Names of Child Molesting Clerics Revealed

SNAP
December 9, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/mn_names_of_child_molesting_clerics_revealed

[Pioneer Press]

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)

We’re glad that three new names of credibly accused child molesting Minnesota Catholic clerics are now public.

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But let’s remember some history.

Thirty years have passed since the first pedophile priest made national headlines in the US (Fr. Gilbert Gauthe in Louisiana). More than a decade has passed since US Catholic officials pledged to be “open” about clergy sex crimes.

So it’s sad that even now, in 2013, Catholic officials are hiding the identities of hundreds (perhaps thousands) of credibly accused child molesters. It’s a shame that Catholic officials only reveal these predators’ names under pressure from brave victims.

Now, St. John’s officials should

--permanently post these names on their websites,

-- provide the work histories, photos and current whereabouts of each cleric,

--put these clerics in a remote, secure, independent treatment center far away from kids and from families with whom they have built up trust,

--beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call police so that both these predators and those who concealed their crimes might be prosecuted, and

--urge St. Cloud’s bishop to post them in all his parish bulletins and websites.

And they should include on their list four clerics they disclosed earlier, all of whom sexually exploited vulnerable adults: John Eidenschink, Steven Lilly, James Kelly and Isaac Connolly.

Our hearts ache for every person who was hurt at St. John’s, especially those who were betrayed twice – first by a predatory cleric, then again by callous St. John’s officials.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 15,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)