Everybody has a crush on Pope Francis. He drives a car! He eats with the priests! He cold calls Catholics who write him letters! But wait, there’s more! He used to be a bouncer at a bar! He reportedly sneaks out at night to feed the poor! He speaks out against those nasty capitalists (whose…Continue reading Francis is a man of ACTION! (Well, not really)
All of the cool cats are doin’ it this season! The Milwaukee Archdiocese bankruptcy is sloggin’ through the courts, complete with mysterious monetary maneuvers, secret payouts and cardinal denials that would make St. Peter blush. And that’s just the beginning. In the Diocese of Gallup, the 341 meeting with creditors is scheduled for December 19.…Continue reading Bankruptcy Chronicles
The Los Angeles Archdiocese released more clergy sex abuse and cover-up documents today. Priests hail from Orange County, San Bernardino, and Phoenix. Files include: John Lenihan Richard Coughlin Richard Loomis Jesse Dominguez Henry Perez John Santillian And others ….
On October 5, the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis, which has been mired in a sex abuse and cover-up crisis, announced that an “independent” task force will convene to investigate how archdiocese officials handled abuse allegations, as well as review policies and procedures in place. The official announcement stated that “The Vicar [Fr. Reginald…Continue reading Nienstedt throws “PR ploy” task force under the bus
Months after the Diocese of Gallup announced intentions to seek bankruptcy protection, Gallup Bishop James Wall FINALLY filed a declaration with the federal bankruptcy court to officially begin the process. Why the delay? Why were James Wall and church officials stalling? Perhaps it was this astonishing revelation: Bishop Wall says in his declaration that there are…Continue reading Gallup’s victim tally rivals dioceses ten times larger
I could tell exactly what kind of person she was when she started wagging her finger at me. She was mean. I hate finger-waggers. My dearly departed cat had the perfect reaction: If I ever wagged a finger at him, he’d attack (playfully, of course. But it was still an attack). Even my sister, as…Continue reading Finger-waggers and life lessons, Tucson style.
I don’t know the answer to this myself, but it has been bothering me since learning about Tucson conductor/convicted child sex offender Eric Holtan. Holtan was convicted in 2000 of first- and third-degree sexual assault against two of his former students while he was a teacher in Duluth, MN. According to the Duluth News Tribune:…Continue reading Should Public Arts Organizations Give $ To Convicted Sex Offenders?
Eric Holtan is slowly getting exposed. From The Duluth News: Holtan, who was convicted of first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, was ordered at his 2000 sentencing to serve two years at the Northeast Regional Corrections Center, register as a sex offender and meet the conditions of his probation for 15 years. Any violation of…Continue reading Holtan makes headlines
Convicted molester works at Tucson church Child sex offender is music minister Man pled guilty in 2000 to molesting girls He did prison time and is still on probation Now, musician heads group that performs in churches SNAP fears he may have hurt or may be hurting AZ kids What: Holding childhood photos, child sex…Continue reading Convicted molester works at Tucson church
To review or download the case history of Eric Holtan’s guilty plea to child sexual abuse, click here. To access the information on the Minnesota Courts website, do the following: Click on the court’s website here. 1. Click on Find a Court Case (one of the tabs at the top of the page)…Continue reading Eric Holtan information
I am super-duper excited to announce my next book project: Raising the Armored Kid: A victim and advocate gives you the tools to help your children stay safe from sexual abuse (working title) This easy-to-read, easy-to-use book will teach parents, caregivers and loved ones common sense strategies that will help children stay safe from child sexual abuse.…Continue reading Big Announcement
I have never had any kind of tolerance for institutional malfeasance. Shocker, I know. But what really intrigues me is this: Why are the vast majority of America’s Catholic priests silent when it comes to child sex abuse and cover-up in the church? In Los Angeles, a document release in January showed that high-ranking church officials…Continue reading A challenge for the good priests
First, let’s talk about compliance. Since 2002, Catholics and the public have been “assured” time and time again that dioceses across the United States are “in compliance” with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, a set of rules created by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops after the scandals in Boston…Continue reading Compliance, public nuisance, and some angry priests in MN
Why would a vowed celibate man have pictures of naked or semi-naked children on his computer? Why, when given the evidence of these photos, would this man’s supervisors do little or nothing, even when the crime is federal and one of the easiest to report? Since, in this case, the supervisor is a Catholic bishop and…Continue reading Child porn is a window into the soul of the church
In honor of Halloween, let’s ask some scary questions. — How many California Bishops personally met with California Governor Jerry Brown (or spoke to him on the phone uninterrupted) to discuss the now-defeated Child Victims’ Act? — How many victims were able to personally meet with Jerry Brown? Considering Brown’s SB 131 veto letter, the…Continue reading Haunting Questions Wednesday
Governor Jerry Brown denies justice for those sexually abused as children Mark Crawford Last week Catholic officials were jubilant when Governor Jerry Brown chose to kill bill SB 131, which would have temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for some child victims of sexual abuse. The governor made several excuses as to why he struck…Continue reading Brown Denies Justice to Victims – Guest Blog Post – Mark Crawford
Survivors to Bishop: Stand with victims! Three more victims file child sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits Former bishop and two known predators named Victims pass out postcards to neighbors, citizens Group urges people to “pledge to stop donating” and “talk to family about abuse” What: Holding pictures of themselves at the age they were abused,…Continue reading Do you stand with abusers, or with victims?
Four more boys accuse farmer of abuse Predator adopted and fostered boys in CA and HI Five of his “sons” now say that he molested them Victims beg social services, public for help and information Group runs ad begging “If you saw, suspected or suffered abuse, speak up” What: Holding photos of themselves at the…Continue reading Jay Ram accused of abuse by four more “sons”
I am devastated. Read his veto statement here. Sorry the link was broken before. I am out of town for a wedding, and blogging via smartphone isn’t very … well, smart.
As of this writing, there is no new new news on SB 131. California Governor Jerry Brown has until Sunday to sign the bill, veto it, or do nothing. If he signs the bill or does nothing, SB 131 will become law on January 1, 2014 Let’s keep our fingers crossed for victims—all victims. Why? Because…Continue reading T-minus 2 for SB 131