The Worthy Adversary

Author: Joelle Casteix

  • Finding my ‘ohana in Hilo

    ‘Ohana can come from the most unlikely of places.

    I went to Hilo, Hawaii last week for a single reason: Expose priest George DeCosta, who has been accused of abuse by two youth and former students at Honolulu’s Damien Memorial School. De Costa is now living in Volcano, a town about 20 miles outside of Hilo, where he went after Honolulu Bishop Francis DiLorenzo forced him to retire in 2002.

     

    Malia Puka’O Kalani

     

    DeCosta spent 30 years as pastor at St. Mary Gate of Heaven – now Malia Puka’O Kalani – parish. When he was forced out – in the midst of a massive priest shortage – the parish was left without a permanent priest. He was also forced to retire the same year, 2002, that Catholic clergy sex abuse “reforms” forced bishops across the country to remove child-molesting clerics.

    Now, DeCosta is the pastor of a religious “community” in Volcano and travels the country with a national group called Music Ministry Alive. Within the past week, DeCosta’s photo and bio have been taken off of the website.

    George De Costa from The Music Ministry Alive Website

    I went to the small Malia Puka’O Kalani Parish not quite knowing what to expect.

    I stood outside for less than 5 minutes before a man came up to me and said, “Are you the whole rally?”

    “Yeah,” I told him. “It’s just me. Hope it’s not disappointing”

    “We’ve been waiting to talk to you. Please, come back and sit.”

    He led me to the back open area patio where five people sat, waiting for me. He pulled a chair up for me, gave me a water, and we started to talk. And talk. And talk. They were all alarmed about the allegations and had known Fr. George for a long time. But they also knew the they had to listen to the victims. They knew about the shame and silence victims suffer and how difficult it can be to come forward in such a small, tight-knit community, where culture and religion are often at odds.

    One of them, a community leader as well as a member of the parish, said something I will never forget. We were discussing the clash between much of Hawaiian culture and Catholicism, and he said, “I did not choose to be born who I am. But I choose to be proud of who I am. That’s why I am here, talking to you.”

    When I left, I received hugs and thank yous and a hand-knitted lei. And I am fairly confident that the Malia Puka’O Kalani community will begin to talk openly about child sexual abuse.

    John Burnett of the Hawaii Tribune Herald wrote a great piece about the allegations.

    Asked if there had ever been similar allegations against him before, DeCosta said: “I believe there was one other one about five years ago, maybe, but nothing ever came about it.” He didn’t say what the allegation entailed, but said that it “wasn’t at Malia.”

    So I guess we have three allegations. And far too many unanswered questions.

    Fortunately, the strength and love of the parishioners will keep them vigilant, until we can all get to the truth.

  • How many accusations does it take to rename the parish hall?

    Fr. J. Michael Henry has a hall in his honor. And the number of his alleged victims just keeps growing.

    Fr. Joseph Michael Henry (also known as J. Michael Henry and Mike Henry), was a longtime priest in the Diocese of Honolulu. Most of his time was spent at St. Anthony’s Parish in Kailua on Oahu’s Windward Coast—a small-town parish with a school, preschool and active charity league.

    Fr. Henry was first exposed as a predator in 1991 lawsuit by a Kailua boy named David Figueroa. In addition, Figueroa charged that after Henry abused him, another priest at the parish, Joseph Ferrario, took advantage of the vulnerable boy  and began to abuse him as well. Fr. Joseph Ferrario became Bishop of Honolulu in 1978. Henry died in 1974. Ferrario died in 2003.

    Soon after Figueroa came forward, another Kailua boy stepped forward to say that he, too, had been molested by both priests. The initial reason Mark Pinkosh came forward was to support David. Later, he realized that it was vital for his own healing and keeping other kids safe. David’s case was thrown out on the statute of limitations, NOT the merits of the case.

    Fortunately for Mark and other victims of child sexual abuse in Hawaii, a new civil law, sponsored by Senator Maile Shimabukuro, gives Mark a chance to use the courts to seek justice, truth and accountability. While both Ferrario and Henry are dead, the people who covered up for them are not. Neither is the legacy of pain they caused.

    This week, Mark spoke publicly about his abuse and encouraged others to come forward. His attorneys were there with him to talk about the tragedy of the abuse and cover-up.

    Mark Pinkosh, age 8

    I have also spoken with another victim of Fr. Henry, who is still considering whether or not he should come forward.

    Which leads me to my problem. When television crews interviewed a St. Anthony’ parishioner, here is what she said about Fr. Henry:

    He was very good to the children … nothing could make me believe (the allegations).

    Not even two victims? What about if the victim I spoke to comes forward? What if other kids come forward?

    And …more that 20 years after Henry was accused of sexual abuse by the two boys, this sign still hangs in the parish:

    How many more victims have to come forward before they rename the hall? And believe the children?

  • A hero is born overnight

    Last spring, I met a man named Mark Pinkosh. Yesterday, he became a hero.

    Mark charges that he was sexually abused by Hawaii priest J. Michael Henry (Also known as Joseph Henry) when Mark was just a boy attending Kailua’s St. Anthony’s church. When Mark reached out to other adults, trying to get someone to help him, another priest befriended the boy. That priest, Joseph Ferrario, then began to abuse the boy himself. Joseph Ferrario later became the Bishop of Honolulu.

    Mark Pinkosh, age 8

    Mark’s accusations were not the first against both men. Another boy, David Figueroa, came forward in 1991 and filed a lawsuit against both priests. The suit was dismissed because of an archaic statute of limitations, NOT the merits of the case. Mark came forward then to help David, but in the end, both boys were shunned in their communities for coming forward and speaking out about what had happened to them. Mark was eventually chased out of Hawaii, his home. David passed away, never able to get justice for the boy who was abused.

    Earlier this year, the law changed. Victims of child sexual abuse now have the next two years to come forward and use the civil courts to expose their abusers, punish those who covered up abuse, and get justice and accountability. Thanks to Senator Maile Shimabukuro, victims can get justice and children are safer from abuse. Mark filed a lawsuit to get to the truth of what the Diocese of Honolulu knew about abusers, when they knew it, how they covered it up.

    Mark’s life changed yesterday, when he came forward publicly to say that he had been sexually abused as a boy by both Henry and Ferrario. He also came forward to tell other victims that it is safe to report abuse, come forward, and get justice. He finally was able to protect the little boy who was so brutally hurt.

    And instantly, he became a hero. And hopefully, he can come home again.

  • Honolulu’s Damien Memorial School grapples with 12 child sex abuse claims

    You can read yesterday’s complete story in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser here.

    And as more and more victims learn of their rights, I only see the numbers growing.

  • Today on the Big Island – Hilo Priest Accused of Child Sex Crimes

    I think it’s time to let Music Ministry Alive  and BILAC know that they have a real issue on their hands and need to reach out to potential victims and confused parishioners now.

    News event: Hilo priest accused of child sex crimes 

    Two ex-Damien students name him as predator

    Bishop forced him to retire during 2002 abuse scandal

    But cleric still travels and works with youngsters today

     

    What:

    Holding signs and photos of themselves when they were abused, child sex abuse victims will announce that a long-time Hilo Catholic priest:

    — has been accused molesting two boys, but

    — continues to work for a church group that teaches music to teenagers.

    They will also beg Honolulu Bishop Clarence Silva to:

    — disclose why the priest was forced to retire,

    — insist that the music group oust him immediately,

    — personally visit every parish, school and facility where he worked reaching out to others he may have hurt.

    Where:  Outside of Malia Puka O Kalani Church, 326 Desha Ave in Hilo

    When: Tuesday, August 21, at 11 am

    Who: One to two members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPNetwork.org), the nation’s largest support group for men and women sexually abused as children in religious and institutional organizations, including a California woman who is the group’s Western Regional Director

    Why: Last month, two victims of child sexual abuse filed legal claims in New York state charging they were sexually abused by a long-time Hilo priest, Fr. George DeCosta.

    Now, DeCosta is the pastor of the Hale Lokahi community in Hilo. He also works with Music Ministry Alive, a MN-based group that trains young people to be liturgical music leaders .

    The victims are coming forward as a part of the recent bankruptcy of the Irish Christian Brothers, the Catholic religious order that runs Honolulu’s Damien Memorial School, where DeCosta was a teacher.

    Both victims were young students at Damien in the late 1960s, when DeCosta worked as a religion teacher and director of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) at the school. At least one of the victims charges that DeCosta molested him at an Oahu CYO camp.

    At the time of the alleged abuse, DeCosta was also assigned to St. Theresa’s parish in Honolulu, a parish with a school.

    In 1973, DeCosta was transferred to St. Mary Gate of Heaven—now Malia Puka’O Kalani—Parish in Hilo. He stayed there until 2002, when Honolulu Bishop Francis DiLorenzo mysteriously forced him to retire at age 65. That was the year that the clergy sex abuse and cover up crisis attracted national headlines. Bishops pledged then to be “open” about child sex cases and oust predators from ministry.

    Currently, DeCosta is a member of the leadership team of Music Ministry Alive, a MN-based group that trains young people to serve as liturgical music leaders in the Catholic church. He is also the founder of the Big Island Learning and Arts Community (BILAC).

    SNAP believes that there may be more victims in Hilo and Honolulu and that church officials must do more to reach out to survivors. They want Honolulu Bishop Silva to make sure DeCosta is ousted from his current positions and personally visit all of the churches, schools and communities where DeCosta has worked, reaching out to potential victims. They also want Silva to release DeCosta’s secret personnel file and publicly disclose the full reason DeCosta was forced to retire.

    The victims asked SNAP to speak out on their behalf, to make sure that what happened to them does not happen to other children.

    Both victims also have rights under Hawaii’s new civil window law that gives victims of child sexual abuse a chance to seek justice in the courts no matter when they were abused.

    Both victims are represented by California attorney Michael Reck (714) 742-6593, cell