JOLIET (IL)
The Patch [Joliet IL]
March 10, 2023
By John Ferak
The victim was 8 and 9 years in religious ed classes through Holy Family Catholic Church and the Cathedral of St. Ray’s, the lawsuit noted.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus, Holy Family Catholic Church and deported pedophile priest, Father Alejandro Flores face a new Will County civil lawsuit filed on behalf of a young man who died last year.
The boy, identified in the Will County lawsuit as John Doe, was 8 and 9 years old and had attended religious education programs through St. Ray’s and Holy Family. Last year, at age 21, the sexual abuse victim of Father Flores died in California, the lawsuit stated.
John Doe suffered sexual violence, including manipulation, isolation, control, exploitation, abuse and assault abuse at Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus by Father Alejandro Flores, the lawsuit contends. The plaintiff is represented by attorney Colleen Mixan Mikaitis of the Chicago personal injury firm Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman at 225 West Wacker Drive.
The lawsuit seeks a Will County judge’s permission to let the plaintiff identify herself as Jane Doe and the victim as John Doe. The plaintiff is the independent administrator of John Doe’s estate.
Joliet Patch has left a message seeking comment about the lawsuit with Mary Massingale, director of communications, for the Joliet Catholic diocese.
According to the lawsuit:
Father Flores targeted John Doe, isolated John Doe, gained John Doe’s trust, manipulated and controlled his relationship with John Doe, concealed his relationship with John Doe, forcibly touched and fondled various of John Doe’s body, and forcibly and touched and fondled John Doe’s genitals.
The Diocese of Joliet is named as a defendant because it assigned Flores to St. Ray’s and to Holy Family as a priest and educator in 2008 and 2009. Previously, Flores was ordained a deacon in Naperville at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church.
The lawsuit alleges that St. Ray’s was aware of allegations of abuse involving Flores in 2008 and 2009. John Doe was a student at St. Ray’s in 2008, and he attended school every weekday and when he was 8, he was introduced to Father Flores.
After the initial meeting, Father Flores abused John Doe during his first sacramental reconciliation, the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit notes on Jan. 6, 2010, Flores tried to commit suicide by jumping off the balcony of the abandoned St. Mary’s Carmelite Church in downtown Joliet. Two weeks later, Flores was arrested for sexual abuse of minors.
That September, Flores pleaded guilty to abuse, and in June 2013, Flores was released on parole. He was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit and deported to Bolivia. In December 2018, Flores was permanently removed from the ministry and Flores was laicized in 2020, court filings indicate.
As for John Doe, the abuse victim, he died at 21 years old on March 6, 2022, at 12 South Recovery Rehabilitation Center in Santa Ana, California, the lawsuit stated.
“At all times relevant, John Doe, could not participate in consensual sexual conduct with Flores during this time period, as he was a minor ranging from 8 to 9 years old,” the plaintiff’s lawyers argue. “Defendant, Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, knew or should have known that Flores was sexually assaulting minor children at Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus and off the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet church and school premises, including John Doe.”
According to the plaintiff, Flores’ sexual abuse and assault caused John Doe to develop confusion, great shame, guilt, self-blame, depression, and disassociation. His psychological disorders began prior to John Doe reaching at age 18 and “were the cause of John Doe being incapable of ascertaining or recognizing any resulting damages from Flores’ sexual misconduct.”
The lawsuit states that John Doe was only able to recognize his injuries resulting from Flores’ sexual abuse in approximately July 2020.
“John Doe repressed any and all memory of the childhood sexual abuse, assault and rape by Flores, including injuries … until approximately July 2020,” the Chicago law firm outlined.