Multiple Jesuits on child sex abuse list
are still priests today
are still priests today
"Impeded" but never kicked out of priesthood
By: Charlie Specht
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Jesuit religious order released a list Tuesday of 50 priests who it said credibly abused children -- including eight men assigned to schools or churches in Buffalo.
But 7 Eyewitness News has discovered some of the abusive priests are still wearing a collar and acting as priests, raising questions about whether the Catholic Church continues to withhold information from the public.
The Rev. J. Peter Conroy worked at Canisius College until 2002, when two women -- Colleen O’Hara Carney and Molly O’Hara Ewing -- came forward to say Fr. Conroy inappropriately touched and groped them when they were in seventh grade in the 1970s.
“It was very inappropriate behavior for anybody,” O’Hara Carney said. “He just pulled me down on his lap and the hand drifted under the school uniform.”
The Jesuits said Conroy admitted to the abuse in 2002 and they removed him from Canisius and “impeded” him from ministry that year.
The Jesuits’ Northeast province listed no assignments for Conroy after 2002 in the documents it released Tuesday, but the church’s own records show Conroy is still very much a priest -- and he’s not the only one.
Other Buffalo Jesuits who abused minors were never “defrocked” or stripped of their status as Roman Catholic priests. Instead, some were quietly sent to retreat centers and other destinations where they serve to this day -- even after they have been placed on the Jesuits’ abuse list.
“Even today, they cannot tell the truth,” Patrick Wall said of religious orders like the Jesuits.
Wall knows much about religious order priests because he used to be one of them. The former Benedictine priest now works for one of the nation’s top clergy sexual abuse law firms, where he investigates the placement of religious order priests.
He wasn’t surprised to hear that Fr. Conroy, after 2002, was not removed from the priesthood but rather reassigned to the Jogues Retreat Center in Cornwall, N.Y., outside Poughkeepsie.
“He may have somewhat less exposure to children, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t use his office to access children,” Wall said. “He’s doing spiritual direction, he’s saying Mass, he’s hearing confessions.”
This week, a review remained posted on the retreat center’s Facebook page, where a woman wrote, “I spent an afternoon at Jogues Retreat. Father Conroy was a blessing.”
“There are no signs, there’s no disclaimers, there’s no written or verbal warning that if a parent wanted to go on a retreat, and their kids came to visit, that there would be absolutely no warning that Peter Conroy is there and about his past history,” Wall said.
Conroy did not respond to a message seeking comment for this story.
In a letter Tuesday to the public, Jesuit superior John J. Cecero, S.J., said, “Any living Jesuit with a credible allegation of abuse is removed from ministry and assigned to a community that does not serve minors where he lives under a closely monitored safety plan.”
Jesuit documents released with the abuse list show the “safety plans” mean restricted Jesuits “may be asked to participate” in psychological treatment.
In some cases, the records show, they are restricted from “public celebration of the sacraments” and they are not allowed to dress as a priest or use the title “Father” or “Reverend”.
But in other cases, the documents say they “would be permitted” to preside at community eucharist, to lead community prayer or to hear confessions of Jesuits.
William Scanlon, S.J., is another jesuit who used to work at Canisius College. The Jesuits say he admitted to abusing minors in 1994 (not at Canisius) and they “restricted” and then “impeded” him twice since then.
But that didn’t stop the order from including him in its official magazine in 2010, where he was shown giving Holy Communion. He is not listed in the 2018 edition of the Official Catholic Directory and his current whereabouts are unknown.
The Jesuits say another priest who served in Buffalo, Rev. Denny Thomas, S.J., was credibly accused of abusing minors and was “impeded” in 2002. But as recently in 2016, he donated to a charity using his religious title. He is not listed in the 2018 edition of the Official Catholic Directory and his current whereabouts are unknown.
Roman Catholic dioceses or religious orders can ask the Vatican that a priest be "laicized" or dismissed from the clerical state, a process commonly referred to as "defrocking." In some cases in the Buffalo Diocese and in one case of the Northeast Jesuits, Rome approved the laicization.
But for those who are not defrocked, the Jesuits do not list the priests’ current locations “for obvious reasons of privacy,” spokesman Mike Gabriele said in a phone interview. He said most of the accused Jesuits can no longer be prosecuted for their crimes because the statutes of limitation have expired.
“If these men were not convicted of abuse and they were to leave the [Jesuits], they could reside as a citizen and not register with law enforcement,” Gabriele said. “Even though we cannot release the address where they live, we are monitoring them and know where they are and they are not in contact with minors.”
After decades of concealing abusive behavior, the Jesuits and the church are not worthy of that trust, Wall said.
“As far as I know, I have never seen a Jesuit who is a properly trained probations officer who can truly supervise these guys,” he said.
Retired Pittsburgh priest, 88, charged with
sexual abuse of child in early 2000s
The Rev. Hugh Lang was serving at Saint Therese of Lisieux in Munhall when the alleged assault happened, police say
by WTAE USMUNHALL, Pa. —
A retired Catholic priest who came under investigation in the wake of last year's state grand jury report was arrested Friday on charges that he assaulted a 10-year-old boy during altar service training in 2001, Allegheny County police said.
Lang, of Castle Shannon, was serving at Saint Therese of Lisieux in Munhall when the alleged assault happened in June 2001, police said.
The alleged victim, identified as John Doe, told police that Lang removed him from the other boys in training and took him to a CCD room in the church basement, according to the criminal complaint.
"After Father Lang and John Doe entered the room, Father Lang locked the door. Father Lang then told John Doe that Doe was a troublemaker and instructed Doe to remove his clothes," the complaint said. "After John Doe removed his clothes, Father Lang took a Polaroid photograph of John Doe while he was standing naked. Father Lang showed the photo to John Doe and warned him that if he didn't behave, he would show the photo to others."
Lang allegedly fondled the child, exposed himself and made the boy fondle him, then told the child to clean up and returned to the other boys in training, according to the complaint.
Police said the alleged victim is now "an adult professional" who lives outside the U.S. and reported the incident after seeing news coverage of the Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy sex abuse. Lang was not one of the priests named in the grand jury report.
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh put Lang on administrative leave when the allegation surfaced in August. He cannot function as a priest or identify himself as one.
"We continue to respect the legal process, we will cooperate with it if there's any need, and he remains on administrative leave," said the Rev. Nick Vaskov, a diocesan spokesman.
‘A grave human tragedy’: Kansas City archbishop
names 22 priests credibly accused of sex abuse
BY JUDY L. THOMASThe Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas on Friday released the names of 22 priests in its files who have had substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors made against them in the past 75 years.
“Each name on this list represents a grave human tragedy,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann in a statement published Friday in The Leaven, the archdiocesan newspaper. “Each name represents a betrayal of trust and a violation of the innocent.”
At least one, and some, perhaps, dozens of tragedies.
The list was compiled after a review of about 1,080 clergy files dating back more than 75 years, the archdiocese said. The review was conducted by the Chicago office of the Husch Blackwell law firm.
A report based on the findings was provided to the Kansas attorney general, the archdiocese said. Naumann said the list will be updated if new information comes to light.
Of the 22 clergy on the list, 10 were priests of the archdiocese, according to The Leaven. Eleven are dead and seven have been laicized, or removed from the priesthood. The status of some others are unknown.
Victims’ advocates said the action was long overdue.
“Survivors of abuse have been requesting the archdiocese to release names for many, many years so that others could be protected from their fate,” said Rebecca Randles, a Kansas City attorney who has represented hundreds of clergy sex abuse victims. “The archdiocese’s release today of the partial list of perpetrators is a step in the right direction but still does not provide the transparency necessary to restore trust.
“Abuse of minors by clergy is not a problem from the past; it is an ongoing issue for which the archdiocese must be proactive. It still evidences disbelief when confronted with allegations of abuse.”
Naumann said the sexual abuse of children and youth by Catholic priests “contradicts our church’s teaching on authentic love, the beauty of human sexuality and the dignity of the human person.”
Apparently, the church doesn't teach 'fear of God'.
“What was done to victims by those who were called to be spiritual fathers is cause for great shame,” the archbishop said. “On behalf of the church, I apologize to each victim and pledge our commitment to do all that we can to assist with your healing.”
In his statement, Naumann thanked “all the victims who have courageously come forward with allegations in order to prevent someone else from being victimized as well as to assist with the progress of their own healing process.”
“I also am grateful to members of the secular press that have brought accusations to light and compelled the Church to address this evil in order to promote the healing of victims and protect our children and youth today and in the future.”
Naumann said the list is accurate “based on the information we possess at this moment.” He said there are other allegations that need additional investigation.
An accusation is considered substantiated, Naumann said, if the accused has admitted to the incident. If the accused has denied the allegation, he said, it can be substantiated if there is corroborating evidence, knowledgeable testimony of others or multiple accusations.
Naumann said releasing the names “was not a simple task.”
“The Church has a responsibility to be transparent about sexual misconduct with children or minors by those with leadership responsibilities in the Church,” he said. “I have an obligation to protect all those entrusted to my pastoral care, especially with children.
“At the same time, I have a solemn responsibility also to protect the good names of our priests — the vast majority of whom serve with selfless dedication — from having their reputations harmed by sometimes sincere but nevertheless unsubstantiated accusations.”
The priest sex abuse issue erupted in August when a grand jury in Pennsylvania released a report finding that church leaders had covered up sexual abuse by hundreds of priests over seven decades. Since then, bishops across the country have been under pressure to release the names of their credibly accused priests, and many have done so.
In Missouri, the Diocese of Jefferson City and the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau have released names of priests with substantiated allegations. The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has not released names and said last week that it continues “to actively cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation of Missouri dioceses.”
“It is hoped that the Attorney General’s review will result in as thorough a list of historical abuse as possible,” the diocese said. “Our priority is to rigorously comply with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in order to make sure all children are safe from the evil of abuse. We are confident that there is no priest currently in ministry in Kansas City who has been accused of child sexual abuse.”
Yet!
The priests with substantiated allegations in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas:
John Brayley, an Oblate missionary, now deceased. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1980 while visiting friends in Roeland Park.
Lambert Dannenfelser, a Franciscan priest, now deceased. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1989. Multiple allegations.
John Fiala, Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, now deceased. Estimated time frame of abuse: mid-1980s, not within the archdiocese. Multiple allegations. In 2012, Fiala was sentenced to 60 years in prison for plotting to kill a Texas boy who accused him of sex abuse.
William Finnerty, Archdiocese of KCK, now deceased. Estimated time frame of abuse: early to mid-1960s. Multiple allegations.
James Forsythe, Archdiocese of KCK, laicized in 2005. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1987. Multiple allegations.
Lawrence Ginzkey, Archdiocese of KCK, laicized in 2005. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1985. Multiple allegations.
Dave Gottschalk, Capuchin Franciscans. Estimated time frame of abuse: unknown. Multiple allegations.
John J. Harrington, Archdiocese of KCK, died in 1986. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1940s and 1960s. Multiple allegations.
David Imming, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, laicized in 2011. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1980 in Oklahoma. Multiple allegations.
Martin Juarez, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, laicized in 2005. Estimated time frame of abuse: early to mid-1980s. Multiple allegations.
Marvin Justi, Capuchin Franciscans, died in 2009. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1969 in Pennsylvania.
Steven Lamping, Franciscans, deceased. Estimate time frame of abuse: 1950s. Multiple allegations.
Adrian Licktieg, Carmelites, presumably deceased. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1959.
Finian Meis, Capuchin Franciscans, died in 1997. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1972-1979. Multiple allegations.
Donald Redmond, Benedictines, removed from ministry in 2002. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1960-1968. Multiple allegations.
Barry Richardson, Archdiocese of KCK, laicized in 2005. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1999. Multiple allegations.
Edward Roberts, Archdiocese of KCK, died in 1997. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1949 to early 1990s. Multiple allegations.
Frank Schepers, Archdiocese of KCK, died in 2002. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1976-1976.
Dennis Schmitz, Archdiocese of KCK, laicized in 2005. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1990s and 1998. Multiple allegations. Sentenced to 32 months in prison in 2002 for inappropriately touching a 15-year-old boy.
John Henry Wisner, Archdiocese of KCK, laicized in 2017. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1977-1984. Multiple allegations.
Chuck Wolfe, Capuchin Franciscans, current status unknown. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1976.
Camillus Wurtz, Benedictines, died in 2013. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1960.
Priests with previously publicized allegations not able to be substantiated:
William Haegelin, Archdiocese of KCK, laicized in 2004. Estimated time frame of abuse: 1983-1984.
Scott James Kallal, Archdiocese of KCK, on administrative leave. Estimated time frame of abuse: 2015. Charged in Wyandotte County in 2017 with two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Case ongoing.
Anthony Putti, Diocese of Guntur, India, no longer affiliated. Estimated time frame of abuse: 2009-2010. Recalled to home diocese prior to allegation of abuse of a minor. Denies abuse. Investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Christopher Rossman, Archdiocese of KCK, removed from ministry in 2016. Estimated time frame of abuse: 2016. Law enforcement investigation is ongoing.
Fairfield University, Catholic Orders agree to $60 million settlement for sexual abuse of 133 Haitian children
By NICHOLAS RONDINONE| HARTFORD COURANT |
Eight years after Douglas Perlitz was sent to prison for using school, shelter and food to get boys to perform sexual acts, an attorney for the 133 victims said they struck a $60 million settlement with Fairfield University and other religious charities that supported Perlitz’s charity for homeless boys in Haiti while ignoring signs of the widespread abuse.
The homeless boys, some now men, were abused in the late 1990s and early 2000s while living at a school run by Project Pierre Toussaint, a school created by Perlitz, a 1997 graduate of Fairfield University. One lawsuit includes a claim that one of the victims, a minor, was sexually abused by another person involved with the school, but that individual has not been charged criminally.
“This settlement is life changing for my clients. As you know, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere,” said Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston-based attorney representing the boys. “The victims were homeless without food, without clothing and without medicine... They are sick and have been sick. They are starving for the longest period. This is life changing.”
Garabedian said they have asked a federal judge in Connecticut to consider creating a class-action lawsuit and then approving the settlement fund already agreed upon by the school and charities, including the Order of Malta, Haiti Fund Inc. and the Society of Jesus of New England. The class-action lawsuit would encompass 51 current lawsuits and 82 claims vetted by attorneys, Garabedian said.
Operating through the early 2000s, the charity shifted from a refuge for the destitute boys to a haven for Perlitz’s perversions, some affiliated with the school said during Perlitz’s 2010 sentencing. Perlitz was sentenced to serve 19 1/2 years in federal prison after emotional testimony reflected how instead of caring for the boys, he molested them.
Through lawsuits, attorneys said Fairfield University and multiple charities had influence over Perlitz and Project Pierre Toussaint but failed to stop the abuses known to staff at the school in Cap Haitien.
One worker, Robenson Gedeus, told a judge during Perlitz’s sentencing that he saw boys going in and out of the Fairfield University graduate’s bedroom and he confronted Perlitz, but was simply asked who told him of the abuses.
Gedeus told the court that he never mentioned a name. “The kids would have a real bad time if I told him. The situation in Haiti is very said. There is a lot of poverty there. If somebody is paying for school and food for them, they don’t want to lose that.”
When Perlitz was sentenced, he blamed his actions on what he described was a “dark and abusive” relationship he had with a priest while attending Fairfield University.
Is that where this story of prolific abuse started? With a priest at Fairfield? Does that priest have a legacy of dozens, if not hundreds of boys being abused? We will know when He stands before Jesus Christ.
Fairifield University officials said Friday that they still did not have any management or oversight of Project Pierre Toussaint created in 1997, but acknowledged the “concluding” settlement in a message to the school community.
“Eleven years later, in 2008, the University learned that Mr. Perlitz had grossly abused his position, sexually assaulting some of the young men in his care. Though some members of our community donated time and resources to the project, Fairfield University played no role in the management or governance of Project Pierre Toussaint. The University was not aware of Mr. Perlitz’s crimes before they were publicly reported. Regardless, our community was shaken by these revelations,” the letter from the chair of the school’s board and the school’s president read.
The church is still desperately looking for ways to disavow responsibility for the horrific sexual abuse of children in its facilities and at the hands of its representatives. This, instead of accepting responsibility and repenting of its despicable failures.
School officials acknowledged they settled a different series of lawsuits in 2013 that arose from the abuses, but did not say the amount of those settlements. Garabedian said those lawsuits, involving 24 victims, were settled for a total of $12 million.
“In the years following that first settlement, additional individuals came forward with allegations of abuse by Mr. Perlitz,” school officials said. The school said the funds for the settlement will come from its insurance carriers and that they have been planning for this outcome.
During a press conference Friday, Garabedian rebuffed the university’s statements that it was unaware and a victim itself. "Nothing can be farther for the truth,” Garabedian said, referencing efforts during the years of litigation in which they fought motions for emergency relief.
The announcement of the $60 million agreement follows revelations of settlements made by Catholic organizations in response to child sex abuse. This week, the Archdiocese of Hartford revealed the names of the 48 priests that were accused of sexual abuse or molestation in which associated settlements cost the diocese more than $50 million.
In October, the Archdiocese of Bridgeport announced it had paid $52 million to settle sexual abuse lawsuits filed against its priests.
“The settlement in this case underscores the consequences, here in the United States as well as in other countries, of the Catholic Church’s continued failure to implement appropriate safeguards against abuse,” Hanly said in a statement.
Garabedian, who was involved in litigation against the Catholic church, called on Pope Francis to take action in light of abuses by Perlitz and others. He said it is no longer time for discussion but for the church to put programs in place to prevent this from happening.
“It’s time for Pope Francis to take action to help not only the victims in Haiti but also across the globe,” Garabedian said.
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