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Diocese names accused priests
By JUSTIN DENNIS and Amanda TONOLI
YOUNGSTOWN
Bishop George Murry
Video
Catholic leaders today released a list of names of 34 priests connected to the Youngstown diocese priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse.
The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown apologized and asked for forgiveness from the victims of priests and others who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.
“I am very sorry that the church has failed to act aggressively to eliminate this evil,” the Most Rev. George Murry said in a statement after a Tuesday media briefing. “I humbly ask for forgiveness from the victims and their families for the grave mistakes that the church has made.”
The names of 34 people connected to the diocese were released.
Of the 551 diocesan priests and 475 priests belonging to a certain religious order who have served in the diocese since 1943, 31 have substantiated child sex-abuse allegations against them – about 3 percent, Bishop Murry said. On average, about 4 percent of priests nationwide have sexually abused a minor, he added.
“We have to do something to ensure, always, that children are protected,” he said. “Our promise to our people is that this doesn’t happen again. We’re putting this list out to clear the debt and be open and honest.”
Another two clergy members named in the list resided within the diocese’s territory. A third, nonclergy, member from the Franciscan religious order, Brother Stephen Baker, who was accused of abusing 28 students during his time teaching at Warren’s JFK High School, also was named.
All but 12 of those named are deceased. Nine died before sex-abuse allegations surfaced.
The list did not include the priests’ parish affiliations or assignments, or their years in active ministry. Bishop Murry told The Vindicator that diocese attorneys cautioned against publicizing that information, as they felt it may lead to an influx of unsubstantiated claims, but diocese leadership overruled that suggestion.
The diocese expects to release that information late Friday. But a review of Vindicator archives Tuesday produced several parish assignment and transfer records for most of the clergy named (see accompanying box).
The diocese plans to update the list on its website, DOY.org, should more accusers come forward. So far, 76 victims have made substantiated claims against area clergy, Bishop Murry said. The most recent case was in 2005, he said.
Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who has represented church sex-abuse victims across the country, said in a statement Tuesday an independent investigation of the Youngstown diocese is “long overdue.”
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, also released a statement Tuesday again urging Ohio officials to call for an independent review of diocese personnel files and abuse records by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.
“While we’re glad that church officials have taken this first step, we believe that they must take two other steps immediately to show that they are being fully open and honest about the extent of abuse in their diocese,” the statement reads. “Only independent law enforcement professionals can truly determine when an allegation is ‘credible’ or not, especially given that we have seen church officials deem accusations not credible only to be proven horribly wrong later.”