November 9, 2004

Worcester dioceses self absolves themselves of sins again, ministerial code fails first attempt.

The new ministerial code of conduct has failed the first test without even a try. New Bishop Robert McManus who pledged upon his installation to help heal the wounds inflicted by the clergy sexual abuse scandal in Worcester blatantly refuses proper and Christian accountably under his reign. 

When Ms Patricia Engdahl of the Worcester office of healing was contacted to file a complaint October 12, 2004, based on very serious misconduct conducted by Bishop Daniel Reilly, Pastor Father Gerald Doran and the St. Leo administration.  Ms Engdahl failed to take the complaint as she stated she had no knowledge of the actions or who conducted enforcement of this code.

Ms Engdahl in phone conversation stated she would have to speak Bishop Robert McManus as to who would conduct the investigations concerning the allegations.  Ms Engdahl seemed unaware of the history of Fr Peter Inzerillo, who has had one sexual abuse suit paid off for $300,000 previously and another sexual abuse filed in 2004, which is currently pending, alleging the sexual assault occurred in the building of St leo Parish. 

Ms Engdahl failed to return the phone call early the following week as she had stated. Finally after leaving a message, ten days after the original conversation, again restating the violation of the brutal verbal assault committed by Father Doran on a life long seventy-two (72) year old  Catholic Grandmother, the life altering devastation placed on innocent Catholic children all to hide the truthful facts behind the reassigning of Rev. Peter Inzerillo, and the grievous sins committed by Bishop Reilly, she finally returned the call.

Ms Engdahl's reply was not, how are those who were so violated, not can we do anything to see that this complaint is followed up on or processed.  No, Ms Enghald declared she had spoken to a cannon lawyer, not to Bishop McManus and the the new policy only applied from the October 12, 2004 date forward.  

So once again, violation of the catholic soul, false accusations made by men who claim to represent God and the endangering of our Catholic children is all swept under the rug.  Again the Worcester Dioceses fails to take accountability for its actions.  The reality of this is, once again the same process that Bishop Timothy J. Harrington took to assure us that our children were safe, and that the Worcester dioceses has taken corrective action, all of course after the last public exposure of clergy abuse ten years ago, has been concocted to fool the faithful once again.

Today in 2004, this new policy grants Monsignor Thomas Sullivan Chancellor, who has been the subject of numerous complaints involving diocesan actions in regards to clergy abuse as the first primary contact.  Again allowing him access to intimidate, verbally traumatize, withhold relevant facts and make false accusations about clergy abuse victims without the knowledge of any other individual.  The same actions victims have been complaining of for the past ten years. So the only change that has been make by the diocese, is they are getting better at hiding their sins and placing a pretty face up front.

As for Ms Patty Engdahl, she should hang her head in disgrace for her actions in failing to move this complain forward.  Again, this is a prime example of the disparity applied from the office of healing from the start, Ms Engdahl routinely applies convenient blinders to see only what she wants to see, all the way to the bank.  For surely the vast percentage of operating expense at the Office for Healing and Prevention, are applied towards funding her salary, her secretary, her travel, and her expense.  Not the true Christian victims injured from the actions conducted or allowed to occur within the Worcester Diocese. Application of Christianity from this office of healing is obviously unequally applied. For when it can be proven the Worcester dioceses Bishops have sinned, committed grievous offenses to hide their sins, not a morsel of accountable or Christianity can be found from Ms Engdahl's office of healing.

Please feel free to call Ms Engdahl office of healing at 508-929-4362. 

October 12, 2004

Policy will face first challenge

The Worcester Voice has called upon the Diocese of Worcester to show how serious it is in enforcing its new ministerial code of conduct. The diocese need not look beyond Leominster to find a case worthy of its scrutiny of ethical and moral practices by clergy and a bishop. According to the new code, bishops and clergy are being held to an even higher standard that was was promulgated in the decree. 

It was a cold wet day in December 2000 when arrival of a new priest was announced during Mass at St. Leo Parish in Leominster. The faithful were informed that because of the illness of Father Dolan, the new priest, Father Peter, would be celebrating Masses. 

Within a week of his arrival, Father Peter was in the parish elementary school and he attended the seventh and eighth grade classes on a regular basis. No priest had ever spent so much time in the school. Other than the occasional Mass for a class, Fathers Doran and Dolan were never seen.

Now Father Peter was teaching religious education classes. Father Peter in February 2001 took the time to write a letter to all the eighth grade class students. A month later whispers were becoming more common and they involved sexual allegations that were made in the past about Father Peter Inzerillo and the amount of time he was spending in the parish with older children.

In April an eighth grade boy reported he was being pressured to attend individual altar server lessons alone with Father Inzerillo. Traditionally this service begins in the fourth grade. By June Father Inzerillo took the eighth grade class and had them joined in a circle of unity and while alone with these children he began a sexually explicit conversations. This was not a conversation about the moral issues involving dating or growing up. The talk is said to have begun with giving definitions of female genitalia and stimulation of male genitalia by females.  

The lecture by Father Inzerillo went on for some time and he concluded by saying that ejaculation from the male penis is the most pleasurable experience a male can have. The children were shocked. Two parents and the eighth grade teacher met with Father Doran, the pastor, following their return to St. Leo’s. The eighth grade teacher retired after the meeting with Father Doran. Several days later, each parent of the altar servers received letters informing them that as on July 2001 Father Inzerillo would be placed in charge of the altar servers. 

Who was protecting the children? One parent, Mary T. Jean, had attempted to confront the situation with the school principal in late April.  Within weeks, Mrs. Jean was reported to the Massachusetts Department of Social Services by the parish school board president, Dr. F. John McLaughlin.  Dr. McLaughlin called her the morning of May 3, 2001 and told her “this is how we take care of trouble makers.” Among allegations he made against her were that her son had missed six months of school and she became politically involved and organized parents against school policy. The allegations were false. After a 10-month ordeal - that terrified innocent young children - the charges were reversed within 24 hours after Worcester Bishop Daniel P. Reilly was subpoenaed to attend a hearing to be held by DSS.  

Another elementary school parent - a clergy abuse victim himself – in February 2002 confronted Father Doran about the truth of newly released information involved sexual abuse allegations made against Father Inzerillo. This happened just as the most recent wave of the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church was breaking. Father Doran wrote a false representation of what had happened and attempted to blame Dianne Williamson, a columnist for the Telegram & Gazette, and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. The parents of Catholic school children once again were misled and children were led into danger. 

It later became known that Father Peter Inzerillo was placed on leave from ministry in a Fitchburg parish after a Spencer man filed a civil suit alleging sexual abuse by Father Brendan O’Donoghue and Father Peter Inzerillo. The case was settled out of court by the diocese and the alleged victim with payment of $300,000. The settlement was to remain secret  and no one in Leominster was to know about this but the facts of the settlement became known when this controversy in the parish arose. The bishop had reassigned Father Inzerillo to a parish that operated an elementary school in late 2000 knowing the diocese had just paid to settle a suit involving alleged impropriety by Father Inzerillo as well as the other priest.   

Currently, Father Inzerillo faces a new civil suit filed in 2004 that is not connected to the first suit and involves a different male. The alleged abuse occurred on St. Leo Parish property. Diocesan lawyer Gavin Reardon in September signed on to defend Father Inzerillo yet once again.  

The reassignment of Father Inzerillo after a secret settlement of $300,000 has never been publicly addressed. Bishop Daniel Reilly never informed any members of the community of the past accusations. To the contrary, he provided false information to Father Doran, St. Leo pastor, which was placed in writing to protect Father Inzerillo. Protection of the priest was paramount in the actions conducted by diocesan employees. 

It appears that the St. Leo incident, which covers most aspect of this new code of ministerial conduct, should be used as a test to see if the diocese intends to properly address the issues at hand.  

At Leo’s we had church personnel working alone with youth and engaging in improper sexually-oriented conversations and attempting to hold private meetings with underage youth. We have retaliation against one parent who questioned the church about Father Inzerillo, retaliation that involved bringing in a secular institution to do the church’s dirty work. This retaliation, which is barred in the new code, caused great distress to two young children who faced being taken out of their safe and secure home.

 The St. Leo case also shows the intent of the diocese of cover-up for clergy sexual abuse. The intimidation and retaliation against those who attempted to expose the truth cries out for justice. Many were hurt by these immoral and unethical actions. Bishop Reilly did not do the right thing and he did not follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Words are easily written, but true acts of Christianity portray courage and faith.  Will Worcester Bishop McManus portray the Lords work or will he succumb to worldly pressure like so many Bishops before him?