KY--Ex-Owensboro priest named in new grand jury report

For immediate release: Thursday, March 31

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, [email protected])

A predator priest from Pennsylvania was quietly moved to Kentucky, according to a recently-released grand jury report. We believe he molested kids in the Owensboro area and fear that some of them are still in pain and have yet to come forward and get help.

We call on Owensboro Catholic officials to disclose

--where the predator priest worked and

--the names of other out-of-state child molesting clerics who were allowed to work in western Kentucky.

He is Fr. Raymond Waldruff. According a story in Sunday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “In the 1960s, after he was accused of abuse in Blair County, Pa., (Catholic officials) transferred Fr. Waldruff to Owensboro, Ky., where he faced more complaints.”

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/ap/male-religious-orders-may-not-be-accountable-to-catholic-church/article_6d253c85-9b23-50d9-9f9a-0d48c02a7e01.html

We strongly suspect that Fr. Waldruff isn’t the only child molesting cleric from elsewhere who Owensboro Catholic officials let work in western Kentucky kids. We urge Owensboro Bishop William Medley to disclose the names, whereabouts and work histories of every predatory priest, nun, seminarian, brother or bishop who molested elsewhere and was then quietly sent to work in western Kentucky.

We also urge him to post on his diocesan website the names of all child molesting clerics who live or work or have lived or worked – in Owensboro. About 30 US bishops have done this. It’s a “bare minimum” step toward healing and prevention.

Fr. Waldruff died in 1985. He also worked in West Virginia. We suspect that there are still adults who he assaulted as kids who are suffering in shame, silence and self-blame in all three states where he worked. No matter what
Bishop Medley does or doesn’t do, we hope Catholic officials in all three states will use parish bulletins, pulpit announcements and church websites to reach out to them and offer help.

Bishop Medley has a terrible track record when it comes to protecting kids, exposing predators and disclosing cover ups. (See links below and more on our website.) He now has a chance to chart a new direction. We hope he finds the courage and compassion to do so.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_statements/2009_statements/121509_new_bishop_named_for_owensboro_diocese_sex_abuse_victims_respond.htm

http://www.snapnetwork.org/_blast_owensboro_diocese_s_recklessness_snap_begs_bishops

http://www.snapnetwork.org/us_bishops_to_review_progress_made_regarding_clergy_abuse_in_past_decade_snap_responds

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has 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]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])