Clergy sex abuse victims "out" predator priest

A molestation report against him was settled in North Dakota

He worked at two Trenton diocesan parishes in 1960s & 1970s

Despite long church career, he has never been publicly accused here before

Copies of settlement agreement & pedophile's work history will be released

Support group prods Catholic officials to 'reach out' to others who may have been hurt

SNAP blasts top Trenton church figures for 'staying silent' about allegations & settlement

WHAT
At a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will disclose, for the first time, that
-- a former Trenton area priest molested a teenager
-- one of his victims, in another state, was paid a settlement by Catholic officials,

They will also
-- give copies of a four page settlement agreement reached by his supervisors and a victim,
-- urge anyone who may have seen suspected or suffered his crimes to call police and get help, and
-- prod Catholic officials to aggressively help track down other victims and offer them help.

WHEN
Monday, Oct. 26, 1:30 a.m.

WHERE
Outside the diocesan headquarters (chancery office) 701 Lawrenceville Rd. in Trenton

WHO
Two members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Woodbridge man who is the organization’s New Jersey state director

WHY
In May, a North Dakota newspaper disclosed, for the first time, that Fr. Gregory Patejko molested a teenager named Richard Jangula in 1976. Church officials aren't denying the allegations.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2009/05_06/2009_05_06_Lee_ACrime.htm

Patejko worked at two Trenton diocese parishes: St. Stanislaus in Sayreville (1968-70) and St. Mary’s Polish church in South River (1971). Both had parochial schools. SNAP members are upset that Trenton's bishop failed to neither disclose the settlement involving Patejko nor publicize his tenure in New Jersey. The group believes Trenton Catholic officials have a moral duty to use their vast resources to aggressively reach out to anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered Patejko's crimes here.

In 1994, Jangula (701-226-9384), of Fargo, settled his child sex abuse claim with church officials there. The crimes took place in 1976 at St. Andrew Catholic Church of Zeeland ND (100 miles SW of Bismark). Jangula will NOT be present at the news conference but is able to speak to reporters by phone.

Copies of the four page settlement document will be provided. It is signed by then-Vicar General Rev. Wendelyn Vetter who is now at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Reynolds ND (701-847-2371, Wendelyn.Vetter@FargoDiocese.org)

Years ago, Jangula also reported the abuse to diocesan officials, including then-Vicar General Msgr. Dennis Skonseng (dennis.skonseng@fargodiocese.org, 701-356-7900). Still, despite his report and the settlement, church staff have chosen to keep Patejko's crimes secret, contrary to the US bishops conference policy which mandates 'openness' in clergy sex abuse cases.

SNAP and Jangula worry about others who may have been assaulted by Patejko and feels morally obligated to expose the truth about the predator and find and help others who "are suffering in shame, silence and self-blame," like he did for years.

Besides St. Andrew's, Patejko worked at four other North Dakota parishes: St. David's in Ashley (1972-1979), St. Agatha's in Hope (1979-1981), St. James in Page (1979-1981) and Sacred Heart in Aneta (1980-1981). St. James parish no longer exists. Patejko is now deceased. It is believed that he returned to Poland in the 1990s. For confirmation of these work assignments, see http://www.bishop-accountability.org/assign/Patejko_Gregory_Zbigniew.htm

A copy of the settlement document is at http://www.bishop-accountability.org/assign/Patejko_Gregory_Zbigniew.htm

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 21 years and have more than 9,000 members across the country. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers.)

CONTACT
Mark Crawford (732-632-7687), David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, 314-645-5915 home), and Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell)