Secret Records about Ex-az Abusive Cleric Are Released

SNAP
November 27, 2015

http://www.snapnetwork.org/az_secret_records_about_ex_az_abusive_cleric_are_released

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)

More than 600 pages of long-secret records about a child molesting Catholic priest who spent years in Arizona have been released. Arizona church officials should tell parents, parishioners and the public about him.

He’s Father Bruce Wollmering. Twice, he was a graduate student (1969-70, 1975-78) at the University of Arizona in Tucson. In 1976, he had an internship at U of A hospital and family clinic in Benson, AZ. In 1985-1986, he was granted “academic leave” from U of A.

In 2004, two individuals made allegations against him of "sexual misconduct in the 1980s." In 2009, two civil lawsuits were filed against him and his church supervisors alleging abuse in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2011, cases against him were settled. Last year, his name was included on a list of monks likely to have offended against minors by St. John’s Abbey in Minnesota.

Tucson Bishop Gerald Kicanas should personally visit the parishes near where Fr. Wollmering lived or worked, begging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to come forward. He should also use parish bulletins, church websites and pulpit announcements across the entire diocese to seek out others who may have been assaulted and are still suffering. And he should permanently post on his diocesan website the names, photos and whereabouts of every child molesting Arizona are cleric, whether alive or dead, diocesan or religious order, or admitted, proven or credibly accused. (About 30 US bishops have done this. It’s the bare minimum a bishop should do to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded.)

We hope that every single person who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes or cover ups in Arizona will summon the strength to speak up. Kids are safer only when victims, witnesses and whistleblowers are courageous enough to act. Silence is tempting but it only helps wrongdoers.

It’s important that people with suspicions or knowledge of these crimes and cover ups call the independent professionals in law enforcement, not the biased amateurs in church positions.

NOTE – The attorneys involved in the records release are Jeff Anderson (651 227 9990 office, 612 817 8665 cell, jeff@andersonadvocates.com) and Mike Finnegan (651 227 9990 office, 612 205 5531 cell, mike@andersonadvocates.com).

The Minnesota church spokesman who’s responsible for information about Fr. Wollmering is Brother Aelred Senna (320 363 2004, asenna@csbsju.edu, 320 363 2085 phone, 320 363 3039 (fax sjainfo@csbsju.edu). Bishop Kicanas’ public relations staff includes Steff Koeneman (skoeneman@diocesetucson.org), Victor Calderon (vcalderon@diocesetucson.org), Omar Rodri­guez (orodriguez@diocesetucson.org) and Jessica Caraballo (jcaraballo@diocesetucson.org).