The Worthy Adversary

Category: Clergy Abuse Crisis

  • 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.

     

     

  • What’s going on in San Diego?

    What’s going on in San Diego?

    While New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the country explode with scandal and investigation into clergy sex abuse and cover-up, a little pot of disrepute is simmering in one Southern California Diocese.

    Welcome to San Diego

    The Diocese of San Diego is well known to readers of this blog.

    It’s the home of  Jose Alexis Davila, who was allowed to remain a priest in three dioceses after pleading guilty to sex crimes.

    It’s the diocese where the priest who admitted to destroying evidence in child sex abuse cases was assigned to answer the sex abuse hotline.

    It’s the diocese that kept parishioners in the dark about one of their priests who was criminally charged (and later convicted) of criminal sexual conduct in another state.

    But now, something really fishy is going on.

    Bishop Robert McElroy is up to something totally different. Yesterday, he announced that they are “conducting an internal review” and will be releasing the names of previously undisclosed credibly accused priests.

    From KQED:

    The review is looking for names of priests — not yet made public — who have faced accusations of sexual misconduct with a minor, deemed credible by the San Diego diocese.

    The list will include the names, status (e.g., retired) and the parishes where the priests served.  These names will be in addition to the 60 names already made public from the San Diego diocese on the online internet archive and watchdog group Bishop-Accountability.org 

    What wrong with this picture?

    McElroy’s motives are not pure. His spokesperson admitted as much to KQED:

    [Diocese of San Diego spokesperson Kevin] Eckery said the San Diego diocese is conducting the review because of media pressure.

    Oh. I thought it was the right thing to do. Silly me.

    Church insiders have McElroy on the short list of successors for Washington, D.C.’s Cardinal Wuerl. Is this “audit” a transparency puppet show in preparation for the big move?

    Why do they need an audit anyway? The diocese already did one in 2007 as a part of their failed attempt at bankruptcy. Bishop Robert Brom published the “exhaustive list” as a part of his “pledge” of transparency. From the March 31, 2007, OC Register:

    The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego on Friday released the names of 37 priests who have been accused of sexual abuse, following up on a pledge that it made when it filed for bankruptcy protection a month ago.

    Diocese officials said the roster is an exhaustive list of priests facing “credible allegations,” listing the dates and parishes in San Diego where each served and noting the current status of each.

    At least 20 are dead, according to the documents. None remain in active ministry.

    So … what changed? Are these going to be men who served SINCE 2007? Doubtful. Or maybe the list just wasn’t that exhaustive. Why should we trust McElroy’s list anymore than Brom’s?

    Maybe McElroy is upset because he was outed in the Vigano letter as someone who knew about and covered up for Cardinal Theodore McCarrick?

    Who knows? But I do know this: San Diego is a den of abuse and cover-up. Bishop McElroy has no issues allowing men who assault women to remain in ministry. And no one should trust that any list of abusers he publishes is complete.

     

     

  • Who is Carlo Maria Vigano? And what does he have to do with Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis?

    Who is Carlo Maria Vigano? And what does he have to do with Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis?

    I wrote briefly about the Vatican Circular Firing Squad in a previous post. It was an over-simplification, but hit the point.

    To truly understand what is happening right now with the Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal—and how the scandal has been able to flourish for so long—you need to understand the people, the dynamics, and history of the sexual politics of the Vatican. Let’s start with the latest star.

    Some of you may remember this story:

    Kim Davis was the Kentucky clerk who spent six days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. 

    That meeting was arranged by Carlo Maria Vigano.

    This week, Vigano, a former Vatican envoy published an 11-page letter accusing Pope Francis of hiding sexual abuse allegations involving disgraced Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

    Who is Vigano?

    From the LA Times: Who is Carlo Maria Vigano, the man accusing Pope Francis of covering up sex abuse? 

    Read the whole thing.
    Interested in doing something about abuse? Join STOP.
  • Commence the Vatican circular firing squad. Last one standing … wins?

    Commence the Vatican circular firing squad. Last one standing … wins?

    Pope Francis says: “Those in the Vatican who knew about and covered up abuse are ‘caca.’”

    The response within those formerly in the Vatican: “Et tu? You knew.”

    Commence the Vatican circular firing squad. Last one standing … wins?