MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )
A credibly accused predator priest now teaches sex education for Wright County (according to Minnesota Public Radio). We call on county officials to immediately fire him. And we call on St. Paul/Minneapolis Catholic officials to explain why they continue to keep silent about the allegations against him.
Fr. Harry Walsh reportedly molested at least two kids. A settlement was paid to one of them. He studied to become a “sexologist” and had a lengthy “affair” with a married parishioner (such conduct is now illegal in Minnesota).
Yet until a brave church whistleblower pushed him, St. Paul Archbishop John Nienstedt did nothing. And until MPR’s report this morning, no one knew that Fr. Walsh shouldn’t be around kids.
For nine years after Nienstedt, Archbishop Harry Flynn and nearly 200 US Catholic bishops pledged “zero tolerance,” Minnesota Catholic officials endangered kids, broke their promises and hid the accusations against Fr. Walsh, letting him work in a parish and giving sex education.
Shame on these two men, on Fr. Kevin McDonough, and on every single Catholic employee who aided and abetted this predator and knowingly put children in harm’s way.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.