December 29, 2004

Retired priest to be evaluated

The Rev. John J. Szantyr, 73, of Waterbury, Conn., is awaiting trial in Central District Court on four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14.

December 29, 2004

Six new clergy abuse suits are filed in Worcester superior court.

Attorney Carmen L. Durso, of Boston who has been one of the decisive driving forces responsible for standing up to the dioceses of Worcester in a brazen action files six new clergy abuse suits involving the Worcester dioceses.  The cases filed included Rev. Henery Banach, Rev. John J. Bagley, Rev. Bernard Reilley, Msg. Michael L. Carney, Rev. Raymond P. Messier, and Rev Leo O'Neil.

Faced with unthinkable, and morally corrupt actions from the Worcester Dioceses as of recent to included attempting to dismiss civil cases, insulting settlement offers, and attempts to claim charity immunity.  Attorney Durso has filed these clergy abuse cases in spite of these latest tactics attempted by Traveler Insurance Attorney, Joanne Goulka  and Attorney Gavin Reardon of Reardon & Reardon, diocesan legal council.

complete article on link provided

December 28, 2004

New clergy abuse suits to be filed in Worcester superior court.

On the horizon for the Worcester dioceses is the filing of six new clergy abuse suits pertaining  to sexual abuse allegations.

Two new previously unidentified priest will be included in the suits said to be filed in Worcester Superior court by Friday December 31, 2004.

The Worcester dioceses unlike any other diocese in the United States has refused to settle claims, continues to seek legal remedies against victims and remains persistent in its pattern of harassment and intimidation towards those victims who come forward. 

This abuse and these legal tactics have been further allowed to happen by the "protection" allotted to the dioceses by District Attorney John Conte who continues to support the Worcester dioceses with his donations from his campaign fund.  Most notable his recent $600.00 donation to Our lady of Mt Carmel.  That would amount to the Worcester Dioceses Catholic Church receiving seventy-seven percent (77%) of his donations for this period.

Vendor:  our lady of mt. Carmel
Address:  53 e. central worc, MA 01605
Amount:  $600.00   Date:  11/24/2004
Purpose:  donation
Code:  Other
Check Number:  3985

December 27, 2004

Big contrast in handling of clergy abuse suits
What a contrast between two recent articles appearing in the Telegram & Gazette.

On Dec. 6, we read about the Diocese of Orange, Calif., where the bishop agreed to a large settlement, ending a long legal battle with victims of clergy sexual abuse. Victims expressed appreciation and some said they would now return to the church. The bishop openly welcomed them.

On Dec. 7, we read about the Diocese of Worcester, where the bishop is playing legal hardball by asking a judge to dismiss several clergy sexual abuse lawsuits pending against the diocese. Meanwhile, victims continue to suffer deeply — not only from past clergy sexual abuse, but also from rejection after rejection on the part of the diocese.

What a contrast within a church that proclaims peace and justice for all.
ROMEO MARQUIS
Worcester

Voice note: Of course Attorney Patty Engdahl, who is paid to operate the Office of Healing, who's purpose in design is to help see clergy abuse victims were treated correctly, remains silent, in the face of theses current abusive tactics.  Ms Engdahl's behavior has been disgraceful.  As for the Bishop McManus could we expect anything but the "old Boy" network to still be in operation in Worcester? 

December 23, 2004

Former priest pleads guilty

WORCESTER— The man shook his head in bewilderment as he took the stand in Superior Court yesterday, confronting his former priest, who minutes earlier had pleaded guilty to molesting him as a teenager.
“We took a pedophile off the street today, so he can never do this again.”

James D. Campbell, a former Catholic priest in Warwick, R.I., pleaded guilty to rape, admitting he took J.H. and another teenager to a restaurant in Uxbridge nearly 30 years ago and molested them on different occasions.

December 18, 2004

Released documentation initiates Massachusetts Public Records request.

Previously unseen information was presented to the Worcester Voice which lead to an impression that during the week of December 6, 2004 Worcester District Attorney John Conte and his staff had an interaction within the district attorney's office in regards to Internet Protocol Address 204.58.32.254, the Worcester Voice web site and web tracking information.

Both the state and federal government have adopted "Right to Know" laws to enable the public to acquire information about the operation of their government. As noted on bulletins from the Massachusetts Public Records Division, "access to public records ensures public involvement, and participation and provides a mechanism for holding government accountable for its decisions and actions." ...........

A Massachusetts Public Records request was issued on December 13, 2004. The request ask for between the dates of December 6, 2004 and December 10, 2004 any information in reference to the Worcester Voice web site, Internet Protocol Address 204.58.32.254 and or Mary T. Jean and any and all oral communications by Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte, and or any employee under authority not limited to but to include employees assigned at 2 Main Street, Worcester MA, 332 Mains Street Worcester MA and 19 MidState Drive, Auburn MA.

Complete article located on link

December 17, 2004

SOMEBODY IS AFTER CONTE:    A new web site Conte2006.com ask District Attorney John Conte to call it quits.  The site is bare- bones at this point with just a title page that reads "please district attorney John Conte we would like you to seek retirement not re-election. If you fail to re-call your election intentions for the protection of our community this site will become informational". The message is signed Concerned Citizens of Worcester County and includes and email address. According to internet records the site is registered to Tucows. The name of the actual designer could not be located by press time. Conte said he heard about the site recently but doesn't' really care "it's absurd. that really is a dirty trick. This doesn't effect me any way when we are ready to put up our web we will use a different name.

Worcester magazine  Chris Kanaracus

Voice note: Thank you TuCows

December 14, 2004

Legal counsel for Governor Mitt Romney replies.

On November 11, 2004 a reply was received in reference to a request to seek assistance with gaining criminal prosecution of Worcester Bishop Daniel P. Reilly on child endangerment charges, based on the newly released admission of known creditable sexual allegations against Rev Peter Inzerillo, March 2002.

The letter dated December 8, 2004 from the Office of the Governor's Legal Counsel and was signed by William J. Meade Deputy Chief Legal Counsel.

Monday December 13, 2004 after 2pm a phone call was placed to seek clarification on the position taken by Governor Mitt Romney's office.   Ms Sharon D. Jones, Executive Assistant to the Governor's counsel stated that as of Friday December 10, 2004 Deputy Chief Legal Counsel Meade was no longer employed by the Governor.  Ms Jones was unwilling to identify Counselor Meade's replacement, when asked to speak to the replacement,  Ms Jones stated "he was in a meeting, and he would call back later".

December 13, 2004

Coming this week on the Voice:

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney replies to appeal for prosecution of Bishop Daniel Reilly for the endangerment of children in the reassigning of  Rev. Peter Inzerillo at St Leo Parish and the false information to conceal the truthful background and past sexual abuse accusations.

Massachusetts Public Records Request has been issued to Worcester district attorney John Conte to be  provided the following documents: Between the dates of December 6, 2004 and December 10, 2004 any information in reference to the Worcester Voice web site, Internet Protocol Address 204.58.32.254 and or Mary T. Jean

December 12, 2004

Santa stint eases a heavy heart

Former youth minister works through pain

A year ago, Solomon E. Toledo Jr. was the well-regarded head of the young adult ministry for the Diocese of Worcester. He was earning a respectable wage and hoping to eventually parlay his experience into a higher post with a diocese on the West Coast.

Mr. Toledo had worked in Worcester for two years and was earning an annual salary of $32,000 when he was fired. He said no details of the allegations were revealed and he was denied a chance to defend himself or meet with the bishop. He was given three days to vacate the diocesan Oakhurst Retreat Center in Whitinsville, where he had been living, and he received no severance pay.

“Now that I’ve had a year to think, I guess I’ve grown kind of bitter,” Mr. Toledo said. “There was no investigation, no nothing. I believe I was made an example of to show that the diocese can move quickly. Priests are often protected, but a layperson has no rights in the Catholic Church.”

Voice note: Removed Worcester Priest with creditable allegation of child sexual abuse are given a salary of about $17,000 tax free dollars, medical insurance and a place to live. Recently Bishop Reilly admitted in a deposition that $280,000 was spent in what the dioceses calls the priest assistance fund on such priest.  Bishop Robert McManus has run this dioceses disgracefully and will someday face the wrath of the Lord almighty.

December 9, 2004

Lawyers spar over clergy sex abuse

Issue of how lawsuits have been handled

WORCESTER— Lawyer Carmen L. Durso of Boston, who is representing clergy sexual abuse victims in the Catholic Diocese of Worcester, and James Gavin Reardon, Worcester lawyer for the diocese, went head-to-head last night on the NECN cable news program “News Night” over how the diocese has handled civil lawsuits filed by alleged victims of priests.

Mr. Reardon said the diocese is seeking dismissal of the remaining 13 unsettled civil lawsuits based on issues of First Amendment rights due the diocese and the issue of the statute of limitations that would make some cases too old to litigate. The diocese is also citing a previous ruling by a Springfield judge upholding the state law that granted charitable immunity to religious institutions and caps the amounts of settlements at $20,000.

The diocese and lawyers have settled most of the 38 civil lawsuits filed against the diocese. Mr. Durso and other lawyers called a press conference more than a month ago at the Worcester courthouse to state that the diocese was trying to settle these suits in the range of $3,000 to $7,000, which were the lowest in the nation if not the world.

Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, now retired, has stated publicly that the diocese received credible allegations of sexual abuse.

December 7, 2004

Lawyers for diocese want sex-abuses cases dismissed

WORCESTER— Lawyers for the Worcester Catholic Diocese are asking a judge to dismiss several clergy sexual abuse lawsuits pending against the diocese in Worcester Superior Court

In her argument for dismissal yesterday, Ms. Goulka said civil courts lack jurisdiction to decide disputes involving issues of religious doctrine, discipline, faith or internal organization, including matters relating to “the ecclesiastical relationship between the priest and the bishop.” Ms. Goulka argued that the lack of jurisdiction extended to the supervisory role bishops have over priests.

Carmen L. Durso, one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers, said there was no First Amendment protection for the diocese in the context of the cases before the court because the allegations that negligent supervision allowed the abuse to continue “have nothing to do with core beliefs.”

“We’re talking about acts, not beliefs, and we’re talking about the rights of children,” Mr. Durso told the judge.

Diocese asks judge to limit abuse lawsuits

The request was another illustration of the stance taken by the diocese, which has offered much smaller sums to settle abuse lawsuits than the amounts paid by the Archdiocese of Boston.

Eunice White, whose son alleged that a priest at Sacred Heart Church in Worcester abused him at the pastor's private campground in 1980 when he was 9, called the diocese's efforts to dismiss his suit ludicrous. She also bristled that such complaints are called allegations.

''It happened," she said. ''It happened to hundreds and hundreds of boys in the world, and it's time the church took responsibility."

Voice Note: This is just another example of legal protection "allotted" to the Dioceses of Worcester. Why is it in every other diocese in Massachusetts settlements have been made with compassion and dignity?  Perhaps this article the DA and dioceses have made a deal tells it all

Please see Timstaney.com for more true-life victimization and failure by Worcester DA John Conte and his state police Auburn unit.

December 6, 2004 

Press release: click on hyperlink for complete document:

Child endangerment criminal charges are sought against Worcester Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, for RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT TO CHILDREN, Mass. General Laws chapter 265, section 13L.

An Appeal has been sent to Governor Mitt Romney, as well as Senate President, Robert Travaglini, Senator Robert Antonioni, Senator Stephen Brewer, and Colonel Thomas Robbins, head of Massachusetts State police. 

The Worcester diocese, under direction of Bishop Daniel Reilly conspired to keep sexual abuse actions a secret in March 2002, have since remained active in the cover–up and have endangered children by theses actions with the allowance of usage of church properties by Rev Peter Inzerillo, all while no church official, including the office for healing has made a public declaration of knowledge of sexual abuse allegation which they deemed creditable. 

see Timstaney.com for a true life description on the  behavior he was subjected to to as a clergy abuse victim by the Massachusetts state police.

December 3, 2004

Child endangerment criminal charges sought against Worcester Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, for RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT TO CHILDREN, Mass. General Laws chapter 265, section 13L.

We would never allow this to occur by anyone else in society, so why does District Attorney John Conte allow Bishop Daniel Reilly to have the ability to protect a child rapist and endanger innocent children, and then face no legal consequences for doing so? 

December 2, 2004

"Clergy Abuse Victim prepares to tell all".  Statement forthcoming regarding case dismissal, web site Timstaney.com about to be re-launched by days end. 

Portions of Deposition of Bishop Reilly released, Reilly testifies to sexual abuse of minor by Monsignor.

In a stunning revelations of facts, Texas Attorney Tahira Khan Merritt of Dallas was able to gain information previously unavailable to the public.  In a video deposition, Bishop Daniel Reilly September 24, 2004, under oath declared that for the first time publicly, that Monsignor Leo J. Battista has been presented to Rome to be defrocked.  "Because the case was so strong and it was really something that this woman felt was necessary for her to achieve  her fullness as a person again". Bishop Reilly informed Attorney Merritt.

The monsignor who has been former director of Catholic Charities, a diocesan human service agency, from 1969 until 1986, then became pastor of St. Anna's Parish in Leominster in 1986. In 1993 according to published statements the Monsignor resigns his position from St Anna's Parish

completer article available on link.