Arch. Milwaukee to begin $300k victim therapy fund if judge approves

As part of the Plan of Reorganization, we will ask the bankruptcy judge to allow us to establish a fund dedicated to providing therapy and counseling to abuse victims of diocesan clergy. Currently, the archdiocese spends approximately $70,000 each year for therapy and counseling for abuse survivors who come forward for this assistance. This fund will be launched with an initial contribution of $300,000. The therapy fund will be “evergreen,” meaning that it will be established in a way that allows it to be replenished, so that payments for therapy will continue for as long as abuse victims come forward for such assistance. We are establishing it, not because we are required to, but because our commitment in faith calls us to do so. Let me explain.

As you know, the bankruptcy process is a financial proceeding designed to compensate those making claims. I have stated previously, and want to emphasize again, that beyond financial settlements, outreach and assistance to abuse survivors is an ongoing and permanent ministry of the Church. The most important thing we as a Church can and must do, is to continue to provide therapy assistance to those who have been harmed, even if their claims are not recognized under civil law, which may be the case for certain of the claims filed against the archdiocese in the Chapter 11 proceeding.

In order to prepare the Plan of Reorganization, it is important to know how many claims will qualify for compensation and which claims cannot be honored. Soon, attorneys for the archdiocese will be filing motions to ask the judge to decide which claims against the archdiocese will be allowed under bankruptcy law. If the court is not going to allow a particular type of claim (for example, a claim that is past the statute of limitations; a claim brought by an individual who previously reached a legal settlement with the archdiocese; or a claim against a person who was never an employee of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee), then people need to know this so they have a realistic expectation as they proceed with the claims

-Abp. Listecki

Sorry, couldn't find the online version of the newsletter online. 

Ex-monk admits sexual misconduct while under Abp. Hamus at Conception Abbey

A former Benedictine monk who directed a boys choir at a northwest Missouri abbey in the 1980s admitted on Thursday that he had inappropriate sexual relations with several members of the group.

Bede Parry, who led the Abbey Boy Choir of Conception Abbey from 1982 to 1987, told The Kansas City Star that he had sexual contact with five or six of the choir members as well as a student at a Minnesota university.

One of the former choir members filed a lawsuit on Thursday, contending that Parry molested him in 1987 during a summer camp at the abbey.

The lawsuit, filed against Conception Abbey by a Missouri man under the name John Doe 181, alleges that the abbey knew that Parry had sexually abused other students prior to abusing him but covered it up.

"Frankly, those allegations, most of them are true," Parry said in a phone interview with The Star from Las Vegas. "As far as I’m concerned, great harm was done to those people. To lie and not recognize that would be a gross injustice to those folks.

"The whole thing is terrible. I feel so terrible. I’m just praying for everybody, and I ask for prayers."

Most of the inappropriate sexual contact was with males over 18, Parry said. Two of the encounters, he said, involved males ages 16 to 18. He said he has not had inappropriate sexual relations since the 1987 incident.

Jeff Anderson, a Minnesota lawyer who represents the plaintiff, called the situation "a grave institutional failure."

"Bede Parry wasn’t able to control himself, but it was the (Conception Abbey) abbot and the top officials who knew that and made the choice to protect themselves at the peril of many kids and young adults," he said.

Conception Abbey is a Benedictine monastery with a 30-acre campus. It is home to one of the largest Roman Catholic college seminaries in the nation and the largest priest-training center in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The seminary, which the monks run, draws students from about two dozen dioceses in the United States.

Between 1973 and 1979, the lawsuit says, Parry told the Conception Abbey abbot that he had inappropriate sexual contact with three people at the abbey. And in 1981, the lawsuit says, Parry had sexual contact with a student at St. John’s in Minnesota. Parry admitted that misconduct to several people, including abbots at Conception and St. John’s, according to the lawsuit.

Parry confirmed to The Star his three relationships between 1973 and 1979 at Conception Abbey and one in 1981 in Minnesota. He said he reported those incidents to then-abbot Jerome Hanus at Conception Abbey and to the abbot at St. John’s Abbey in Minnesota.

Hanus is now head of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. His office did not return phone calls for comment on Thursday.

Parry said he first opened up about his sexual misconduct last fall, when a Seattle area man named Pat Marker showed up at his doorstep. Marker, a sex abuse victim who had attended St. John’s Preparatory School in Minnesota, had learned about Parry while researching other cases from St. John’s.

"I confronted Bede with the allegations ... that took place at St. John’s, and he admitted to the misconduct and expressed remorse but did not disclose any information about the (Conception Abbey) boys choir at that time," Marker said. "After learning he directed the choir, I confronted him again. At first he denied anything but later admitted to misconduct."

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/08/3255149/ex-monk-admits-sexual-misconduct.html#ixzz1dmsmE4Ex

SNAP quoted in article about Penn State child sex abuse scandal

Very sad discovery

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has decided to retire at the end of the season, saying Wednesday that the effects of a child sex abuse scandal involving former heir apparent Jerry Sandusky have been overwhelming.

"I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief," Paterno said in a statement released just after initial reports confirming his pending retirement.

"This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more. My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this university."

So they had a football camp for middle schoolers where an assistant coach did the molesting.  Paterno had heard about it and reported it to the University, who in turn did nothing.  A sad tale that we all know should be brought to the police as soon as possible.  But now we see ESPN invoke SNAP in their article.

After Paterno reported the incident to Curley, Sandusky was told to stay away from the school, but critics say the coach should have done more -- tried to identify and help the alleged victim, for example, or alerted authorities.

"Here we are again,"[again?] John Salveson, former president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said in an interview earlier this week. "When an institution discovers abuse of a kid, their first reaction was to protect the reputation of the institution and the perpetrator."

I'm not disagreeing with what he says here but why is this guy being quoted in this article?  The media is still desperately hoping to keep child abuse like this something priests do and that if there are problems with abuse in other institutions, it means they are like the Church.  Abuse is something that has happened across any number of institutions.  Why is the Church singled out here.  Paterno is Catholic I think, BTW.

Taking the lead from ESPN, check out this headlines:

Like Catholic Church, Paterno, Penn State turned blind eye to sexually abused children
Is Penn State the Catholic Church?
Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Case Could Rival the Catholic Scandal

Certainly there is valid discussion that could happen in this regard, but the presumption that abuse only has happened in the Church is short sighted and really defeats the effort to root out this abuse from all institutions.  Wouldn't it be nice to see the public school system start to make efforts to make sure this stops happening inside their walls as well?  I don't see that being discussed anywhere.

Milwaukee archdiocese pension funds fall short $41.8 million

Three pension funds operated by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for priests, lay employees and unionized cemetery workers have unfunded liabilities totaling $41.8 million, according to documents filed as part of the archdiocese's bankruptcy proceedings.

The gap between current assets and future payouts for the priest and lay workers' pensions - at 9.6% and 16.9%, respectively - fall within reasonable ranges given the economic conditions of the last few years, according to pension experts.

But the size of the lay workers' pension liability (at $37.4 million) and the funding level of the cemetery workers' pension (55% - with $1.3 million in assets and a $1 million unfunded liability) raise concerns about the health and future of those benefits, pension experts say.

"Anything funded below 80%, you'd have to look at, but a large gap is cause for concern, said Eric Loi, staff attorney for the Pension Rights Center, a consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C.

Archdiocese spokeswoman Julie Wolf blamed the shortfalls on poor investment returns and said in a statement that there is "no current cause for concern for employees."

"All benefits have been timely paid, and it is clear that the plans will continue to pay all benefits payable in the immediate future," she said.

The pension liabilities are laid out in claims filed last week against the assets of the archdiocese. They are among 160 claims totaling $123.4 million filed to date by creditors in the church's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In this case, it is the archdiocese itself and the pension trustees making the claims to protect the pensions.

continue at MJS

Allegations against former Green Bay bishop, Bp. David Zubik

Former Green Bay Bishop David Zubik took the unusual step of calling a news conference Wednesday to announce that he has been accused of forcibly kissing a student decades ago, and to deny the charges.

Zubik, currently the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, said the former student made the accusation in August after the man's request to volunteer in the diocese was rejected. Soon after the rejection, the man alleged that the incident happened when he was a student at Quigley Catholic High School in the 1980s.

"The accusation is false, offensive and outrageous," Zubik said, adding that no such behavior occurred when he was at the school from 1980 to 1987.

Zubik served as bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay from December 2003 to September 2007, when he was installed as the 12th bishop of the diocese of Pittsburgh.

The diocese did not return calls for comment Wednesday night.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh said the accusations had no basis.

"There was no factual basis for the allegation. No basis in law or in fact," Berosh said.

Berosh said his office reviewed documents in the case and made numerous attempts to meet with the man who claimed Zubik forcibly kissed him.The man declined offers to meet, and then visited the District Attorney's Office unannounced last week and made a new claim that a nun had touched him on an airplane, in full view of the passengers, Berosh said.

 the rest at GBPressGaz

Sounds like a nut.

SNAP files charges against Vatican, public rolls their eyes

$t. $NAP's condominiums

An international coalition of sex-abuse victims has lodged charges with the International Criminal Court at the Hague, charging Pope Benedict XVI and other leading Vatican officials with crimes against humanity.

Leaders of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), assisted by the Center for Constitutional Rights, filed an 80-page complaint, accompanied by over 20,000 pages of supporting evidence, claiming that the Holy See bears "direct and superior responsibility for the crimes against humanity of rape and other sexual violence committed around the world." The charges were directed against Pope Benedict and three Vatican officials: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State; his predecessor, Cardinal Angelo Sodano; and Cardinal William Levada, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Experts in international law said that it is extremely unlikely the Hague court will take up the case. The court does not have jurisdiction over the Holy See, and the charges raised in the complaint fall well short of the standards required for an international trial. Similar charges against the Vatican had been lodged in the past, and no prosecution ensued.

However, legal experts said that the SNAP case could serve the group's purposes by "raising awareness" of their cause. In other words, the case will generate publicity.

Catholic Culture

Dad29: Abp Dolan's Big Mistake

You'll hear more about this. Abp Dolan was interviewed by 60 Minutes.

When Safer suggested that the incidence of priests sexually abusing children might be decreased if Catholic clergy were allowed to be married, Dolan responded, "I don't know if – what we know scholarship-wise would back that up, Morley. The greatest culprits in sexual abuse are unfortunately married men. So, I don't know if marriage is the answer."

The Archbishop is wrong.

A fellow named David Usher cited a study:

The study found sexual abuse – indeed all forms of abuse – to be least common in homes with married biological parents. According to the report, only about 1 in 2,000 children in such homes suffer sexual abuse.

By comparison, the report states, 5 of every 2,000 children in single-parent households – and 20 of every 2,000 children in households where a single parent welcomes a partner into the home – suffers sexual abuse.

Those results are consistent with what's been reported for over 20 years in a variety of studies.  

We expect that the Archbishop will "clarify" or retract.

Dad29

photo

Weakland, Sklba to take the stand!

Retired Milwaukee bishops Rembert Weakland and Richard Sklba will answer questions under oath in October about the extent and alleged coverup of child sex abuse in the archdiocese, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley ruled on Friday.

However, that testimony won't be available to the public, at least initially.

Kelley granted a request by survivor-creditors to question the two, along with defrocked priest Daniel A. Budzynski, who is believed to have molested several children, as part of the church's bankruptcy proceedings.

The judge scheduled the questionings for the weeks of Oct. 17 and 24. But she imposed strict limits on their duration and ordered them sealed from public view.

"I don't want this on anybody's website," said Kelley, a reference to victims' attorney Jeff Anderson's distribution of Weakland's 2008 questioning, in which the retired archbishop referred to Sklba as his "go-to guy" in the handling of sex abuse cases.

"This isn't about embarrassing these people. This is about giving the parties relief," Kelley said.

MJS

Deadline set for Milwaukee abuse victims

As part of the process of its Chapter 11 reorganization, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is required to publicize the claims bar dates. These dates are the deadlines for individuals to file their claim against the archdiocese.

The deadline for anyone who wishes to make a clergy abuse claim against the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is February 1, 2012 at 4:00 pm (Prevailing Central Time).

A second bar date has been set for general creditors in the financial reorganization of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The General Bar Date is October 17, 2011 at 4:00 pm (Prevailing Central Time).

Part of this process is providing notice to people who may have a claim. As such, I have asked parishes and schools in the archdiocese to publicize this date in various ways within their community.

For more information about the claims bar date or about how to file a claim, please go to the archdiocesan website.

The archdiocese is committed to fair and equitable compensation for abuse survivors and to continuing its outreach to those who have been harmed. As a Church, we remain vigilant in our efforts to keep children safe. Through this Chapter 11 process, we can continue to move forward, providing the necessary services and ministries to parishes and schools, and all those who rely upon the Church for support.

ArchMil.org

Archdiocese to launch ads informing victims of deadline to file claims

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee will launch a national advertising campaign on Sunday to notify sex abuse victims of their deadline to file claims as part of its bankruptcy, the archdiocese said Friday.

Victims of clergy, staff, teachers, other church employees or volunteers have until Feb. 1 to file claims against the church.

The campaign that begins Sunday will include ads in the Journal Sentinel, the Chicago Tribune and USA Today.

The advertising campaign is required by the bankruptcy, which acts as a final call for claims against a debtor.

The deadline for general claims not related to sexual abuse is Oct. 17.

MJS

Bankruptcy judge rejects request for depositions of Weakland, Sklba

The judge in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy case on Friday rejected a move by lawyers for clergy sex abuse victims and other creditors to depose key witnesses, including retired Archbishop Rembert Weakland and Bishop Richard Sklba, in state court.

But Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley left the door open for those witnesses and others to be questioned under comparable federal bankruptcy rules.

"No disrespect to the state courts, but we're in bankruptcy court now," said Kelley, who initially challenged the creditors committee's standing to file the motion to lift the stay that has blocked depositions in the underlying fraud cases against the archdiocese.

Lawyers for the archdiocese and victims and creditors will return to Kelley's courtroom Aug. 12 to argue their positions under the federal rules.

Creditors' attorneys argued Friday that depositions of elderly or infirm witnesses, including anyone over age 75, are needed to preserve evidence in the underlying cases. That evidence would be used as part of the bankruptcy to determine the credibility of claims and size of the bankruptcy estate and settlement with creditors, said creditor committee attorney Gillian Brown.

Attorneys for the archdiocese argued that there's no evidence to suggest any of the witnesses are at risk of dying or that memories are fading, and that depositions at this early juncture would prejudice yet unidentified victims.

continue at MJS