that they did not come up in any discussions with the national media on Feb. 27," the letter said.
"In short we were manipulated ... we are very disheartened by this apparent decision to go back to 'business as usual'," the letter added. "To place everything on hold for eight months will undoubtedly have serious adverse repercussions both within and without the Church."
• Panel fears bishops will avert abuse measures New York Newsday,
www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uscath0512,0,1350112.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines ;
BY CAROL EISENBERG, May 12, 2004
NEW YORK: A leader of the high-profile lay committee investigating the clergy sex abuse scandals said Tuesday he was "not optimistic" the nation's Catholic bishops would continue acting aggressively to protect children from molesters because "there are some bishops who want to delay and to retrench."
The comments by Washington lawyer Robert Bennett came the same day that The National Catholic Reporter, an independent weekly newspaper, quoted a letter from Illinois Justice Anne Burke, chairman of the lay panel, saying the group was "manipulated" by some bishops who used it for public relations cover.
Burke wrote March 29 to Bishop Wilton Gregory of Belleville, Ill., head of the U.S. bishops, that the panel had helped the bishops "dodge the bullet."
Even as panel members were presenting findings on the sexual abuse scandal at a Feb. 27 news conference, Burke wrote, they were not informed that the bishops were considering shelving or delaying some measures, including a second round of audits to monitor their compliance with new child protection policies.
• Review board head charges bishops 'manipulated' sex abuse panel and withheld information National Catholic Reporter,
http://nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/bn051104a.htm , By Joe Feuerherd, May 11 2004
UNITED STATES: The high-profile lay committee investigating the clergy sex abuse scandals was "manipulated" by the bishops, who used the 13-member National Review Board for public relations cover while withholding key information from the panel.
That charge was made in a March 30 letter from Anne Burke, the Illinois Court of Appeal Justice who serves as the Board's interim chair, to bishops' conference President Wilton Gregory.
Copies of correspondence obtained by NCR indicate the board's relationship with dozens of members of the hierarchy is severely strained.
[Posted by Dennis Coday, NCR staff writer at 01:59 PM]
• Lawsuit alleges widespread abuse by nuns at school for deaf [1944-77]
Providence Journal,
www.projo.com/ap/ne/1084286171.htm ,
By MARTIN FINUCANE, Associated Press Writer, 05.11.2004
BOSTON (MA) (AP) - Nine former students of the Boston School for the Deaf filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging they were raped and beaten by nuns at the now-defunct school.
The plaintiffs named at least 14 nuns in the lawsuit, along with a priest, the Rev. Charles J. Murphy, the school's athletic instructor, Gary Gedney, and a former top official in the Boston archdiocese, according to their attorney, Mitchell Garabedian.
The alleged victims, three women and six men, were between the ages of 7 and 16 when they claim they were sexually and physically abused between 1944 and 1977. The Boston School for the Deaf, in Randolph, was run by an independent, nonprofit corporation until it closed more than a decade ago.
"They are all speech impaired and hearing impaired," said Garabedian, who represents a total of 31 former students at the school and expects to file more lawsuits alleging abuse there. "Instead of receiving an education they received beatings and sexually abusive actions."
• Catholics hope new bishop confronts area's issues Telegram & Gazette,
www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040511/NEWS/405110366/1052/NEWS01 ,
by Kathleen A. Shaw, T&G STAFF, kshaw@telegram.com , May 11 2004
WORCESTER (MA): The Diocese of Worcester faces many challenges in the early years of the 21st century, and area Catholics say that with a new bishop about to be installed, it is time to make some changes.
In recent interviews, area lay people and clergy articulated what they believe is needed on a wide range of issues. Their concerns included the handling of the sexual abuse crisis, the role of women and laity, standing by or changing the traditional teachings of the church, dealing with homosexual priests, rising to new bioethics challenges with medical and scientific advances, deciding how to treat public officials who hold views contrary to official church teachings, and involving laity and priests more in diocesan issues.
Bishop Robert J. McManus of Providence will be installed as the fifth bishop of Worcester at 2 p.m. Friday in St. Paul's Cathedral.
Philip Lawler of Lancaster, who operates a subscription Web site, Catholic World News, said the key test of Bishop McManus' leadership "will center on his willingness to confront those challenges directly.
"Business as usual will not work. It fact, it hasn't been working for years. Everyone knows that, and not many people admit it," he said. ...
Mr. Dick, who works with victims of clergy sexual abuse in the diocese, said it is time "that all bishops and hierarchs stop hiding behind the barracuda lawyers and the insurance companies and settle all abuse cases fairly and equitably."
Ann Hagan Webb, a native of Rhode Island who is a leader of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests for New England, worries that the installation of Bishop McManus "will be a changing of the guard with little or no change in policy." She said both Providence and Worcester have been "loath to open records." She hopes that the new bishop takes a different approach here than he did in Providence in dealing with sexual abuse issues.
"If he thinks things are fine in Rhode Island, then we have a serious problem," Ms. Webb said.
Mr. O'Brien said the new bishop should "take the advice of the National Review Board and work with a committee of lay leaders to review all priests files, assess the settlement of all abuse cases back through the 1980s, and make a public report assuring everyone that, as best as could be done, justice has been served, victims have been treated properly and priest abusers are not in a position to re-offend."
Bishop McManus should meet with victims, victim advocates and others personally affected by the scandal "and do what he can to get speedy and fair canonical trials for the removed priests," Mr. O'Brien said.
"Nothing will change in the diocese of Worcester," said Richard
