CA- Twice accused Los Angeles priest now working on Guam; Victims respond

For immediate release: Friday, July 18, 2014

Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, CA, 949-322-7434 cell, [email protected]

We are shocked to learn that a Los Angeles priest from Los Angeles - accused twice of molesting children - now works as a priest on Guam. We strongly urge Guam Catholic officials to oust him.

Fr. John Wadeson, has been named in LA archdiocese records and in news reports as a twice accused predator priest. Because those allegations were deemed “credible” by church officials, he is not allowed to present himself as a priest anywhere in the Archdiocese of LA. 

Despite this, Guam Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron is letting Fr. Wadesono work and act as a priest. Apuron also lets Fr. Wadeson travel to other dioceses, including Honolulu.

Although Fr. Wadeson has not been convicted of abuse, the fact that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has banned him from ministry is just cause for Apuron to remove the cleric immediately. We fear that Apuron is putting Guam's children at direct risk and protecting a credibly accused predator instead of protecting his flock.

We urge Apuron to immediate remove Fr. Wadeson from ministry and make public announcements about Fr. Wadeson at every parish where he has worked or celebrated Mass, begging anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or misdeeds by Fr. Wadeson to step forward, get help, call police, protect others and start healing.

We also want Apuron to explain to parishioners that Fr. Wadeson has been accused of abuse by two children and is banned from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  

We also beg Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez to immediately tell Apuron about the risks that Fr. Wadeson poses. As a powerful Archbishop, Gomez can easily use his power and influence to ensure that Fr. Wadeson can never work as a priest again.

Finally, we applaud whistleblowers in the Archdiocese of Hagatna, who are working steadfastly to ensure that Fr. Wadeson is removed and his past is exposed.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])