Victims
want action about ousted priest
Catholic
bishop has “been silent for 6 months”
Cleric
was ousted in July due to “credible
allegations”
But
church officials do “virtually no outreach,” group
says
And they
want all Montana parish staff to “come clean” about “cover
ups”
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference,
clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will urge the Great Falls/Billings
Catholic bishop to
--do “aggressive outreach” to find others who may have seen,
suspected or suffered crimes by a recently accused priest,
and
--permanently post on his website the names, photos and whereabouts
of all child molesting clerics who live or work (or have lived or worked) in his
diocese.
They will also urge ALL current and former Montana Catholic
employees to “come clean” about clergy sex crimes and cover ups by sharing
everything they know and suspect with law enforcement officials (instead of
assuming and hoping that the church hierarchy will handle such cases quietly and
‘in house.’)
WHEN
Thursday, Dec. 6th at 11:00 a.m.
WHERE
In front of St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral 215 North 31st Street
(corner of 3rd. Ave. N,) in Billings, MT
WHO
Two to three members of an international support group for victims
of clergy abuse called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
(SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY
Fr. Dennis Druggan was suspended in July because of allegations
that he molested a child at St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, MT in the
mid-1980s. But SNAP contends that the Great Falls-Billings Catholic diocese, and
especially Bishop Michael Warfel has done little or nothing to tell his flock
about the allegations, help police or prosecutors pursue Druggan or find and
help others who may have been hurt by
him or have information about his crimes. (Druggan has denied the
allegations.)
For a decade now, bishops have pledged to be “open and transparent”
in clergy sex cases. And Pope Benedict has said that the church will “do
everything possible” to help victims heal. So SNAP believes that Warfel has both
a moral and civic duty to use his “vast resources” to try and find others who
may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by
Druggan.
SNAP predicts that Warfel will try to dodge responsibility for
Druggan because he belongs to a religious order called the Capuchins. The
Capuchins worked in Montana with the permission of the local bishop. And
according to church teaching and practice, a bishop is responsible for the
safety and well-being of every Catholic in his
diocese.
“It doesn’t matter who signs the paycheck of a pedophile priest,”
said David Clohessy, SNAP Director. “If he spent time in Warfel’s diocese,
Warfel has an obligation to try to help, not sit silently on the
sidelines.”
When Druggan was accused this summer, he was head of St. Lawrence
Seminary High School in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin. He has been suspended from that
post. Druggan worked at St. Lawrence since 1993.
He worked at St. Labre Indian School in Montana from 1984-1991.
Due to the statute of limitations in Montana, charges against Fr.
Druggan will apparently not be investigated. SNAP says this situation is an
example of why these “archaic, predator friendly laws need reform.” And it means
that the bishop’s responsibility to do outreach is even greater, the group
says.
SNAP also wants Warfel to permanently post on his website and in
parish bulletins - the names, photos and whereabouts of all child molesting
clerics who live or work (or have lived or worked) in his diocese. The group
feels that this is “the quickest, simplest and easiest way to protect children.”
Roughly 30 US bishops have posted the names of their predator
priests, usually after considerable public pressure.
In 2002, Tucson and Baltimore became the first US dioceses to
disclose predators’ names. More recently, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has
created a database on its website which includes priests with credible child sex
abuse accusations against them. (A full list of all the dioceses that have
disclosed names is available here:
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/lists.htm)
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2012/07_08/2012_07_16_FondduLacReporter_StLawrence.htm
A photo of Druggan is available at
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2012/07_08/2012_07_16_FondduLacReporter_StLawrence.htm
The Great Falls/Billings diocesan staffers in charge of abuse are
Scott Westphal (406 727 6683, ext. 112, scott@dioceseofgfb.org ) and Laurie
Horton (406 727 6683, ext. 110, lhorton@dioceseofgfb.org)
CONTACT
Judy Jones 314 974 5003, SNAPjudy@gmail.com,
David Clohessy 314 566
9790 cell, 314 645 5915 home, SNAPclohessy@aol.com