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Patrice Apodaca wrote a wonderful piece referencing me.  It’s worth a read, especially in light of the Penn State scandal.

Here is the piece she wrote in Orange Coast in 2010.

Penn State is not the only university with a sex abuse and cover-up problem.  Adrian College, a small liberal arts college in Michigan, has knowingly employed an admitted child predator for years.

Professor Thomas Hodgman, the director of choral music at Adrian College, is an admitted child predator with at least two victims. One of his victims sued and was able to get more than 200 pages of documents that outline Hodgman’s crimes and the cover-up at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, where Hodgman worked. The other victim cited in the documents has not come forward publicly.

I am Hodgman’s public victim. For years, he said my claims were “bogus.” He was lying.

But despite my meeting with school officials, providing stacks of evidence, and providing Hodgman’s signed confession ADMITTING THE ABUSE, the school refuses to remove him. They also refuse to warn incoming students, their families and the community of the danger. I also settled with the diocese for $1.6 million. Yet, Adrian does nothing.

Hopefully, that will change very, very soon.

Gustavo Arellano wrote about it far better than I can …Read it all here.

 

Catholic parish volunteer charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct with a minor: SNAP responds

Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Western Regional Director (949) 322-7434 jcasteix@gmail.com

Last week, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles hid a small notice in a parish newsletter to inform families that a church volunteer, prayer leader and former lector – Cesar Alvarez – has been charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.  The parish is St. Ignatius of Loyola in Los Angeles.

We believe that this lazy attempt at outreach is a reckless and dangerous effort to lessen the impact of the crimes and make sure that few – if any – people learn of the risk Alvarez posed.  Church officials are ignoring their own promises of openness and cooperation.

The Archdiocese must do more.  We implore them to put this information on its website, issue a news release to both the English- and Spanish-speaking media, announce the news from the pulpit at all of the surrounding parishes, and most importantly, publicly urge victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to come forward and report to law enforcement, NOT church officials.

SNAPnetwork.org

You can view the notice here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investigative journalist and author Jason Berry achieved prominence for his reporting on the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis in Lead Us Not Into Temptation (1992), a book used in many newsrooms. He has been widely interviewed in the national media, with many appearances on Nightline, Oprah, ABC and CNN. USA Today called Berry “the rare investigative reporter whose scholarship, compassion and ability to write with the poetic power of Robert Penn Warren are in perfect balance.”

Jason Berry Invitation FINAL

His latest book is Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church, an investigation of epic financial intrigue. The event is free and open to the public.  We hope you can join us.

COPIES OF THE BOOK WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR A $25 DONATION. CASH OR CHECKS ONLY.

When: Thursday, November 3, 2011 7:00 pm –  Wine Reception 7:30 pm – Presentation and book signing

Where: The Lounge Studio of Style 2020 888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 100 (At Newport Center) Newport Beach, CA 92660

Validated parking is available

Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Western Regional Director, 949-322-7434, jcasteix@gmail.com

We are saddened and disturbed to learn that despite a second allegation of abuse by Fr. Michael Kelly, Stockton Diocese officials still refuse to remove him from active ministry with children and families. Despite years of telling Catholics about child safety “reforms,” Stockton Bishop Blaire still cannot do the one easy and simple thing to keep kids safe.  Our biggest fear is for the children who may have been put at direct risk of abuse after Kelly was reinstated into active ministry in 2008, despite the first credible child sex abuse allegation against him.  We urge law enforcement to vigorously investigate and punish church employees who hurt kids or put them at risk.

If you have any information about child abuse by Fr. Kelly or any adult, please contact law enforcement and support groups like ours, NOT church officials.

We also urge Stockton Catholics to demand that Bishop Blaire adhere to his own child safety policies and the policies of his fellow bishops and immediately remove Kelly from active ministry until law enforcement can investigate the latest allegations.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 23 years and have more than 10,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

 

Contact – David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, SNAPblaine@ gmail.com), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)

 

http://www.news10.net/news/article/156666/2/New-accusation-arise-against-Lockeford-priest

SACRAMENTO, CA – New allegations have come to light against a Lockeford priest.

The accusations against Father Michael Kelly were not specified in a statement release by Bishop Stephen Blaire.

Kelly was previously accused of molesting a child back in 1984. The accusations came to light in September 2007.

Stockton police and the dioceses tried to investigate the claim, but the alleged victim did not cooperate. With no evidence, Kelly was reinstated in March 2008.

Kelly will remain an active priest while the church investigates the claim, Blaire said. The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department is also investigating the claim.