Diocese knew of priest’s alleged misconduct for years, ex-official testifies

By Judy L. Thomas
Kansas City Star
October 06, 2014

http://www.kansascity.com/living/religion/article2542342.html

The Rev. Pat Rush, a former vicar general of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese, testified Monday in a lawsuit filed by former altar boy Jon David Couzens, who alleges that Monsignor Thomas O’Brien sexually abused him at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Independence in the early 1980s.

The former vicar general of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese told jurors Monday that despite complaints of alcohol abuse and concerns about sexual misconduct, Monsignor Thomas O’Brien did not receive treatment for years.

The Rev. Pat Rush told a Jackson County jury that the diocese also did not alert parishioners or report the concerns to authorities. Rather, it recommended in 1978 that O’Brien be appointed as Catholic chaplain for the Kansas City Police Department.

The revelations came on the sixth day of a sexual abuse trial in a lawsuit filed by a former altar boy. Jon David Couzens filed the lawsuit in 2011 alleging O’Brien sexually abused him at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Independence in the early 1980s. Couzens claims the diocese was told repeatedly that O’Brien was a danger to children but failed to prevent abuse.

The diocese contends no credible evidence exists to prove those allegations. It argues Couzens’ claims that he repressed the memories of the abuse for years are invalid. O’Brien, who has been the subject of dozens of sexual abuse lawsuits, died last year at age 87.

Couzens’ attorney, Pedro Irigonegaray, questioned Rush for more than two hours Monday. Most of the questions focused on a six-inch stack of documents that Rush described as O’Brien’s priest personnel file.

It included a 1979 letter from O’Brien in which the priest said that former Bishop Charles Helmsing had talked to him about “activity … a couple of years ago.”

In the letter, written to Kansas City public relations consultant Pat O’Neill 20 months before O’Brien was appointed to serve at Nativity, O’Brien apologized to O’Neill for “the uncalled for and inexcusable activity.”

O’Neill testified last week that O’Brien had groped him at a Halloween party in 1973 when O’Neill was 20 years old. O’Neill said he first reported that incident to the diocese in 1975, but that no action was taken.

“If the testimony is that these allegations in 1979 involved sexual misconduct with minors, is that the type of person that the diocese should be appointing to Nativity, where there are little boys and little girls?” Irigonegaray asked Rush.

Rush responded: “No, that’s not the type of person that should be appointed to any parish.”

Irigonegaray then asked Rush whether there was any indication from O’Brien’s file that prior to 1981, when he was appointed to Nativity, he had been sent for treatment of alcohol abuse or sexual misconduct with boys. Rush said he saw no evidence.

Did he see any evidence that parishioners had been warned about O’Brien’s problems with alcohol or with young boys? Irigonegaray asked. No, Rush said.

The diocese removed O’Brien from his assignment as pastor of the Nativity parish in October 1983 and sent him for psychological evaluation and treatment in New Mexico and St. Louis. The file contained a questionnaire that Bishop John J. Sullivan had filled out regarding the treatment.

In that 1983 document, Sullivan had marked the problems O’Brien had connected to his alcohol abuse. One of the problems he checked was “sexual.” On the question, “Have parishioners ever complained about the patient’s drinking or behavior?” Sullivan checked “yes.” And on a question that asked what kinds of inappropriate behavior O’Brien had displayed, Sullivan had written, “solicitation of young boys.” Sullivan died in 2001.

“Had the diocese taken appropriate action in 1975, Jon David wouldn’t have been molested, is that correct?” Irigonegaray asked Rush.

Rush said he had no way to know.

O’Brien returned to the diocese in May 1984 and was assigned to be a part-time chaplain at St. Joseph Medical Center. But also in O’Brien’s file was a document regarding his treatment. It said that on May 12, 1984, O’Brien was released from treatment for alcohol abuse and other problem behavior against the recommendations of clinicians.

O’Brien continued in the position as hospital chaplain until April 2002, when then-Bishop Raymond J. Boland told O’Brien that he no longer could present himself as a priest or celebrate Mass.