Victims Urge Episcopal Bishop to Take Action against Retreat Leader, by David Clohessy, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, February 8, 2012

Victims Urge Episcopal Bishop to Take Action against Retreat Leader

By David Clohessy
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
February 8, 2012

http://www.snapnetwork.org/victims_urge_episcopal_bishop_to_take_action_against_retreat_leader

[with pdf]

Defrocked minister to lead retreat in Georgia
In 1999 he admitted abusing boy at a retreat in Texas
Now, he's set to lead a retreat in Augusta this weekend
And church officials are refusing to warn retreat-goers
Self help group is urging Episcopal bishop to 'take action'

A convicted and defrocked child molesting cleric will lead a religious retreat this weekend in Augusta and a support group is begging Georgia's Episcopalian bishop to stop him.

Starting Friday, a registered sex offender, Lynn C. Bauman will lead a three-day event at the Episcopal Convent of St. Helena. Bauman is a defrocked Episcopalian priest who, in 1999, admitted molesting an eight-year-old boy on a retreat in Texas in 1996. Bauman was sentenced to ten years probation.

A Chicago based support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is writing Georgia's Episcopal Bishop J. Neil AlexandLynn_Bauman.pnger, asking him to step in and remove Bauman himself.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Bauman is accused of molesting two other boys as well, and prosecutors have said that he is unrepentant. ("Former Episcopalian charged with molestation," by Brooks Egerton, 1/7/99).

Despite these crimes and accusations, a group of Episcopalian nuns - the Order of Saint Helena (which runs the Augusta center) is letting Bauman lead the retreat. Their promotional material makes no mention of the fact that Bauman has been convicted of child sex crimes on retreat. The event flyer they have put out online has no information about Bauman's criminal history (available here: http://www.osh.org/_flyers/bauman-flyer-feb-2012.pdf)

When contacted regarding these omissions, OSH officials said that this was not relevant and refused to take action against Bauman. They have not responded to a letter SNAP sent to them last week about Bauman.

SNAP leaders are criticizing the OSH not only for refusing to warn event-goers of Bauman's crimes, but for inviting him to speak in the first place.

"The organizers of this event are being reckless and callous," said David Clohessy of St. Louis, Executive Director of SNAP. "We are begging Bishop Alexander to step in and take this simple step to protect children."

The Convent of St. Helena is located on 3042 Eagle Dr, Augusta GA 30906. Their phone number is 706-798-5201. Their fax number is 706-796-0079. They can be reached by email at sisters@osh.org.

The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is located at 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta GA 30305. Their phone number is 404-601-5320. Their fax number is 404-601-5330. They can be reached by email at mjob@episcopalatlanta.org.

A copy of SNAP's letter, sent today by fax and e mail to Georgia's bishop, is available upon request.