By Sonya Kimble-Ellis
Livingston Patch
March 27, 2011
http://livingston.patch.com/articles/protestors-return-to-st-philomena-sunday
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Three men, who were once altar boys, protested outside St. Philomena's Church in Livingston today against a priest they accused of sexually abusing them almost 30 years ago.
On Sunday, 7-8 men from Road to Recovery protested outside the church, distributed leaflets and carried signs protesting the alleged sexual abuse, according to Father Bob Hoatson, founder of Road to Recovery, a victims advocate group. The group handed out the leaflets at the 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon Masses Sunday.
On Saturday, a half-dozen men also protested prior to Saturday evening services. The men distributed leaflets from the entrance at the Oval to churchgoers willing to take them.
"The image of the church and what's going on in it needs to change," said Hoatson.
He said the men protested while Livingston police watched. Hoatson claimed the group was "verbally attacked" during the protests and police were there to make sure no one got hurt.
"The priority has to be the protection of the children. Abuse puts guilt, shame and silence into their being," Hoatson said. He has been working with some of these alleged victims since 2007.
The men, who filed a lawsuit March 1 in Essex County Superior Court, all say the priest abused them at his Ocean County home in the 1980s.
One of the men, who was an altar boy from 1982-86, said the priest is a danger to children, while another protestor said he was an altar boy from 1979-80 and was abused during that time period.
The third man said he went to the Newark Archdiocese in 2009 to complain about the abuse and claims the diocese "didn't fully investigate" his allegation.
A woman leaving the church after noon Mass said this was the first she had heard of the alleged charges.
"I know him to be a good pastor," she said, "so it's hard for me to say or judge. I just hope it's not true."
Patch is not identifying the priest named in the lawsuit nor the adult victims. Patch will write a more comprehensive story on the protest after examining the pending lawsuit.
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