Diocese of Green Bay Accused of Hiding His History
By Tom Heinen
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
January 3, 2008
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=702867
Two brothers who were molested as youths by a Catholic priest with a long history of sexual abuse allegations filed a civil suit Wednesday in Outagamie County Circuit Court, accusing the Diocese of Green Bay of fraudulently hiding the priest's background from the public as it transferred him from parish to parish in the 1960s and '70s.
The suit includes diocesan documents as exhibits, including one from 1983 that cites "widespread accusations, allegations and rumors regarding sexual improprieties" on the part of Father John P. Feeney at parishes in Appleton, Freedom, Suamico, De Pere, Chilton and elsewhere.
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Communities Where Fr. John [P.] Feeney Worked 1) Green Bay, WI: St. Joseph's (1952-1954) 2) Kewaunee, WI (1954) 3) Sturgeon Bay, WI: [Patronage of] St. Jo[seph Church] (1954-1955) 4) Clintonville, WI: St. [Rose's] (1955-1956) 5) Oshkosh, WI (1956) 6) Two Rivers, WI: Holy Redeemer (1958-1961) 7) Appleton, WI: St. Theres[a]'s (1961-1963) 8) Chilton, WI: [Immaculate Conception] (1963-1965) 9) Clark Mills, WI (1965) 10) Flintville, WI: SS. Edward [and] Isadore (1965-1966) 11) Francis Creek/Algoma, WI: St. Ann[e]'s (1966) 12) Maplewood, WI: Holy Name Parish (1966) 13) Wautoma, WI: St. Joe's (1966) 14) Elcho, WI: Holy Family (1966-1969); Pickerel, WI: St. Mary's (1966-1969) 15) De Pere, WI: St. Francis Xavier (1969-1973) 16) Suamico, WI: [St. Benedict's] (1973-1976) 17) Freedom, WI: St. Nicholas (1976-1979) 18) Stockbridge, WI: St. Mary [of the Seven Dolors] Church (1979-1983) [Note: Transcribed from the original and corrected by BishopAccountability.org.] original |
| Diocese of Green Bay Related Coverage • Copy of the lawsuit, including diocesan documents • A map showing where Father John P. Feeney served as a priest • Statement from the Green Bay Diocese in response to the suit |
Todd Merryfield, 43, of Cedarburg, and his brother, Troy Merryfield, 42, of Suffolk, Va., are the first to file such a suit in the Green Bay Diocese since the state Supreme Court ruled in July that four men who were childhood victims of priests could still sue the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for fraud in decades-old cases involving coverups.
Including three women who have filed lawsuits in Milwaukee County, at least nine plaintiffs are pursuing such suits in Wisconsin.
Feeney was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2004 for sexually assaulting the Merryfields in 1978 when he was assigned to St. Nicholas Parish in Freedom.
Peter Isely, Midwest director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, delivered a letter addressed to Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan at the archdiocesan offices Wednesday, urging Dolan to defend these cases on their merits without using legal technicalities and delays. Isely also urged Dolan to help protect children by releasing the names and locations of known clergy sex offenders in the Green Bay Diocese, which Dolan is temporarily overseeing until a new bishop is appointed there.
An archdiocesan spokeswoman said Dolan was not in his office Wednesday and no one could comment immediately on the letter or lawsuit. Archdiocesan officials have cited wide-ranging efforts to protect children by educating parishes, investigating complaints and removing from ministry priests with one confirmed incident of abuse.
The Green Bay Diocese's communications office issued a statement Wednesday afternoon expressing compassion for all victims of sexual abuse, citing the diocese's efforts to protect children, saying the diocese cooperated with civil authorities in providing church documents, and noting that the diocese will respond to the lawsuit's version of what happened as the legal process moves forward in coming weeks.
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