Next
article: Attorney Joanne Goulka, representing Travelers Insurance
company, from
Griffin
and Goulka law offices, for the Dioceses of Worcester, attempts for the
second time to gain names, address and telephone numbers of victims,
advocates, and supporters that use the internet as a means of interaction.
April 29, 2004
Plaintiff in priest sex abuse suit sanctioned WORCESTER- Timothy P. Staney, who is suing
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester and the Rev. Jean-Paul
Gagnon, alleging he was sexually abused by the priest, was
sanctioned yesterday by Judge Jeffrey A. Locke for posting a
psychological report from the former House of Affirmation on his
Web site.........The judge denied her request that Mr. Staney be
required to provide the names and addresses of anyone who had
visited his Web site and information regarding other Web sites
where the report might have been linked.
ANDOVER, Mass.--"If the bishops don't manage the problem, the
government will," attorney Robert Bennett said late last month
at a news conference of the U.S. Conference Of Catholic Bishops'
National Review Board, which the bishops set up to advise them
on the church's clerical sexual abuse scandal. Bennett was
expressing a fear that many Catholics no doubt share.
I have no desire to criticize Bob Bennett. As a prominent member
of and de facto spokesman for the board, he deserves credit for
speaking the truth, for calling an epidemic an epidemic, and for
calling upon shepherds who have betrayed their flock to resign.
.....
This is not a question of government intruding in religious
matters. Sexual abuse of minors is a serious crime in every
state and, in certain contexts, under federal law as well. If an
epidemic of larcenies, bombings or robberies broke out in
parishes across the country, we would not expect law enforcement
to stand back and see how bishops handled the situation.
Catholic victims, like other victims, are entitled to the
protection of the law.......
Yet the law has stood back too long, waiting to see how churches
would deal with crimes committed by clergy. Judges have
expressed their reasons for this diffidence -- mostly in civil
cases, rather than criminal cases where the prerogative to
investigate and prosecute can be declined without explanation. One might cringe at that prospect. But let us be clear about
what is anti-Catholic and what is not. Abusers preying on
children of the church are anti-Catholic. Prosecutors and judges
who have given a break to the church through the years have done
us greater harm than we or they ever imagined possible.
r.
Michael Collins, the man who ran the Boston Archdiocese's
hospital system so long and so well, never saw the hit coming.
At 8 the next morning, Collins and his wife drove into the
parking lot of the chancery office on Lake Street in Brighton,
where Collins expected to meet briefly with O'Malley
and pick up a term sheet for a new contract
before driving on to Holy Cross in Worcester, where
Collins, the board chairman, was to give an address. Mary Ellen
Collins waited in the car. And waited. They would never get to
Holy Cross that day.
Each had a reason to see Collins go, say board members and
others. Collins, for instance, was pressing the archdiocese to
allow him to use lawyers other than Rogers, whose firm
annually billed the hospital system $1 million or more in fees.
In the midst of the church's financial crisis created by its
criminal priests, Collins insisted on separating Caritas's
endowment from the archdiocese and explored moving the pension
fund, both of which Smith oversaw. Collins alienated MacDonnell,
a close friend of Rogers, when he would not allow MacDonnell a
say in choosing his successor. When Emmett Murphy, the
consultant, reported back to O'Malley that Caritas was at a
crossroads and needed new leadership, Collins found himself with
too few friends at the top. Murphy, by the way, was named
interim CEO.
Instead, the old guard that made such a hash
of the priest scandal -- Lennon, Rogers, Smith,
to name three -- are wielding influence over the hospitals. If I
am Attorney General Tom Reilly that makes me
very, very uncomfortable.
WORCESTER- Retired Worcester Police Chief
James M. Gallagher will be among those honored by the Catholic
Diocese of Worcester at the ninth annual Blue
Mass, to be held at 10:15 a.m. Sunday at St. Paul's
Cathedral............
During the Mass, a special tribute to the
deceased officers will be sung by Chief James A. Pervier of the
Charlton Police Department, who will sing "Amazing Grace"; Sgt.
Daniel M. Clark of the Massachusetts State Police will sing "Ave
Maria"; and Patrolman Thomas Hurley of the Worcester Police
Department will sing the national anthem. Principal celebrant
will be Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, and Monsignor Edmond T. Tinsley
will be homilist. ...
Readers for the service will include Col.
Thomas J. Foley, superintendent of the Massachusetts
State Police, and Chief Timothy P. Ryan of the Millville
Police Department. Offertory gifts will be presented by Charlton
Police Explorers, and Anna Maria College student ambassadors
will serve as greeters.
Where was Worcester
district attorney John Conte in 1987 and why has he failed to
seek criminal indictments for the crimes committed by the
diocese of Worcester concerning the house of affirmation?
More investigation is needed into the running of the House of
Affirmation in Whitinsville, which closed in the early 1990s
after allegations were made of gross fiscal mismanagement by one
of its founders, the Rev. Thomas A. Kane.
Monsignor Edmond Tinsley, a priest of the Diocese of
Worcester and member of the House Board of Directors, has
testified that the records from the House of Affirmation were
destroyed.
George E. Rueger,
auxiliary bishop of Worcester, also a board member has remained
silent and failed to assist clergy abuse victims when they came
forward with his knowledge.
In Dallas, June 2002, the U.S.
bishops pledged transparency, zero tolerance for clerical sex
abusers, one strike and you’re out, and now, nearly two years
later, hundreds of priests have been removed from
ministry..........
According to Mary T. Jean, of
Leominster, Mass., in the Diocese of Worcester, Bishop Rueger
remains the subject of a state police investigation, following
charges last year by Sime Braio, 52, that Rueger abused him
nearly 40 years ago when Braio was a 13-year-old altar boy at
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Worcester, and later while he was
a student at the Lyman School for Boys in Westboro.
Mrs. Jean, the mother of two boys, holds an
associate degree in law enforcement and a bachelor’s degree in
criminal justice. She set up the web site after she learned that
a priest with a record of molesting teenagers was posted in her
parish. After he made what she deemed an "inappropriate
approach" to a young neighbor, she reported her concerns to
local Catholic school officials who, she says, retaliated
against her by reporting her to the Department of Social
Services (DSS) for neglecting her own sons.
"It was devastating," she told The
Wanderer. "They ruined our lives for a year. We almost lost
our children. DSS came right to the door and said ‘we want to
take your children away,’ but I refused. They took us to court
to try to get a judge to take our children away from us, but we
won because they lied. But it was a devastating year for us, and
very traumatic for my boys."............
The subject Bishop Reilly did not want to be
grilled on was the House of Affirmation, a retreat center
founded by Fr. Thomas Kane and located in the Diocese of
Worcester, although it operated under the auspices of the
Archdiocese of Boston. As The Telegram & Gazette’s
Richard Nangle reported March 30, 2003:
"James G. Reardon Jr., a lawyer for the
diocese, wants to prevent the public release of court documents,
specifically depositions, generated by the lawsuit. He also is
seeking to delay discovery in the case until the court rules on
a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.................
see complete article on link
Voice note: For all
those children that have been abused and live's destroyed by the
Worcester Dioceses we pray for their souls. These actions were
conducted in 2001 for the self preservation of Bishop Daniel P.
Reilly and his reputation. District Attorney John J.
Conte, while having been provided with proof of criminal
activity has of yet failed to prosecute Bishop Reilly, and
the other Diocesan associates responsible.
BOSTON -- A plan to track the state's
worst sex offenders using a Global Positioning System is
"desperately needed" to help prevent additional crimes,
according to the chief justice of the state's Superior Court.
Testifying in favor of a bill sponsored by Rep. David Nangle
and Sen. Steven Panagiotakos, Lowell Democrats, Chief Justice
Suzanne V. DelVecchio told members of the Legislature's
Judiciary Committee Wednesday the state must take advantage of
the technology to monitor sex offenders who are the most likely
to reoffend
Voice Note: Sadly
this bill would not apply to pedophile Priest from within the
Worcester County.
Fr. Robert Kelley
was well known to Mr. Conte and Mr. Conte choose not to have a
dangerous hearing and allowed his release.
The Worcester Voice has learned of a second suit involving
the House of Affirmation of Whitinsville and a successful
attempt by attorneys for the defendants to impound and keep
secret details of the suit.
A person identified as "John Doe’‘ on February 9, 1993 filed
a suit listing similar defendants. The suit was filed in Suffolk
Superior Court (SUCV1993-00869)
naming the Housing of Affirmation and
Rev Robert Burns. The suit additionally named as defendants
the Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester, the Roman Catholic
Archbishop of Boston and Bishop James M. Malone of Youngstown,
Ohio.
Nine attorneys are listed as representing parties in this
case. "John Doe’‘ is again represented by Laurence E. Hardoon of
Boston. Wilson Rogers and Wilson Rogers Jr. are listed as
attorneys of record for the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston.
Attorney James G. Reardon
represented the House of Affirmation and the Roman Catholic
Bishop of Worcester, which at the time was Bishop Timothy
Harrington.
The Worcester Voice has uncovered new information regarding a
suit against the House of Affirmation,
located in the Worcester Diocese town of Whitinsville.
On November 8, 1991, a civil suit was filed on behalf of
"John Doe" in Suffolk Superior Court
(SUCV1991-07517)
naming the House of Affirmation, Rev. John Thomas, Rev. James
Kelley and Rev. Robert Burns. The suit additionally named the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Boston and Bishop James M. Malone of Youngstown, Ohio.
On February 7, 1992, Attorney Wilson Rogers, filed a motion
for an impound order which reads, "Motion of defts (defendants)
Rev John Thomas, Rev James Kelly,
Rev Robert Burns and The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston
for an Order Impounding All Papers in this action After hearing,
ExParte, the court finds that the nature of the parties, the
particulars of the controversy, the privacy interests involved,
the interest of the community and the reasons as annunciated in
the affidavit submitted represent good cause shown and
accordingly the court ORDERS the IMPOUNDMENT of Civil Action
Cover Sheet, Complaint, Summons, this motion for Impoundment,
Affidavit in Support of Motion and the Docket Sheet The matter
is set cown for a hearing on Tuesday February 11, 1992, at 2:00
PM, counsel for the defts will forthwith notify counsel for plff
of this Order, (O'Brien,J)"
WORCESTER-
The Rev.
Jean-Paul Gagnon has been charged with indecent assault and
battery on a person over age 14 at a time when he was pastor of
St. Augustine parish in Millville.
In another development, Brother Louis Laperle, 76, of Pascoag,
R.I., was acquitted last week in Fitchburg District Court of
charges that he assaulted a student when he was principal of
Notre Dame High School in 1968. He is now retired.
April 1, 2004
Rev Jean -Paul Gagnon, former pastor of St Augustine
Church, scheduled to be arraignment May 17, 2004 on
indecent assault and battery charges.
Father Jean-Paul Gagnon has been charged with 1 count
of indecent assault and battery on a person over age 14.
The criminal charge was issued through the Uxbridge
District Court.
The offense is alleged to have occurred in Sutton on
or about Oct. 11, 2002. Father Gagnon was assigned
pastor of St. Augustine parish of Millville, Mass. The
complaining witness, an adult male, attended and was
active within that church.
Father Gagnon is scheduled to be arraigned May 17 in
Uxbridge District Court.
A civil lawsuit was filed in
September 30, 2002 in Worcester Superior Court by
Timothy P. Staney and his parents, Joseph and Corinne
Staney. The lawsuit states that Gagnon used information
obtained in a confessional with Staney to set Staney up
as Gagnon's sex partner. The alleged incidents took
place when Gagnon was a priest at the Holy Name of Jesus
parish in Worcester. When Staney confessed the
details to Gagnon at age 14, Gagnon used that
information "to take over for himself," according
to Daniel Shea of Houston, Texas, who is lawyer for the
Staneys.
Gagnon allegedly molested and sexually abused Staney at
the church, at Staney's home and at Gagnon's summer home
in Brimfield.
The Philadelphia grand jury appears to be going "right to the
top" in its long-secret probe of priest sexual abuse, according
to an expert witness who testified before it on Catholic
hierarchy.
"They're going to the top. They will always look to the top.
The archbishop is ultimately the one responsible," the Rev.
Thomas Doyle told the Daily News yesterday.
Doyle wasn't predicting specific charges against any of the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia leadership. But he noted, "does the
hierarchy in Philadelphia have responsibility for mishandling
cases? My strong suspicion is yes."
Voice Note:
District Attorney John
Conte still fails to use the "grand Jury" to investigative the
Worcester Diocese. In
Worcester, the dioceses is viewed in Mr. Conte's clergy abuse
report as a "primary" witness.
Next
article: Attorney Joanne Goulka, representing Travelers Insurance
company, from
r.
Michael Collins, the man who ran the Boston Archdiocese's
hospital system so long and so well, never saw the hit coming.
More investigation is needed into the running of the House of
Affirmation in Whitinsville, which closed in the early 1990s
after allegations were made of gross fiscal mismanagement by one
of its founders, the Rev. Thomas A. Kane.