BishopAccountability.org
 
  Father Avery Was Evaluated and Treated at an Archdiocese Hospital; Even It Recommended That Any Future Ministry by the Priest Not Include Adolescents.

Philadelphia Grand Jury Presentment
February 13, 2011

http://www.phila.gov/districtattorney/PDFs/clergyAbuse2-finalPresentment.pdf

[pdf]

Archdiocese records reveal that after four days of evaluation, from November 30 through December 3, 1992, the Anodos Center, a part of Saint John Vianney Hospital in which sexual offenders in the clergy were evaluated and treated, recommended in-patient treatment for Father Avery. Msgr. Lynn reported to Cardinal Bevilacqua that the center had found Father Avery's account of his involvement with James vague and inconsistent, that he seemed to have a mood disorder, and that he likely abused alcohol.

On December 15, 1992, the Cardinal, who had allowed Father Avery to remain the active pastor of a parish for ten and a half months after James reported the sexual abuse to the Archdiocese, approved Msgr. Lynn's recommendation for in-patient treatment at the Anodos Center.

After Father Avery spent six months at Saint John Vianney, during which time James came to the hospital to confront the priest, it was determined that treatment should continue. Msgr. Lynn's memos to the Archdiocese file on Father Avery, which up to that point had thoroughly documented the relevant facts and all the recommendations that he had provided to the Cardinal, became sparse.

The Archdiocese's so-called "secret archive file" for Father Avery, which should contain all information relevant to any allegations of sexual abuse, contained a few scrawled notes in Msgr. Lynn's handwriting from the time the priest was at St. John Vianney. The notes stated that treatment is to be continued; that Father Avery "got into shame" after meeting with James at the treatment center; that the priest was "in denial;" that Father Avery was "upset" and "angry;" and that there was a question of whether there were other victims.

The next memo in the secret archive file, dated August 24, 1993, was written by Msgr. Edward P. Cullen, the Cardinal's number two man and the vicar for administration, who went on to become the Bishop of the Allentown Archdiocese. In this memo, Msgr. Cullen explained that the Cardinal wanted his Secretary for Clergy to falsely explain Father Avery's resignation to his parish as a matter of health, rather than inform parishioners of the truth – that the priest had molested at least one altar boy for a prolonged period, and could not be trusted around adolescents.

The next day, August 25, 1993, the Cardinal received Father Avery's resignation as pastor at St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Philadelphia. In his letter, the priest noted that he had met with Msgr. Lynn, and he maintained the ruse that he was resigning "because my present state of health needs more attention." In furtherance of this deception, Msgr. Lynn lied to a parishioner in a March 1993 letter – claiming that, while Father Avery was at Saint John Vianney, "there have never been anything but compliments heard in this office about Father Avery." Msgr. Lynn wrote to another parishioner in July 1993 about the reason for Father Avery's absence: "Let me assure you that is what they are – rumors." The Secretary for Clergy told that parishioner that Father Avery had requested a health leave.

Records show that Father Avery was discharged from Saint John Vianney on October 22, 1993. In a memo to Msgr. James E. Molloy, then the assistant vicar for administration, Msgr. Lynn listed the treatment center's recommendations. These included "a ministry excluding adolescents and with a population other than vulnerable minorities; a 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for priests; and any further involvement with the Hmong be in an administrative or pastoral capacity." Saint John Vianney also advised that an aftercare team was necessary to keep watch over Father Avery.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.