Former Local Priest Accused of Child Molestation

By Barbara Leader
News Star
October 24, 2014

http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/local/2014/10/24/former-local-priest-accused-child-molestation/17827627/

St. Paschal's Catholic Church in West Monroe. A former priest who died in 1992 has been identified as a child molester by a survivor’s network.

A former priest at St. Paschal's Catholic Church in West Monroe has been identified as a credibly accused child molester.

According to a news release by SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, Father Charles Potocki was named Thursday by the St. Paul (Minnesota) Archdiocese and a legal firm as being one of our priests having "substantiated claims against them of sexually abusing a minor."

The Shreveport Diocese said they only learned of the accusations against Potocki Friday morning.

"I am not aware of any accusations of abuse against the late Fr. Potocki during his time in North Louisiana." Bishop Michael Duca said in a statement to The News-Star. "Even though it is my understanding that the substantiated claim of child abuse occurred elsewhere we will continue to investigate this matter and will announce this new information concerning Father Charles Potocki at St. Paschal Church at all Masses this Sunday.

Potocki was at St. Paschal's from 1983-1990.

SNAP is calling on anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by Father Potocki, or any cleric, "to speak up, get help, expose wrongdoers, protectors others and start healing."

Potocki was a religious order priest from the Order of Friar Minor and assigned to the Shreveport diocese.

"This is a painful part of our history which we must face head on with a first concern for anyone who may have been victimized," Duca said. "The Diocese of Shreveport intends to remain vigilant and transparent in our mission to keep our parishioners, especially our children and vulnerable adults, safe from any criminal behavior or abuse."

Potocki died in 1992.

"For decades now, Catholic officials have repeatedly promised that they would be open and transparent about clergy sex crimes and the fact that even now in 2014 they have to be forced through litigation to come clean is very disappointing," executive director David Clohessy said Friday.