WV--“Monster” predator priest quietly sent to WV

For immediate release: Thursday, March 9, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, [email protected])

A serial Pennsylvania predator priest – who was described by law enforcement officials as a “monster” who may have “molested hundreds” – was quietly sent to work in West Virginia, according to a just-released grand jury report.

We want West Virginia’s Catholic bishop to alert his flock about this pedophile, Fr. Francis McCaa. (Links below)

We strongly suspect he also hurt kids in West Virginia.

For the healing of victims, we call on West Virginia Bishop Michael Bransfield – and every Catholic church employee and church member in the state - to aggressively reach out to anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by Fr. McCaa or cover ups by his colleagues or supervisors.

Church staff should use diocesan websites, church bulletins, and pulpit announcements to warn his flock about living predator priests and educate them about deceased predator priests. That’s the way kids can be protected, victims can be healed and the church can move forward.

In 2004, Altoona Catholic officials paid $3.7 million to settle 21 cases of abuse against 11 priests, including Fr. McCaa. Fr. McCaa, now deceased, was at one time the chancellor of the Altoona diocese.

In 2003, Fr. McCaa reportedly lived in West Virginia. He died in 2007.

According to a Pennsylvania newspaper: The report calls McCaa “a monster” who groped and “fondled the genitals of numerous children” who attended or served at Holy Name Church, Ebensburg; “Numerous former altar boys reported that McCaa would make them take their pants off under their cassocks” and then “reach under their religious vestments to touch and squeeze their genitals”; one boy reported the abuse to his mother, who slapped him and said the priest “was just being friendly”; the grand jury identified as many as 15 victims, and said McCaa was “a formidable figure and the boys felt like there was no escape”; the report accused Bishop Hogan of having full knowledge of McCaa’s action.

The report estimates McCaa has assaulted “hundreds” of kids.

http://www.tribdem.com/news/details-of-report-on-priests-accused-of-child-sexual-abuse/article_2411b004-e02b-11e5-a50c-e3ab4b5052df.html

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2003_01_06/2003_02_07_Reabuck_SexSuit.htm

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2003_01_06/2003_02_14_PittsburghPost_AltoonaBishop.htm

Bishop Bransfield, please: No more excuses, apologies, promises, reassurances or hair splitting. Your actions will show whether you care about victims’ healing or colleagues’ reputations. Please, tell parents, parishioners, police, prosecutors and the public about this serial predator now.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. 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. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])