Largely Unknown Allegedly Abusive Clerics who Spent Time in the two KC Area Dioceses
Each of these priests is listed in a data base of accused clerics maintained by the most credible on-line source on information on the Catholic abuse and cover up crisis, BishopAccountability.org. All have been sued, “outed” by Catholic officials, or mentioned in mainstream secular and/or religious news media, but usually in other states. Their presence in the Kansas City area is confirmed through the same sources.
A victim of one of these clerics (Fr. Coury) was represented by St. Louis attorney Ken Chackes (314 872 8420, 314 369 3902 cell, [email protected]). Victims of some of the accused have been represented by KC MO attorney Rebecca Randles (816 931 9901, 816 510 2704 cell, [email protected])
Jesuits
Fr. John G. O’Flaherty worked at St. Francis Xavier Church and Rockhurst College, He was named as an abuser in a March 2011 civil complaint filed in Pueblo, CO.
Fr. Eugene Maio was a priest in the KC, KS, archdiocese. He was accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing one person at Marymount High School in Los Angeles.
Vincentians
Fr. John “Jack” V. Farris attended St. John's seminary in Kansas City and worked in nine Missouri parishes. He was sued in 2003 in California for sexual abuse of a youth
Fr. Philip Coury, who reportedly lives outside the diocese now, was found by the KC MO diocese to be “credibly accused” of the sexual abuse of a childwhile he was on staff at St John Seminary. To the best of SNAP’s knowledge, this allegation is not widely known in the local community.
Benedictines
Fr. Placidus Kieffer worked in the Kansas City, KS, archdiocese. In 2002, he was accused of sexually abusing two boys in the Davenport diocese and those allegations were deemed “credible” by church officials. His name is on Davenport's list of "credibly accused" abusers.
Fr. John C. (Fidelis) Forrester worked in the Kansas City, KS, archdiocese. He is included on publicly posted lists of “credibly accused” abusive priests in both the Seattle archdiocese and the Davenport diocese.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news5/2008_07_17_CatholicMessenger_ListReleased.htm#forrester
For more information: David Clohessy, SNAP, 314 566 9790, [email protected]
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director