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| Revision to the Policy for the Protection of Children
Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
April 7, 2018
http://www.eriercd.org/policyupdate.htm
First and foremost, the Diocese of Erie apologizes for the abuse of children caused by priests or other employees. Such conduct is reprehensible. Any efforts to conceal such conduct are also reprehensible. The Diocese of Erie recognizes its responsibility and is committed to regaining the trust of not only its parishioners but of all people.
We will shine light on the abuses of the past and be transparent in our decisions today. We will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that justice is done. We want to specifically acknowledge and apologize to the courageous and resilient survivors and witnesses whose voices previously were unheard or silenced. We recognize the Pennsylvania State Attorney General, who working with a statewide grand jury gave these people a voice. They are to be commended for their courage.
Apologies, however, are not enough. The Diocese of Erie has been developing policies, procedures, and training programs since the 1980s specifically designed to protect the most vulnerable people in our society from people that would do them harm. This web page is part of a larger program to ensure such protection. The Diocese of Erie is working with law enforcement, medical experts, survivor support groups, compliance experts, and academia to ensure that its efforts are of the highest quality when it comes to maintaining a safe environment for our children and other vulnerable populations. The most recent version of our Child Protection Policy may be found here.
Our recent updates include:
An expansion of the scope of the abuse sought to be prevented to include sexual, physical, emotional, and neglectful abuse;
Inclusion of numerous detailed examples and red flags in both our policy and training materials to educate people on how to recognize abuse or unsafe situations;
Reliance by the diocese on independent, professional investigators and lawyers to ensure the best possibility of arriving at the truth concerning each allegation, while respecting the rights of all and offering full cooperation with law enforcement; and
The creation of a transparent and centralized system to encourage abuse reporting, screen personnel, document investigative findings, and inform the community about abuse-related employment or volunteerism decisions.
On this last point, we created this website to publicize the names of individuals who were previously employed by (or volunteered for or considered by) the Diocese of Erie or any related agency, but are now are prohibited from such employment (or volunteerism). Any employer, whether public or private as well as anyone supervising volunteers may contact the Diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Youth (OPCY) to request a clearance from the OPCY for a job applicant or volunteer in terms of child protection. The granting of such a clearance would indicate that the OPCY knows of no record that gives reason to exercise caution regarding that individual around children.
The Diocese of Erie itself as well as any school, parish, or agency within the diocese MUST receive such a clearance before hiring an employee or accepting any volunteer for a position that brings that individual into contact with children (or secondary-school students or vulnerable adults).
PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Some of the names on the list may be recognizable as a result of a criminal conviction or other public report. Other names are being disclosed publicly for the first time. Some people on this list cannot be convicted of a crime because of the passage of time, legal technicalities, their present whereabouts or mental state, or other factors; nonetheless, these people will not be accepted as employees or volunteers by the Diocese of Erie. Every person named on this list was credibly accused of actions that, in the dioceses judgment, disqualify that person from working with children. Such actions could include the use of child pornography, furnishing pornography to minors, corruption of minors, violating a child-protection policy, failure to prevent abuse that they knew to be happening, and in some cases direct physical sexual abuse or sexual assault of minors. Allegations were corroborated by secular legal proceedings, canon law proceedings, self-admission by the individual, or threshold evidence (as defined in the Child Protection Policy). None of the priests listed are permitted to engage in any form of public ministry or to present themselves publicly as priests. Individuals are listed with their current (in the case of priests) or last known (in the case of laypersons) status with the Diocese of Erie or any of the schools or agencies within the diocese.
The individuals on this list are believed to be alive and living in the locations noted:
Former Fr. Michael J. Amy Niceville, Florida
Laicized (removed from ministry and later voluntarily resigned from the clergy)
Fr. Michael G. Barletta Erie, Pennsylvania
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Robert F. Bower Edinboro, Pennsylvania
Forbidden to function as a priest
Andre C. Butler Rosedale, New York
Former lay agency employee
Former Fr. Dennis C. Chludzinski Erie, Pennsylvania
Laicized
Megan E. Fecko Cleveland, Ohio
Former lay teacher
Kevin J. Feyas Erie, Pennsylvania
Former lay teacher and parish musician
Former Fr. Chester J. Gawronski Sahuarita, Arizona
Dismissed from the clergy
Timothy G. Hanson, Sr. North East, Pennsylvania
Layman prohibited from volunteer work or entering school property
Fr. Stephen E. Jeselnick Colorado Springs, Colorado
Forbidden to function as a priest
Former Fr. Gary L. Ketcham Erie, Pennsylvania
Laicized
Fr. Thaddeus T. Kondzielski Waterford, Pennsylvania
Forbidden to function as a priest
Kevin S. Kulhanek Erie, Pennsylvania
Former lay school volunteer
Fr. Salvatore P. Luzzi Bradford, Pennsylvania
Forbidden to function as a priest
Eve Minter (nee Spangler) Henrico, Virginia
Former lay teacher
David Montgomery Otisville, New York (in federal prison until 2041)
Former lay teacher
Fr. Leon T. Muroski Erie, Pennsylvania
Forbidden to function as a priest
Denise J. (nee Geitner) Myers (Meyer) Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Former lay teacher
Hattie B. Nichols Erie, Pennsylvania
Former lay agency employee
Philip J. Pochatko Subiaco, Arkansas
Former lay school teacher
Brian J. Radachy Elkton, Ohio (in federal prison until 2024)
Former lay school teacher
Former Fr. Samuel B. Slocum Bradford, Pennsylvania
Dismissed from the clergy
Former Fr. Thomas E. Smith Erie, Pennsylvania
Dismissed from the clergy
Fr. Daniel J. Taylor Tucson, Arizona
Forbidden to function as a priest
Ron Thomsen Erie, Pennsylvania
Former lay volunteer
Dennis E. Vickery Erie, Pennsylvania
Former lay teacher
Joseph M. Votino Masury, Ohio
Former lay teacher/coach
Craig T. Ward Erie, Pennsylvania
Former lay agency employee
Should an employer have a need for further information about the facts underlying the inclusion of any person on this list, please contact the Office for the Protection of Children and Youth at childprotection@eriercd.org. This list will be updated as necessary.
Additionally, we recognize that some of the individuals who failed our children and other vulnerable populations are now deceased. The list below names those individuals who but for their death would be on the above list of people prohibited from employment. In furnishing the names of these deceased individuals, the diocese wishes to acknowledge those victims/survivors who were harmed by their actions, to encourage any other victims/survivors to come forward who have not already done so, and to reaffirm the commitment of the diocese to offer support and assistance to victims/survivors of abuse. Individuals are listed with their current (in the case of priests) or last known (in the case of laypersons) status with the Diocese of Erie or any of the schools or agencies within the diocese.
Fr. Donald C. Bolton, CSsR
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Edmund S. Borycz, OFM
Forbidden to function as a priest
Msgr. Bonaventure M. Ciufoli
Returned to Italy
Fr. Donald J. Cooper
Forbidden to function as a priest
William (Bill) Couse
Former lay school employee
Fr. David V. Dobrowolski
Was able to function (abuse reported after his death)
William P. Garvey
Former lay teacher/coach (later served as college president)
Fr. Herbert G. Gloekler
Was able to function (abuse reported after his death)
Fr. Robert E. Hannon
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Joseph W. Jerge
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Edward W. Jungquist
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Thomas C. Kelley
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Gerard (Gerald, Gerry) H. Krebs
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Jerry Kucan, OFM
Forbidden to function as a priest
Msgr. Daniel Martin
Restricted from ministry (abuse reported during retirement/physical-health-leave and later, after death)
Fr. Joseph F. Meisinger
Was able to function (abuse reported after his death)
Fr. John L. Murray
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Giles L. Nealen, OSB
Was unable to function (was already confined to infirmary when abuse was reported)
Fr. John A. Piatkowski
Believed to have died in 1970 with ability to function (records incomplete from relevant time periods)
Former Fr. William F. Presley
Dismissed from the clergy
Fr. John P. Schanz
Forbidden to function as a priest
Fr. Charles A. Sheets, Jr.
Forbidden to function as a priest
Bishop Alfred M. Watson
Bishop of Erie (failed to act to stop abuse which was credibly reported to him)
We also find it important to recognize the survivors who have reported abuse, even when the report cannot be investigated fully. Allegations of abuse from decades ago often can be neither proved nor disproved due to a lack of living witnesses or corroborating evidence. The Diocese of Erie is profoundly grateful for the courage demonstrated by the individuals that have come forward to make these allegations known but regrets that with no way to corroborate these allegations they cannot be listed here. Nonetheless, the Diocese of Erie always welcomes any additional information that can shed light on past cases of abuse.
Three individuals are currently under investigation by law enforcement (and each is presumed innocent unless proved otherwise):
Fr. Sean P. Kerins Naples, Florida
Fr. David L. Poulson Oil City, Pennsylvania
John (Jack) E. Tome location unknown (last known to be in Columbia, Maryland)
Finally, in some cases, reports were made out of an abundance of caution rather than because of specific abuse that was perpetrated. In these cases, referrals are made to appropriate law-enforcement agencies, as well as analyzed by the Diocese of Eries investigators. Where both secular law enforcement and diocesan investigators concluded that a report is unfounded, the names of the reported individuals involved will not be publicized.
REPORTING ABUSE
Pastoral care and compassion for victims, as well as the protection of children and vulnerable adults, is a top priority of the Diocese of Erie. The diocese encourages anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or misconduct by a member of the clergy or any employee or volunteer of the church to contact law enforcement. To report abuse to the independent investigators retained by the Diocese of Erie, email ErieRCD@KLGates.com. In addition, victims or concerned individuals can report abuse to ChildLine, an outreach of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, by calling 800-932-0313. The line is open 24/7, and callers may choose to remain anonymous. Victims also are welcome to contact the diocese directly to report abuse at 814.451.1543. Counseling assistance is available for victims and/or their families through the diocesan victim assistance coordinator, Dr. Robert Nelsen, who can be reached at 814.451.1521.
Numerous reports also are made in accordance with the law regarding situations where reason to suspect abuse exists but the perpetrator is not connected to the diocese. For instance, if a parent abuses a child, a Catholic school teacher is required to report that abuse. Those cases are investigated and prosecuted as appropriate, but the names of people involved will not be made public on this website. The federal sex-offender registry may be searched here, and the Pennsylvania sex-offender registry may be searched here. Any person who uses the information contained on this website or linked websites to threaten, intimidate, or harass a listed individual or his/her family or who otherwise misuses this information may be subject to criminal prosecution or civil liability.
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