The Worthy Adversary

Category: Child safety

  • Hawaii bishop starts the finger pointing game

    Here’s a sad, sad story from today’s Honolulu Star Advertiser. Honolulu’s Bishop Clarence Silva blames victims for not coming forward to him, his predecessors for covering things up, enemies of the church who “capitalize on this very real problem,” proponents of gay marriage, pro-life advocates, and just about everyone else.

    Really? Since when do the gay marriage and pro-life movements have ANYTHING to do with child sex abuse and cover up?

    My modest proposal? Name the perps, open the files, disclose allegations, turn ALL evidence over to the cops and quit blaming victims. That’s pretty easy, right?

    Because the Hawaii civil window will force him to do it soon enough …

     

     

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 

     

     

  • Deadline Looming for Victims of Irish Christian Brothers

    There is little time left: Victims of the Irish Christian Brothers or victims abused at Irish Christian Brothers schools only have until August 1, 2012 to come forward and get justice in the courts.

    Last year, the Irish Christian Brothers (ICB), a Catholic religious order based in New Rochelle, New York, sought bankruptcy protection after more than 50 victims in Canada and Seattle came forward about the sexual abuse at ICB schools. The bankruptcy court instituted the deadline, otherwise known as a “bar date,” for all victims of the ICB and victims at ICB-run schools to come forward to the courts.

    The Irish Christian Brothers ran and currently run schools across the United States and Canada. For a list, click here or here. Although a school may be listed as “closed,” victims from those schools still have rights. In other places, like Los Angeles’ Cantwell/Sacred Heart of Mary, the Archdiocese booted the brothers and took over the school. Victims who were abused at Cantwell (where a convicted child abuser and at least two accused child sexual predators worked) before the ICB were kicked out also have rights in the bankruptcy.

    Other schools that were dens of abuse include Damien Memorial School in Honolulu; Palma School in Salinas, CA; O’Dea and Briscoe in the Seattle area; Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx (where Christian Brothers worked); Bergen Catholic in New Jersey; and Bishop Hendricken in RI; to name a few. Others are listed here.

    The Christian Brothers harbored men like Br. Robert Brouillette, who victimized children across IL, HI, NM, AZ and WA, until he was finally arrested in an internet child sex sting. He was eventually convicted of child pornography. The ICB also hid men such as Fr. Gerald Funcheon, who abused kids nationwide. Funcheon was then sent to Damien Memorial in Honolulu where he abused again. When he was outed, he was sent to Palma in Salinas where, you guessed it: he abused at least two boys.

    One the east coast, the perpetrator shuffle was in full swing, with men like Br. Charles Borromeo Irwin, Br. Ronald Alexius Howe, Br. Jerome Heustis, Br. Thomas Cuthbert Ford, Br. John Justin O’Connor, and Br. John Walderman were transferred from school to school after physically and sexually abusing children. Walderman and Ford were both arrested – Ford hid from the law and Walderman and his bosses kept mum on his arrest and so that he could continue working in schools. You can read more about how the ICB flew under the radar of police and prosecutors for years.

    The only way we have been able to learn about many of these men has been due to the bravery of their victims. Many of of these traumatized men and women tried to come forward sooner, but because of archaic statute of limitations in many states across the country, these victims had no rights. Now, victims are empowered and can make their evidence public to warn communities about the dangers these predators pose. But only for a short time.

    On August 2, the court doors will slam shut for many of these victims.

    Click here to learn more about the bankruptcy proceedings.