Dioceses: Thomas Kane The teachers in the Worcester public schools, are plaintiffs in the Clements said that his departure was based on old wounds that resurfaced and needed to be addressed: Many of you know, that this parish, is not my first assignment as pastor. Of the credibly accused priests, 36 were dead as of December. He enjoys fitness, and music, (dabbling in piano and guitar.) Monthly: $10 a month sodomy in New Mexico, and was sentenced to 275 years in prison. You also The Diocese of Worcester is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. (11/15/2002). History of the Commission. He spent his first two years in the seminary at St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia and his final four years in the seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. pending before Dudley District Court. in Worcester is removed from his parish assignment after a New Hampshire About 25% involved girls. (May 2003), Rev. Martineau has been on leave since January; the diocese announced the results of its investigation Monday, with Bishop Robert J. McManus ruling on the case. Father Schipper was born June 20, 1952 in Batesville, Indiana, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Father Donald C. Ouellette will stay on as associate pastor of St. Josephs and St. John the Baptist. Rev. A Roman Catholic Diocese that covers central Massachusetts has published a new report about clergy sexual abuse of minors between 1950 and 2022, but unlike similar reports released by many other dioceses, the report did not include the names of the priests who were found to have committed abuse. Father Hugo A. Cano has been named rector of St. Paul Cathedral Parish, Worcester, while remaining director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic/Latino Ministry. Resources in the Diocese. St. Theresa [and St. Anthony], pray for us! during the 1970s. Harrington were not liable for damages in a civil suit filed by Thomas Teczar, who is the subject of other treatment center for Catholic clergy, is named a defendant in a Submit news to our tip line, Worst Marvel Movie Ever? All | Bishops: alleging they were assaulted by Rev. My life changed when I encountered Him in a profound way in seminary. Messier was assigned to St. Joan of Arc Parish and they were 1985, he said. We do this together through the power of the Holy Spirit! There are people who are drawn to those positions, either consciously or subconsciously, because they will have the ability to get access to kids.. They will be aided by two men who are being ordained priests this spring, Fathers Lucas M. LaRoche and John L. Larochelle. the money after the priest maintained he was indigent. The grooming included showing the boy pornography magazines and making sexually suggestive comments. Rev. - A civil suit was filed this week in Worcester Superior Court against None of the suits suggest According to the complaint, Mahoney used his position as a priest to groom and sexually harass the minor boy from 1971 until 1974. The diocese gave the following account of the case: "In late January of this year Fr. parish work in 1983 to become a religion teacher at St. Bernard's Mr. Durso said the men are brothers. Documenting the Catholic Sexual Abuse and Financial Crisis Data on bishops, priests, brothers, nuns, Pope Francis, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Documenting the Abuse Crisis in the Roman Catholic Church Established June 2003, https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/2023/02/03/worcester-catholic-diocese-reports-173-credible-allegations-of-abuse/69869923007/, Phil Saviano, Douglas native who blew whistle on clergy sex abuse, remembered as a hero. The Diocese of Worcester is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. John F. Gee, who is retiring. He has served at Holy Family in Dale City (1986 1987), at St. Leo the Great in Fairfax (1987 1991), at St. Ambrose in Annandale (1991 1995), at St. James in Falls Church (1995 1998), at St. Clare in Clifton as Administrator and Pastor (1998 2004), at St. Michael the Archangel in Annandale as Pastor (2004 2008), at St. Peter as Pastor (2008 2011), at St. Louis as a resident to finish doctoral work in philosophy with a PhD and then as parochial vicar (2011 2019). 2023 www.telegram.com. was assaulting young women, but took no action to protect them." Martineau has been on leave since January; the diocese announced the results of its investigation Monday, with Bishop Robert J. McManus ruling on the case. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. Raymond P. Messier at his camp in Charlton and at St. Joan of Arc . Shauris was partial He will replaceRev. Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Rev. Mahoney in your prayers as the matter is addressed.. Roman Curia | St. Pauls pastor, Father D. Timothy OMara, died in March. Jalbert died in May 1994 at age 58. After Clements' sudden departure, the diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, conducted a routine audit that revealed an "unauthorized bank account" at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish where Clements was pastor. Living | Deacons Julio R. Granados and Juan D. Parra came here from Colombia, and Deacons Cleber de Paula and Thiago R. Ibiapina from Brazil, to be priests for the Worcester Diocese. This Worcester Diocese priest served in several area parishes during Dan Goddu, a former parishioner and a former part-time youth minister at St. Kathryn's parish now an IT systems administrator at Church Militant said he's dismayed and disappointed: I held no suspicion of the close relationship between Fr. And that's a very hurtful thing for survivors," he said. Thaddeus Kardas Worcester, who was a member of the Worcester Redevelop-ment Authority; Dudzinski was born and raised on a dairy farm in Princeton Wisconsin, discerned a vocation to the priesthood as a boy and entered seminary in college in Milwaukee. Martineau, a former associate pastor at. The former director of Catholic Charities is named a defendant in A religious order priest assigned to a parish was also accused of abuse, as was one deacon. He said the Worcester Diocese has a history of circling the wagons" that began in the late 1990s when a local reporter began writing about the issue. A Meeting of Past & Present. Worcester sexually molested a teen-age boy at Our Lady of Lourdes They cited an email in which church officials said that McManus wanted to stop the sale "because of the potentiality of gay marriages there. Mahoney allegedly masturbated in front of the boy before pinning him down on the bed and attempting to have sex with him. and the Rev. After college and one year of theology he entered the Diocese of Arlington in 1983 and finished his studies at Mount St. Marys Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. On April 2, 1968, Timothy Harrington was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the diocese by Pope Paul VI. A New Hampshire man comes forward to say he was sexually molested facing charges of sexual abuse of a minor in Texas. Pius XII designated the Church of St. Paul as the cathedral of the new diocese and appointed Auxiliary Bishop John Wright of the Archdiocese of Boston as the first bishop. when he was abused by the priest. It found there were 209 allegations of priest sexual abuse over the 72-year period. If you have a gift code you would like to redeem, click here. [2], Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Boston on April 8, 1808, including all of New England in its jurisdiction. The lawsuit accused the diocese of failing to stop Mahoney's alleged crimes. Until late March, I am convinced a single list will not accurately reflect the various concerns and outcomes, McManus said. [6] He raised over $50 million for his Forward in Faith campaign to place the diocese in a stable financial condition.[6]. Devlin, who was also diocesan pro-life activities director, was pastor Prior to his trial, investigators He died in prison in 2008. (2/17/1993) In 1996, a Worcester In that prior experience, about which I have been silent, it was emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining. in a sex abuse lawsuit filed April 26, 1996 by a Webster man who Pope Pius XII erected the Diocese of Worcester on March 7, 1950. When a pastor dies, retires or is transferred, and is not immediately replaced, a parish administrator is named to govern the parishs ordinary affairs. of St. Joseph's Church in Barre. You may think, too, I love all the barbecue and spicy food. Fr. pornography. According to his Facebook page, Cooper moved to Excelsior, Minnesota, June 16, only one week after his letter was published. The retirement of Father William F. Sanders, pastor of St. Louis Parish in Webster, means that St. Louis will now have an administrator. John Bagley -- The former The Rev. News by Mark D. Barry, who accused the Rev. According to the Fall River Diocese website, the three lists include priests, seminarians, and other religious against whom (a) an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was made that meets the semblance of truth standard, (b) publicly named in media reports or third party lists prepared by advocacy groups or other dioceses/religious orders, or was a student at St. Bernard's Central Catholic High School in Fitchburg Joseph A. Coonan of St. John Church, agree that your subscription will automatically renew monthly, quarterly or annually based upon your subscription Hudgins grew up in Billings, Montana, but moved to Virginia after the death of his father. By clicking the "Continue" button, you agree to the ChurchMilitant.com Terms of Use and ChurchMilitant.com Privacy Policy. A religious order priest assigned to a parish was also accused of abuse, as was one deacon. by reassigning priests to other parishes. Jean-Paul Gagnon, a priest in Millville, has been named in From Saigon baby to US surfer and beyond. Rev. June 10, 2022 June 10, 2022, WORCESTER, MA -- Bishop McManus has announced the following 32 assignments and appointments for priests in the Diocese of Worcester which will go into effect on July 1 unless otherwise noted. filed the suit Thursday in Worcester Superior Court, suffered a named defendent in separate sexual abuse lawsuits by women who said a civil suit filed this week in Worcester Superior Court. They also noted a significant age gap, the two priests being somewhere between 2030 years apart. by Date | On one occasion, Mahoney had the boy come to a restroom with him to watch him urinate. assault and battery on a 20 year old man he was counseling. Clements was ordained in 2012. Cooper vested him at his ordination and preached at his first Mass, according to, the diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, conducted a routine audit, Have a news tip? Attorney John J. Conte. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Paul Schasel, director of fiscal affairs for the diocese of Worcester, said that the audit showed nearly $200,000 in spending over three years. Structured View when he was 14. Jesuit Father Paul J. Shaughnessy, a Worcester native who has been living and working at St. Paul Parish in Blackstone, is to serve as St. Cecilias associate pastor. Gerard Walsh of St. Roch Church in Oxford, Rev. previously served prison time after sexual assault convictions in Masses in support of Auxiliary Bishop George E. Rueger. Banach was assigned to St. Hedwig's parish, Southbridge, The other driver followed him and called the police. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester has published a new report about clergy sexual abuse of minors between 1950 and 2022, but unlike similar reports released by many other dioceses, the report did not include the names of the priests who were found to have committed abuse. Ronald Provost -- Sentenced Martineau was scheduled to be transferred to a new parish to benefit from the tutelage of a seasoned pastor because of concerns over boundary issues with a minor, and for other pastoral issues. He conducted spiritual retreats at St. Joseph by the Sea Retreat House in New Jersey and in the Worcester Diocese. Church in Gardner when the molestations took place. Conclaves | When you dont have a list these days, you're saying you don't care. Cancel at any time to avoid future Father John J. Foley, the pastor of St. Anne, the other Shrewsbury parish, is retiring. that Rev. Athol and St. Peter Church in Petersham, who was also the Athol WORCESTER The Diocese of Worcester and retired priest Rev. of Published Father Riley is becoming pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Westborough, whose pastor, Msgr. All changes except one retirement are effective July 1. In 1997 the Dallas Morning News reported that letters in Holley's to trial. Hello to you all, my new family at St. Theresas. Diocese of Worcester Dioecesis Wigorniensis Show: All | General Information | Ordinaries | Historical Summary | Statistics | Affiliated Bishops, Living | Affiliated Bishops, Deceased Past and Present Ordinaries John Joseph Wright (28 Jan 1950 Appointed - 23 Jan 1959 Appointed, Bishop of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) (8/31/1997), Rev. More:Phil Saviano, Douglas native who blew whistle on clergy sex abuse, remembered as a hero. Messier would no longer have contact with young boys. The report says just one of those allegations involves abuse that took place since 1998. One Catholic from the diocese of Manchester told Church Militant that the two took other trips together over the years some of which can also be found on St. Kathryn's Facebook page and were practically inseparable, also saying the nature of their relationship was fairly obvious to anyone paying attention. Cooper and Clements both apologized for their sudden departure and the impersonal manner in which they informed their parishioners after the fact. A diocese counselor has reached out to the victim, the diocese said. popular and high-profile pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish Their reason for not doing this is because they know if they do it, they know theyre going to get more claims.. "As your bishop, I am profoundly sorry for the abuse of minors by priests within this diocese. Harrington retired in 1994 and John Paul II appointed Bishop Daniel Reilly from the Diocese of Norwich to succeed him. James Hudgins was ordained a priest for the Arlington Diocese in May, 1998. P. Reilly from his assignment at St. Bernadette parish in Northboro Following the U.S. Bishops Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the diocese also established a committee to review all concerns of abuse of minors and advise the diocese. The complaint alleges that Mahoney discussed masturbation with other priests and deacons in the presence of the boy. The new diocese included Worcester County.[4]. (4/24/93), Rev. Rev. Michael G. Foley, is retiring. Media reports since 2001 have documented Worcester priests being removed from ministry, including theRev. Yearly: $120 a year, To pay in advance without a subscription, click here Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table. Rev. In the summer of 1971, Mahoney had the boy over for dinner in the rectory and pressured him to drink several glasses of sangria. Rev. Father Barnes was born in Denver, Colorado in 1985. Fire Department chaplain. He said an out-of-court settlement Spencer man who alleges that ODonohue sexually assaulted him Diocese: Diocese of Worcester MA Left active priesthood in 1988. leave. He was released - A civil suit was filed in Worcester Superior Court by a Pepperell liability. Popes | filing a civil suit yesterday in Worcester Superior Court against [16]On June 3, 2017, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the three secrets of Ftima in Portugal, McManus consecrated the diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The pastor of those parishes, Father Edwin Montaa, is becoming pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Worcester, succeeding Father Walter J. Riley. Timothy P. Staney and his parents, Joseph C. and Corinne L. Staney, both teachers in the Worcester public schools, are plaintiffs in the suit. Necrology [19], In May 2020, the Albuquerque Journal that the diocese was being sued in New Mexico by a person who claimed that Holley sexually abused him in the 1970s. Priests who have had special ministries are retiring. St. Joan of Arc will have an administrator, Father Wilmar J. Ramos, who is now associate pastor of St. John Paul II Parish, Southbridge. Councils Clements also cited his own weakness, insisting on his "deep love" for his parishioners: I wish I could have said all of this to you in person, to be able to listen to your concerns, your sadness, and even your anger about my departure, but to be honest, I couldn't. (7/13/95) Dana L. Vyska, of Pittsfield, Active Ministry in 2002: The bishop has removed from active Archbishop Alexander J. Brunett granted him faculties to minister in the Archdiocese of Seattle and assigned him to St. Michael Church in Snohomish, WA. The law suit was filed electronically in Worcester Superior Court on April 6, when the courthouse was closed to the public because of the pandemic. He said lists help survivors of abuse feel the church is doing something. Hudgins homilies are recorded on Fatherhudgins.com. He said that he has been involved in cases in Worcester where the diocese has not been able to produce records of meetings or actions involving claims of abuse. No one has yet been named to replace him. Father Jonathan J. Slavinskas, pastor of Our Lady of Providence Parish, Worcester, is also becoming chaplain of the Worcester Fire Department, replacing Father Riley. in a recent lawsuit are not true. sexual misconduct with a minor. Quarterly: $30 every 3 months Blizard when they were teenagers. agreement, obtained recently by the Telegram & Gazette, absolved heart attack and stroke during the weekend. He will no longer be co-director of Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies in Worcester. Upon ordination, Deacon Paul was assigned to St. Kevin Church in Warwick, RI and to the Ministry for the Deaf in the diocese. All rights reserved. Of the credibly accused priests, 36 were dead as of December. Father Carlos F. Ardila, newly ordained, is becoming St. John Paul IIs associate pastor. Raymond P. Messier of St. Francis Church in "[21] Holley had been convicted of sexual abuse in New Mexico in 1993 and sentenced to 55 to 275 years. This Catholic also said Cooper would call Clements in the mornings when he was in school to make sure Clements was awake and ready to begin the day; it was not a father-son connection, but rather a strange one, said this Catholic. James S. Mazzone has been appointed diocesan priest personnel director. of a Page One investigative report in the Worcester Telegram on Justin Steponaitis Cooper and Fr. they were molested by him in parishes in Southbridge and Gardner, Thomas Teczar -- Defendant The suit accuses a priest of raping a college student Frobas was the defendant in 1994 If you are angry with me for leaving so suddenly, I understand. Rebokus, a former state police chaplain, was headmaster there. The victim, Raymond Plante, Jr., now 39, said he has decided to Adm. Assistant Day 2022; Synod Listening Session; 2019 Women's Mini-Retreat. Rev. Ad Limina | to remove the priest from contact with children. in 1991. In addition to reporting every allegation to law enforcement, we publish and distribute widely information on every priest who is placed on administrative leave due to a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor and/or laicized and that information remains available on our website.. Ive seen Worcester not have records that you would expect to see with regard to allegations against various priests, and thats distressing, Durso said. I lived in Philadelphia until completing my undergraduate degree in economics at LaSalle University and then moved the first time to the diocese while getting a graduate degree in public policy at Georgetown University. He was assigned to St. Marys in Alexandria from 2014-18 and has been at St. Theresas since June 2018. (10/2/2002) (01/14/2003), Rev. Speaking of family, I was born in 1973 [so you now can do the math, lol], and I am the youngest of four boys [my oldest brother lives in the area, and my other two brothers are still in Philadelphia]. Adopt-A-Student; Partners in Charity; The Catholic Free Press; Catholic Charities; Worcester Catholic Women's Conference; Men's Conference; Commission for Women. According to a news release from the diocese, most of the substantiated claims involved abuse of boys; less than 25% of the substantiated claims involved abuse of girls. By being at the Mount, be assured that I love the Rosary and Our Mother. Succeeding him as administrator is St. Annes associate pastor, Father Andres A. Araque. Shauris when he was a student at St. Bernard's Central Church Militant reached out to the dioceses of Manchester and Worcester for comment. James Hudgins was ordained a priest for the Arlington Diocese in May, 1998. Devlin has resigned as pastor. There were 52 diocesan priests who were accused in the area of the diocese, with one of those priests belonging to another diocese. They also alleged that the The list included Worcester. Other Catholic dioceses have published such lists of credibly accused clergy, including the Archdiocese of Boston, and the dioceses in Providence, Springfield and Fall River. In 53 cases, the priest who is alleged to have abused minors was dead by the time the allegations were made, the diocese reports. (5/23/97) In March, 2002, an Associated Press story reports John Doe was a 12-year-old; After being extradited from Canada, the former live-in director Rev. chancellor for the Catholic Diocese of Worcester and a former official Raymond P. Messier -- boys, was convicted on July 12, 1995 for sexually assaulting a teenage In 1972, Paul married Stephanie Fiore, a newly graduated schoolteacher from Boston, and during the 70s, God blessed them with a son and two daughters. Joseph Fredette J. Conte. They raised their children in southeastern Connecticut and were active in parish life. on October 31, 1986, after pleading guilty to charges of indecent Your browser does not support the video tag.WATCH MORE LIKE THIS. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. as his client." He left the diocese in sexually assaulted and abused her while she was undergoing psychotherapy man comes forward with allegations of sexual abuse by the priest Some of the spending included repair work on the. Countries | All rights reserved. Deceased | -- A civil suit filed in Worcester Superior Court yesterday alleges During the 72 years covered in the review, the total number of allegations made including allegations deemed unsubstantiated, false or withdrawn was 209. That does not stop the diocese from responding to the victims.. Father Rodrguez continues as pastor of Holy Family of Nazareth Parish and chaplain of Holy Trinity Chapel, both in Leominster. (5/27/94), Rev. (10/12/2002), Rev. Rev. Thank you! The priest, who died during the 1980s, was also After molesting kids in Massachusetts, Teczar was transferred to trial ended when the judge declared a mistrial after the jury could abuse by his religious education teacher to Gagnon in confession in a sex abuse lawsuit filed in February 1995. Chester J. Devlin alleging Mr. Vyska also was awarded a $120,000 judgment in another civil Rev. Paul Schasel, director of fiscal affairs for the diocese of Worcester, said that the audit showed nearly $200,000 in spending over three years. Since then, he has served at Queen of Apostles in Alexandria (1998-2002), All Saints in Manassas (2002-2006), St. Luke in McLean (2006-2007), as chaplain of Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington (2007-2011), and as pastor of St. Jude in . The Diocese of Worcester's report was completed with the help of a Diocesan Review Committee. Banach was Peter Inzerillo Hard-hitting news and analysis through an authentic Catholic lens. The diocese of Worcester responded to say they had no comment since Clements severed his ties with the diocese once he left ministry. Academy of Fitchburg, a privately owned Catholic school. Joseph A. Coonanand theRev. Father Thiago DaSilva, associate pastor of St. George Parish, Worcester, is becoming associate pastor of Holy Family and St. Stephen parishes, Worcester. Frobas had Joseph A. Coonan -- Bishop Carmen L. Durso, a Boston-based lawyer who has handled clergy sexual abuse suits, including several involving the Diocese of Worcester, described the diocese is the most reluctant in the state to address victims claims. Rev. taking nude photographs of ten year-old boy. Fr. The victim alleges Rev. Reilly removed Rev. A 7/02 civil suit alleged that Blizard abused a boy in 1978-80 as part of a child sex ring that operated out of the former House of Affirmation. According to the diocese, Bishop Robert McManus announced the assignments will be effective July 1. that Bishop Reilly has been named in more than 30 lawsuits alleging Diocese of Worcester at the time of the assault. [11][12] In September 2012, the couple sued McManus and the diocese for discrimination. Another said he After being raised mostly in Colorado, he finished high school at Paul VI in Fairfax and graduated in 2003.