Accused predator priest lives above day care center

Group wants alleged molester ousted and public apology from archbishop

Cleric faces pending child molestation lawsuit, but Favalora lets him minister

Support group says church officials violate national bishops' sex abuse policy

SNAP urges anyone who "saw, suspected or suffered" clergy crimes to come forward

Organization also wants 'proven, admitted & credibly accused' pedophiles listed on website

WHAT
At a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will try to hand-deliver a letter to Miami archdiocesan officials, urging them to
--- suspend an accused pedophile who is still a pastor so that kids will be safer, and
--- force the cleric to move out of a building which houses a day care center.

They'll also prod anyone who saw, suspected or suffered the priest's crimes to come forward, call police and get help.

WHEN
TODAY, Friday, Jan. 23, 1:30 p.m.

WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Miami archdiocese headquarters, 9401 Biscayne Blvd., in Miami

WHO
One or two clergy sex abuse victims, including a Missouri woman who heads a nation-wide self help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
In. October 2007, Fr. Ronaldo J. Castillo was accused in a civil lawsuit of molesting a teenaged boy at St. Timothy's parish in Southwest Miami-Dade in 2001. Yet Castillo remains the pastor, according to parishioners, church bulletins, and the parish website (www.st-timothy-catholic.org).

SNAP maintains that this violates the US Catholic Bishops Conference national sex abuse policy, which requires that 'credibly accused' priests be suspended while the charges are investigated.

The priest denies the allegation and claimed he would step down but has not done so. He lives on the second floor, directly above a parish day care center. Last year, he also had a special door installed in his office so he could come and go out the back of the building without others watching him.

The victim's father is still active at St. Timothy's, teaching at the parish school and performing as a musician. In an unusual move, last fall, the victim's dad gave a TV news interview to Channel 7.

Castillo also worked at St. Patrick's in Miami Beach, Immaculate Conception in Hialeah and St. Hugh in Coconut Grove. He's originally from Nicaragua and became a priest in 1994.

The parish is at 5400 S.W. 102nd Avenue (305 274 8224). The victim is represented by Miami attorney Jeff Herman (305 931 2200). The priest's bio: http://www.st-timothy-catholic.org/Eng/Clergy.htm

CONTACT
David Clohessy 314 566 9790 cell & 314 645 5915 home, Barbara Dorris 314 503 0003 cell