CA- Victims challenge CA predator priest & 3 archbishops

For immediate release Monday July 28, 2014

For more information: Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, 949-322-7434 cell, [email protected], David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP Director 314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]

Victims challenge priest & 4 Catholic officials

Alleged predator claims he's been "exonerated"

SNAP to accused cleric: "Disclose your personnel file" 

And group wants archbishops to release all files on suspended molester

Clergy sex abuse victims are challenging a twice-accused and twice-suspended California Catholic predator priest to produce copies of records that he says show the child sex abuse allegations against him are unfounded. And they want three archbishops and the cleric's direct supervisor to release the cleric's personnel files.

“Investigations made into that allegation concluded that it was without foundation,” Fr. John H. Wadeson told PACIFIC DAILY NEWS last week. 

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, want Fr. Wadeson to provide the evidence of this conclusion. They also want the archbishops of San Francisco, Los Angeles and Guam to release what they know about the cleric. 

“San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez and  Hagåtña Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron should each publicly produce records showing what they know about these allegations and explain why Fr. Wadeson was apparently allowed to work as a priest in San Francisco and Guam even though he was ousted in Los Angeles,” said Tim Lennon of San Francisco, a SNAP leader. “Not one of their aides or spokespersons, but the archbishops themselves.” 

Wadeson belongs to a Chicago-based religious order called the Divine Word Missionaries (800-275-0626, http://www.svdmissions.org/contact_us/default.aspx) 

Fr. Vaz' predecessor, Fr. Thomas Ascheman, allegedly wrote that "the allegation (against Fr. Wadeson) was never substantiated, no formal accusation was ever made, and no settlement was offered, or made."

Fr. Wadeson has been accused of abuse twice and has been banned from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He also worked in New York, New Jersey, and Oregon. 

More details are here.

(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])