The Worthy Adversary

Author: Joelle Casteix

  • The CA Attorney General potential investigation is picking up steam

    While there has been no formal announcement of an investigation into clergy sex abuse and cover-up statewide, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra sent this shot across the Twitter bow earlier today:

     

    If you were a victim or have information, report. Report now.

  • It’s time for change

    It’s time for change

    Many of you may have seen posts about All Survivors Day yesterday.

     

     

    Now what? It’s time for change.  It’s time for action.

    The past two years have been a whirlwind of news about child sexual assault and cover-ups. The scandal is being exposed everywhere—churches, sports, camps, organizations, public and private schools.

    If you think there is nothing you can do, you’re wrong. You CAN help change things. But how?

    I have started a new organization for change.  We are leading the way for both survivors of abuse and outraged citizens who want to expose predators and protect children. The old ways are no longer working. Hand-wringing and protesting can only do so much. We need an army. An army of people working towards real action and positive change.

    I need your help. Together, we can stop child sexual assault, abuse and cover-ups. And we can win …because there are more of us than there are of them.

    My new organization is STOP.  Our website is easy to remember.  It’s www.stop.team.

    STOP is Survivors Taking On Predators. The STOP Team leads the nation in changing laws to allow more survivors to come forward, exposing predators and institutional cover-ups, and protecting tens of thousands of children. STOP is about positive action and change … changing laws and changing lives. We are the future of the child protection movement.

    STOP is power. You are not powerless.  And those who cover-up for predators are no longer powerful.

    STOPPERS—that’s YOU—are taking away predators’ “hunting licenses” and protecting children from being their next victim.

    Click here to sign up! It’s easy. Because we are an army, your load will be light. YOU will be on the front lines taking away predators’ hunting licenses nationwide.

    Soon, you will receive emails on the simple things you can do to change the world and take away predators’ hunting licenses. We won’t flood your inbox. We won’t pitch for cash. We are not in competition with other organizations. We need an army of people who will help do some of the work.

    Turn trauma into a shield that protects children. Turn fear, shock and anger into a positive force for change.

    Join me. Join STOP.

  • Joelle said WHAT?

    Joelle yacks about a lot of stuff in a lot more places than just this blog. So, for those of you who can’t get enough  …

    The San Jose Mercury News interviewed me about J. Patrick Foley, one of the priests in “the San Diego Eight” list.

    The Pacific Daily News asked me about more than 200 clergy sex abuse cases that are on their way to court ordered mediation.

    Gustavo Arellano quoted me in his LA Times column about why we need an AG investigation into the California Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal.

    My column in ReWire news on the myths surrounding this latest scandal dropped.

  • San Diego Diocese holds back on abusive priests, public list tops 103

    San Diego Diocese holds back on abusive priests, public list tops 103

    Today the Diocese of San Diego released a list of eight credibly accused priests who have worked in the diocese.

    The names are:

    Fr. Jose Chavarin
    Fr. Raymond Etienne SVD
    Fr. James P. Foley
    Fr. Michael French
    Fr. Richard Houck
    Fr. George Lally  O.A.R.
    Fr. Mark Medaer
    Fr. Paolino Montagna

    This list is dangerously incomplete. Even a cursory search of publicly available data found 105 names of priests who have worked in San Diego—including Bishop Emeritus Robert Brom—who have been accused of sexually assaulting minors or vulnerable adults.

    Fr. J. Patrick Foley

    Father J. Patrick Foley has been giving unsupervised retreats in the Western United States for at least a decade. The Diocese of Orange banned him years ago and refused to state why or inform the public. In fact, as late as February of 2018, Foley was removed as a retreat master from a parish in Alhambra, with no public explanation.

    Why is the Diocese of San Diego just now making his name public if they knew of credible allegations of sexual abuse? Why did they let him roam freely and unsupervised with children and young people?

    The fact that Bishop McElroy believes that the public is this ignorant to the scope and scale of abuse in the diocese is dangerous. Fifteen years of stale promises of transparency are enough.

    It’s time for two things: a thorough investigation of the diocese by the state’s attorney general and local grand jury and an immediate change in our civil laws that allow victims to come forward and expose predators.

    Because obviously, Bishop McElroy won’t do it when given the chance.

    ABOUT STOP: Survivors Taking on Predators

    The STOP Team leads the nation in changing laws to allow more survivors to come forward, exposing predators and institutional cover-ups, and protecting tens of thousands of children.

    Survivors and others who wish to take action to expose predators and the criminal cover-up can contact STOP at www.stop.team.

    The list:

    1 Amora Edito D. 1980 P Dipolog (Phillipines) (aka D’Amora) 2
    2 Baltazar Carmelo 1960 p Malalos (Phillipines) 2
    3 Becker Franklyn 1964 p Milwaukee 2
    4 Benson Gustavo Luis 1972 p San Diego/ San Bernardino 1
    5 Booth James Thomas 1946 P San Diego 1
    6 Brennan Peadar (Peter) 1961 p Dublin (Ireland)?, San Diego/San Bernardino 4
    7 Bridgette unknown na N Poor Sisters of Nazareth 3
    8 Buchanan Robert 1968 P San Diego/San Bernardino 3
    9 Chavarin Jose ? P San Francisco 3
    10 Clarkin Joseph V. 1925 p Los Angeles/San Diego 4
    11 Cotter James H. 1950 p Buffalo 2
    12 Covas Peter 1957 p San Bernardino 4
    13 Creaton James 1940 p Elphin (Ireland) 4
    14 Daly John Joseph 1951 P San Diego 3
    15 Damasco Nelson ? P Nueva Segovia 2
    16 De Francisco Luis Eugene ? P Cali (Columbia) 2
    17 Doxie Donald F. 1952 P San Diego 1
    18 Eagen I. Brent 1956 P San Diego 3
    19 Etienne Raymond (Clifton Raymond) 1979 p SVD – Society of the Divine Word 4
    20 Flynn Herman Francis 1929 P CSSP – Congregation of the Holy Ghost 2
    21 Galindo Rudolph 1954 P San Diego 1
    22 Ganahl James A. 1956 P San Diego/ San Bernardino 1
    23 Gill Paul 1966 P San Diego/ San Bernardino 1
    24 Higgins Michael 1964 P San Diego/San Bernardino 3
    25 Holtey Gary Michael 1984 P San Diego 3
    26 Hughes Patrick J. 1953 P Dublin (Ireland) 3
    27 Jost Dennis Raymond na L layman 4
    28 Kearney Patrick 1953 p San Diego 4
    29 Keith John Charles 1956 P S.J. ( Jesuits) 1
    30 Koerner Robert S. 1937 P O.M.I. Oblates of Mary Immaculate 2
    31 Kowalczyk Adalbert (Albert) J. 1938 P CR – Congregation of the Resurrection 2
    32 Kraft William Armstrong 1951 P San Diego 1
    33 Kurlandski Lawrence 1942 P Resurrectionist 3
    34 Lally George ? P Augustinian 3
    35 Luque Peter 1962 p San Diego/San Bernardino 1
    36 MacCourt Michael 1923 P Columban Fathers 4
    37 Macouzet Maximiliano Gomez 1946 p San Diego/Tlalnepantla 1
    38 Marron Michael Victor 1930 P Clogher (Ireland) 2
    39 Marron Peter Joseph 1936 P OSA – Augustinian 2
    40 McGinn Malachy M. 1961 P San Diego/San Bernardino 1
    41 McNamara Patrick Carl 1980 P San Diego 1
    42 Mejia Ricardo 1977 P San Diego 1
    43 Moloney Thomas 1943 P San Diego 3
    44 Nikliborc Robert Daniel. 1955 P San Diego 3
    45 Nunez Joseph R. 1922 P San Diego, Zacatecas (Mexico) 4
    46 O’Connor Michael 1931 p Los Angeles/San Diego 4
    47 O’Donohoe Michael Raymond 1938 p San Diego 4
    48 O’Keeffe Patrick J. 1959 P San Diego/San Bernardino 1
    49 Omemaga Emmanuel O. 1983 P Capiz (Phillipines) 2
    50 Polizzi Daniel 1969 P San Diego 1
    51 Reveles Nicholas ? P 3
    52 Robier Franz 1936 P O. Carm/ San Bernardino 1
    53 Rodrigue Edward Anthony 1962 ? P San Diego/San Bernardino 1
    54 Roll David H. 1970 P San Diego 1
    55 Rossell Joseph (Jose) 1930 P Barcelona(Spain) 1
    56 Savord William R. 1957 P San Diego 1
    57 Schmitz John A. 1957 p Dubuque, San Bernardino 4
    58 Shanley Paul 1960 p Boston 4
    59 Sheridan Gregory Sierra 1935 P O.R.S.A. ( Augustinian Recollect Fathers) 1
    60 Sierra Frank 1935 p O.R.S.A. ( Augustinian Recollect Fathers) 1
    61 Spain William D. 1956 P San Diego 1
    62 Thomas (unknown) ? B Brothers of Charity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary 3
    63 Thompson Matthew J. 1928 P Los Angeles/San Diego 1
    64 Uboldi Victor 1945 P S.D.B. (Salesians) 1
    65 Valverde William 1962 P San Diego/San Bernardino 1
    66 Vinyard Barry 1975 P San Diego 3
    67 Waltos Bernard 1974 p O.F.M. Conv. (Franciscan) 4
    These lists (#1,2) of accused diocesan, religious order, and extern priests with assignment records were released by the diocese on 3/30/07 as part of the bankruptcy process.
    The lists are no longer on the diocesan website.
    1 https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/03_04/PriestsCredibleAllegations.pdf
    2 https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/03_04/OtherPriestsCredibleAllegations.pdf
    3 https://bishop-accountability.org/member/psearch.jsp San Diego Search
    4 https://www.bishop-accountability.org/docs/san_diego/
    5 https://bishop-accountability.org/member/psearch.jsp San Bernardino Search
    San Bernardino List
    68 Ayala Saul 1971 P San Bernardino 5
    69 Ball Edward Lawrence 1966 p Sacred Heart 5
    70 Bucaro Michael 1980 p San Bernardino 5
    71 Castillo Alejandro Jose (Alex) 1981 p San Bernardino 5
    72 da Silva Owen < 1936 p Franciscan 5
    73 Dominguez Jesus 1983 p San Bernardino 5
    74 Donat Robert J. 1966 p San Bernardino 5
    75 Dunne Kevin ? brother Franciscan 5
    76 Fertal Joseph (Joe) 1959 p Society of the Divine Word 5
    77 Garduno Anthony Martinez 1990 p San Bernardino 5
    78 Gil Rudi 1978 p Order of the Holy Trinity 5
    79 Keppel Timothy F. 1977 p C.R. Congregation of the Resurrection 5
    80 Nguyen Paul 1980 ? p San Bernardino 5
    81 Trujillo Esteban ? P Order of St. Augustine (visiting from Mexico) 5
    Kiesel, Boucher and Larson maintained an online list of accused priests (see an example created by KBL on 6/9/03 and posted on their website)
    https://www.bishop-accountability.org/docs/los_angeles_2/resources/2003_06_09_KBLA_CA_priest_sheet.pdf
    82 Brom Robert Bishop Winona (Minnesota)
    Daly John San Diego
    Gill Paul San Diego
    Keith John C. San Diego
    Lally George San Diego
  • D.C. Deacon Calls on Wuerl to Resign

    D.C. Deacon Calls on Wuerl to Resign

    One of my dearest friends is a married deacon in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. In his position, he attended to Cardinal Wuerl.

    But after the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, he decided: No more.

    After James wrote and delivered the letter attached below, we talked. He told me that telling Cardinal Wuerl was one thing. But the statement meant little if he didn’t let the survivors know how he felt.

    So he’s letting me publish his letter on my blog.

    As a side note: to date, he has received no response from the Cardinal. I told him he’s now a part of a very large club of wonderful, amazing people.

    Please shower James with support and share this letter.