By Rachel Azevedo
KOHD
February 1, 2010
http://kohd.com/news/local/161059
[with video]
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"I could have and should have done more to find out the facts, especially before I defended his innocence. I basically just trusted the two men, trusted their affirmation of innocence and dismissed the little tell tale signs," said Deacon Joseph Levine of Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Bend.
Deacon Joseph Levine admits he made a mistake by publicly supporting two priests in Pennsylvania who were accused of sex abuse in 2003. A civil lawsuit was later settled out of court. Levine came to Bend's Saint Francis of Assisi church in August. He says the path was paved by the Bishop of the Baker Diocese, who believed in him. As documented in letters, the Bishop helped mediate a truce between Levine and the person who twice blocked his ordainment as a priest.
The alleged incident dates back six years, but on Sunday, a group that advocates for those abused by priests put fliers on cars outside the church, letting parishioners know about the deacon's alleged involvement.
"He's been kicked out of two diocese for covering up men who've sexually abused children, and we find that a problem," said Joelle Casteix of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
Saint Francis caught wind the group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, had knowledge of Levine's new location. Levine addressed the issue by writing a letter published in the church bulletin, and reading it during mass. He says he didn't disclose his past up front for fear of being immediately written off.
"When you go someplace, you're new somewhere, you don't want to introduce yourself by saying, "Here's all the bad things people have said about me,'" said Levine.
A parishoner who spoke to KOHD says she supports Levine.
"At first it was kind of shocking, but when you sat and listened to him, you just knew he was speaking from the heart. I totally trust everything he said," said Kathy Shelton.
Below is Levine's letter to published in the church bulletin:
When a man has been subject to vicious calumnies and been forced to relocate on account of them, he does not want to introduce himself to his new acquaintances by saying something like, "Hello, my name is John Doe and these are all the nasty things people are saying about me." Anyone who reflects for a moment on the embarrassing events of his own life will, I think, agree that he would prefer not to have to introduce himself by making reference to those incidents.
I came to the Baker diocese because my reputation had been destroyed in other dioceses where I had worked. Bishop Vasa and Fr. Joseph Reinig were fully informed of the circumstances. Now, however, it has come to my attention that certain rumors may be circulating in the parish and so it has become necessary to address the matter publicly - an opportunity that was never given me before now. Thanks be to God that I have been here working among you now for five months or so and you have some means to make a judgment in my regard by means other than hearsay and innuendo. You have the living man before you.
It is now more than six years since I have been involved with a community called the Society of St. John that used to be established in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. I joined that community because I thought the purpose was good and, to my knowledge, the men involved were good. Nevertheless, a scandal arose in which the priest-founder, Fr. Carlos Urrutigoity, was accused of sexual abuse. Though I was only a deacon I was placed in a position for which I was little prepared and succeeded the priest-founder as Superior of the community, even though the priest-founder's charismatic influence remained dominant. I mistakenly believed that the priest-founder was innocent and defended him as such. In retrospect, I think I was rather naive in my judgment. That naive judgment has pursued me ever since as I have been accused of having knowingly participated in a ‘cover-up'. That is the most serious allegation that has ever been made against me.
One man in particular, Dr. Jeffrey Bond, made an issue of these things and succeeded first in pressuring the Bishop of Scranton not to ordain me to the priesthood and then he succeeded in pressuring the Bishop of Paterson, New Jersey. Dr. Bond may have possessed a certain credibility because he had both firsthand knowledge and had made a diligent investigation. In the end, I have come to admit that he was substantially correct in his assessment of Fr. Urrutigoity. Before I came to Bend, Bishop Vasa acted as mediator between myself and this one man. As a result of that mediation I wrote a letter of explanation and apology to Dr. Bond. That explanation and apology was accepted and Dr. Bond withdrew his objections to my ordination. Bishop Vasa has his letter on file. At this point, anything else is mere hearsay and innuendo on the part of persons who do not know what they are talking about.
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