OR--Priest fled the US during police investigation

Group to leaflet at Catholic church

They challenge archbishop on accused cleric

Priest fled the US during police investigation

SNAP: “Church officials must do aggressive outreach”

Staff must also warn families abroad about wrongdoer, victims say

What:

As parishioners leave mass with Portland’s archbishop, two leaders of a support group for clergy sex abuse victims will hand out fliers. The leaflets urge church goers to

--seek out others who saw, suspected or suffered misdeeds or crimes by a priest fleeing the law, and

--question former church members about the cleric and urge them to call law enforcement.

The fliers also urge Portland Catholic officials to

--use church resources to aggressively reach out to anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered the cleric’s alleged crimes,

--write their Philippine colleagues and urge them to keep the priest away from children, and

---promise that the next time a priest, nun, seminarian, brother or other church employee is accused of or suspected of sexual misdeeds, church supervisors will insist that his or her passport be turned over to the archbishop, to prevent the accused from fleeing overseas.

When:

Sunday, Aug. 22 at 11:00 a.m.

Where:

Outside St.  Francis Catholic Church, 15651 SW Oregon St. in Sherwood, OR (503-625-6185)

Who:

Two members of an international support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Portland woman who is the organization’s Oregon director

Why:

This weekend, Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample will be at St. Francis, talking about Fr. Ysrael Bien who has fled the US and returned to the Philippines. Sherwood police have issued an arrest warrant for Fr. Bien in connection with a hidden camera he apparently bought and installed in a parish bathroom.

For the safety of parishioners, SNAP wants Sample to write his colleagues in the Philippines begging them to keep Fr. Bien away from kids and out of parishes.

The group also wants Sample to “aggressively urge anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or cover ups by Fr. Bien to contact law enforcement.” If more victims, witnesses or whistleblowers step forward, SNAP says, Fr. Bien may be charged with more crimes which will increase the chances that he’ll be extradited, convicted and imprisoned, which makes everyone safer and deters similar crimes and cover ups in the future.

SNAP also contends that Sample should have yanked Fr. Bien’s passport when this crime was reported.  Or Sample should have acted decisively when it was clear that Fr. Bien lied to parishioners, by telling them he had contacted police when in fact he had not.

Some church members or staff who may have seen, suspected or suffered” crimes or misdeeds by Fr. Bien may have quit the parish in frustration or fear, SNAP says. So the organization is appealing to church-goers to contact former members or employees and ask them to share any information or suspicions they may have with law enforcement.

Finally, to help law enforcement and reassure local Catholics, the group wants Sample to disclose all church facilities where Fr. Bien spent time.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/or_take_action_now_victims_tell_portland_archbishop

Contact

David Clohessy 314-566-9790 cell, [email protected], Jeannie Cratty 781-775-0142, [email protected], Barbara Dorris 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]