DAVENPORT (IA)
Quad-City Times
Todd Ruger
An Iowa City-based group calling itself the Concerned Catholics of the Davenport Diocese is distributing a booklet compiling stories of men alleging sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Diocese of Davenport.
The group took the booklets, which detail the response of the diocese by men who reported abuse by priests as children, to parishes across the diocese, the group said.
The booklets contain a writing by a West Branch, Iowa, man who alleges that he was abused by the Rev. Lawrence Soens, the retired bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City who church officials reported maintains his innocence.
It also contains a writing by a Tipton, Iowa, man who says he was abused in 1949 by now-deceased priest who has not been previously named by the diocese as having an allegation of sexual abuse against him.
"We love the church and for the health of the church, but both the structures that fostered and covered this up need to be changed," booklet editor Dorothy Whiston of Iowa City said, adding that the diocese will not release the names of deceased priests who have credible claims of sexual abuse against them.
Posted by kshaw at June 4, 2005 04:04 AM