Priest Abuse Claim Settled after 50 Years

By Walker Robinson
WOAI-TV
May 26, 2004

A man who claims he was molested by a Catholic priest more than 50 years ago is finally receiving a settlement. A religious order of priests in San Antonio plans to pay the man a large sum of money.

Lorenzo Limon says the priest molested him inside St. Joseph's Catholic Church on the south side when he was just 11-years old.

Limon says Franciscan Father Emmitt [correct spelling: Emmet] Malone sexually assaulted him under the premise of teaching him to kneel and pray.

"He told me to remove my clothes so he could better see how I'm kneeling," Limon said," then he molested me."

Franciscan leaders in St. Louis, Missouri, say they wanted to reach out to Limon. The order never admits fault but says it is aware of the hurt and pain caused by sexual Franciscan pronvicial father john doctor told me quote.--"We wanted to help for pastoral reasons," Franciscan Provicial Father John Doctor told News 4 WOAI. "We believe something did happen, and we have a moral responsibility to respond."

While proving Father Emmitt Malone molested Lorenzo Limon is impossible, Limon says the abuse has scarred him for life.

"How am I ever going to forget this?" Limon asked.

"Somebody that I trusted, that I had in such high-esteem, and they do this," Limon said. The Franciscans say they plan to compensate Limon by making monthly payments for the rest of his life.