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	Abuse Victims Seek Help from Braxton SNAP Hands out Brochures By Brad Weisenstein News-Democrat [Belleville IL] June 4, 2006 http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/crime_courts/14738494.htm Belleville - Three molestation victims and the father of a young soldier who killed himself after sexual abuse by a priest stood Saturday morning across from St. Peter Cathedral, again seeking Bishop Edward Braxton's help. Inside, a new priest was being ordained, the Rev. Stan Konieczny. The four victims passed out flyers apologizing to Konieczny for being there on his ordination day, but they had a message. "Protect the children -- not your colleagues," said David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "Speak up the minute you have even a suspicion of abuse. We are sorry if it seems -- I don't want to be cliche and say raining on his parade.... We have to be here. When kids are at risk and the bishop's not responding, we feel we need to be here." Clohessy said Braxton needs to use his power to get the Rev. Real Bourque put in a secure facility where he can be properly treated as a sexual abuser. Braxton said Friday he's been assured by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate that Bourque will not leave the order's retirement home at 60th and West Main streets in Belleville unless he's accompanied by a trained supervisor. Clohessy said sexual predators are notoriously good at being secretive and deceptive. He said chaperones are a failed method. The victims' group for the third time called for a meeting with Braxton -- a request they said Braxton declined the first time and ignored the second. Braxton presided over the ordination and afterwards greeted more than 500 of the faithful. As he withdrew through the cathedral, a reporter asked whether he had a moment to speak and he responded he was on his way to a luncheon. When the reporter asked whether he could speak with the bishop as he walked, Braxton said he had to change out of his vestments. When the reporter asked whether he could be reached later, Braxton said: "I'm occupied the rest of the afternoon." Jeff Mueller, 57, of Fairview Heights was abused as a teen by a priest in East St. Louis. He said if he had Braxton's ear, "I'd like to tell the bishop to go to the limit to protect kids." "I wish someone had been able to do that for me when I was a kid. I've had 40 years to know what it would have done for me," Mueller said. "Why is it so difficult to do the right thing for kids?" Clohessy also said Belleville Catholics deserve some straight answers after four church officials have given conflicting accounts of how Bourque landed in Belleville. Church leaders in April said they would never have let Bourque move here had they known about his past. Braxton's office on Friday released two letters that show former Bishop Wilton Gregory was informed in July 2002 of Bourque's transfer to Belleville. "Father Margason says you would not oppose our moving an Oblate to St. Henry's Community for residency. We need your response rather urgently because his present bishop does not think he can ignore this person's past allegation." The letter also refers to "paragraph 11 of the essential norms," which is a church policy on sexual abuse. Gregory on Friday said he did not realize the letter was discussing a sexually abusive priest and that he would not have signed off on the move without more information. Gregory's former vicar general, Monsignor James Margason, said he recalled the letter after reading it and did realize it was a request to transfer an abusive priest. He said he talked with the local leader of the Oblates about the transfer and that he and Gregory agreed they would consider the move, but only after receiving more details. Clohessy said the former bishop and vicar general had said they didn't know about Bourque being moved to the diocese; the new bishop had said there was nothing he could do; and the new vicar general had said there was no record Bourque was being transferred. He said all were half-truths or lies. "The bottom line is we have an admitted serial predator with virtually no real supervision. Church officials are pointing fingers and blaming one another instead of fixing this," Clohessy said. Mueller said when he decided to come forward and confront his abuse four years ago, Margason apologized on behalf of the church. "That helped a lot." He said a childhood in foster homes left him open to a priest showing interest and kindness to him when he was a teen. "It infuriates me all the more -- these are supposed to be adults and spiritual leaders," Mueller said. "They look for kids who are vulnerable as I was and corral them, target them and incrementally move in. That person was not interested in me. He was working on his own agenda." Contact Assistant City Editor Brad Weisenstein at bweisenstein@bnd.com or by calling 239-2451.
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