NEW ORLEANS (LA)
Acadiana Advocate [Lafayette LA]
December 6, 2023
By Stephen Marcantel
The Louisiana Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of alleged sexual abuse in connection to Diocese of Lafayette and St. Martin De Tours Catholic Church priests.
The court announced in a news release that it would hear the case brought by Douglas Bienvenu and unnamed plaintiffs against the St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church and sexual abuse they allegedly suffered at the hands of deceased priest Kenneth Morvant.
The Court consolidated another lawsuit brought by a John Doe against the Lafayette Diocese and the St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church.
Bienvenu and 10 others accused Morvant of sexual abuse back in 2018. Through the use of “alcohol and the power of God” he would prey on the then young boys, the lawsuit said.
The abuse goes back to 1971, Bienvenu’s lawsuit said. Over a two-year period, Bienvenu said he was abused at least 15 times. Other plaintiffs’ allegations suggest the abuse went on for eight years.
Bienvenu said the priest would provide and bribe alcohol to the minors and sexually abuse them in their intoxicated state, he told KLFY in 2018.
Morvant died in 2003 after serving 42 years as a priest and is buried at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church. Plaintiffs alleged the priest masturbated in front of the them and engaged in physical touch, oral sex and sodomy.
Most of the abuse took place in the rectory, plaintiffs said. Morvant allegedly abused some on multiple occasions over years. One Doe claimed he was abused many times a month over a two year period.
The diocese in 2018 said in statement to the Acadiana Advocate it would “address the matter with full consideration of the facts and the duty to defend Fr. Morvant’s reputation as there have been no previous allegations involving him.”
“[The diocese] continues to accept its commitment and responsibility to protect children to encourage anyone with information regarding abuse to report the matter to law enforcement authorities,” the statement added.
It’s unknown when the court expect to hear oral arguments. Applicants were told to file briefs before Jan. 2, 2024 and defendants before Jan. 9, 2024.
The announcement comes years after other high profile allegations shook the Catholic Church community in the Acadiana region.
One case, that has yet to be taken up by the court, aimed at the Diocese of Lafayette claims a Sam Doe and other Does were abused by Father Stanley Begnaud.
The lawsuit claimed that abuse began in the 1960s. Sam Doe claimed Begnaud, a priest in Berwick at St. Stephen Catholic Church at the time, gave the then 16-year-old a ride home and attempted to molest him.
In 2019, 34 years after the death of Begnaud, the Diocese of Lafayette confirmed that Begnaud been credibly accused of sexual abuse. As a priest, Begnaud was shifted across over 10 Catholic churches the Acadiana region.
The lawsuit followed the next year claiming that Begnaud was a “diseased pedophile who raped and sexually assaulted many young boys, and was secretly labeled a ‘known pedophile’ by the Diocese of Lafayette.”
The diocese attempted to halt the lawsuit, claiming that Act 322 was unconstitutional. The legislation allowed an extension on the statue of limitations and provided civil claims to file on long ago sex abuse charges.
The 15th Judicial District Court and Third Court of Civil Appeals allowed the lawsuit to continue.
Ken Stickney, Katie Gagliano, and Ben Myers’ previous writing contributed to this article.
Stephen Marcantel writes for The Acadiana Advocate as a Report for America corps member. Email him at stephen.marcantel@theadvocate.com.