St. Cloud Diocese Releases Additional Names of Priests Suspected of Abuse

St. Cloud Times
March 14, 2014

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20140314/NEWS01/303140021/St-Cloud-diocese-releases-additional-names-priests-suspected-abuse?nclick_check=1

The Diocese of St. Cloud released on Friday four more names of Central Minnesota clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of children.

St. Cloud Bishop Donald Kettler said in a written statement that the names are being released after they appeared on abuse lists released by other religious communities.

Some of the names were reported last week when the Crosiers, a Catholic religious order released a list of their own.

“The names are familiar to us,” said Jeff Anderson, a prominent St. Paul attorney who has represented many who were abused by clergy.

In January, the St. Cloud diocese originally released the names of more than 30 clergy who were believed to have abused minors.

Anderson said he mailed a letter on March 6 responding to Kettler and listed additional names, including the names of those revealed Friday, and urged further investigation.

“It’s perhaps the motivation for this latest release,” Anderson said. “But anytime he releases information, it’s the right thing ... which I’ve always encouraged him to do.”

St. Cloud is one of several dioceses and religious organizations that have recently released names of clergy suspected of abusing children.

“He saw that the Crosiers have released their list, and he used that as an excuse for him to do it,” Anderson said of Kettler and the Catholic religious order of men.

The St. Cloud diocese has been under pressure from victims and their lawyers to produce more information about suspected abusive priests.

“I want to assure the public that there was nothing in the records maintained by my predecessor bishops or me which contained any alleged abuse by these clergy while serving in ministry in our diocese,” Kettler said.

The names released Friday of clergy accused of sexually abusing minors are:

• Neal Emon, who worked at St. Peter Parish in St. Cloud. He lives in Phoenix.

• Gerald Funcheon, a former St. Cloud Cathedral High School employee. He lives in Missouri.

• Justin Weger, St. Therese Parish, Vineland. He is deceased.

• James Moeglein, Cathedral of St. Mary. He lives in Onamia.