MO--Three Springfield predators are just "outed"
For immediate release: Thursday, July 9
For more information:
David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, S[email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Three predator priests “outed” for first time
All worked in the Springfield Catholic diocese
They’re “credibly accused child molesters,” church admits
Long secret records about them were just released this week
More hidden documents will be disclosed in the months ahead
Two of them were in St. Louis area as recently as three & six years ago
Three Catholic priests who worked in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Catholic diocese have been publicly identified for the first time as “credibly accused” child molesters and a victims group wants local church officials to “aggressively seek out and help” others who have been hurt by them.
http://www.bnd.com/news/local/article26737747.html
They are Fr. Thomas Meyer, Fr. James Vincent Fitzgerald and Fr. Michael Charland.
“It’s very likely others who were hurt by these priests are still suffering in shame, silence and self-blame,” said David Clohessy of St. Louis. A Drury University graduate, he heads an international support group called the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “Springfield’s bishop, other clerics and lay Catholics should do everything possible to find and console these wounded victims.”
According to the Official Catholic Directory, from 1998 to 1999, Fr. Meyer was pastor at St. Leo the Great Parish/IHM Parish in Mansfield. In 1987, Fr. Fitzgerald was pastor at St. William’s parish in Gainesville. From 1959-63, Fr. Charland attended seminary at Our Lady of the Ozarks in Carthage.
Fr. Charland is now a psychologist in the Twin Cities area. The other two are deceased. http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/07/07/oblate-names-released
Yesterday, leaders of a SNAP and a Catholic reform group called Faithful of Southern Illinois (FOSIL) held a news conference in Belleville IL to draw attention to the disclosures. Each of the priests belongs or belonged to a Belleville-based Catholic religious order called the Oblates.
The two groups are also
-- prodding anyone who was hurt by the priests to speak up and get help, and
-- prodding Catholic officials in St. Louis, Belleville and Springfield to “come clean” with more information about the priests and aggressively seek out their victims.
“Over the years, these predators had easy access to literally thousands of girls and boys in Missouri, Illinois and elsewhere,” said Barbara Dorris, outreach director for SNAP. “There could be dozens of adults mired in pain, in Mansfield, Gainesville and elsewhere, because of their crimes. Springfield Bishop James Johnston, St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson and Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton should use parish bulletins, church websites and pulpit announcements” to aggressively seek out and offer help to these wounded victims.”
Records about seven predator priests are being released as part of a lawsuit settlement. Only one of the priests (Fr. Fitzgerald) has been publicly exposed before as a credibly accused child molester until now. He lived in Belleville until 2009. Fr. Meyer lived in Belleville as recently as 2012.
One of the clerics spent seven decades as a priest in Missouri and Illinois. From the 1940s until six years ago, Fr. Fitzgerald split his time between six states including assignments in at least three towns in Illinois and two in Missouri.
The two priests who worked in St. Louis archdiocese are Fr. Robert J. Reitmeier (at Holy Guardian Angels Parish) and Fr. Fitzgerald (at St. Michael’s Community).
Besides Fr. Meyer, Fr. Fitzgerald and Fr. Charland, the other three who worked in the Belleville diocese are Fr. Orville Munie, Fr. Paul Kabat and Fr. Emil Twardochleb.
More details about each of the predators and their specific work histories in Missouri and Illinois (including dates, parishes and photos) will be provided at the news conference and/or is available at AndersonAdvocates.com
Each priest belonged or belongs to a Belleville-based religious order called the Oblates (1-888-330-6264, mami@oblatesusa.org). It operates the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville.
The records release is part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit brought in Minnesota against the Oblates by a man who reports having been molested by Fr. Fitzgerald. The settlement involved only the Oblates, so the case against the dioceses of Duluth and New Ulm (where the seven also worked) continues. So more long-hidden church records will be divulged in the months ahead.
The attorneys who represent the victim in this case are Jeff Anderson 651 227 9990, 612 817 8665 cell) and Mike Finnegan (651 227 9990). They have also handled clergy sex cases in Belleville and St. Louis.
Fr. Fitzgerald also worked in California, Texas, Florida, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Fr. Meyer also worked in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Fr. Charland also worked in Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Canada.
CONTACT
David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, S[email protected]), Anne Harter (618-277-7594), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [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
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