PA - Monsignor W. Lynn & 4 priests arrested in sweep/child rape & failure to protect

Missizzy

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http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110210_4_priests_faces_charges_in_sex_abuse_cases.html

4 priests charged in sex abuse investigation


Monsignor William Lynn, former head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Office for Clergy, has been charged for allegedly failing to protect children from sexual abuse by priests, District Attorney Seth Williams announced today. Two felony counts of endangering the welfare were lodged against Lynn follow a grand jury investigation, Williams said at a news conference.

Williams also announced the Revs. Charles Engelhardt, 64, and Edward Avery, 68, and Bernard Shero, 47, a former 6th grade teacher at St. Jerome's School in Northeast Philadelphia, had been charged with raping and sexually assaulting the same boy in the parish between 1998, when he was 10 years old, and 2000.

Another priest, the Rev James Brennan, 47, is charged with raping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in 1996.

All five men were arrested today...."

and

"....The assistant district attorneys who wrote the scathing, 468-page report in 2005 said their office had sought ways to bring criminal charges against several archdiocesan leaders but were frustrated by Pennsylvania's "inadequate" state laws, such as the statute of limitations.

more at link
 
This is huge. Our DA Seth Williams who himself is a Catholic has taken a step no prosecution has before by filing those charges against Lynn.

Willieams said he loves his Church, but not the evil pedophile priests that have hurt children and those that have covered it up.

Also in the midst is our former Archbishop at the time Cardinal Bevilacqua. He may have known about this shuffling Lynn did because Lynn had to go to him to get the O.K. Well, Cardinal Bevilaqua is ancient with dementia so I don't think anything will happen there.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...4Kq8GA?docId=142845eade63461a911d80788059dff8


Prayers for those boys. This is really, really close to home for me.
 
Ughhhhhhh, hadn't seen Shero the teacher taught at Saint Mike's up in Levittown.

Scroll to the bottom.



http://www.arkema-inc.com/index.cfm?pag=479


What a coward. Shero took a pill when Philly police along with the help of Bristol cops came to arrest him at his Bristol apartment. He was taken to Lower Bucks hospital on his way back to Philadelphia.

A pill. Like if you were never going to be arrested would you have taken "a pill"?




http://www.phillyburbs.com/opinions...g-boy-took-pills-before-his-arrest-today.html
 
I knew it would be tough for you, Filly. I really admire Seth Williams. That's got to be a hard position to be in. But right it right and wrong is wrong. He seems to have a firm grip on that fact.

A question. What has changed that allowed these arrests now and not in 2005 when the "scathing" report was released? I have to say that a massive amount of work must have gone into that report. You should be proud of the DA's office. They're trying.
 
Looks like Shero didn't take nearly enough to do any harm. He was treated and released.

Just the fact that he took them, speaks volumes. If LEOs showed up at our homes to arrest us for some crime we had no involvement with, would we take pills? I think not.
 
As we've seen in another recent case--the Jesuit priest, Jerold Lindner--who was beaten by a victim, family members did not escape abuse. Lindner's family was well aware that Lindner had been abusing relatives. He was caught abusing his niece. It's not often that I read of accusations of familial abuse when these priests are arrested. And yet we know that they must have access to numerous nieces, younger siblings, nephews, cousins, and family friend's children. They're a priest, for heaven's sakes. Who's not going to trust them? What about those kids?
 
I knew it would be tough for you, Filly. I really admire Seth Williams. That's got to be a hard position to be in. But right it right and wrong is wrong. He seems to have a firm grip on that fact.

A question. What has changed that allowed these arrests now and not in 2005 when the "scathing" report was released? I have to say that a massive amount of work must have gone into that report. You should be proud of the DA's office. They're trying.

Seth Williams serves on the board of Catholic Charities in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

Who knew?




http://friendsofsethwilliams.com/about-seth

Oh I know with "the pill" taking, Izzy. Right? Too bad he didn't take a pill because of his dang guilt. Nope. Not until they busted his sorry tail. Takes a pill. I bet they got him out of Lower Bucks hospital quick and right on to I-95 as quick as possible.

Sad. Sad. Sad. These priests here and this "teacher" actually acted as a tag team it is alleged.

Saint Jerome's is a nice parish.

BTW, these are Oblates. The Jesuits here teach at Roman. As far as I know. I didn't read all their appointments so it looks like just grade schools. Preists don't teach the kids in grade school. So, it was the poor altar boys.

As always I want to say especially in this case there are some fabulous Oblates who have taught my siblings, friends, and family members. Good priests that were very good to us growing up. So sad that these tainted men even got into the priesthood.
 
Filly--I don't see if as any different than parents or teachers. There are some jewels and some clinkers.

The problem with priests and other clergy is that they are so totally revered and put on a pedestal. I'm afraid that feeds their fantasy that nothing they do could really be wrong as look at all the wonderful things they've accomplished. The power trip.
 
This guy has some of the begining pages of the report here.

Note he uses some curse words, but a few curses IMO can't sicken us more than what these kids were put through. He made a good point about Cardinal B not having to face charges because of his age. Point taken as I just submitted a thread about some 82 year oldaccessing child *advertiser censored* and he was arrested.

There's alot of good comments as well.

Again it's tough to read. May be a trigger to some.


http://www.theburningplatform.com/?p=10959#comments

This one victim is now 22 years old. He became a heroin addict. The other victim along with many physical ailments ultimately tried to commit suicide and had substance abuse problems.

Unfortunately I've seen it so many times that a victim of child sexual abuse becomes a heroin addict. That PO's me off big time. Especially since that teacher took "a pill" when he just got arrested.

Please if you pray than pray for these young men. If not please send positive vibes to them. They are going to need it now more than ever IMO.

Oh this father Avery? Guardian to Hmong children. :doh::furious::furious::furious::furious::furious: The thought makes me physically ill. You come to this country. This is who helps you?
 
http://dailylocal.com/articles/2011/02/11/news/doc4d541faf0a719728596070.txt

The grand jury report states that Lynn knew of previous reports of abuse by the priests in question. Avery was sent to a therapy program for sexual offenders and after he left the program, Lynn assigned him to St. Jerome, which had a school. Avery's previous record was not reported to anyone. The therapy program made recommendations that Avery should not be at a facility with minors, the grand jury report states.:banghead:

The grand jury found that Lynn also knew of previous relations between Brennan and young boys and simply hid them. Brennan served as a member of the faculty at Cardinal O'Hara High School and was known to have "inappropriate relationship" with students, the grand jury report states.
 
Our Inquirer today.

Why 37 accused priests are still serving.



http://www.philly.com/philly/news/116099144.html?cmpid=15585797



Isn't it interesting how Cardinal Rigali sidestepped the issue...


"I assure all the faithful that there are no archdiocesan priests in ministry today who have an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them," he said in a short letter to all 267 parishes in the 1.5 million-member archdiocese, sent hours after the report's release Thursday.

In other words, these 37 were not convicted or confessed offenders, so it's perfectly all right to keep them in ministries where they can have continued access to children.

The beat goes on...and on...and on.
 
http://www.philly.com/philly/column...Grand_jury_shows_audacity_of_archdiocese.html


Probe of how the church investigates allegations against priests found it focuses mostly on its reputation and assets.

If Catholic churches across the region took up a collection this Sunday and used it to hire lawyers to mislead victims of clergy sex abuse, would anyone give?

If a parish priest confessed that your tithing paid rapists to retire and funded interrogations that push innocents to suicide, would you demand a refund?



I don't think this has been posted yet. Read it yesterday in the Saturday edition of the Sunday philly inquirer. Thought it was a good commentary.
 
A civil lawsuit filed yesterday aginst the Archdiocese Of Philadelphia by a man who said that two priests had sexually abused him as a child may signal a new era in church abuse litigation.


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/n...buse_suit_against_Archdiocese__cardinals.html


The plaintiff who according to his lawyer suffered severe psychiatric breakdowns accuses two priests of molesting him during his Catholic school education.

First abuse is early 90's when seminarian Martin Satchell molested the second grader at Saint Aloysius in Bryn Mawr.

UNIMAGINABLE as all this is this has got to be the worse. Satchell was sent to sex offender therapy in 1993. This is the year he became a priest, O.K.? He left the priesthood by 2004. This poor kid asks a priest for help two years later and was rebuffed. What? What? What?:banghead::banghead::banghead:


As a distressed high school student he sought counseling at Malvern Prep. Rev. Richard Cochrane helped alright. he abused him.

Man oh man oh man.
 
It was a two year Grand Jury. Two years of combing the files, the letters, the reports. Now that the process is completed and indictments have been handed down, a lawsuit against the Archdiocese will be filed today on behalf of a victim.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/03/07/pennsylvania.church.lawsuit/index.html?hpt=T2

Typically I like to try and snip it before I post it, but you really have to read it. The story isnt new and the outrage I feel isnt new either. This Archdiocese is tied to "Father" Romano Ferraro who was transferred all over the US, leaving victims where ever he went. Ferraro is serving a life sentence in MA right now.

You have to read the letters detailing Ferraro's self described "problem" with 13-15 year old boys.

This was such an organized response to priest sex abuse...the story is the same one over and over-it is just the location that changed. :(
 
Hi Believe,

We have a thread going about the Archdiocese, and Pennsy. Maybe we can combine these.

Today a lawsuit was filed by Phil Gaughan aged 31 who said he was assaulted from age 14 to 17 at Our Lady Of Calvary Church in Philadelphia by Msgr. John Gillespie.

I have to get the link.


In 1994 Father Gillespie said he admitted to sexually molesting several boys, but was allowed to keep his post.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/117567728.html
 
I will merge...I figured there had to be another one, but I couldnt find it. :)
 
Thanks Filly-I have no magic powers here, so I asked Salem to merge it for us.

:)

If you cross paths with your DA some day, tell him/her that we think they are the bomb.
 

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