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	Diocese Plans Service for Abuse Victims Associated Press, carried in Indianapolis Star November 16, 2007 http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/LOCAL/711160461/1196 JASPER, Ind. — The Diocese of Evansville will hold a prayer service this weekend for victims of abuse, months after disclosing allegations that a revered, longtime Catholic pastor had molested more than 10 people, but a victims group demanded that its bishop do more. The allegations against Monsignor Othmar Schroeder, who died in 1988, are the most against one priest in the diocese's 64-year history. Schroeder founded Holy Family Church in Jasper in 1947 and served there 28 years before being reassigned to Sacred Heart Church in nearby Schnellville. The diocese will make counselors available after what it calls the "prayer service of healing," which will be at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jasper. The Rev. Raymond Brenner of St. Joseph said the Sunday afternoon service will "try to maybe bring some people at peace to let them know the church does care about what has gone on." Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger, who will lead the prayer service, first disclosed the allegations of abuse against Schroeder during sermons at Holy Family in August. He also requested that Schroeder's picture be removed from the church in the city about 50 miles northeast of Evansville, and for a local Knights of Columbus branch to remove his name from a memorial. Gettelfinger has said he learned of allegations against Schroeder in 1996 but did not go public with them until August, after learning of more victims. The victim support group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said Gettelfinger needed to do more to root out and expose predatory church personnel in his 12-county southwestern Indiana diocese. "Victims need and deserve prayers, but while the bishop asks God to help the wounded and protect the vulnerable, he should take concrete steps to do so himself," Barbara Dorris, SNAP's outreach director, said in a statement. "Specifically, the bishop should apologize for and explain why he waited years to disclose Monsignor Othmar Schroeder's child sex crimes," said Dorris, St. Louis. "The bishop should also publicly disclose the names and whereabouts of every proven, admitted and credibly accused predator who is or has worked for the diocese." The diocese said the prayer service is open to all victims of any form of abuse.
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