Man filed charge of rape in 2002 Man
withdraws suit against bishop
Sime M. Braio filed suit against Bishop
Rueger in July 2002. The Diocese of Worcester responded to the
suit with a strong denial and Bishop Rueger has remained in his
post. Mr. Braio filed his motion on Wednesday and Judge Tina S.
Page granted the dismissal.
In the brief, handwritten motion, Mr. Braio
said, "I am doing this willfully and voluntarily. No threats
have been made against me. Trooper Tom Greene of Auburn told me
to do this." Trooper Greene heads District Attorney John J.
Conte's investigative unit. Calls to Trooper Greene were not
returned last night.
Yesterday, Mr. Braio's former lawyer, Daniel
J. Shea of Houston, accused state police of coercing his client
into a dismissal.
Mr. Conte, however, dismissed Mr. Shea's
accusation as false and said the trooper would have been in
contact with Mr. Braio because Mr. Braio is a victim whose
allegations are being investigated by his office.
"Tom Greene told Sime Braio, in furtherance of his motion to
dismiss without prejudice, that he could tell the judge that the
state police had not completed their investigation," Mr.
Conte said.
Mr Simie Braio withdraws civil
lawsuit against Auxiliary Bishop George E. Rueger
Mr. Simie Braio, 53, withdraws without
prejudice his civil suit against Auxiliary Bishop George E. Rueger.
By dismissing without prejudice, the Judge has allowed Mr.
Brario the ability to file the civil suit again in Worcester
Superior Court at a later date.
On September 12, 2003, Judge Kern had ordered
Attorney, Daniel Shea removed from the suit and to turn over the
original files in Mr. Braio case within 10 days. She also gave Mr. Braio 60 days, until
Nov. 14, to come up with new legal representation. Mr. Braio
appeared in court Wednesday November 19, 2003.
Attorney Shea has filed with the Worcester
Superior Court for an intervention in Mr. Brario's civil suit.
In his application for intervention, Mr. Shea said he learned from
multiple independent sources that people acting on behalf of the Roman
Catholic corporation were attempting to enter into a secret settlement
with Mr. Braio.
Mr. Shea also charged that attempts were made by the corporation and
Bishop Rueger to impede a police investigation of Mr. Braio's attendance
at the school and that attempts were made to impede the effort to
determine whether a connection existed between Bishop Rueger and 51
Egypt Ave., Scituate, where the alleged assaults took place.
WORCESTER DIOCESE REWARDS DIRTY-TALKING
PRIEST.
The Worcester Diocese, stung by the expose of molesting priests,
publicly claims it will be more responsive to complaints about
priestly misconduct. However, the father of a 14-year-old altar
boy told media it has stonewalled their family's March 1992
complaint that their parish priest had subjected their son to
constant sexually suggestive & abusive language & gestures. As
of August, no action had been taken. The priest had repeatedly
referred to "jerking off", "dick", accused their son of being
gay & of having anal intercourse, & even accused him of
masturbating in the back seat of a car "because the windows were
foggy". The diocese claims "there is nothing to this", & the
unnamed priest has been promoted to supervising altar boys as
well as religious classes. Source: Boston Globe 8/4/92.
Judge says dangerousness not proved
Convicted sex offender is released from custody
Monsignor Thomas J. Sullivan, diocesan
chancellor, and Frances Nugent, social worker in the diocese's
Office of Healing and Prevention, testified during the trial
that the diocese would pay for Mr. Sweeney's counseling if he
were released.
In issuing her findings yesterday, Judge Fahey said she believed
Mr. Sweeney to be a pedophile with a personality disorder, but
was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that he would commit
another sex crime if not confined.
The judge noted that Mr. Sweeney had undergone "fairly extensive
treatment" and said she accepted as credible Ms. Nugent's
testimony that 90 percent of sex offenders who undergo treatment
that addresses both their crimes and their victimization do not
offend again
The annual Red Mass of the St. Thomas More
Society of the Worcester diocese attracted about 200 people
first to the liturgy in St. Paul's Cathedral and later at dinner
in the Hogan Center Ballroom at College of the Holy Cross. The
event has been held in this diocese since 1957.
Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, principal celebrant, greeted the
lawyers, judges and their guests while the Rev. Richard F. Reidy,
cathedral rector, talked about St. Thomas More and what he stood
for.
Judge Joseph Lian Jr., presiding justice of the Worcester
Probate and Family Court, received the Distinguished Jurist
Award for his many years of service to the court. John J.
Mitchell of Clinton received the Distinguished Attorney
Award for his years of service. Charles W. "Dino" Patronas,
member of St. Spyridon Cathedral and executive secretary and
deputy registrar of the Worcester Probate and Family Court, was
awarded the Distinguished Ecumenical Award. His pastor, the Rev.
Dean Paleologos, was also a guest. John J. Bish, probation
officer in the East Brookfield District Court, received the
Distinguished Layperson Award. With his wife, Magdalen,
they founded the Molly Bish Foundation to sponsor programs to
help ensure the safety of children. Their daughter disappeared
from her lifeguard job in Warren about three years ago and her
remains were found in June.
Voice note: Many
clergy abuse victims were upset by this tribute to law
enforcement. The Catholic church learned long ago you have
to put the SPIN on to gain favors. Just look at the
list of celebrants, Auxiliary Bishop
George E. Rueger also concelebrated with Monsignor F. Stephen
Pedone, judicial vicar and canon lawyer, Monsignor Thomas J.
Sullivan, diocesan chancellor do we need to say anymore. SHAME
on you Bishop Reilly.
Can it be to our
surprise, that no award for theological trained Attorney Daniel
J. Shea was presented. The voice denotes to Mr. Shea. the
"St Francis Award" for attempting to legally deal with all the
animals in the chancellery on Elm Street.
......Cronin
said Friday the event "was an official meeting of the (North
Worcester County) Drug Task force," but acknowledged that
officers were off-duty
Apart from
police officers and their families, Cronin invited District
Attorney John Conte.......
Fitchburg Police Chief Cronin currently is on
the Worcester Dioceses Pastoral Council, whose members
were all hand pick by Bishop Daniel Reilly. Edward Cronin, St. Bernard, Fitchburg; all members listed
in August 2003 current news.
WORCESTER- People who
attended the Rev. David Kerrigan's first anniversary Mass as a
priest operating independently of the Worcester diocese received
a surprise.
Instead of taking the usual weekly collection, lay leader Robert
Blozie of Charlton gave $5 to each of the people who worshiped
with them at the recent Mass.
November 7, 2003
By Matt O'Brien, Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise
WORCESTER -- The chancellor of the Worcester Diocese testified
Wednesday at a hearing for a convicted child abuser who has requested counseling
help from the diocese. Monsignor Thomas Sullivan joined Frances Nugent, the
diocesan victim services coordinator, in speaking at a Worcester Superior
Courtroom witness stand as part of a weeks-long sexually dangerousness trial for
38-year-old Neil Sweeney Jr. Sweeney, convicted and jailed in 1995 for
indecently assaulting two boys, sent a recent letter to the diocese asking for
help, said Sweeney's lawyer Christopher LoConto. The former Worcester man has
said he was abused throughout his early teens by a Worcester parish priest,
according to a spring 2003 counseling report filed in court.
Sweeney also said he was abused for years by his elder
brother. He may or may not be released from a secure facility depending on the
outcome of the ongoing trial to determine his risk of re-offending. Nugent, a
veteran clinician before she began running the new diocesan victim services
office in July 2002, testified "the diocese would pay for whatever treatment he
requested." Sullivan and Nugent last week voluntarily met the inmate at the
Bridgewater Treatment Center where he has been held for 17 months, LoConto said.
"I'm very impressed with Monsignor and Ms. Nugent for coming in,"
LoConto said outside the courtroom. "The purpose was basically
the Catholic Church coming in and saying they're going to help. It meant a lot
to Neil." When Sweeney's allegations against the priest were brought to
theattention of Worcester County District Attorney John Conte, the priest was
already deceased, said Conte's spokeswoman Karen Foley. The priest died in June
1986, according to Ray Delisle, spokesman for
the diocese.
Diocese called lawyer about worker Solomon E. Toledo Jr., 49, who came to the Catholic diocese
two years ago from Portland, Ore., said he was fired Oct. 16
without being told what the allegation was or who made it. He
denies the allegation, and said he wanted an investigation to
"clear" his name, but was told by Monsignor Thomas J.
Sullivan, diocesan chancellor, that "99 percent of all
allegations are true."
Voice note: Then why
hasn't Auxiliary Bishop George Reuger been removed?
Rev. Ouellette's lawyer, Michael P. McEvilly,
told Judge Elizabeth M. Fahey yesterday that his client was
ordered to visit Mr. Lamontagne in prison as part of a prison
ministry. When questioned later by reporters, Mr. McEvilly said
he was not certain what parish Rev. Ouellette was assigned to at
the time of the visits and declined to further comment on Mr.
Lamontagne's claims.
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