PENNSYLVANIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com )
Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer has barred boys and girls from competing against one another in school contact sports.
Gainer should focus first on protecting boys and girls from predator priests Here’s what we said when he was first appointed to head the Harrisburg diocese:
The Vatican has made another depressing appointment by promoting Lexington Bishop Ronald Gainer to head the Harrisburg diocese. In fact, this may be Pope Francis’ most distressing promotion yet.
Gainer has done a very poor job protecting kids and healing victims in Lexington.
1) Just last year, we begged Gainer to oust – and warn his flock about – a four-time accused predator priest who works, basically unsupervised, in the Lexington diocese. He is Fr. Carroll Howlin, who lives unmonitored and “ministers” in eastern Kentucky in apparent violation of a Vatican order and the church’s national abuse policy.
Late year, the Chicago Tribune reported that Fr. Howlin, suspended for sexually abusing Illinois boys, still lives and works – unsupervised – in McCreary County. The cleric has reportedly also molested two Kentucky boys, one of whom committed suicide.
Fr. Howlin, according to the Chicago Tribune, allegedly used money to garner sexual favors from impoverished boys.
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