UNITED STATES
Hamilton and Griffin on Rights
What happens to all these suspended predator priests? Prepared to be disgusted or at least worried. Look at a dozen of these guys:
Fr. Thomas J. Cronin of Kansas City, accused of assaulting a teenaged girl, is trying to set up a women’s shelter in Nevada.
A Superior Wisconsin priest, Fr. Thomas E. Ericksen, worked with the Special Olympics in Missouri.
Another accused Kansas City priest, Fr. Michael E. Brewer, works with “disadvantaged youth” in Colorado.
An accused Miami priest, Fr. Ronaldo J. Castillo, lived above a day care center.
An accused Chicago priest, Fr. John M. Furdek, lived in a building with a day care center.
An accused Connecticut priest, Fr. Richard McGann, lived at an in-home day care center.
An accused Spokane priest, Fr. Patrick G. O’Donnell, became a counselor.
So did an accused Rockville Centre priest, Fr. Robert Huneke.
And so did an accused Twin Cities priest, Fr. Michael Charland. (He’s still practicing.)
An accused Steubenville, Ohio priest, Fr. Gary Zalenski, became a college professor.
So did an accused Orange County Catholic school teacher, Thomas Hodgman, who admitted his child sex crimes. (He’s now at Adrian College in Michigan).
This is a painfully common pattern: Bishops suspend predator priests, largely because their lawyers, insurers, and public relations officials insist on it. But they refuse to house or monitor these dangerous clerics. They refuse to help police and prosecutors pursue them. They refuse to aggressively reach out to other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers.
And these priests, who abused their authority and positions, get more authority and new positions, becoming coaches, teachers, counselors and other similar positions that enable them be around and over kids.
Why bring this up now?
Because it’s still happening. And because last year, reports of abuse by priests jumped by about 35%.
And because the number of accused US priest is now somewhere between 6,500 and 6,900.
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.