389,000 Catholics named defendants

Portland, Oregon —

Around the middle of next month, thousands of Oregon households will get a letter informing them that, as parishioners of the 124 Catholic churches in Western Oregon, they are officially part of the class of defendants in the Portland Archdiocese's bankruptcy case.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris formally certified the class on Friday.

The action is nearly unprecedented: Commonly, it is the plaintiffs, not the defendants, who organize as a class in civil cases.

But in this case, parishioners will argue that it is they — not the archdiocese — who own the $600 million in assets and property of the parishes.

If they lose the argument, then that money is considered fair game for the 235 men and women who have sued the church, alleging they suffered sexual abuse at the hands of priests.

In that case, the assets of the 124 parishes and three Catholic high schools in Western Oregon could be sold or mortgaged to pay the alleged victims' claims.

But if the parishioners win, that money is off-limits to the plaintiffs; the archdiocese proper says it has only about $19 million to its name.

There are 249 claims pending against the archdiocese by people alleging they were sexually abused by priests. They are seeking more than $400 million in damages.

More than 100 cases have been settled, some dating from alleged abuse that took place as far back as 1937. Mediation is to begin on 60 more cases next month.

Read the article at .: Corvallis Gazette-Times Dated July 23, 2005

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Accused priest back at diocese, has no standing

Steubenville, Ohio --

A Catholic priest who was imprisoned on a charge of sexual indecency in Wyoming has returned to a religious community in Waterford, but the Diocese of Steubenville said he cannot work as a priest.
Anthony Jablonowski came to Waterford in 1991 from the Cheyenne, Wyo., diocese in 1991 to establish a religious order called the Carmelite Missionaries of Mary Immaculate in the rural area of Waterford in Washington County, Ohio.

He agreed to a plea in April 2004 in Wyoming for taking indecent liberties with a teenager and was sentenced to 15 months to seven years in prison.

He waived a parole hearing in February but was released from prison in Wyoming and has returned to the Carmelite farm in Waterford.

Bishop R. Daniel Conlon of the Diocese of Steubenville remained firm in his stance, announced prior to Jablonowski's jailing in Wyoming, that the man cannot function as a priest.

A statement issued by the diocese today said Jablonowski called Conlon at the diocesan chancery offices Friday.

"Bishop Conlon has made it clear all along that Anthony Jablonowski was to have no association with the Carmelite Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, nor to reside on their property," the diocese stated.

Read the article at The Herald-Star Dated July 28, 2005

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Dismissal of lawsuits against Milwaukee archdiocese appealed

Milwaukee, Wisconsin --

Four people who have accused two priests of abusing them in the 1970s and 1980s filed an appeal Thursday of a judge's dismissal of their lawsuits against the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

The appeal will provide a new legal challenge of a decade-old court ruling that gave religious organizations in Wisconsin blanket immunity from civil claims over their supervision of priests, attorneys for the accusers said.

It could open the door to new civil lawsuits against the church in cases where evidence shows church leaders transferred known sex-offender priests to a new church and didn't tell the parish about it, attorney Jim Smith said.

"What we are alleging is the church should not enjoy First Amendment protection under these circumstances," Smith said.

The appeal, filed with the 1st District Court of Appeals, seeks to overturn decisions by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Michael Guolee this year involving three alleged cases of sexual abuse by the late Rev. Siegfried Widera between 1973 and 1976 and one by the Rev. Franklyn Becker in 1982.

Read the article at AP Wire Dated July 28, 2005

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Ex-priest convicted of sex assault

Green Bay, Wisconsin --

It took a Brown County jury 39 minutes to decide that former priest Donald Buzanowski was not praying with the 10-year-old boy he was counseling at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in 1988.

They decided he was preying on the fifth-grader and convicted him Wednesday of two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child. Buzanowski now faces up to 40 years in prison.

For 27-year-old David Schauer, who has been telling people of the molestation for 15 years, the guilty verdict was a sweet sound.

“For so long I’ve gone without feeling believed, thinking that I was the only one this has ever happened to,” Schauer said. “Knowing they heard what happened and they believed me, it gives me a lot of strength.

“Being believed is unbelievable to me,” he said. “I’m no longer an alleged victim. There’s something to having the title victim and not be someone who is alleging these incidents happened.

“Finally he’s guilty. He’s been through the system and had a fair trial.”

Read the article at Green Bay Press-Gazette Dated July 28, 2005

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Ex-Oak Harbor priest sued in sex-abuse case

Seattle, Washington --

The Rev. G. Barry Ashwell, who served for more than two decades in Oak Harbor, is the target of a lawsuit filed Monday by three men who claim that he sexually abused them after making their acquaintance at a youth camp, elementary school and church parish between 1970 and 1985.

The Seattle Archdiocese removed Ashwell from the ministry in 2002, several years after earlier abuse allegations against the priest began to surface. An archdiocese representative did not return a call seeking comment about the new claims.

The lawsuit says that Ashwell met one boy at St. Matthew School in Seattle and molested him during the early 1970s.

Read the article at seattlepi.com Dated July 28, 2005

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Judge allows church official to delay deposition

Portland, Oregon --

The judge in the Archdiocese of Portland's bankruptcy has agreed to let former Portland Archbishop William J. Levada skip an August date to answer questions under oath about how the church handles child sexual-abuse allegations.

In return, the newly named No. 3 official in the Roman Catholic Church must personally guarantee that he'll make himself available in January to undergo questioning by lawyers for priest sex-abuse plaintiffs in Oregon. In addition, he must agree not to claim diplomatic immunity as a high-ranking official of the Vatican.

Levada has until Tuesday to respond. Otherwise, his deposition in Hayward, Calif., is expected to proceed as scheduled Aug. 12, five days before he resigns as Archbishop of San Francisco and moves to Rome.

Read the article at oregonlive.com Dated July 28, 2005

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Jury convicts former priest of sex assault

Green Bay, Wisconsin --

A Brown County jury took 39 minutes Wednesday to convict a former priest on two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child.

Donald Buzanowski, 62, was accused of molesting 10-year-old David Schauer, a student at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in the fall of 1988. Schauer, now 27, testified Tuesday that Buzanowski fondled him during two counseling sessions at the school.

Schauer reported the abuse in 1990 after his mother found material in his journal indicating her son was being abused. Schauer told a counselor about the attacks, who then informed police. At the time, prosecutors decided not to pursue the case, citing a lack of evidence. Since then, another person came forward with allegations against Buzanowski and the state’s statute of limitations was tweaked to allow the current case to go forward.

Buzanowski stopped acting in the role of priest in May 1989 when he requested and was granted a one-year leave of absence from the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, according to a timeline provided by the diocese.

Buzanowski was denied a request for another leave of absence in 1990. He did not return to the priesthood and was officially suspended from the priesthood in July 1990, according to the diocese.

In January 1992, Buzanowski tendered his resignation from the priesthood, but he was not officially defrocked until officials at the Vatican took action in March 2005.

Read the article at Green Bay Press-Gazette Dated July 27, 2005

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Body and Mind

United States --

The troubling topic of pedophilia is brought to our awareness almost daily: the Michael Jackson trial, the Catholic Church sex scandal and countless news reports of abductions and murders of children by registered sex offenders. For most of us, each situation elicits a sense of horror that an adult would sexually exploit an innocent child. We naturally want the pedophile held responsible. We don't just want him sent to another town or parish. We want him convicted and locked away.

But after serving time, the offender is released back into the community, albeit registered and tracked by government officials, with communities usually warned of his presence in their area. In spite of being flagged with a scarlet letter, however, he usually manages to re-offend.

Clearly, our system for dealing with pedophilia is ineffective. It is not providing treatment to the pedophile, nor is it protecting our children. The community has a pre-eminent right to be safe. At the same time, we have to guarantee certain rights to those who may pose a threat. As a result, the needs of society for protection and the rights of the pedophile conflict.

The issue is further complicated by the fact that the offenders are attracted to prepubescent individuals through no fault of their own. Although the cause is unknown, it is thought to be either an inborn defect or the result of an early experience such as a sexual abuse. They are locked in a body that has a normal amount of sexual drive but is incapable of being aroused by adults. While they may be able to control acting on their desires, they cannot change their sexual orientation any more than any of us can.

Read the article at Body and Mind Dated July 27, 2005

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Ex-priest's address contradicts church order

Marietta, Ohio --

The return last week of a former Marietta and St. John's priest convicted of sexually abusing a minor is drawing reactions from local church officials and an advocate for those sexually abused by priests.
Anthony T. Jablonowski, 68, of 800 Strahler Road, Waterford, registered as a sexually oriented offender Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff's Office after being released from prison in Wyoming where he was convicted of sexual abuse against a minor. The address he listed as his new residence is the same one listed for the religious order called Carmelite Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, which he founded 14 years ago.

A statement released Monday by the bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville, which oversees the Catholic church in Washington County, said Jablonowski was to have no association with CMMI or reside on its property. The statement also said CMMI has no official status in the church because it is a lay association.

Judy Jones, the Steubenville Diocese/eastern Ohio region leader of the Survivors' Network of those Abused, said Monday she was surprised Jablonowski was released from prison already and shocked even further that he was back at CMMI.

In a letter to the Steubenville Diocese and the Cheyenne, Wyo., Diocese, Jones addressed several questions to the diocese about how it is going to handle Jablonowski's return.

Read the article at NewsandSentinel.com Dated July 27, 2005

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Former Fort Lewis chaplain faces abuse suit

Fort Lewis, Washington --

A U.S. Army soldier serving in Iraq says a Catholic priest who was a chaplain at Fort Lewis sexually abused him nearly 20 years ago.

The 34-year-old Thurston County man is suing the priest, the Rev. Reinard Beaver, and the people he says should have protected him from the priest – the Archdiocese for the Military Services and the archbishop of Seattle.

Beaver, who lives in Steilacoom, has been sued by at least four other men who say he abused them.

He was removed from public ministry in 1988 after complaints surfaced.

The plaintiff is anonymous in the Pierce County Superior Court lawsuit, identified only by the initials “J.S.”

He was a minor when he attended Mass regularly with his family at Fort Lewis.

The lawsuit filed Monday alleges Beaver used his status as a priest and the family’s chaplain to groom the boy for sexual abuse.

During 1986-87, the lawsuit alleges, Beaver abused the boy at the priest’s house in Pierce County and in a hotel room during a trip to Eastern Washington for a church-related function. The lawsuit says Beaver used alcohol “to facilitate the abuse.”

Read the article at TheNewsTribune.com Dated July 27, 2005

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Denver archbishop urges parishioners to come forward with abuse details

Denver, Colorado —

Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput has sent letters to 11 Colorado parishes, asking church members for any information they might have about child sexual abuse.

A 49-year-old Southern California man, Brandon Trask, told the archdiocese earlier this year that Harold Robert White molested him in the early 1970s, when White was the pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Minturn, near Vail.

White, 72, has said he does not remember Trask or the alleged abuse. White lives in a Denver retirement community, but served in all 11 parishes between 1960 and 1993.

In the letters sent Tuesday, Chaput reiterates previous statements that White has been out of active ministry since 1993 and was removed from clerical status by the Vatican last year.

Chaput does not ask parishioners to come forward with any information about White, according to The Denver Post, which obtained a copy of the letter.

"If you or anyone you know has information regarding the sexual abuse of a minor," Chaput writes, please contact officials who oversee the archdiocese's response to national reforms adopted following the U.S. church's clergy abuse scandal.

Read the article at gjsentinel.com Dated July 27, 2005

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Appeals cout says LA archdiocese must turn over clergy files to grand jury

Los Angeles, California --

A state appellate court has ordered Cardinal Roger Mahony to turn over internal church records of two former priests accused of sexually abusing children to a grand jury.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal on Monday upheld a previous judge's decision that the church documents involving allegations of clergy sexual abuse should be released to the grand jury. The three-judge panel rejected arguments by the Los Angeles Archdiocese that it was constitutionally protected from having to disclose documents from Roman Catholic priest personnel files.

"While it is true the right to religious freedom holds a special place in our history and culture, there also must be an accommodation by religious believers and institutions to the rules of civil society, particularly when the state's compelling interest in protecting children is in question," Presiding Justice Joan Dempsey Klein wrote in a 49-page opinion. Justices Walter Croskey and Patti Kitching concurred.

Prosecutors were encouraged by the panel's ruling.

"This is a clean-sweep victory for the people," said William Hodgman, the deputy district attorney in charge of the investigation. "Every single argument has been shot down in flames, described as meritless."

Lawyers for Mahony and the priests, whose names have not been made public, said they expect to appeal.

The ruling, which is expected to affect both civil and criminal litigation, is part of a three-year legal battle over the disclosure of church documents sought by prosecutors investigating clergy sexual abuse.

Mahony has said that examining confidential communications between a bishop and his priests by a third party would violate the church's 1st Amendment rights.

The appellate judges disagreed, saying that enforcing the subpoenas "will not result in excessive entanglement" by the government. The court cited rulings in other states that forced the Catholic Church to turn over similar documents.

Read the article at AP Wire Dated July 26, 2005

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Letter to Riverside DA from SNAP members

Riverside, California --

We the members of SNAP, (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) wish to publicly express our outrage at your recent "secret deal" with the San Bernadino Diocese.

Fr. Jesse Dominguez and any men who allowed him to molest children are criminals. As such, their crimes, files and other information must be public in order to protect the innocent children who are still at severe risk of sexual abuse.

Your secret agreement is tantamount to the FBI striking a deal with Al Capone. Since when is it acceptable to protect molesters and the men who allowed them to abuse? Why does the Church think it is above the law? Whose safety was sold to protect the diocese? Whose child was endangered?

Secret "gangster-era" deals do not comply with the law, because neither judge nor jury was there to evaluate the deal, the consequences and the risks to the children of Riverside.

We encourage you to immediately nullify this deal, make Jesse Dominguez's files public, and uphold the law that keeps children safe from sexual predators.

We strongly suspect that the dioceses secret deal is another attempt to manipulate and undermine your credibility and efforts to locate, arrest, and prosecute Fr. Jessie Dominguez and other molesters. Worse, we believe that church officials will also be shielded from accountability for covering up sex crimes in the church with a private plea bargain disguised as a protocol agreement with prosecutors. Don't allow your office to be compromised to protect a few guilty men.

Any deal struck to protect the files of Fr. Dominguez will be seen as a deal paved on the bodies of innocent children. It didn't work in San Francisco and it will not work in Riverside. As a support group of men and women victimized by clergy, we are deeply concerned about the protection of children. We implore you to pursue Fr. Dominguez and church officials' files to bring him and other perpetrators to justice. We urge you to continue to investigate and prosecute known and suspected child molesters and their alleged accomplices to the fullest extent of the law, even if the suspects are Catholic priests and their bishops. Unless this secret agreement is immediately nullified and made public, the D.A. is telling parents that molesters are more important than their children's safety, especially if there is embarrassing information in a molester's protected secret file that could implicate powerful local leaders.

Read the article at DailyBulletin.com Dated July 22, 2005

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$5m award ordered in sex abuse suit

Bridgeport, Connecticut —

A Superior Court jury on Thursday awarded $5 million to a former city man who claimed to have been sexually abused by a landscaper at St. Theresa's Church in Trumbull more than 30 years ago.

Michael Powel, 47, broke into tears and hugged his lawyer, Helen McGonigle, as Judge Edward F. Stodolink read the verdict.

But the award against landscaper Carlo Fabbozzi may end up being only a moral victory. Fabbozzi, 78, who lives at 3900 Park Ave., did not appear for the trial. The defense table was noticeably empty as McGonigle presented her case to the jury.

With no defense, it took the jury of four men and two women less than an hour to find Fabbozzi responsible for injuring Powel and award him economic damages of $2 million and punitive damages of $3 million.

Attempts to reach Fabbozzi at his home Thursday were unsuccessful.

Read the article at The Connecticut Post Online Dated July 22, 2005

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Church settlement clears hurdle

Covington, Kentucky --

A special judge has agreed to expand the class of people eligible for a record settlement with the Diocese of Covington and is allowing publication and advertising of the agreement to proceed.

In an order filed Wednesday, Special Judge John Potter gave his formal preliminary approval to the settlement, which is meant to end a class-action lawsuit alleging a half-century of sexual abuse by priests and its coverup by the diocese.

Potter previously gave preliminary approval after a hearing in Boone Circuit Court, where the case was filed. But his order Wednesday put the approval in writing.

"The court preliminarily approves the settlement but reserves its final decision until after a fairness hearing, and will order than notice be given to the class of the proposed settlement," Potter wrote.

That hearing is scheduled for Jan. 9. Anyone who objects to the settlement must do so in writing by Dec. 19.

The agreement guarantees victims $40 million from the diocese.

That amount could increase up to $120 million if attorneys are successful in pressing their claims against two companies who insured the diocese.

The diocese is suing insurers in federal court, and Stan Chesley, who represents the victims, has joined the diocese.

If the $120 million figure is reached, it will be the largest settlement thus far in the Roman Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal in the United States.

Thus far, tallies have shown that the Church has paid out more than $1 billion across the United States as a result of priests and other religious figures abusing children and young adults.

Read the article at The Cincinnati Post Dated July 21, 2005

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Priest's accuser defies church secrecy

Madison, Wisconsin --

Christopher Leonard defied the secrecy of the Catholic Church Wednesday, talking openly about the priest sexual abuse that church officials wanted him to speak of only behind closed doors.

Leonard, 43, said he was sexually abused by the Rev. Kenneth Klubertanz in Janesville in 1975.

Now living in Missouri, Leonard was in Madison to testify at a closed canonical trial by the Diocese of Madison adjudicating accusations of sexual abuse against Klubertanz.

Klubertanz has denied the allegations.

Leonard spoke at a news conference arranged through Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), and took the opportunity to advocate for legislation that would provide a one-year window during which victims of clergy sex abuse could bring lawsuits in claims for which the legal deadline for filing has passed.

Read the article at The Capital Times Dated July 21, 2005

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Londoner alleges abuse by priest, sues for $3.1M suit

London, England, United Kingdom --

A London man told a news conference yesterday how he was allegedly controlled, brutalized and raped by a priest when he was a boy in the northeastern Ontario town of Warren.

"I'm not lying down any more in bed saying I want to die," Robert Berube said of his determination to heal, hold the church accountable and help other victims.

Father Jean-Claude Etienne has been dead for nearly eight years, but the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie could still end up paying for his alleged sexual abuse and assault of Berube more than 30 years ago.

London-based law firm Ledroit Beckett has filed a statement of claim seeking $3.1 million in damages as compensation for the suffering Etienne allegedly inflicted on Berube.

The diocese has not yet filed a statement of defence in the case.

"I can tell you very simply that we have a protocol and we will follow our protocol," Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe said yesterday. "In this particularly case, we respect the route chosen by the plaintiff and his legal counsel and, as the procedure unfolds, we hope to be provided with more information."

Berube was 13 in 1969 when the alleged abuse began.

He claims it went on continuously for 3 1/2 years.

Read the article at London Free Press Dated July 21, 2005

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Former Janesville man testifies in priest's sex abuse trial

Madison, Wisconsin --

A former Janesville man who in March told The Janesville Gazette he was sexually abused by a priest as a child testified Wednesday against the priest in a church trial.

"We'll have to wait and see what happens out of the trial," Christopher Leonard said after testifying Wednesday afternoon.

He said he was sworn to secrecy about his testimony.

"I was under oath. I have to respect that," he said.

"But I can say that there wasn't anything that I told you that I probably didn't testify to."

In March, Leonard told the Gazette that in 1975 the Rev. Kenneth Klubertanz, then a priest at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Janesville, took him camping in northern Wisconsin. While they bathed naked in a lake, Leonard said, Klubertanz sexually assaulted him.

Read the article at The Janesville Gazette Dated July 21, 2005

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Santorum meets with group upset by his comments on priest abuse

Washington, D.C. --

A key Pennsylvania senator assured a group of advocates Thursday he would look into why the Justice Department has yet to respond to their request for an investigation of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

The meeting between Sen. Rick Santorum, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, and three members of the Survivors Networks of those Abused by Priests was arranged after some members expressed outrage over a column Santorum wrote.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., criticized the 2002 column in a rare personal attack on Santorum last week on the Senate floor. The column linked Boston's liberalism to the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic church.

The three members said Santorum stood by his comments, but they were pleased he agreed to contact the Justice Department.

"It's hard to say until we see what happens next," said Peter Isely, a national board member for the group.

Tammy Lerner, a member from New Tripoli, Pa., said they did not ask Santorum for an apology. Instead, they asked for help in affecting change that would lead to more prosecutions, she said.

"He made a commitment to doing that," Lerner said.

That is more important than Santorum's written opinions, Isely said.

"What really helps is prosecution and jail time and getting this institution within the laws of the United States," Isely said.

Read the article at AP Wire Dated July 21, 2005

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Defrocked, 30 years later

New York City, New York --

It took the Catholic Church that long to get rid of Francis Stinner, a priest who molested young boys.

On Sunday, Record staffer Steve Israel brought one of the area's more appalling stories to a close. His column detailed the anguish and courage of a local man who, at age 11, had been sexually abused by his parish priest and who had decided, 20 years later, that he could no longer be a partner to the Catholic Church's coverup of his and dozens of other cases of abuse by its priests. The man called Israel in 1996 and, with the promise of confidentiality, told him his story.
Israel's column Sunday emphasized the importance of that pledge of anonymity in allowing this newspaper to bring the tale of sexual abuse and coverup to the public's attention. There is no underestimating the significance of that pledge, for this newspaper and others that published similar stories of abuse of boys by priests in their areas. When social institutions that are supposed to protect and defend the innocent not only fail in that responsibility but also enlist the innocents, through cash and coercion, in a conspiracy of denial, there must be a place of trust for the victims to go to unburden themselves. Newspapers can be that place.
But reading Israel's column also brought back feelings of anger and resentment at the church for its hypocrisy in dealing with the issue and the lengths to which it went to deny or delay dealing with the abusers.
The column was prompted by the fact that the Archdiocese of New York had just released a list of priests it had defrocked. Among them was Francis Stinner, who had served as a parish priest at St. Mary's Church in Port Jervis and taught at John S. Burke Catholic High School in Goshen. Stinner was the man Israel's caller said had sexually abused him and at least a dozen other boys while serving as their priest.
So Francis Stinner is no longer Father Stinner. This is good news. But really, this is an old story and the sad truth is it took the church nearly 30 years from the first time he abused Israel's caller to take Stinner's collar of invincibility away from him. For much of those 30 years, Stinner was free to molest other boys as the church merely moved him to other unsuspecting parishes and paid his accusers to keep quiet.
This was the church's policy for years. Cash, cars, college tuition, counseling, there was no limit to its generosity when it came to protecting priests accused of sexual abuse. Even a promise that Stinner would no longer be stationed where he would come into contact with children was not kept.

Read the article at recordonline.com Dated July 20, 2005

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Bishop Says He Reassigned Abusive Priest

Cleveland, Ohio --

Bishop Anthony M. Pilla testified Tuesday in a defamation case against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland that he twice reassigned a priest who allegedly sexually assaulted a minor.

Pilla said the decision was made after the priest, the Rev. James Mulica, had been treated for an alcohol problem at a treatment center for Catholic clergy.

"I was told that the mental experts at Guest House had indicated that Father Mulica could be reassigned to ministry without any restrictions," Pilla said.

The bishop said he did not inform either parish about the priest's past. He added that he did not know if subordinates might have.

The statements came in a 4 1/2-hour deposition in a defamation lawsuit filed against the diocese by alleged victim Christopher Kodger and his parents. They accuse the diocese of falsely stating in 2002 that they supported Mulica's reassignment. The deposition was released by the court.

Mulica allegedly assaulted Kodger in 1981, according to court documents. Age 14 at the time, Kodger told his parents, who called Pilla's home that night.

No charges were filed against Mulica, and the family agreed to a settlement of $45,000 on the condition that Mulica not be permitted to work near children, said Kodger's attorney William Crosby.

The diocese sent Mulica to be treated for two years at the treatment center. He then returned to the diocese and was reassigned to a parish with a school.

Read the article at Findlaw.com Dated July 19, 2005

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Judge's Written Order Allows Public Notice Of Settlement To Begin

Louisville, Kentucky --

A judge's written order Wednesday gave plaintiffs' lawyers the go-ahead to advertise terms of a potential $120 million settlement between the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington and alleged victims of sexual abuse.

Judge John W. Potter's order, issued in Boone County Circuit Court in Burlington, came in a class-action lawsuit accusing the northern Kentucky diocese of a decades-long cover-up of sexual abuse by priests. The order formalized his preliminary approval of the proposed settlement.

"We're moving forward," plaintiffs' attorney Stan Chesley said.

Potter, a retired circuit court judge from Louisville, also agreed to expand potential plaintiffs to include those allegedly abused before 1956 or allegedly victimized by lay employees of the diocese.

"It's what both the plaintiffs and the defendants want, which is to be inclusive of everyone," Chesley said in a phone interview.

The diocese, spanning 14 counties with 89,000 parishioners, had no immediate comment.

A status conference in the case is set for Nov. 21, and a hearing is set for Jan. 9.

Read the article at WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY Dated July 20, 2005

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Attorney for Stockton church abuse victims reflects on settlement

Sacramento, California --

Joseph George stood on the Sacramento courthouse steps, watching as the media swarmed around his clients.

The attorney, who represented all 33 plaintiffs who settled for $35 million with the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento last month, was clearly enjoying the moment.

The psychologist-turned-lawyer who couldn’t get a job as a trial attorney when he started 20 years ago will make millions from the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church and has become known as the local specialist in religious abuse cases. He also is representing six clients suing the Stockton Diocese.

For the past three years, George has worked on the cases with an almost religious devotion. He says he sold his assets, went heavily into debt to finance the lawsuits and continued working even after a near-fatal cycling accident.

His efforts have paid off: George’s portion of the Sacramento settlement will come to about $3.5 million, after splitting legal fees with co-counsel. He said the plaintiffs will receive about 55 percent of the total ($19.25 million).

The day the Sacramento agreement was announced, George reached a $7.3 million settlement with the Santa Rosa Diocese for eight plaintiffs. Combined with an April settlement with that diocese, George has negotiated $10.6 million for plaintiffs there. His share will be about $1 million, he says.

Read the article at tracypress.com Dated July 19, 2005

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Fugitive U.S. priest arrested in Rome

Rome, Italy --

Italian authorities have arrested a fugitive American priest who eluded criminal charges for two years by living with his Catholic superiors a block from the Vatican.

The Rev. Joseph Henn was placed under house arrest at the world headquarters of his Salvatorian religious order over the weekend, said Father John Gorman, one of his U.S.-based bosses.

The priest's lawyer and psychiatrist are urging him to challenge extradition, Father Gorman said. The order opposes that advice, he said, but will still let Father Henn remain at the headquarters – as it has since 2003 when he first refused to go back to Phoenix and face the 13 molestation charges against him.

"We can't force him [to return] nor can we throw him out on the street," Father Gorman said.

The Dallas Morning News located Father Henn in Rome last year as part of a series examining how priests move from country to country to stay ahead of sex-abuse allegations, often with church help. Father Henn was one of several accused clerics, some of them fugitives and ex-cons, that The News found living and working in the shadow of the Vatican.

Shortly after Father Henn was indicted, Phoenix prosecutors wrote the Vatican's secretariat of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and asked for help in returning him from Rome. The letter was sent back, resealed, along with a note saying it had been refused.

Read the article at DallasNews.com Dated July 18, 2005

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Bishop Pilla questioned in court over sex abuse questions

Cleveland, Ohio --
The court ordered Bishop Anthony Pilla to report to the Justice Center to answer questions about what he knew of sexual abuse cases in the Cleveland Diocese.Lawyer: Pilla admits to knowledge of abuse.

The deposition focuses on what Pilla knew about claims of abuse 21 years ago at a Kirtland church.

A former priest at Divine Word Church was accused of molesting 14-year-old Christopher Kodger

The Cleveland Catholic Diocese and Pilla are being sued for the truth of what was known and what was done about Father James Mulica (pictured). The suit wants to know was this complaint swept under the rug and Mulica reassigned by church administrators?

Tuesday, such questions were put to Pilla

Read the article at wkyc.com Dated July 19, 2005

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Letter: Column hits the mark concerning clergy abuse

Santa Monica, California --

Dear Editor, As a victim of clergy sexual assault, who struggles everyday for survival, I would like to commend Mr. Montie Pierce's brilliant editorial piece, "Leap of Faith." He has put into words what so many of the survivors/victims of pedophile Roman Catholic priests, brothers, deacons and nuns have been unable to express. Pope John Paul II, along many other pope's before him, knew that the children of the church were being used as objects of sexual gratification by the annointed, yet tarnished members of the Roman Catholic clergy; knowing full well that the laws of man, of nature and of God were being shattered and yet, nothing was done to stop it. When studying this subject of sexual crimes against children by the clergy of the church, we must ask ourselves, not only what could cause such an abandonment of conscience, pity and humanity in seemingly "normal, psuedo-religious" and well educated people, but also, what kind of evil, godless human being could know that children were being sexually butchered, have the power to stop it, (as JP II knew) and still, do nothing? Thanks to the honesty and integrity of the ladies and gentlemen of the world wide press, these stories of clergy child rape have stayed in the news. The stories of the victims/survivors are now being told. And for the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, its children are being protected. Thank you for your courage and humanity. Long live the Fourth Estate!

Read the article at Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard Dated July 18, 2005

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Priest Sued For Alleged Abuse

Cincinnati, Ohio --

9News Anchor, on set:
AN ALLEGED VICTIM OF PRIEST SEXUAL ABUSE FILES A CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TODAY.

THE I-TEAM'S LAURE QUINLIVAN FIRST REPORTED LAST WEEK ON HOW THE ARCHBISHOP HANDLED FATHER RAY LARGER WHEN PARISHIONERS COMPLAINED ABOUT HIM, AND SHE JOINS US NOW WITH THE LATEST DETAILS.

Laure Quinlivan, I-Team reporter, on set:
YES, BUT LONG BEFORE HE GOT THOSE COMPLAINTS ON LARGER, THE PRIEST WAS ALLEGEDLY ABUSING A YOUNG BOY, ACCORDING TO THIS LAWSUIT.

IT'S FILED AGAINST LARGER AND THE ARCHDIOCESE BY A MALE VICTIM NOW 21-YEARS-OLD.

A GRAND JURY INDICTED FATHER LARGER LAST WEEK ON SIX COUNTS OF ABUSE, INCLUDING RAPE. THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED IN THE MID-90'S AT SAINT JAMES CHURCH IN WHITE OAK, WHERE LARGER WAS PASTOR.

A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY, ONE OF HIS PARISHIONERS, HAD A MOTHER DYING OF CANCER. FATHER LARGER BEGAN COUNSELING, THEN ALLEGEDLY ABUSING THE BOY FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS.

Read the article at WCPO.com Dated July 18, 2005

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Report: Diocese still settling abuse cases

Providence, Rhode Island --

New priest abuse cases at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island have surfaced since the big settlement in 2002, says the Providence Journal.

The 2002 settlement was for $14.3-million settlement with some three dozen people.

Since then, the diocese has quietly reached out-of-court settlements on 50 sexual-abuse claims for a total of $2 million, the newspaper reported.

The diocese has set up a formal process to hear new claims, validate them, and offer payments of $10,000 to $50,000, the report said quoting Monsignor Paul D. Theroux, the bishop's chief of staff.

"It certainly, for me, is the most personally draining experience I've ever had in my life," said Theroux.

The stream of new claims suggests that abuse by priests in Rhode Island may have been more widespread than was indicated by the 2002 settlement, the report said.

At least 90 people in the diocese allege they were abused, the report said. None of accused priests are in ministry anymore, the monsignor said.

Read the article at United Press International Dated July 18, 2005

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Groups want out of legal battle with diocese

Nashville, Tennessee --

Lawyers for six Catholic organizations are asking a judge to leave them out of the continuing legal battle between two molestation victims and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville.

The organizations, including two area Catholic high schools, say they are not owned by the diocese and that they should not be forced to turn over their financial records to plaintiffs in the case.


Representatives of all six businesses were subpoenaed by the plaintiffs' lawyers and asked to provide numerous records. Last month, Davidson County Circuit Judge Walter Kurtz said plaintiffs should be entitled to look at the financial records of the individual church parishes and Catholic businesses.

In court documents, the businesses say the subpoenas are "unreasonable and oppressive."

For example, officials at Father Ryan High School say, the subpoena "asked for virtually every financial record, piece of correspondence, board documents and government submissions since 1927, the date the high school was founded," according to filings.

Lawyers for the parties refused to comment or did not return phone calls. Kurtz has issued an order "requesting" that attorneys and church officials not speak to the media until after the trial. The trial is scheduled for March 2006.

At issue is how much the diocese is worth. The answer could mean millions of dollars if the plaintiffs prevail and are awarded punitive damages.

Read the article at tennessean.com Dated July 18, 2005

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Man abused by priest wins £635,684

Coventry, England, United Kingdom --

A MAN who was left psychologically damaged after being systematically abused by a parish priest for ten years has been awarded more than £600,000 in compensation.

Lawyers acting for the victim of Father Christopher Clonan said they hoped that the award - thought to be the biggest of its kind in the UK - would force the Catholic Church to offer "realistic compensation" to other victims.

The 35-year-old man, who now suffers from schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder, was abused between the ages of seven and 18 by Clonan, his priest at Christ the King Church in Coventry.

The claimant, known as A, was awarded £635,684 by the High Court in Manchester after bringing a case against the Archbishop of Birmingham and the trustees of the Birmingham Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church.

After yesterday's judgment, "A"s legal firm, Wokingham-based Clifton Ingram, said it knew of at least eight other victims. It claims the Church failed to act against Clonan for years after the abuse allegations were first raised.

The award means that Clonan, who fled to Australia and is now believed to be dead, has cost the Church almost £1 million in compensation payments. Another victim was awarded £330,000 last year.

Read the article at Scotsman.com News Dated July 1, 2005

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Spencerport priest to answer sexual abuse charge

Rochester, New York --

A Spencerport priest accused of sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child is scheduled to make his first court appearance at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Rochester City Court.

The Rev. Dennis Sewar, 54, will be arraigned on charges of third-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, both misdemeanors. The charges stem from an alleged incident when Sewar was pastor of Church of the Annunciation in northeast Rochester, where he was pastor from 1999 to 2001.

No other details about the case or the accusation against Sewar were available Monday.

He most recently was pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Spencerport. He had also served at St. Helen Church in Gates, Church of the Assumption in Fairport, St. James Church in Irondequoit and St. Mary Church in Waterloo. Plus, he taught at Good Shepherd Catholic School in Henrietta.

Sewar had been on sabbatical since January, but it was unrelated to any allegations, said Michael Tedesco, a spokesman for the diocese. Sabbaticals are routine, and any priest can apply to take one after seven years of service. They usually last three to five months and must incorporate vacation, retreat and education. Sewar's sabbatical included time spent at a university in England.

He was on sabbatical when the diocese first learned about the allegations in late April.

"As soon as we received information that caused us concern, we shared it with the Rochester Police Department and let them conduct a thorough investigation," Tedesco said.

Read the article at Democrat & Chronicle Dated July 26, 2005

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Accused priests' names disclosed

Davenport, Iowa --

The names of two deceased priests that the Davenport Catholic Diocese refused to disclose have been made public by men who recently submitted claims of child sexual abuse against the diocese.

The Rev. Herman Bongers, a diocesan priest, and the Rev. Raymond C. Kalter, a priest of the Redemptorist order, may be among the 25 priests the Davenport Diocese has reported as having credible reports of abuse against them, according to the claimants' attorney.

The Davenport Diocese has been forthcoming about the number of abuse allegations it has received and has released the names of living priests with credible allegations of abuse against them. However, it has been Bishop William Franklin's policy not to name deceased priests because the men cannot defend themselves against the charges and because diocesan officials who could confirm or deny the reports are also dead.

The disclosure came from Craig Levien, a Davenport attorney who in October negotiated a $9 million settlement for 37 clients against the Davenport Diocese. Levien last week submitted six new claims of sexual abuse by clergy to the diocese for mediation. They include allegations from

• A man who says Bongers sexually abused him in 1966 when the priest was assigned to St. Vincent's orphanage. The Davenport orphanage closed in 1969. The facility is now the diocesan headquarters. Bongers died in 1971.

• A man who says Kalter abused him in 1959 when the priest was serving at St. Alphonsus Church in Davenport. At the time, the Redemptorist order owned and operated the church. Kalter died in 1977.

• Two men who say they were molested in the mid-1970s by the Rev. William Wiebler, an admitted child abuser who left a Catholic treatment center and now lives in a St. Louis suburb not far from a school and child care center.

• A man who says he was sexually abused in the early 1950s by the Rev. Francis Bass, a diocesan priest who recently settled three similar claims of abuse.

• A man who says he was sexually assaulted in the mid-1970s by former priest James Janssen, who was defrocked by the Vatican in 2004 and who in May lost a $1.9 million jury verdict.

Read the article at DesMoinesRegister.com Dated July 26, 2005

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Ex-priest’s new address in Waterford contradicts church order

Marietta, Ohio --

The return last week of a former Marietta and St. John’s priest convicted of sexually abusing a minor is drawing reactions from local church officials and an advocate for those sexually abused by priests.

Anthony T. Jablonowski, 68, of 800 Strahler Road, Waterford, registered as a sexually oriented offender Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office after being released from prison in Wyoming where he was convicted of sexual abuse against a minor. The address he listed as his new residence is the same one listed for the religious order called Carmelite Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, which he founded 14 years ago.

A statement released Monday by the bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville, which oversees the Catholic church in Washington County, said Jablonowski was to have no association with CMMI or reside on its property. The statement also said CMMI has no official status in the church because it is a lay association.

Judy Jones, the Steubenville Diocese/eastern Ohio region leader of the Survivors' Network of those Abused, said Monday she was surprised Jablonowski was released from prison already and shocked even further that he was back at CMMI.

Read the article at The Marietta Times Dated July 26, 2005

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Lawyer sues church after memories surface

Sydney, Australia --

JOHN Andrew Ellis says he was a high-flying lawyer at Baker&McKenzie when memories of childhood sexual abuse resurfaced and ruined his career.
The former equity partner lost his job in May last year after his partners found he was unable to manage staff.

Mr Ellis says this problem stemmed directly from 12 years of sexual abuse inflicted by a now deceased Catholic priest, Aidan Duggan.

But the church argues it cannot be held liable for any damages claim because Duggan was not employed by the Sydney Archdiocese. Rather, priests have "a contract with God" and not with their employer.

Mr Ellis's lawyers launched legal action in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday in a bid to extend the statute of limitations on the alleged abuse and sue the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney for damages and loss of income.

Mr Ellis, 44, claims the church was negligent and failed to protect him from the sexual advances of Duggan, who died in October last year. The alleged abuse dates back to 1974 when Mr Ellis was a 13-year-old altar boy in the Sydney parish of Bass Hill.

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He claims that between 1974 and 1979 he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Duggan, who was an assistant priest lent to the Sydney archdiocese from Fort Augustus Abbey in Scotland.

Between 1979 and 1986, further alleged sexual assaults by Duggan occurred.

Read the article at NEWS.com.au Dated Jly 27, 2005

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FindLaw's Writ - Hamilton: The Wisconsin and New Hampshire Supreme Courts Rule Against Clergy Abuse Victims

United States --

In two recent cases involving clergy abuse - in Wisconsin and New Hampshire -- state Supreme Court rulings left victims out in the cold. Neither decision made new law, but that is why they are worth noting: The law in this area is desperately in need of amendment, if we are to prevent children from being sexually victimized in the future, and provide remedies to those who have already been traumatized by abuse. (Full disclosure, I represented the victims in each of these cases.)

As I have discussed in previous columns (such as this recent one), the legal system has fallen well short of doing justice to the victims of clergy abuse. Why? In part the explanation is that, as I document in my recent book, God vs. the Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law -- Americans are naïve when it comes to the actions of religious individuals and institutions.
Click here to find out more!

Many of us find it very hard to accept even clear proof that these individuals and institutions have done wrong. This attitude, while understandable - we want to look up to our clergy and houses of worship - must change. The proof is there, and it is irrefutable. We cannot ignore it. Yet until recently, courts, in particular, have been slow to hold religious institutions accountable for the harm they have done.

In this column, I will explain the ramifications of the Wisconsin and New Hampshire decisions, and the way the state legislatures ought to amend their laws, in the wake of these decisions.

Read the article at FindLaw's Writ Dated July 25, 2005

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Former Orphanage Could Face Sex Abuse Suit

Louisville, Kentucky --

A possible class-action lawsuit is in the works against a former Louisville orphanage, as well as the Archdiocese of Louisville's Catholic Charities.

And the attorney representing more than 50 sex abuse plaintiffs said there may be hundreds more victims, WLKY NewsChannel 32's Julia Harding reported Monday.

The bottom line is that if all of the alleged victims come together under one lawsuit, it could cost the Catholic church millions more dollars. But first, a judge will decide if she'll hear arguments on it, and if so, whether a class-action suit is the best way to proceed, Harding reported.

"We have 50 victims, but we know of many more," attorney Bill McMurry said.

McMurry's clients claim they were sexually abused at a former Louisville orphanage. Ann Wilson is among the alleged victims.

"It was pure hell," she said.

In an interview last year, Wilson and her sister told WLKY of the alleged abuse at St. Thomas-St. Vincent Orphanage, where, they claimed, the nuns there didn't protect them

Read the article at TheLouisvilleChannel.com Dated July 25, 2005

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Church administrator put on leave after sexual abuse allegation

Maui, Hawaii --

A Maui man has been put on leave from his job as an administrator at St. Ann Church in Waihee while officials investigate an allegation that he sexually abused a minor.

Patrick Downes is spokesman for Honolulu's Roman Catholic diocese.

He says the diocese is in contact with police who are investigating.

The man was put on administrative leave on June 22nd from the position he has held for six years. The man, who is also a deacon, will not be allowed to perform any kind of public ministry.

The Reverend Gary Secor went to Maui last weekend to discuss the case with parishioners.

Read the article at KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News Dated July 25, 2005

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Catholic Diocese issues statement on local priest facing sexual abuse charges

Rochester, New York --

The Catholic Diocese of Rochester released a statement Sunday about a local priest facing sexual abuse charges. Rochester police arrested Reverend Dennis Sewar last Friday at his home in Henrietta. Reverend Sewar is facing third degree sexual abuse charges. Police said the alleged incidents happened at the Church of the Annunciation sometime between August 1999 and August 2001.

Bishop Matthew Clark said, "I am deeply disturbed by these allegations." He also said he hopes these allegations don't diminish the progress the church has made over the past three years with it's Safe Environment Program.



News 10NBC went to the churches where Reverend Sewar served to talk with parishioners. Dan Statt is a parishioner and was shocked when he heard of the allegations. That was also the reaction of several of the parishioners at St. John the Evangelist Church, in Spencerport. Dennis Statt also said "It doesn't surprise me. There are bad apples no matter where you go. I still support my faith and you just gotta get past all this."



NEWS 10NBC also talked with a man who recently left the Church of the Annunciation. Michael DiBella said, "I am really shocked to hear that again. I mean it's bad enough one but it keeps continuing throughout the even the whole country I take it.”

Read the article at WHEC TV-10 Dated July 24, 2005

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Local Priest facing charges of sexual abuse involving a teenager

Rochester, New York --

A local priest is facing sexual abuse charges involving a teenager. Rochester police tell us 54 -year-old Reverend Dennis Sewar was arrested Friday afternoon at his home in Henrietta. Rochester police tell NEWS 10NBC Reverend Sewar was arrested for sex abuse in the third degree. He was released with an appearance ticket. NEWS 10NBC went to Reverend Sewar's home in Henrietta.

Neighbors tell NEWS 10NBC Reverend Sewar has lived in the same house with his mother all his life. Rochester police would only tell us the arrest stems from a sex abuse allegation that happened while Reverend Sewar was a priest at Church of the Annunciation in Rochester. So far the allegation involves one a teenager and a sex abuse crime between 1999 and 2001. NEWS 10NBC spoke to some neighbors of Reverend Sewar's who say they're surprised and concerned. NEWS 10NBC called the Rochester Catholic Diocese but didn't hear back in time for our newscast.

Read the article at WHECTV-10 Dated July 23, 2004

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Attorney to seek class-action status in church suit

Louisville, Kentucky --

Class-action status is being sought in a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse at a Roman Catholic orphanage in Jefferson County over a 50 year period.

Attorney William McMurry said he wants to expand the suit beyond the current 50 plaintiffs because he believes there are at least several hundred other victims. Judge Denise Clayton will consider the request at a hearing Monday.

A class-action designation would allow victims to make a claim without being publicly identified and would lead to advertising that would notify former orphanage residents who may live across the country and not know of the litigation of their rights, McMurry said.

McMurry, working with attorney Ann Oldfather, represented 243 plaintiffs who settled with the Archdiocese of Louisville for $25.7 million in 2003 over sexual abuse by parish priests and others.

The suit filed last year against the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the Archdiocese of Louisville's Catholic Charities alleges sexual abuse and other physical abuse during about 50 years, primarily at three orphanages.

The St. Thomas orphanage near Anchorage, the St. Vincent orphanage in Clifton and the St.Thomas-St.Vincent orphanage were operated by Catholic Charities and staffed by the order of religious sisters. The combined orphanage was created after a 1952 merger and closed in 1983.

The suits allege abuse by several nuns, volunteers at the orphanage and the late Rev. Herman J. Lammers, who was director of Catholic Charities from 1939-76 and lived at St. Thomas.

Read the article at messenger-inquirer.com Dated July 24, 2005

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La Crosse Diocese pays least amount of money to victims

La Crosse, Wisconsin -

The Catholic Diocese of La Crosse has paid the least amount of money to victims of clergy sexual abuse over the past five decades among Wisconsin's five dioceses, a newspaper reported.

The La Crosse Diocese spent $15,800 on counseling for people who made 58 sexual abuse allegations against 28 diocesan clergy members, according to the Wausau Daily Herald.

The diocese, which has more than 200,000 Catholics, substantiated 31 of those allegations involving 10 clergy members.

La Crosse Diocese spokesman Ben Nguyen said none of the substantiated allegations resulted in lawsuits against the diocese, which prefers not to negotiate legal settlements.

"We've never entered into any type of settlement. We have always met with the people to get to the truth of the matter," he said.

The Wausau Daily Herald reviewed abuse statistics from the state's five Catholic dioceses. The paper found:

- The Milwaukee Archdiocese paid $3.4 million for out-of-court settlements, attorney fees, therapy costs and other help. The archdiocese, the largest in Wisconsin with about 730,000 Catholics, reported substantiated sexual abuse allegations against 45 clergy members between 1950 and 2002.

- The Green Bay Diocese paid about $1.36 million, including $1 million paid by insurers to settle claims in three cases against one priest. The diocese is the state's second-largest, with more than 390,000 Catholics.

- The Madison Diocese paid $1.6 million to 19 people from its self-insurance program. The diocese has nearly 270,000 Catholics.

- The Superior Diocese paid $60,000 and its insurance company paid $482,000. The diocese, which has about 88,000 Catholics, substantiated sexual abuse allegations against two clergy members between 1950 and 2002.

Brenda Varga, 43, of Plover, said she repeatedly asked the La Crosse Diocese to reimburse her for the years of therapy she underwent after a priest abused her at age 9.

Read the article at La Crosse Diocese pays least amount of money to victims | The Janesville Gazette Dated July 18, 2005

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Church Abuse Payments

La Crosse, Wisconsin --

Of the five dioceses in Wisconsin, the La Crosse Diocese has paid out the lowest amount of money to clergy sexual abuse victims. The diocese paid less than 20-thousand dollars, to fewer than 30 people, all as reimbursements for counseling.

But church directors say that's because La Crosse's Diocese has dealt with fewer cases over the past six decades. Diocese leaders say they continue to comply with every regulation set forth by the conference of catholic bishops and anyone with a complaint should contact the diocese.

Read the article at WXOW TV-19 Dated July 17, 2005

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Clergy abuse victims honored

Azusa, California -- --

Members of a support group for people molested by priests handed out leaflets Sunday outside St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church in an effort to educate parishioners about clergy abuse.

The group distributed about 450 leaflets, which included an invitation to a July 31 memorial service at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles to honor victims of clergy abuse who have committed suicide.

"We believe if Catholics understand the effects of abuse on victims, they'd take more steps to reach out to victims and stop the cycle of abuse,' said Mary Grant, regional director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

In addition to St. Frances in Azusa, SNAP members handed out fliers at five other Catholic churches in Los Angeles and Orange counties on Sunday, according to SNAP.

"We selected these particular parishes because the Catholics (who worship there) have done very hurtful things to clergy molestation victims,' Grant said, citing parishioner support for convicted child molesters.

For instance, parishioners clashed with SNAP members at a 2002 protest outside St. Frances where the Rev. David Granadino was removed based on allegations he molested parish children.

No charges were filed against Granadino, who has not returned as pastor.

During a 2002 protest, churchgoers hurled insults at SNAP members and an Azusa woman was arrested for allegedly striking a protester.

Sunday's leafleting produced no such confrontations.

Read the article at Pasadena Star Dated July 17, 2005

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The Diocese of Paterson has reached a $50,000 settlement

Paterson, New Jersey --

The Diocese of Paterson has reached a $50,000 settlement with another alleged victim of priest sex abuse, the 27th case the diocese has settled this year.

Steve Rabi, 57, of Albuquerque, N.M., filed a civil suit against the diocese in June 2004, alleging that two priests at St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in Passaic sexually assaulted him during the 1950s and 1960s.

In the suit, he named priests Joseph William Malloy and Francis X. Dennehy, both deceased, as his abusers. Last month, Paterson Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli authorized the settlement.

In addition to money, Rabi will receive four years of paid counseling and the opportunity to meet with Serratelli. Rabi plans to meet with the bishop in August for what he says will be "the final words on this matter,'' according to a statement he issued.

Frank J. Rodimer was bishop at the time the lawsuit was filed. Serratelli was installed as bishop a month later.

Read the article at North Jersey Media Group Dated July 13, 2005

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Group urges diocese to expose pedophile priests

Nashville, Tennessee --

Members of an organization that supports victims of sexual abuse by priests demanded yesterday that the Diocese of Nashville remove priests who are accused of sexual abuse from church and release their names.

They said it would create a more welcoming atmosphere for victims to come forward.

A diocese spokesman said no priest credibly accused of sexual molestation is serving here and that the diocese has made an effort for years to counsel and work with victims.

Members of the Tennessee chapter of The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) gathered here yesterday for their first statewide conference to brainstorm how to stop what they perceive as stonewalling by various dioceses and how to persuade abuse victims to tell their stories.

"These are crimes that have been committed against innocent children, teens and vulnerable adults," Susan Vance, SNAP's co-director, said as she stood outside the diocese's office here.

"The church, at the very least, should mete out its severest punishment, and that is defrocking. This is a serious problem, and justice has been denied to victims by this very church," she said.

Read the article at tennessean.com Dated July 17, 2005

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Diocese avoids abuse payouts

La Crosse, Wisconsin --

Victims here compensated for therapy

Victims of clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Diocese of La Crosse have received far less money from the Catholic Church over the past five decades than any other Wisconsin diocese or archdiocese, according to a Daily Herald review of abuse statistics from the state's four Catholic dioceses and one archdiocese.

The Daily Herald found that from 1950 to 2002 the La Crosse Diocese, which includes Marathon County, spent $15,800 on counseling stemming from 58 sexual abuse allegations against 28 diocesan clergy members.

Thirty-one of those allegations, involving 10 clergymen, have been substantiated.

"Assistance has been made available in appropriate circumstances based upon need, not culpability of the diocese or whether the allegation is substantiated," according to a La Crosse Diocese report released in January 2004.

By contrast, abuse cases elsewhere in the state have yielded large payouts to victims:
• The Diocese of Superior reported substantiated sexual abuse allegations against only two clergy members between 1950 and 2002 but paid about $60,000 to victims. The diocese's insurance company paid out $482,000.

• The Diocese of Madison paid $1.6 million to 19 victims from its self-insurance program.

• The Diocese of Green Bay paid $1.356 million, $1 million of which was paid by insurers to settle claims in three cases against one priest.

• The Archdiocese of Milwaukee paid $3.4 million for out-of-court settlements, attorney fees, therapy costs and other assistance. The archdiocese reported substantiated sexual abuse allegations against 45 clerics between 1950 and 2002.

Ben Nguyen, director of the office of communications for the La Crosse Diocese, said none of the substantiated allegations against diocesan clergy had led to a lawsuit against the diocese and the diocese would prefer not to negotiate legal settlements.

"We've never entered into any type of settlement. We have always met with the people to get to the truth of the matter," Nguyen said.

The diocese has not released the names of victims, making it difficult to verify independently why victims did not file civil lawsuits or seek financial settlements.


Victim questions diocese
That doesn't sit well with Brenda Varga, 43, of Plover. She said she underwent at least eight years of therapy following abuse by a priest when she was 9 years old, and she has asked the La Crosse Diocese several times to reimburse her for the sessions. Nguyen confirmed that Varga has not received any money for therapy.

Read the article at Wausau Daily Herald Dated July 17, 2005

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Act of faith

Dublin, Ireland --

IN THE watery sunshine of a Dublin late afternoon, Father Steve Gilhooley is directing me by mobile phone to the bar where we are to meet. I turn a corner and there it is, a busy sprawl of tables on the pavement outside, chairs scraping on the stone as people come and go. But which is the Catholic priest?

A man in jeans and a denim shirt smiles, waves. Even sitting, he gives an impression of height, of security-guard solidity. A pint of Guinness sits in front of him. He doesn't look like a priest, even one who is poised to resign. But that would imply that you can tell a priest just by looking, which is a dangerous assumption to make.

A black suit, a collar, an air of piety: the uniform requirements of men of the cloth. But a church collar deserves no automatic respect. We have seen them marched through our courts in recent years, the men who used that uniform to hide the empty kernel of their own hearts beneath, men who abused children. As a parish priest in Currie, Balerno and Ratho, in Midlothian, Gilhooley never liked clerical collars. They told you what a man was, not who he was.

Gilhooley is not fooled by priestly uniform. At his junior seminary in Cumbria, the outwardly pious enforced a regime of physical and sexual abuse. For Gilhooley, now 42, the sexual abuse was less serious than for some other students, but it was there and the repercussions were intense. Several of his contemporaries would later attempt, or actually commit, suicide. For Gilhooley, the issue would erupt volcanically, the molten lava of suppressed childhood memories suddenly cascading into adulthood with devastating consequences. He underwent therapy, was advised to write down his experiences, and the result was the publication in 2001 of a searing memoir called The Pyjama Parade. The title was a reference to the weekly caning of young boys in their pyjamas.

When the book was published, it was against a backdrop of worldwide abuse cases involving the Catholic Church. America. Australia. Ireland. Britain. At first, the Church's reaction was to close ranks, attempting to protect its image at the expense of the victims' feelings. But Steve Gilhooley was an insider, a priest. That, though, didn't prevent vitriolic attacks for daring to bring the Church into disrepute. "One of the reasons I stood up and published was because I was listening to all these poor people saying they had been abused and then been called gold-diggers. One of the reasons I came out was to stand beside these people and say, 'No, they are telling the truth.' And then they went for me too."

There are few so self-righteous as the religiously self-righteous. Or so vicious. While Gilhooley's family and most of his parishioners offered support, there was a vocal section of the Church and its hierarchy that called him a liar and attacked him for disloyalty. Gilhooley believed honesty would cleanse Catholicism of the canker that had poisoned the Church for many years.

Read the article at Scotsman.com Dated July 17, 2005

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Mass. priest gets jail sentence

New Bedford, Massachusetts --

After hearing an astoundingly emotional impact statement from the victim, and later determining the Rev. Donald Bowen is still minimizing his behavior, Superior Court Judge Gary Nickerson sentenced the Diocese of Fall River priest to two years behind bars and 10 years of probation Friday.

Bowen, 67, an Attleboro native, pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with indecent assault and battery of a person under 14 and unnatural and lascivious acts on a person under 16.

The plea came three years after he was indicted and more than three decades after he systematically ruined the life of a young Bristol County girl by consistently forcing her to perform oral sex on him.

The victim, Catherine Murphy, 50, was in court Friday and tore through a lengthy impact statement that left many of her supportive friends and family members in tears. She gave reporters permission to use her name.

"The abuse has colored every aspect of my adult life. All the problems I have has an adult can be traced back to the abuse I endured as a child," Murphy said. "It was all about psychological and physical control. I was forced to perform oral sex on this monster, and it scared the hell out of me.

"I blamed myself, even though I now know I was brainwashed by this perverted man."

The former National Honor Society student at Bishop Feehan High School fought back tears as she pressed on through her obviously cathartic statement to the court, saying she prayed daily to be saved from her "nightmare."

Read the article at The Pawtucket Times Dated July 16, 2005

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Confession barred in ex-priest’s trial

Green Bay, Wisconsin --

A letter in which a former Catholic priest confessed to molesting more than 14 boys between 1969 and 1988 cannot be shown to jurors hearing allegations that the man molested a 10-year-old boy in 1988.

Donald Buzanow-ski, 62, is expected to stand trial later this month on two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child for allegedly fondling a boy while Buzanowski was a counselor at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School in Green Bay during the late 1980s.

Brown County Circuit Court Judge J.D. McKay on Friday upheld his decision to bar Buzanowski’s letter to a Protestant pastor, citing the vagueness of the letter. Prosecutors had asked the letter be admitted as evidence of other bad acts.

McKay in April ruled that the letter to the pastor could not be included as evidence because it could be considered confidential communication between clergy and penitent.

Prosecutors asked McKay to reconsider and argued that Buzanowski and the pastor had a social relationship and it was not a privileged communication.

McKay disagreed and let his original ruling stand, but added that the letter might come into evidence if witnesses testified about the document and its context.

Special prosecutor Vince Biskupic said he was disappointed in the ruling, but noted it did not significantly damage the state’s case.

Read the article at Green Bay Press-Gazette Dated July 16, 2005

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Woman seeks restitution for abuse

Fort Wayne, Indiana --

If the wages of sin are death, Michele Bennett thinks being sexually abused by a priest should be worth at least $163,371.

So far, however, the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend has refused to pay most of the expenses Bennett attributes to her abuse by Father William Ehrman more than 50 years ago – even though Bishop John D’Arcy has called Bennett’s accusations “credible.”

Some will say Bennett’s quest for more than an apology makes her greedy, a liar or even un-Christian. To her, though, restitution would represent justice and, yes, even vengeance.

“I wouldn’t have asked for money if (the diocese) had done the right thing in the beginning,” said Bennett, who claimed to be seeking only peace of mind nearly three years ago when she first talked with me about her ordeal in the rectory of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in New Haven. “But the lawyers have told me nothing hurts them but money. I was 8 years old when I was put in jail (by abuse). That priest robbed me of my safety in the world.

“Doing this gives me power. It means I’m no longer a victim.”

Read the article at News Sentinel Dated July 16, 2005

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Priest indicted on rape charges

Cincinnati, Ohio --

A Roman Catholic priest already convicted of soliciting sex from an undercover police officer was indicted Wednesday on charges he raped a boy while he was a church pastor in the 1990s.

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati placed the Rev. Raymond Larger, 54, on administrative leave following the indictment by a Hamilton County grand jury. Prosecutors said the victim came forward earlier this year.

It's the second time that Larger has faced sex charges.

In 2003, Larger pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of public indecency and soliciting sex from a male undercover officer in a Dayton park. The archdiocese returned him to active duty last year over the objection of a support group for victims of clergy abuse.

The archdiocese said in a statement Wednesday that the boy was allegedly raped in the 1990s but didn't notify the church.

"How is this still going on?" said Dan Frondorf, of the local chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "It just reiterates the fact that it's an ongoing problem and there's nothing that anybody can really do to make sure it never happens again."

Read the article at AP Wire Dated July 13, 2005

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Alleged church abuse victim can't sue

Madison, Wisconsin --

A man who claims he was abused by a priest in the 1960s cannot sue the Archdiocese of Milwaukee because there is no proof church leaders knew the priest was a child molester at the time, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The plaintiff, identified in court papers only as John Doe 67F, had accused the Roman Catholic archdiocese of negligence in its supervision of the Rev. George Nuedling, who died in 1994. He claimed church leaders moved him from parish to parish even though they knew he had abused children.

However, the court ruled there was no proof church leaders had reason to believe Nuedling was abusing children from 1960 to 1962, when Doe claims he was abused.

Since the justices ruled the suit could not continue, they refused to review their 1995 decision giving religious organizations immunity from civil suits over their hiring practices.

Read the article at CNN.com Dated July 13, 2005

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Local priest tied to sex case

North Plainfield, New Jersey --

The pastor at a Roman Catholic church in North Plainfield has been removed after an accusation he sexually abused a minor nearly two decades ago while serving at a parish in New Brunswick.

No criminal charges have been filed against the Rev. John Casey, 47, who has been at St. Joseph R.C. Church in North Plainfield since 1991. The allegation arose from a period 18 years ago, when Casey worked as the parochial vicar at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in New Brunswick.

According to the Diocese of Metuchen, authorities recently investigated the sex-abuse claim against Casey but concluded the statute of limitations had run out, meaning no criminal case could proceed.

Still, the church indicated a probe had found there may be some substance to the accusation, leading to his removal.

Read the article at Home News Tribune Dated July 12, 2005

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Vatican removes another Seattle priest from ministry

Seattle, Washington --

The Seattle archdiocese of the Catholic church has restricted a priest accused of child sexual abuse.

The church says the Vatican confirmed the decision to restrict 72-year-old James Gandrau from the exercise of priestly ministry. Details of the allegations weren’t made public.

Gandrau served in five parishes in the Seattle area and Vancouver from 1958 to 2002, when he retired. He was editor of the Catholic Northwest Progress, the church newspaper for Western Washington Catholics, from 1960 to 1977.

The archdiocese says Gandrau is its fifth priest to be permanently removed from the ministry by the Vatican because of child sex abuse accusations.

Read the article at NWCN.com Dated July 12, 2005

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Diocese to pay $10 million upfront to sex-abuse victims as bankruptcy plan OK'd

Tucson, Arizona --

By mid-September, about 50 checks ranging from $15,000 to $600,000 will be in the mail to victims of sexual abuse by clergy members in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson. More than $22 million has been set aside to cover claims.

A federal bankruptcy judge yesterday approved the diocese's Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan after a nearly daylong hearing.

Initially, about $10 million will be paid to 45 victims and to five of their relatives. Five settlements with other victims are pending.

The plan approved by Judge James Marlar will set up a fund for victims who may come forward later. About a dozen are expected to come forward.

The historic action by Marlar makes the diocese the first in the nation to emerge from bankruptcy after a pedophilia scandal.

The plan calls for the diocese's 74 parishes to contribute $2 million to the settlement fund, which totals about $22.2 million.

About $14.8 million of the fund will come from diocesan insurers.

Read the article at tucsoncitizen.com Dated July 12, 2005

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North Plainfield Priest Suspended In Abuse Probe

North Plainfield, New Jersey --

The pastor of a Roman Catholic church in North Plainfield has been removed after a church inquiry into allegations he sexually abused a minor 18 years ago.

The allegation against the Rev. John Casey concerns when he served as a parochial vicar at St. Peter The Apostle Roman Catholic Church in New Brunswick.

In a letter read over the weekend to parishioners of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Metuchen Bishop Paul Bootkoski said the diocese conducted its own investigation after law enforcement authorities determined that the statute of limitations had expired.

The bishop noted that Casey denies the allegation.

Read the article at NBC10.com Dated July 11, 2005

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Orlando Diocese Ordered To Pay In Sex Abuse Cases

Orlando, Florida --

The Diocese of Orlando and the Diocese of St. Augustine have been ordered to pay one of the largest settlements in state history in connection with several clergy sexual abuse cases, according to Local 6 News.

The $1.5 million settlement is on behalf of three victims who accused Vernon Uhran and Herbert Reason of sexually abusing them when they were children more than 30 years ago, Local 6 News reported.

Both Uhran and Herbert Reason were priests at Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Altamonte Springs, Fla., where some of the abuse allegedly occurred, Local 6 News reported.

Reason served at the church from 1959 to 1965 then moved to Diocese of St. Petersburg. He died in 1984.

Church officials said they have reason to believe that information the victims provided is true, according to the Local 6 News report.

Read the article at local6.com - News Dated July 11, 2005

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NJ Priest Suspended in Abuse Probe

North Plainfield, New Jersey --

The pastor of a Roman Catholic church has been removed after a church inquiry into allegations he sexually abused a minor 18 years ago.

In a letter read over the weekend to parishioners of St. Joseph's Church, Metuchen Bishop Paul Bootkoski said the Rev. John Casey has been removed from his post and all active church ministry. He is accused of molesting a minor when he served as a parochial vicar at St. Peter The Apostle Church in New Brunswick.

The bishop noted that Casey denies the allegation.

Bootkoski said the diocese conducted its own investigation after law enforcement authorities determined that the statute of limitations for the alleged crime had expired.

"It was the conclusion of the professional investigator and the Diocesan Review Board, and it is my own conclusion, that the charges are not without merit," the bishop wrote.

Casey did not immediately return a message seeking comment forwarded to him through the diocese's public relations office.

Diocesan spokeswoman Joanne Ward said the priest is accused of a single instance of misconduct.

Read the article at 1010 WINS Dated July 10, 2005

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Vatican expels 6 priests over abuse cases

New York City, New York --

The Vatican has expelled six New York priests either accused or convicted of sexual abuse, including one man who was convicted of sodomizing a teenager in a church rectory.


Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, said Saturday in a phone interview that all six men had lost their pensions and that they could no longer perform church sacraments.

"They are no longer priests, period," he said. "They are reduced to the lay state."

Defrocking is the harshest penalty the Roman Catholic Church can impose on a priest.

The six priests, who were first identified in Catholic New York, a monthly magazine published by the archdiocese, served in parishes throughout the state.

Read the article at International Herald Tribune Dated July 11, 2005

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Group calls for removal of local priest

Albany, New York --

For the seventh week in a row, advocates for victims of alleged clergy abuse gathered in front of the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Albany.

The protestors are members of the group SNAP, or Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and they called for the removal of Father Daniel Maher.

A lawsuit has been filed against the diocese, Bishop Howard Hubbard and Father Maher alleging, among other things, continued endangerment of children.

SNAP Co-Director Mark Lyman said, "We're here to support the victims. We've been here for seven weeks. We'll be here for seven more, or however long it takes."

Read the article at Capital News 9 Dated July 10, 2005

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SF diocese settles a dozen abuse lawsuits for $16 million

San Francisco, California –

The Archdiocese of San Francisco has agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle a dozen lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by a once-popular priest.

Attorneys announced the agreements Friday, days before the first of several planned trials was set to begin with plaintiffs alleging they were abused by the late Rev. Joseph Pritchard. While the settlement works out to an average of $1.3 million for each plaintiff, attorneys said the individual amounts varied and would not be disclosed.

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The settlement is roughly comparable to a similar agreement reached last month with 10 other plaintiffs who said they were molested by Pritchard when he was pastor at St. Martin of Tours parish in San Jose.

"Money can't make up for what this guy did to us," said one of the men, 47-year-old Dennis Kavanaugh of San Jose. He said he went to court on behalf of himself and his friends, as well as for their parents, many of whom were wracked with guilt when they learned of the abuse years after it occurred.

In March, a jury awarded Kavanaugh $437,000 after deciding the church should have been aware of the abuse. That amount was included in Friday's announcement.

In a short statement, San Francisco Archbishop William Levada again apologized to victims.

Read the article at SignOnSanDiego.com Dated July 9, 2005

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Church to pay millions in deal

San Jose, California --

12 MOLESTED BY S.J. PRIEST

Closing a major chapter in one of the Bay Area's most notorious cases of clergy sexual abuse, the Roman Catholic church will pay more than $16 million to 12 men who were molested in the 1970s by a popular San Jose priest.

The agreement came as attorneys were preparing for a trial next week, in which one of the men was expected to testify that the late Rev. Joseph Pritchard abused him at St. Martin of Tours parish in San Jose -- and in the rectory of a Los Altos church after Pritchard moved to a new assignment there. More trials were scheduled to follow.

While the settlement works out to an average of $1.3 million for each plaintiff, attorneys said the individual amounts varied and would not be disclosed. It is roughly comparable to a similar agreement reached last month with 10 other plaintiffs who said they also were molested by Pritchard when he was pastor at St. Martin of Tours.

``It was a particularly appalling case. So many families, friends and neighbors in this very loyal and hard-working parish were damaged by Pritchard,'' said Richard Simons, an attorney for plaintiffs in the settlement announced Friday.

``Money can't make up for what this guy did to us,'' added one of the men, 47-year-old Dennis Kavanaugh of San Jose. He said he went to court on behalf of himself and his friends, as well as for their parents, many of whom were wracked with guilt when they learned of the abuse years after it occurred.

``They didn't know, but they sent us there,'' to the parish school where Pritchard befriended many of his victims, Kavanaugh explained.

San Francisco Archbishop William Levada confirmed the settlement in a brief written statement issued Friday, in which he apologized to Pritchard's victims and to ``all other victims of the clergy child abuse scandals.''

Read the article at MercuryNews.com Dated July 9, 2005

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Church sex abuse alleged in Noble County

Marietta, Ohio --

The Noble County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation into whether a Marietta man was sexually molested by two Roman Catholic clergymen in Harriettsville 38 years ago.

The investigation began after the victim came forward to the sheriff’s office with a statement on June 26 about the alleged abuse, claiming he was molested in the summer of 1967 at the St. Henry’s Catholic Church parish house when he was 9 years old.

According to the voluntary statement, the incident alleged was first reported to the Steubenville Diocese in February 2004. A spokesman for the diocese said that the diocese acted on the report by sending a letter dated March 15, 2004, to the Noble County Prosecutor’s Office.

However, past and current officials with the Noble County prosecutor’s office say they never received anything on the subject.

Noble County Sheriff Landon Smith said he knew nothing about the alleged abuse prior to the Marietta man making his statement in late June.

Read the article at The Marietta Times Dated July 9, 2005

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High price of broken trust

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom --

After last week’s record award by the High Court of £650,000 to a victim of sexual abuse by a priest, many fear that the compensation claim floodgates will open in the UK as wide as they have in the United States

Somewhere in Northern Ireland lives a man whose mental state is so fragile that he cannot earn a living or care for himself. The man, known only as Mr A, lives in sheltered accommodation and suffers from schizophrenia. Last week the High Court in Manchester concluded that his condition was attributable to the sexual abuse he suffered from the age of seven as victim of a priest. The compensation he was given came to more than £600,000 – a record award against the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile in Canada, St George’s Diocese in Newfoundland is selling property, appealing for donations and may have to close parishes to compensate 39 victims of a paedophile priest. The claimants were sexually assaulted by Fr Kevin Bennett. Bennett, a diocesan priest, was convicted of sexually assaulting dozens of boys, and last year the Supreme Court of Canada found St George’s both directly and vicariously liable for his actions.

Read the article at The Tablet Dated July 9, 2005

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Cameras follow as a man confronts the church who allowed him to be abused

Tucson, Arizona --

Twist of Faith, director Kirby Dick's documentary about the sexual abuse of teenagers by an Ohio priest, made me think about what makes movies so compelling. Like most people, I adore big ol' Hollywood blockbusters, because they indulge the audience in a fantasy where goodness defeats evil. And not just defeats it, but really humiliates it and makes it say it's sorry and that from now on, it won't be evil so much as vaguely malign or perhaps dead.

Of course, that's also what's wrong with Hollywood blockbusters (and Hollywood lacklusters as well, for that matter): They're too clear-cut and simplistic. In the real world, things are never so black and white. Like, I bet Goebbels was exactly the guy to go to for a big hug, and that Stalin never failed to call his mom on her birthday.

Or maybe there really is evil in the world. Twist of Faith takes a look at what can happen when evil is not only allowed to run unchecked, but is actually given an expense account and the best lawyers money can buy.

Dick begins his film with the videotaped deposition of former priest Dennis Gray, who, on top of presenting God's sacraments, presented his penis into the mouths of a number of teenagers who had been placed under his loving care. The focus of the film then shifts to Tony Comes, a 34-year-old firefighter, husband and father who is trying to deal with finding out that Gray has moved into his neighborhood, which wouldn't be such a big deal if Gray hadn't made a habit of repeatedly raping Comes 20 years earlier.

Read the article at Tucson Weekly Dated July 7, 2005

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I don't forgive you, Father, for your sins

Palo Verde, Arizona --

"Twist of Faith," a straightforward, unblinking documentary by Palo Verde High School graduate Kirby Dick, slips a sad, beleaguered face on the statistics and media posturing of the Catholic sex-abuse scandals.

The face belongs to Toledo, Ohio, firefighter Tony Comes, whose seemingly normal life is torn asunder when he confronts his past, in which he was molested as a youth by priest Dennis Gray.

Spurred on by other allegations nationwide, as well as by the realization that Gray has moved into his neighborhood, Comes reports the decades-ago abuse to his bishop, who lies to Comes, insisting that Gray has never been accused of molestation.

Dick matter-of-factly tracks Comes' quest to expose Gray and the church for its sins. The film is difficult to watch but illuminating as a piece of hard, spare journalism, and it's easy to see why it was nominated for the documentary Oscar that went to "Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids."

When Comes discovers that Gray has indeed been accused in the past, he files a lawsuit, and after some hesitation he decides to go public with his identity. Comes loses respect for the church hierarchy, even as his friends and mother argue that the Catholic Church as a whole has done enough good to make up for its faults.

Read the article at The Arizona Daily Star Dated July 7, 2005

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