Priest of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Fremont arrested for child sex abuse
FREMONT, Calif. (KGO) -- It wasn't the news parishioners at St. John's Catholic Church in San Lorenzo wanted to hear. Their former priest, Father David Mendoza-Vela was arrested on 30 counts of Lewd acts with a child on Thursday.
Some couldn't believe it.
"He's a priest, he's a good priest," one unidentified parishioner said.
Alameda County Sheriff's Department officials say the alleged abuse began in 2016 over an 18 month period at St. John's Church and involved one child.
Parents at St. John's school recently got a letter notifying them about the arrest.
Father Vela was transferred to Corpus Christi Church in Fremont in 2016. Parishioners learned about the arrest at Sunday mass.
"Our feelings are confused, we didn't know anything about it," said parishioner Sandra Espinoza.
Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused By Priests or SNAP, stood outside Corpus Christi Church, handing out flyers with information about the arrest. Joey Piscitelli fears there could be more victims.
"We're urging any kid or anybody who knows a kid moleste.
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