Media Statements

(For Immediate Release August 5, 2022) 

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg and the Tort Claimants Committee for Sexual Abuse Survivors struck an agreement to possibly resolve the Diocese's Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring lawsuit. The Diocese hailed the proposed plan's child safety measures as "the most thorough and in-depth child protection protocols of any Diocese in the United States" in a statement. Once finalized, the deal will be filed to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for approval "as soon as practicable."

The diocese issued this in a statement, ‘The agreement between the Diocese and the Committee will be incorporated into a plan of reorganization and that plan will be voted upon and submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for approval. Of greatest importance, the plan will seek to establish the most comprehensive and in-depth child protection protocols of any Diocese in the United States.’

In addition to the above, the RCDH and related entities will establish a Survivor Compensation Trust and provide funding to the trust in an amount equal to $7.5 million to provide financial restitution for survivors of clergy sexual abuse. The Survivor Compensation Trust may also be funded through additional settlements with the RCDH’s current and legacy insurance carriers. The details of this settlement will be embodied in the joint plan of reorganization referenced above, which will be co-drafted by the RCDH and the Committee and filed with the Bankruptcy Court as soon as possible. Once established, a Trust administrator, and not the Diocese, will determine compensation amounts and claim eligibility for abuse survivors.

We thank the survivors of sexual assault from the Diocese of Harrisburg for standing out for their rights and the rights of other victims. Given the church's wealth, it is a drop in the bucket in the overall scheme of things. No amount of money will compensate for the lifetime of pain caused by sexual assault. Furthermore, we know that these approaches are intended to maintain the impression of assistance for survivors, but no actual action has been taken by church leaders to ensure justice for victims.

If Harrisburg church authorities want to assist survivors and establish safer settings within their congregations, they must be open and honest with their congregations. They should promptly update their list of abusers to incorporate the new names discovered during the bankruptcy process, and then utilize every resource available to guarantee parishioners and parents that children and adults are safe. Similarly, they should be turning over all information regarding sex crimes, regardless of the status of the abuser, to local law enforcement.

We know that no institution can police itself and so we hope that police and prosecutors in Pennsylvania are looking long and hard to find creative pathways toward justice for survivors and to prevent more cases of abuse in the future. A critical step in preventing abuse is ensuring that those who covered up and enabled abuse are prosecuted.

CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267) 261-0578 ), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386 ), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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 (For Immediate Release August 5, 2022) 

Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, has canceled the new work order for Fr. Eric Silva to report to Saint Thomas More in Narragansett on August 15^th as an assistant. While we applaud the decision of Bishop Tobin not to allow Fr. Silva to return to parish work, we are not commending the Bishop himself. Fr. Silva should not have been on a list for reassignment in the first place, as he had been removed from active ministry for asking inappropriate questions of children. We believe that any "investigation" done solely by diocesan-employed investigators is suspect and that better results are achieved by independent, secular investigations. 

We believe the moral approach, with the continuing large and alarming numbers of priests under inquiry, is to be careful, not complacent. We also believe that our group, survivors who spoke out, and advocates who also expressed concern about placing Fr. Silva back into parish life without an independent investigation have made a huge difference.

It is simply irresponsible to ignore history, patterns, and common sense. It is wrong to justify such a dangerous decision by saying that a cleric has done everything his superiors have asked, and therefore is ready to be placed back in a position of trust and responsibility.  We believe that the earlier decision by Church leaders would have put the lives of innocent children at risk.

CONTACTS: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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In an unsurprising development, an AP News report has uncovered what sex abuse advocates have known for years – that church officials with Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the US have been following the playbook set by the Catholic Church, Southern Baptist Convention, and other religious institutions – in cases of sex abuse, protect the institution, not the children.

(For Immediate Release August 1, 2022) 

A former member of Saint Mary of the Sacred Heart Parish in Lynn, Massachusetts, has filed a civil lawsuit against Bishop Paul Fitzpatrick Russell, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit and a former Vatican Diplomat.

Carmen L. Durso, Esq., of Boston filed the complaint for client John Doe No. 12 in Suffolk County Superior Court, alleging that when Mr. Doe was 12 years old in 1989-1990, he was sexually assaulted, abused, and raped by Bishop Russell, then a Roman Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of Boston. According to the lawsuit, the cleric sexually attacked and raped the child approximately 25 times. The complaint further alleges that the assaults, abuses, and rapes occurred because of the negligent supervision of the clergyman by his supervisor at the parish. Fr. Ronald J. Gariboldi. The docket number for this case is 2284CV01745, and the filing was provided to SNAP by Mr. Durso.

Cardinal Bernard Law ordained Bishop Russell as a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston on June 20, 1987, when the Cardinal was still an archbishop. The new clergyman was assigned to Sacred Heart Parish shortly thereafter. Cardinal Law invited then Fr. Russell to become his priest-secretary shortly after Fr. Russell started a new post at St. Eulalia Parish in Winchester, Massachusetts, in 1992. The Cardinal encouraged Fr. Russell to join the Vatican Diplomatic Service in 1993.

We hope that the filing of this complaint will help provide hope and healing to this victim and that it will also inspire others who have been hurt to come forward and make a report.

Given Bishop Russell’s high position in the Catholic Church – and especially given the fact that he had been tapped by disgraced Cardinal Law to be a Vatican Diplomat– we believe true transparency and accountability will only come when the files on the clergyman held by the Church are publicly disclosed.

In the meantime, it is disturbing that Bishop Russell has yet to be suspended from his position despite the serious accusations against him. At a bare minimum, the Bishop should be removed from his job and subjected to a canonical investigation while awaiting a jury trial in the civil case. To do anything less flies in the face of the Church’s promises of “zero tolerance” for abuse.

Nancy Crabbs, Michigan SNAP Leader, stated, 'People who are practicing Catholics can help the church end abuse by watching the priests and anyone responsible for children.' 

CONTACT: Nadja Tirrell, SNAP Leader Michigan, (947-247-0143 [email protected]),Nancy Crabbs (616-514-7973 [email protected]) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager, (267-261-0578, [email protected]) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386, [email protected])

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

(For Immediate Release August 1, 2022) 

Eric Silva, a priest in the Diocese of Providence, was removed from two Rhode Island Catholic churches in February 2022 for inappropriate behavior. Parents alleged that Silva was asking inappropriate questions to children about their sexual orientation and sexual activity. Silva was appointed to St. Luke's Church in Barrington earlier this year and was a visiting priest in Cranston. Silva made the remarks to the pupils while visiting Immaculate Conception Catholic Regional School in Cranston. However, there were also complaints at St. Luke's.

Silva is currently serving Mass at its Narragansett St. Veronica's Chapel. Silva is solely mentioned as "Father Eric" on church schedules, although all other priests at St. Thomas More are named by their surnames. Silva has been holding mass in Narragansett for the past few weeks. According to a July 14 article in the Diocese's publication, "Reverend Eric Silva, to Assistant Pastor, St. Thomas More Parish, Narragansett, beginning August 15, 2022."

We are fully aware that there was no allegation of sexual abuse against Fr. Silva, we do know that these probing words by a cleric, to any child or adult, reek of grooming patterns. It is no surprise to us that Bishop Tobin quietly placed ‘Fr. Eric’ back on the job. Tobin has been scrutinized for his involvement in handling the transfer of suspect priests when he worked as Vicar General and General Secretary for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Tobin said that he was aware of allegations of sexual abuse during his time in Pennsylvania but could not act on them.   

As should every parishioner and member of the Rhode Island community, we are concerned that Bishop Tobin has not revealed any information on Silva's "inappropriate behavior."

Countless times in the past, Catholic officials have placed suspended priests back into parishes, only later having to remove them again when additional accusations are reported. We are concerned that this history could repeat itself in the Diocese of Providence.

We beg anyone who may have suffered, seen, or suspected child sex crimes in Rhode Island to summon the strength to speak up. Today's children are safer when adults are courageous enough to call and report this to law enforcement.

CONTACTS: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release July 29, 2022) 

A retired Catholic priest from the Diocese Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, who purportedly has not served in ministry since 2009, has been charged by Pennsylvania State Police with sexually assaulting a young male through ages 9-14 yrs. Perry Malacaman, 84, who resides in West Virginia, is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16, corruption of minors, and indecent assault of a person younger than 16, according to a criminal complaint.

Malacaman worked at St. Francis de Sales, a parish in Beckley, W.Va., and was ordained in 1972, in the Archdiocese of Davao, in Davao City, Philippines. He had been assigned to several parishes in West Virginia starting in 1993, and last served as a priest in 2009 in Beckley, according to diocesan Bishop Mark E. Brennan, who wrote a letter to Catholics in the Beckley area.

We have several questions for Bishop Brennan, one being the most obvious. How did this priest arrive from the Philippines, and why? If he was ordained in 1972, what is his work history from then until his employment in West Virginia? More importantly, according to news sources, Malacaman is retired, yet his name is not recognized anywhere on the diocesan website. Our concern is coupled with red flags. Who financially supports Malcaman, and is this allegation truly the first reported against him?

We insist that Bishop Brennan contact his equals in the Philippines and have them share the news of this arrest. Additionally, we encourage anyone with information regarding Fr. Malacaman to report what they know to law enforcement, including the Pennsylvania State Police. If Malacaman took children across state lines to sexually assault them, we know Federal Authorities would become involved.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

(For Immediate Release July 27, 2022) 

Portland, Maine priest. Fr. Robert Vallancourt is being returned to active ministry following the end of a year-long examination. In the 1980s, two complaints of sexual assault of adolescent girls were ruled to be unsubstantiated by the Diocese of Portland. The diocese has not yet assigned Vaillancourt to a new assignment.

The diocese released this in their statement. ‘In July of 2021, upon receipt of the first complaint and in accordance with diocesan policy, Fr. Vaillancourt was placed on administrative leave. The announcement of the administrative leave and investigation was distributed to all parishes in the diocese, publicized on the diocesan website and social media platforms, and issued to media outlets throughout the state, encouraging people to come forward with relevant information. Subsequently, a second allegation against Fr. Vaillancourt was received through an attorney representing a second woman. Civil authorities were notified of the allegations, and state law enforcement conducted investigations over the past year.’

The dismissed allegations against Fr. Vallencourt still have us concerned. We know that false allegations of child sexual abuse are extremely rare, and we stand with the two women who stepped forward with courage. We hope they get the help they need and have guidance in their journey to healing.

Maine passed a new law to allow victims who suffered sexual abuse their day in court. Claims that were previously expired are revived. Adults of all ages who were abused as children can now file lawsuits for child sex abuse; this law went into effect starting on October 18, 2021, even if their claim expired under the prior law.

We can’t help but think that the timing of civil claims appearing on docket calendars in New York, New Jersey, California, and Maine is playing a part in accused clergy being cleared by their employers and placed back into ministry. To us, this tactic depicts that church investigations are doing their part ahead of a defendant’s answer to civil claims and exchange of discovery. Church officials and their attorneys want to eliminate potential victims from coming forward, all for self-preservation. We know the truth sits with survivors, and discovery is often in hidden church Canon 489 files.  

We call on Bishop Deeley to adhere to the Church’s pledge of transparency and to provide specific details regarding all the accusations against Fr. Vallencourt, so that parishioners and the public can judge for themselves. In the meantime, we urge anyone with information regarding sexual abuse or misconduct by any Catholic bishop, priest, deacon, nun, religious brother, lay employee, or volunteer to contact law enforcement first. Secular investigations produce the best results when it comes to dangerous behavior. 

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release July 27, 2022) 

When Pope Francis visits Quebec City today, victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy wish for him to express regret for their pain and suffering. As part of a week-long visit to Canada to promote healing and reconciliation between the Catholic Church and Indigenous people who endured years of abuse at residential schools, we wholeheartedly respect the primary reason for this papal visit. Still, we must not forget the other crimes of the clergy in Quebec and throughout Canada.

The Pope's coming to Canada is purportedly a significant and symbolic action from the Vatican. This apology is meant to ease the pain of the families of the tens of thousands of First Nation children who suffered irreparable trauma at the hands of Catholic priests, nuns, and staff members through the residential school system. Given what we now know about these terrible residential schools, we doubt any First Nation family in Canada has been spared any direct effects. The effects of abuse have manifested in millions and millions of Native Canadians, and in Quebec, survivors from the Innu, Anishinaabe, Naskapi, Wendat, and Atikamekw nations have our utmost respect.

As horrific crimes against children committed by those who were trained, ordained, and employed by the Roman Catholic Church have been revealed worldwide, we now can easily spot the campaign of the surface-level actions the Pope will take to atone for the centuries of suffering, demise, and harm. As the initial step, he apologizes. With this tour, it is now possible to check that box, which is the simple part. These following steps are much harder and, too often, rarely taken by church officials.

(For Immediate Release July 26, 2022) 

Michigan Attorney General, Dana Nessel, announced the sentencing of Neil Kalina, 67, a former Michigan priest charged with sex abuse in the 80s. Kalina received a 7–15-year sentence after being found guilty last month of two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

He was a priest at St. Kiernan Catholic Church in Utica, MI., from 1982-1985 and is now convicted of sexually abusing children 13-15 years old. He was first charged in May of 2019 and arrested in Littlerock, California, where he operated "a faith-based service program for at-risk young men" in LA County.

"This conviction marks the sixth one secured by my clergy abuse team," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. "It's also a reminder of our ongoing commitment to this investigation and the survivors in these cases. We will continue to fight for justice."

We are incredibly grateful for the tremendous work of the Michigan Attorney General's Office (OAG) in its ongoing investigation into abuse by the clergy. For far too long, in far too many cases, Catholic church officials who concealed child sex crimes succeeded in "running out the clock," allowing perpetrators to escape responsibility for their violent crimes. In this case, Kalina was allowed to escape justice and relocate to California, where we suspect other victims may be.

Secular investigations, nationally and internationally, provide the best hope of justice for Catholic victims of clergy sex crimes. Just as importantly, these investigations reveal the true scope of the problem of abusive clerics. It is a tragedy that the dioceses who employed these perpetrators failed to disclose crucial information and how the Church allowed these men to continue to endanger the public in other parts of the country or other parts of the world. 

We want anyone who may have come in harm's way by Neil' Fr. Neil' Kalina in California to know they still have time to seek justice. California's window legislation for those who have been time-barred from justice expires on December 31, 2022; more information can be found here. 

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager, (267-261-0578, [email protected]) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]) Nadja Tirrell, SNAP Leader - Lansing (810 874-9620, [email protected]) Nancy Crabbs, SNAP Leader - Grand Rapids-West Michigan (616-514-7973,[email protected])

 (SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is www.snapnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release July 26, 2022) 

A Fresno appellate court has ordered the dismissal of the last two of three defamation cases filed by former Bakersfield priest Craig Harrison to defend himself against accusations of sexual impropriety.

In two separate but related rulings dated Friday, California's Fifth District Court of Appeals found that two defendants acted within their rights in 2019 when they publicly recounted claims that Harrison had acted inappropriately toward minors.

Ryan Gilligan, a former religious brother, made eyewitness reports of observing questionable behavior involving minors by the now laicized priest and credibly accused, former Msgr. Craig Harrison, as well as an account of his own first-hand experience of being sexually harassed by Harrison. The Merced County District Attorney considered whether to file criminal charges against Harrison concerning these and other allegations that he sexually abused minors. We stand in a victory ovation for the defendants in these cases for their conviction and stamina in upholding the truth.

Through his bravery, Ryan Gilligan has validated the truth. But more importantly, he has made the church safer for all, especially kids. We both admire him and feel grateful to him. We are glad the defamation case filed by Harrison has been swiftly dismissed.

In a statement shared with permission to us by Gilligan, his attorneys said:

We are pleased with the two rulings issued by the Fifth District Court of Appeals finding that Craig Harrison's separate lawsuits against our clients should both be dismissed under California's Anti-SLAPP statute.

Mr. Harrison had filed two lawsuits against our clients: one against Stephen Brady and the organization he leads, Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc., and another against Harrison's first public accuser, Ryan Gilligan. The Court of Appeals correctly found that our clients had engaged in protected speech that could not form the basis of a defamation claim.

 California's Anti-SLAPP statute was intended to dispose of frivolous and baseless lawsuits just like the ones Mr. Harrison filed against our clients. To disincentivize such baseless lawsuits, the Anti-SLAPP statute provides that a prevailing defendant's attorneys' fees must be paid by the losing plaintiff. We will now seek to recover from Mr. Harrison the substantial attorneys' fees that our clients have incurred during this process.

Paul M. Jonna and Jeffrey M. Trissell of LiMandri & Jonna LLP represented Roman Catholic Faithful, Mr. Brady, and Mr. Gilligan in these two lawsuits.

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We encourage all those who made allegations against Harrison to the Diocese of Fresno and any other witnesses to continue to speak the truth and expose clergy sexual abuse. We know that sharing the truth about abuse can be difficult, but it encourages those who have sat in silence to come forward. We believe those who should be held accountable for victimization in religious organizations hold the missing pieces of discovery victims need for closure and legal claims. 

We continue our call for the California Attorney General's Office to look into every diocese's sexual abuse reporting to ensure Catholic dioceses relayed this information as required to secular authorities.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-262-0578), Dan McNevin, SNAP Board Member ([email protected], 415-341-6417), Joey Piscitelli, SNAP California ([email protected], 925-262-3699) Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator, ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

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